Why Industry Professionals Seek Additional Qualifications

By:  Adrienne Carlson, Construction Management Degrees

It’s true that education opens the doors of opportunity, and that’s why we place so much importance in a college degree. But once you’re well ensconced in a job, one that pays well and one that you love, why would you go about seeking additional qualifications? Industry professionals are usually not satisfied with what they have achieved; they tend to want to do so much more, and this is why they seek to improve themselves. So if we were to look at the reasons why they pursue additional qualifications, they are:

• A climb up the career ladder: Most professionals advance through performance and hard work. But there are some positions that require a minimum level of education, and if they don’t meet it, they seek admission into suitable educational institutions so that they can climb up the career ladder and earn more in the process.

• Personal achievement and advancement: Some professionals are always trying to better themselves, not just to advance their careers or earn more than they currently do, but to keep abreast of all that is current and relevant in their field. They know it will come in handy sometime in the future, and even if it does not, it gives them a sense of personal achievement.

• A change on the job front: Professionals who are not satisfied with their jobs and are looking for better opportunities tend to seek additional qualifications hoping that it will improve their eligibility on the job market. They either go back to school or take a certification course related to their line of work, one that is recognized and accredited by industry experts.

• A switch in career paths: If professionals feel that they need to switch not just jobs but also careers, they must seek additional qualifications in order to be eligible to work in their newly chosen field. Some stumble upon good jobs in a field unrelated to their current line of work by accident, but they find that they need extra education and skills if they are to hold on to their position and advance further in their career.

The reasons for seeking additional professional qualifications may vary, but the means are almost the same. Most professionals choose to enroll themselves in school to earn a master’s or doctoral degree while others prefer certification courses or hands-on training related to the field they’re either working or interested in. All in all, the process of learning and advancement never stops for an industry professional. 

 

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of construction management degrees. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson83@yahoo.com

Have a voice, listen, and respond

Earlier this week I read a tweet (message on Twitter) from a connection of mine here in Chicago while going through my timeline.  This individual is working on a project and needed to connect with a lawyer who specializes in non-profit law. 

Here is the catch.  He only had one question.  Did not need to retain a lawyer, nor wanted to spend an hour figuring out a contract/fee agreement for a question that might take 5 minutes to answer.

I took his request and sent it out via my name on Twitter ( @justingroy ) as well as specifically ask a few lawyers in my network online.

Within a few hours, I received a response from somebody who I only know online – through blogs, twitter, email, etc. 

Guess what?  Her firm has a non-profit lawyer in house and offered to have my friend call that lawyer to answer his question (and any others).

Though it seems like every company is trying to find a penny wherever they walk during this economic downturn, it’s nice to see and witness a firm offer their time, give free advice, and ask nothing in return.

They gave away 10 minutes. 

I’ll give them 60 minutes of my time in promoting them. 

If you are an Architectural, Engineering, Construction, Development, etc firm who designs or builds green buildings – make sure you have the correct paperwork, contracts, insurance, etc.

Her Blog:  http://www.greenbuildinglawblog.com/

Her Twitter:  http://twitter.com/sharishapiro

Thank you very much again, Shari!

Looking for: Regional Engineering Manager

Our client is a multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm who specializes in transportation engineering and facilities projects.  Currently they are looking to hire a Regional Engineering Manager to oversee the Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire markets.

The ideal candidate will have 15+ years of experience with transportation engineering in a consulting engineering firm.  Registered Professional Engineers.  The ability to develop client relationships, network, assess market opportunities, lead and manage less experienced staff is required.

The position will be located in their New Hampshire office location.

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to: Justin G. Roy at jroy@sullivankreiss.com.

SullivanKreiss A/E Hot Candidates for September 28, 2009

Below are a few architecture and engineering candidates who are open to exploring a new opportunity.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact Justin G. Roy by email: jroy@sullivankreiss.com.

 

Senior Living/Housing Architect, AIA– Responsible for overseeing the Senior Living Studio: business development, staff mentoring, and project management, as well as programming,planning and design for selected projects.  Has been published, awarded design awards, Registered Architect and NCARB.  Open to relocation.

Higher Education Seller/Manager, AIA– Responsible for leading, managing, and growing the higher education sector for an architecture and engineering firm; profit and loss; sales and business development; mentoring and supervising staff.  Registered Architect and NCARB certified.  Open to relocation.

Mechanical Engineer, P.E., LEED– 14 years of experience of mechanical design and project management of commercial, data center, hotels, education, and healthcare projects.  Well versed with proposals, building evaluation reports, client contact and coordination.  Open to relocation.

Vice President, P.E. – Experience in the planning and design of water supply, distribution, and water treatment facilities.  Responsible for business development, client contact and coordination, management and supervision of less experienced designers and engineers.

Engineering, P.E. – Experience with renewable energy projects (electricity generation and renewable natural gas production) and capital improvement programs of municipal water and wastewater systems along with asset management studies, and the design and management of water/wastewater projects.  Responsible for business development and sales, client contact and coordination, leadership and management of employees.  Masters in Civil Engineering and a Registered Professional Engineer.  Open to relocation.

 

Candidates seeking new opportunities can click here to view the latest architecture and consulting engineering job postings.

Looking for a Senior Mechanical Project Manager

Our client is a consulting mechanical engineering firm located north of Seattle, WA.  They offer HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and sustainable design to institutional and healthcare clients.

Currently, they are searching for a Senior Project Manager who has a background in mechanical/HVAC engineering design and management for healthcare projects.  This position will be responsible for project management, working with clients, technical engineering design and review, supervising and mentoring staff.

Growth opportunities do include the opportunity for ownership and overall leadership of the firm.

Ideally, the new hire will have 15+ years of mechanical engineering experience, Registered Professional Engineer, and LEED AP.

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to: Justin G. Roy at jroy@sullivankreiss.com.

Make Your CRM System Work

Another great and informative post by Mel Lester on his site, E-Quip Blog on how a firm could and should be using their CRM system.  he is right on target with the comment that most systems fail due to lack of staff participation. 

However, as somebody who has designed a CRM System, I believe a lot of problems also lay in the lack of ability(on the designers part) to customize a pre-made and delivered product.  Purchases of software are based on the amount of functions the company can use; but with the ease of changing many functions, I always wonder why we cannot make simple changes.  Call most developers, and it seems like a chore to change some wording, text, etc. 

Aside from some systems inability to see the larger picture and be open to customizing a software for a client (my opinion), Lester talks about how a firm can break their system of failed programs and offers the following tips:

• Choose a system based on what you want to do with it, not what you could do with it
• Master CRM with some key accounts before rolling it out firm wide
• Sell people on the personal advantages of using CRM, not just the corporate benefits
• Develop some respected internal champions to promote greater use of CRM
• Make it as easy as possible to use
• Delegate responsibility for keeping CRM up to date where necessary
• Tie performance metrics to CRM.

Make sure to check out the entire article, where Lester goes more in depth on how to use these strategies to successfully use your new CRM system. 

Click here to view the full article.

Balfour Beatty to Pay $626 Million for Parsons Brinckerhoff

According to the attached article from ENR.com, Balfour Beatty will pay $626 million for Parsons Brinckerhoff. The deal is pending shareholder approval.

Click this link to read the article: http://enr.ecnext.com/coms2/article_bmco090917BalfourBeatt

John P. Kreiss

 

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Construction Employment Continues to Decline

According to the attached article from Building Design and Construction, industry employment declined in 48 States in August this year compared to the same period last year.

Click this link to read the article: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/CA6697706.html

John P. Kreiss

 

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SullivanKreiss A/E/C Hot Candidates for September 21, 2009

Below are a few architecture and engineering candidates who are open to exploring a new opportunity.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact Justin G. Roy by email: jroy@sullivankreiss.com.

 

Higher Education Seller/Manager, AIA – Responsible for leading, manageing, and growing the higher education sector for an architecture and engineering firm.  Open to relocation

Senior Project Manager, P.E. – Experience with the planning, design and management, and permitting for environmental, transportation, water/wastewater, and land development projects.  Responsible for project management, technical design overview, client contact and coordiantion, business development and marketing.  Registered Professional Engineer.  Open to relocation.

Senior Project Manager, P.E. – 20 years of experience with transportation projects.  Responsible for sales, marketing, business development; proposals, statement of qualifications, and letters of intent; contract scope and fee and negotiations; project management and technical oversight; staff supervision and mentoring.  Masters Degree and Registered Professional Engineer.

Vice President of Design, AIA – Experience with college and university, health care and medical, research and laboratory, and senior liviing facility projects.  Responsible for project management, training, supervision, and mentoing staff, client contact and coordination, and office management. 

Engineering, P.E. – Experience with engineering reports for renewable energy projects (electricity generation and renewable natural gas production) and capital improvement programs of municipal water and wastewater systems along with asset management studies, and the design and management of water/wastewater projects.  Responsible for business development and sales, client contact and coordination, leadership and management of employees.  Masters in Civil Engineering and a Registered Professional Engineer.  Open to relocation.

 

Candidates seeking new opportunities can click here to view the latest architecture and consulting engineering job postings.

Position: Structural Engineer

Our client is a structural engineering firm located in the Washington D.C. area who is looking to hire a Structural Engineer. 

The new hire will be responsible for project design and management, leading and mentoring structural engineers and structural designers, client contact.

The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of experience with physical security, and restoration and rehabilitation projects.  Security clearance or the ability to obtain is a must.

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to: Justin G. Roy at jroy@sullivankreiss.com.