/ Page 3 - Articles by Rachel Burger

Projects fail for all kinds of reasons. Stakeholders can change their objectives. Key team members can leave for other companies. Budgets can disappear, materials can be delayed, and priorities can go un-managed.

I’m a bit of a finance nerd. I love apps like SmartyPig, Acorns, and Mint. The truth is, for how much I know about software (even accounting software), I would have never discovered these products unless I read finance blogs, like I Will Teach You To Be Rich, 20-Something Finance, and Budgets are Sexy.

Construction is one of the most dangerous industry sectors. Be it a fall, a mechanical malfunction, or problems with exposure, construction workers can face serious injury while on the job.

If you’re in project management (or in any other leadership field), you’ve probably read David Allen’s masterpiece, Getting Things Done. If not, the system that David Allen suggests is quite simple:

There is a misconception that construction is all about the hands. People go out, work with their hands, and build great things. In reality, every construction manager knows that construction is also about the head. You have to think and plan for every project, and behavior-based safety is proof of that.

Construction projects are about more than building homes, roads, and commercial buildings. Anyone who has woken up at 6AM to the sound of a jackhammer or has had to take a detour because a road is closed for repair knows that construction, indisputably, impacts community.

Electrical estimating is unforgiving, compared to other construction estimating activities. Unless the project is very simple, quick and dirty approximations using square-foot unit measures may give wildly inaccurate results. Bids for conduits, wiring, and sub-assemblies will be too high and lose you the job, or too low and lose you money – bad news for a generalist contractor and disastrous for an electrical specialist.

Technically, you don’t need any certifications. But, it’s still a good idea to have an educational background in construction management. Just like field experience is a “nice to have” and not a requirement for construction managers, a construction degree or certification is helpful but not 100% necessary for job seekers.

Experts are telling homeowners to get lots of bids before selecting a contractor for their remodel. And it makes sense—when buying something like a car, smart buyers use Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, and Consumer Reports before making a decision. They should use the same diligence while choosing a contractor for a remodeling job.