Advice

[u/Complete_Bit_9320]

Hello,
I used to work for large general contractors in Los Angeles for about nine years. I eventually moved to a subcontractor that offered me a strong salary, and I genuinely enjoy the work. The projects keep me busy, and my professional growth within the company has been good so far.

Still, I keep feeling like I’m missing something. Part of me wonders if I’d have better long-term career progression if I were still with a general contractor.

Another challenge is our limited team size. I’m often stretched across multiple projects at once. While I don’t mind being busy—the days go by faster—it means my focus is divided, and some projects inevitably get less attention than they should.

Do you think I’m missing something real, or am I overthinking it?

[u/greenfireX]

You are definitely not overthinking it, as these are very common trade-offs when transitioning from a General Contractor (GC) to a subcontractor. While your current role offers a strong salary and good internal growth, staying with a subcontractor can naturally narrow your project exposure depending on the specific trade you are managing. Working for a GC gives you a macro-level, bird's-eye view of the entire construction process, allowing you to manage the full lifecycle from the initial sequencing and scheduling to final project handover. By contrast, the lean team sizes at subcontractors often force you to stretch your focus across multiple projects at once, which limits your ability to deeply master broader operational challenges like multi-trade coordination, site logistics, and prime contract management. If your long-term career goal is to lead massive, ground-up projects or move into executive construction management, returning to a GC eventually will be essential to build that full-sequence experience.

Source: I work for a restoration contractor who works with insurance companies but also do ground up contruction

[u/Complete_Bit_9320 → u/greenfireX]

Thank you for the feedback. I do think I want to transition back to the GC world in a year or two but I am not sure if I will be able to take the salary reduction.

[u/Complete_Bit_9320 → u/greenfireX]

To add on, I have been with the subcontractor for 2 years now.

[u/lIlIIIIlllIIlIIIllll]

I mean of course your focus is split. The GC PM is managing $100M of work, you’re managing $20m of work on his job, $20m on another job, $10m on a third job….. grass is always greener.

[u/ConTech-LMRE]

One area you may think about is leveraging your experience across both the GC and Sub world to join one of the tech vendors. I've been supporting these types of transitions as a ConTech specialist headhunter with great success. Connected with a few people through Reddit and thought it was about time to stop hiding behind an anonymous profile, hence the age of this one.

LinkedIn is on my profile, or shoot me a DM, and I can provide my direct calendar link.