Day In The Life Archives

Career Planning

Do Construction Managers Have To Travel? Let’s Break It Down

Let’s kick this one off with a bit of history. It’s the year 1848. Location? North America. What were folks up to? The Revolutionary War was over, but the Civil War had not yet begun. While I can’t speak for everyone since I wasn’t there, about 300,000 people decided to pack up their belongs, leave the family homestead and head to California, often on perilous journeys. The reason? The Gold Rush. Although gold had been discovered in California by local residents earlier, 1848-1849 is when the rush truly began to occur. Often referred to as ’49ers, people from all over the world began arriving in California – not only from the eastern parts of America, but also from Mexico, Peru, China, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and more. The prospects of wealth and prosperity – even through word of mouth and letters – was sufficient reason to give up everything, leave home and spend time digging or ‘panning’ for gold in the desert. In short, people wanted money and California was the best place to find it. While things in America are a bit more stable now, the idea of traveling to find prosperity is far from over – actually, that goes for any country of origin. While working from home is pushing things in a new direction, the prospect of traveling to find better opportunities is still relatable for millions of people. This group certainly includes people working in the construction industry, but there are many nuances to consider. If you came here after wondering “do construction managers have to travel?”, fear not – I aim to answer this with as much detail as I can.

Pat Finnegan May 21, 2021

Career Planning

For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs: 5 Tips From Experience

As we all know, project management is an exciting and dynamic field. There are plenty of ways we can challenge ourselves and continue to grow year after year. These are the aspects of project management that most of us love. As we gain experience, we learn a wide variety of skills in leadership, budgeting, scheduling, organization and more. If we can manage a decent-sized project, how much harder can it be to work for ourselves? After working as a Project Manager for awhile, you may begin to crave a challenge beyond what your typical position or company may offer. Perhaps you want to create a business from the ground up. Maybe you crave the ability to make your own schedule, or no longer answer to a boss. For many different reasons, there’s a growing percentage of working professionals who decide not to pursue their current career path anymore, and instead pursue the road less traveled…the path of the entrepreneur. Cue the dramatic music. There’s plenty of reasons why being ‘your own boss’ is great, but there are plenty of reasons one shouldn’t just dive in without preparation, either. I know because I’ve done it! At least to a certain extent. While I was prepared in some ways, there are several things I wish I understood much earlier – that’s what this article is about. For the project managers becoming entrepreneurs out there, let’s go over 5 tips based on my own experience, plus a little detail as to why I became an entrepreneur after thirteen years in construction management.

Pat Finnegan April 2, 2021

Workplace Experiences

Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

Ah, dating in the workplace. The stuff sitcoms, dramas and movies are made of. We live in a society that idealizes the concept of finding ‘the one’ for you at work. But maybe that’s not what we’re after at all – perhaps we just want a casual fling with a coworker. Whatever the case may be for you, we’re going to go deep on answering this burning question: Is dating a coworker a bad idea? I will also give my honest opinion. Let’s begin.

Pat Finnegan December 12, 2019

Project Management

What Do Project Managers Wear? A P.M. Wardrobe Guide By Industry

Out of all the project management topics to write about, I never expected to write on about fashion choices. I do like to dress well when possible, but I never really considered that as part of being a P.M. It turns out that more people are interested in this topic than I expected, so here we are! So what do Project Managers wear, exactly? This varies from industry to industry as well as what the day’s activities will entail, so we’ll cover the basics of each!

Pat Finnegan December 11, 2019

Career Planning

Working At A Large Company Vs. Small Company: The Pros & Cons

Companies come in all shapes and sizes. Plenty of businesses click on year after year with just a couple of employees, maybe only one! Meanwhile, giant corporations can employ hundreds of thousands of people – that’s like employing a couple hundred small towns. As you can imagine, the employees working at small businesses have a vastly different experience than ones working at a huge corporation. In this article, we’ll be discussing the pros & cons of working at a large company vs. a small company. Let’s get into it!

Pat Finnegan November 20, 2019

Construction Management

What Is An Assistant Project Manager? A Brief Overview Of The Position

Project Managers are in charge of the whole show – as far as the specific project is concerned, the buck stops with them (or their boss). Regardless, Project Managers are expected to make the big decisions on the job. By the time they’re even promoted to P.M., they already have several years of experience in the field. So what exactly are P.M.s doing before they become Project Managers. In this article, we’re discussing the question of “what is an Assistant Project Manager?”, including what A.P.M.s do and the type of experience they have.

Pat Finnegan November 18, 2019

Construction Management

Does Construction Management Require Math? The 5 Ways You’ll Need It

The business of Construction Management consists of professionals from a variety of disciplines. Whether they’re life-long tradesmen, engineers, architects, PMP-certified project managers or business professionals, construction managers are ultimately responsible for the same end result. Because of this, they must have a diverse skillset with a variety of abilities. The prospect of relying on one skill in particular makes a lot of people nervous – math. Does construction management require math? In this article, we’re discussing the five ways that math is needed in C.M.!

Pat Finnegan November 5, 2019

Construction Management

The Difference Between Construction Managers And General Contractors

The terms Construction Manager and General Contractor are often interchanged in conversation. While both parties are involved in the general management of a construction project, they’re actually very different from one another in regards to responsibilities, liabilities and costs – even the employees’ focuses and priorities will be different. Today, we’ll explore the difference between Construction Managers and General Contractors, along with the reasons that developers choose one over the other.

Pat Finnegan October 30, 2019

Project Management

A Project Manager’s First Day On The Job: Focus On These 3 Essentials

The first day on the job can be nerve-wracking for a Project Manager at any skill level. Working in a new environment comes with all sorts of challenges that we get hit with simultaneously. Between new coworkers, a different workplace culture and an impression to make, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when we start at a new job – let alone taking on our new project! That’s a whole other conversation, which we’ll have in this article. Today, we write about a Project Manager’s first day on the job, and the three essential things they should focus on first!

Pat Finnegan October 29, 2019

Construction Management

Being A Construction Manager: Here’s An Hourly Breakdown Of A Day In The Life

Much of what you find online related to project management is theoretical. Examples feel like they’re straight out of a laboratory, lacking real-world context and reliability. Our website isn’t exempt – many of our articles related to project management and construction management are academic in presentation. While we try to provide as much context and as many examples as we can, we feel the need to create something a bit more relatable for our readers. Construction is a field that everyone can relate to in some way. Perhaps they had a new home built at some point, or were fascinated watching a huge mega-project in full-swing, cranes and all. Those of us pursuing engineering, business or a design field like architecture begin to wonder: What is it like being a construction manager? In this article, we’re focusing on a day in the life of a theoretical project manager in construction.

Pat Finnegan October 28, 2019

CATEGORY | Day In The Life

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Do Construction Managers Have To Travel? Let’s Break It Down

For Project Managers Becoming Entrepreneurs: 5 Tips From Experience

Is Dating A Coworker A Bad Idea? My Honest Opinion

What Do Project Managers Wear? A P.M. Wardrobe Guide By Industry

Working At A Large Company Vs. Small Company: The Pros & Cons

What Is An Assistant Project Manager? A Brief Overview Of The Position

Does Construction Management Require Math? The 5 Ways You’ll Need It

The Difference Between Construction Managers And General Contractors

A Project Manager’s First Day On The Job: Focus On These 3 Essentials

Being A Construction Manager: Here’s An Hourly Breakdown Of A Day In The Life

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