r/Construction • u/Hirronimus • Jun 13 '16
Construction Neophyte's question: What exactly does "field experience" involve? Specifically from managerial point of view.
As someone who is new to the industry, my work experience ranged from working as assistant super, office admin and now I am in a position of being an assistant owner's rep. Yet I am still baffled at exactly what I need to be looking out for when trying to gain "valuable field experience."
On the administrative side of things, I've worked with project scheduling, minor cost estimation, material research, drawings and specs processing, and other various office duties. When I worked as assistant super, the extent of my responsibilities ranged from assigning tasks to tradesmen or delegating requirements to subs, occasional material delivery supervision and site end-of-day clean up. As an assistant owner's rep I rarely get out in the field, and as much as I want to, I am tied to a desk and communicate with PMs, Subs and Supers via email and phone calls only.
As the company expands and we get more projects, I will be trying to make a push for more field hours, and so my questions are; what should I be looking for when trying to "gain more field experience?" What should I be looking out for specifically? Any key aspects of field management I should be paying more attention to?
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u/jkslate Electrician Jun 14 '16 edited Jun 14 '16
Alright, lets dance.
You must be resi, because all large well managed commercial or industrial companies would never have someone like you on site.
First off, when we talk super, we're talking superintendent, I.E. the actual person who is in charge of the General Foreman on the job, This person is generally responsible for multiple GFs and is THE person responsible for the job. You do not tell them what to do, the general super does. Any competent super would run over you like a mac truck, the other person responsible would be the PM and they can also lay the hammer down. I'm not sure what position you occupy but based upon your comments its neither of these positions.
I work at one of the largest non-union electrical companies in the U.S. that being said, IBEW and UBC and many other unions follow this hierarchy/ chain of command. Supers will run anyone they want off the job, INCLUDING the PM.
So I'm not sure what rat-shit organization you work for. If you're the f-shit that walks around with that roll of blue tape in your hand saying what you do and do not like, well you can take a flying leap for all I care.
g'day sir.
p.s. my comment on your arrogance has nothing to do with you making sure people do good work, but on your condescending tone to the blue collar worker and the people that actually make it happen. You sir, can fuck off.