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Top Career Tips from Last Year’s 40 Under 40 Winners
What does it take to have a successful career in construction?
While everyone’s professional journey is different, it helps to learn from those with well-established careers, so you can discover the lessons that brought them to the top of their game.
That’s exactly what we’re doing here. We asked last year’s 40 Under 40 winners, a.k.a. Champions of Construction, to share their best career advice, along with the most important lessons they’ve learned from 2020, and what excites them about the construction industry.
As some of the most passionate and forward-thinking people in construction, the group shares hard-earned learnings that you can put into action in your own career right away.
Have a look at what they have to say below. It’s an inspiring read.
If you know anyone in construction that is an absolute AEC allstar, and belongs on this year’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction list, nominate them today! Nominations are open August 17 through September 17.
SUBMIT A NOMINATION
1. What is the best career advice you’ve ever been given?
In many cases, the best career nuggets are intangible. Instead of a quick tip, the most insightful advice often serves as a north star that guides your career decisions and ensures that you don’t stray too far from your values.
Do what you love and what’s best for you
Many of 2020’s Champions of Constructions agree that succeeding in your field starts with knowing what you love and what’s best for you.
As Ivana Tudja, Senior BIM Manager at Mace Group puts it, “Remember one thing, you’re the only person who knows what the right thing for you is.”
In line with this, it’s important to know what you’re passionate about, so you can develop your career around that.
“Do something that you love,” says Kristy Hogg, Technical BIM Lead at Cundall. “Because if you enjoy it, you’re going to be interested in it.”
Learn to collaborate well with others
Teamwork and collaboration are essential to construction success. If you want to go far in your AEC career, it’s important to be open to other people’s ideas and constantly learn from each other.
“A huge part of continual creativity and dedication on-site is understanding that everyone has a voice and input worth hearing; it’s not just the construction manager reigning down orders,” says Geoffrey Bean, Virtual Construction Coordinator at W.M. Jordan Company.
He continues, “When it comes to ideas, there is no such thing as a bad one. It’s about letting suggestions be heard. It’s about letting every single person on every single one of our job sites know that they matter and that we care.”
Carolina Alvarez, President of J&S Building Maintenance, Inc., offers similar advice and says that working closely with the team is a must to succeed at work. “The first thing is recognizing that we’re a team and communicating with each other,” she says.
“What do we need to do? What ideas do you have? What’s going to make you feel safe to start with? You need to ask those questions. Talk to your staff, see where they’re at, and accommodate their needs if necessary,” adds Carolina.
2. What are the top lessons you learned from 2020?
The most powerful lessons are the ones that you earn not just by reading, but actually living through them. 2020 was a difficult period, but it was a massive year for career growth, particularly for construction professionals who kept their heads up and persevered.
“Patience and hope were my biggest takeaways [in 2020],” says Hritik Kothari, Project Engineering Intern at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He adds that he’ll proudly take these values further in the years to come.
Focus on things you can control
If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, it’s that there are many factors outside of our control. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything.
Lazar Vilimonovic, Electrical Design Engineer at Tesla said it best: “The biggest thing is that you can’t dwell on a lot of the things you can’t control.”
So much can change in a short amount of time, and the number one thing you can do is to continuously show up. “I know I need to keep moving forward, do the things I need to do, and go from there,” adds Lazar.
Always have a plan
The events of last year caught many people off guard, and 2020 taught us the importance of having “a more thorough emergency plan,” remarks Carolina.
“Your emergency plan shouldn’t just be ‘Oh what if the internet went out.’ That may have worked pre-2020, but if a pandemic or something similar happens again, you need to be prepared. Your business plan needs to expand to other types of emergencies and what to do in case of that, because who knows what will happen again?”
3. What excites you the most about the future of construction?
The future of the construction industry is bright, and now is one of the most exciting times to build a career in AEC.
Groundbreaking developments in technology
Technologies like AI, machine learning, robotics, and others are transforming various industries, and construction is no exception. Because of this, construction professionals are able to streamline cumbersome processes and focus on bigger and more exciting things.
That being said, successfully implementing technology starts with investing in the right tools. As Samiha Shakil, Senior VDC Engineer at Skanska points out, “When you invest in the right tech, you’re also investing in the people you employ.”
She continues, “There are many people with tons of potential, and we need to make sure they’re equipped with tools that improve their work processes, help deliver quality projects and empower them to be better professionals all around.”
Integrating different technologies is also something that construction professionals should focus on. “Taking advantage of what 2020 has taught us — construction professionals and firms, should invest more in R&D of integration of new technologies,” says Ruhi Thakur, Assistant Project Manager at Webcor.
Younger people are entering the industry
It’s not just about technology though. Construction continues to be a people-driven field, and the next generation of professionals entering the workforce will brighten up the industry even more.
Jessica Bowlin, Building Construction Instructor at Auburn High School, says that the “up and coming workforce — the Gen Zs” is what she finds most exciting about construction.
She says, “They’re going to take us so much further than we ever thought possible.”
These are just a few nuggets of wisdom shared by Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 Champions of Construction. To see last year’s full list of 40 Under 40 winners, click here.
Know someone perfect for 2021’s 40 Under 40 List?
Nominations open: August 17, 2021 to September 17, 2021
Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 will be a list of shining (and rising) stars in the industry. It will recognize construction professionals under the age of 40 who are making waves in the AEC field for their creativity, forward-thinking, and dedication, particularly over the last few months.
Nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Someone who has made a big impact in their role in 2021.
- A professional who has demonstrated exceptional leadership.
- An industry pioneer who has implemented or managed technology with a major impact on a project and their company.
Have someone in mind? Be sure to hit the nominate button on or before the 17th of September!
NOMINATE NOW
The post Top Career Tips from Last Year’s 40 Under 40 Winners appeared first on Digital Builder.
Cladding panels “dislodged” from McAlpine hotel job
Roads around a Hilton hotel being built by Sir Robert McAlpine in Woking were closed last week when cladding panels became “dislodged”.
Following the incident at the £540m Victoria Square development Cllr Ayesha Azad, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said on Friday: “I can confirm that following Wednesday’s incident, which saw a small number of exterior panels dislodged from the hotel development, senior officers from Woking Borough Council met with representatives of Victoria Square Woking Ltd and its contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM).
“Yesterday, a detailed inspection of the area of concern was undertaken by SRM’s sub-contractor, with further checks carried out today. As with any incident of this nature, SRM has mobilised their incident investigation team which includes independent advisers to fully scrutinise how and why this incident happened. With these investigations ongoing, it is inappropriate to speculate on the reasons why and how the panels became displaced.
“On the grounds of public safety, Sir Robert McAlpine took the decision to close Victoria Way on Wednesday afternoon in agreement with Surrey Police. Victoria Way will remain closed to traffic between the junctions with Goldsworth Road and Lockfield Drive until SRM is fully satisfied that there is no further risk to the public and construction site.
“Safety is my utmost concern and I would like to reassure members of the public that all partners involved fully understand the seriousness of the situation and are working collaboratively and expediently to resolve the matter.”
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1094
Chancellor to detail £7bn spending pledge for local transport
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is planning to detail plans in the Autumn spending review on Wednesday to pump £7bn in local transport improvements in Midlands and Northern cities.
The pledge will amount to around £1.5bn or 20% of actual extra new cash to supplement previous spending commitments on infrastructure in the regions over the next five years.
It will be directed at areas outside of London to level up transport with new train and station upgrades and the expansion of trams, with £1.2bn also allocated to improve bus services.
Its forms part of a £26bn raft of spending commitments trialed over the weekend ahead of the Autumn spending review.
Local transport infrastructure commitments will see West Yorkshire given £830m while South Yorkshire receives £570m.
Around £1.05bn will be freshly committed in the West Midlands, £710m for the Liverpool City Region, £310m in Tees Valley and £540m to the West of England.
Rishi Sunak confirmed previously the Government had announced £4.2bn in allocation for regional transport, adding the Government would now top that up with £1.5bn while giving out the allocation for where the cash will go within the oveall local transport infrastructure cash envelope
“Greate cities need great transport and that is why we’re investing billions to improve connections in our city regions as we level up opportunities across the country.
“This transport revolution will help redress that imbalance as we modernise our local transport networks so they are fit for our great cities and those people who live and work in them,” he said in briefing mover the weekend.
Liverpool student block developer goes under
Subcontractors and suppliers across the North West are braced to lose millions after the company behind the 16-storey Natex student accommodation scheme in Liverpool fell into administration.
Mount Group Student Natex was developing the £45m scheme which was due for completion in December.
The company is now in the hands of administrators Mazars but the wider Mount Group remains unaffected.
Mount Group Student Natex was incorporated in 2016 and work started on the 574-bed scheme in 2019 with Manchester based Barton PM as management contractor.
Mazars told the Liverpool Echo: “The administrators are presently assessing the financial position of the company with a view to determining the optimal strategy for the completion of the development.
“The company’s financial position has been adversely affected by delays and increased costs resulting from, among other factors, the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain issues associated with the pandemic and Brexit.”
One local subcontractor told the Enquirer: “Payments have been delayed for ages on this job and suppliers are owed millions.”
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1075
HS2 downsizes Euston station to save costs
HS2 is sliming down the planned Euston station terminus in a bid to save cost and programme time.
The station will now move to a simpler 10 platform design from the originally planned 11 platforms.
This will allow the station main contractor joint venture Mace Dragados to build the £2.6bn project in a single stage, rather than two stages as originally envisaged.
The changes are far less dramatic than some in the industry feared after a 15-month review seeking cost-saving options and efficiency opportunities, depending in part on the scope of the northern route of HS2, particularly the future of the eastern leg.
HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson revealed the new plan in a six-month update to Parliament yesterday.
He said that the changes will ease the £400m budget pressure already identified on Euston station budget.
Stephenson said the exact savings would be identified as the updated design is developed over the coming months.
“In response to a recommendation from the Oakervee Review about looking into the efficiency of the Euston station, the move to a smaller, simpler 10-platform station design at Euston has now been confirmed,” he said in the report
“This will provide a more efficient design and delivery strategy and play a significant role in mitigating the affordability pressures recently identified.
“Moving to this revised HS2 Euston station design maintains the station infrastructure capacity to run 17 trains per hour, as set out in the Phase One full business case.”
Stephenson also highlighted potential minor delays in the southern section of the line leading into Old Oak Common from outer London.
He said contractors were now focused on identifying efficiencies and controlling risk in these key areas.
The added delivery risk stems from residual delays in completing enabling works and handover to main works in certain locations.
Slower than planned design progress and securing planning consents by the main works civils contractors had also limited productivity of the supply chain.
HS2 is currently reporting future potential cost pressures of around £1.3bn compared to £0.8 billion six months ago.
The overall budget for Phase One, including Euston, remains £44.6bn. This is composed of the target cost of £40.3bn and additional government-retained contingency of £4.3bn.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1066
Murphy trials AI warning cameras at site danger zones
Murphy & Sons is testing the latest advances in artificial intelligence site cameras to increase worker safety on its sites.
The camera warning system monitors key exclusion zones and restricted plant and people zones on sites sounding an alarm if workers intrude on the danger zone.
This new technology can also be used to monitor for other potential health and safety issues such as incorrect PPE usage and trip hazards.
The sensors have analytical and machine learning capabilities that can send valuable metadata, which can be analysed alongside data from a range of sources, including traditional accident, incident and reporting tools, weather data to anticipate incidents and manage health and safety across multiple construction sites.
Matthew Barney, senior procurement manager at Murphy said: “This technology has the potential to play a really critical role in helping us to reduce site safety incidents and protect our colleagues.
“The ability to identify risks on site and move quickly in real time to warn of the danger is vital to helping deliver a safe environment for all our employees.
“By combining traditional health and safety methods and best practice with new technologies such as this, we will continue to deliver on our commitment to place health and safety and the very heart of our wider business.”
Known as the AiMac, the system has been developed by Murphy Technical Services and security and control systems specialist IMAC.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1060
Offsite Homes Alliance courts firms for £4bn MMC framework
An alliance of social landlords in the North aiming to deliver 10,000 offsite homes per year is starting market testing ahead on launching the tender for a £4bn framework.
The alliance which was formed this year now boasts 23 housing associations and regsitered providers among its membership., largely based in the North of England.
Great Places Housing Group, acting as the main procurement body, is now soft market testing suppliers ahead of inviting tenders next month.
This will involve evaluating the current OSHA designs and zero carbon roadmap with its prospective MMC supply chain.
OSHA has designed a short questionnaire that is available to download here.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1024
BAM Nuttall names new major projects MD
BAM Nuttall has promoted Richard Prime to become managing director of Major Projects.
Prime, who has been with the firm for 20 years, fills the role vacated by Ian Parish who stepped up to become interim MD last month.
The board rejig follows the departure of Adrian Savory, BAM Nuttall’s chief executive last month after just 14 in the top job after around 26 years with BAM Nuttall.
Prime , who was previously divisional director of major projects, will lead BAM Nuttall’s teams, working in collaboration, to design and build infrastructure projects like HS2 main works and the Silvertown Tunnel in London.
The management line-up at BAM Nuttall is: Ian Parish (MD), Martin Bellamy (MD, Regions), Alan Cox (MD, Transport), Richard Prime, (MD, Major Projects), Ian Phillpot (Finance Director), Richard Reddell (Commercial Director), Richard Lewis (People and Performance Director) and David McGowan (Business Excellence Director).
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1019
Former nmcn telecoms director joins HE Simm
Engineering and services specialist HE Simm Group has appointed Peter Lambert as Group Commercial Director.
Lambert’s previous role was a short-term post at nmcn as Commercial Director of its Telecoms Division.
He brings 33 years’ of industry experience in the built environment sector having worked for companies including Spie Matthew Hall, Lendlease and Laing O’Rourke.
Lambert spent eight years working within the commercial team at NG Bailey, leaving as Regional Commercial Director to take up the post at nmcn in April before the firm went into administration earlier this month.
He joined Lee Marks who left NG Bailey at the same time to take over as the new chief executive of nmcn.
In his new role at HE Simm Group Lambert will lead and run the company’s commercial function in line with its overall strategic plan. As part of the Group Executive Leadership Team, he will report directly to CEO Gareth Simm.
Simm said: “We are very excited about Pete joining the team. He brings with him a wealth of experience, gained through working at some of the UK’s leading contracting firms.
“I am really looking forward to seeing what Pete can bring to our business, especially as we look ahead to a clear growth strategy over the coming years.
“Pete is one of two major appointments we’re making this month. Both individuals will add a lot of value to the Group, I have no doubt about that.”
Lambert added: “I am delighted to be joining HE Simm. The company has certainly become one to watch in the M&E field over the last few years. It has a great reputation and a lot of potential for further growth into new sectors and new regions in the UK.
“I am looking forward to sharing my experience with the team and to supporting them commercially with their ambitious strategic plans, as well as getting back into the M&E industry, which is where my passion lies.”
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=985
Autodesk Partners Dive Into Key Construction Technologies at AU2021
At Autodesk University this month, you probably learned about the power of our platform and the breadth of our construction integrations. You may have heard Jim Lynch, SVP & GM for Autodesk Construction Solutions, share during his Keynote that Autodesk Construction Cloud is “enabling general contractors, specialty contractors and owners to control how their data is accessed, shared and managed at every stage.” He also warned, “if your data isn’t connected, you’re only able to see a fraction of what your business is capable of.”
Autodesk Construction Cloud is dedicated to delivering integrated workflows, exemplified by the more than 200 partners leveraging Partner Cards and APIs to deliver strong and meaningful integrations for customers who want to simplify data management and make more informed decisions. Many of those partners joined us this year at Autodesk University and hosted insightful and informative sessions for customers to unlock new insights and improve productivity with these integrated workflows and automations.
Autodesk University content is available until October 29th. Check out these Industry Talks and the Solution Markeplace featuring many of our ecosystem partners and integrations!
Jump to Industry Talk:
- ERP Integrations for Autodesk Construction Cloud
- The Breadth and Depth of the Autodesk Construction Ecosystem
- How Strategic Workforce Management Completes More Work with Fewer Resources
- A Hitchhiker’s Guide to ArcGIS GeoBIM and the Construction Cloud
- How to Automate Repetitive Tasks on BIM 360 to Improve Cloud Collaboration
- From BIM to Fabrication with Forge
- Dig Deeper into Data with Forge and Digital Twins
- Using Forge to Build Connected and Customized Workflows in BIM 360
Top Industry Talks from Partners at Autodesk University 2021
ERP Integrations for Autodesk Construction Cloud
Speakers: Josh Cheney, Senior Manager of Strategic Alliances at Autodesk – Sophat Sam, Integration Solutions Engineer for Autodesk Construction Cloud – Michael Newland, Director of Product Management, hh2 Cloud Services
We walked through hh2’s integration between Sage CRE 300 and Autodesk Build as well as QuickBooks Online, which integrates with Autodesk Build using Autodesk Construction Cloud Connect.
The speakers shared what makes the integrations so useful, their availability, and highlighted which ERPs integrate into Autodesk Build’s Cost Management capabilities. Listeners also had the opportunity to connect with some construction-accounting system integrators for deeper learning.
Watch session >
The Breadth and Depth of the Autodesk Construction Ecosystem
Speakers: Anna Lazar, Strategic Alliances & Partnerships at Autodesk – Lauren Lake, Founder & COO at Bridgit – Lisa Kelly, Executive Director at EarthCam – Lambros Kaliakatsos, Founder & CEO at Plexscape
Autodesk has firmly committed to an open integration ecosystem to help construction firms collaborate and drive efficiency. As a result, technology partners offer over 200 direct integrations and Autodesk Construction Cloud Connect powers hundreds of possible custom integration workflows. Listen to our key partners across industries such as mixed reality, reality capture, financials and budget planning, data and analytics, site and safety management, and more.
Watch session >
How Strategic Workforce Management Completes More Work with Fewer Resources
Speaker: Lauren Lake, Founder & COO at Bridgit
With only 80% of the 1 million construction workers who lost their jobs at the start of lockdown returning to work in construction, contractors feel the effect of the labor shortage now more than ever. Whether it’s improving the information sharing or focusing on data-driven decision making, many contractors are asking “How can we do more work with less resources?”
This conversation covered:
- Building stronger project teams using insights into your workforce
- Tracking project data to improve bidding and project management
- How to avoid cost overruns by managing resources effectively
- Moving from segregated information silos to centralized real-time trusted data
Watch session >
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to ArcGIS GeoBIM and the Construction Cloud
Speakers: Anthony Renteria, Product Manager at ESRI – Stephen Brockwell, Sr Product Owner at ESRI
Get on the road to cloud-cloud integration between geographic information system (GIS) and BIM (Building Information Modeling) with ArcGIS GeoBIM and Autodesk Construction Cloud software. This instructional demo showcased customer examples of the benefits gained from the fusion of geography and BIM data for project portfolio management, collaboration, and construction project insights informed by geography.
By following best practices for geolocating intelligent models, AutoCAD software, AutoCAD Civil 3D software, and Revit software, users can help ensure effective integration of these models in GIS. This reduces the cost of integration by ensuring upfront data quality. To facilitate this, ArcGIS GeoBIM provideds analytics to identify documents with geolocation errors. Managing and visualization issues during the design, construction, and handover of BIM projects is crucial for financial and operational performance.
Speakers showed how the integration of GIS and BIM with project and issue performance dashboards significantly improves insights into these critical aspects of project management.
Watch session >
How to Automate Repetitive Tasks on BIM 360 to Improve Cloud Collaboration
Speaker: Juan Tena Florez, Regional Digital Design Manager at KEO International Consultants
BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud connects teams and data in real time, empowering project members to anticipate, optimize, and manage all aspects of project performance in a cloud-based platform.
To provide even more flexibility and capability, the software is built on the Forge platform, which can assist anyone with customization or automation of certain tasks that are not built on the platform by default. In this class, we demonstrated different tools and workflows that can automate some of the most tedious and repetitive manual tasks.
You will also learn how to integrate the software with other platforms such as Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Dropbox—or with files on premises—and more.
Watch session >
From BIM to Fabrication with Forge
Speakers: Amy Marks, VP of Industrialized Construction at Autodesk – Az Jasat, Industry Manager of Industrialized Construction at Autodesk – Brian Nickel, Co-owner at AlliedBIM – Britton Langdon, CEO at MSUITE
Leveraging BIM and automation can dramatically reduce fabrication costs and time—allowing you to do more in less time and with less waste. The convergence of construction and manufacturing is happening right now, giving you tools you need to deliver projects faster, with higher quality, efficiency, and safety.
In this session, speakers shared how Autodesk partners Allied BIM and MSUITE use Forge to marry BIM to machine automation to power new fabrication automation tools and services; and are developing techniques that can be applied across many processes and industries.
Watch session >
Dig Deeper into Data with Forge and Digital Twins
Speakers: Jessica Di Zio, Sr. Product Manger at Autodesk – Michael Beale, Software Developer Advocate at Autodesk – Mani Golparvar, CTO & Co-Founder at Reconstruct Inc. – Shawn Weekly, Principal at Southern Company – Cindy Baldwi, President at VDCO Tech – Anand Desai, Sr Capital Project Manager at Accenture- Adeel Ali, Data Specialist at Accenture
Digital twins are digital replicas of physical assets—a bridge between the physical and virtual worlds. Combining real-time data from multiple sources (including your design data) with a 3D interactive model can help you generate greater insights into your project—leading to performance improvements at all phases of the project lifecycle. In this session, you’ll hear from three companies that are using Forge to power their digital twins. They’ll talk you through why they needed to create a digital twin, and how they achieved it with Forge.
Watch session >
Using Forge to Build Connected and Customized Workflows in BIM 360
Speaker: Matt Anderle, BIM Director at AECOM
Forge enables companies to connect data and processes, build custom integrations, and streamline workflows to extend Autodesk product capabilities. Enterprise customers can elevate the ROI of BIM 360 software to the next level by maximizing Forge web services that come with BIM 360 subscriptions.
In this session, AECOM shared innovations and stories about how the firm uses Forge to connect BIM 360 with company-specific project administration workflows in a large enterprise environment. You’ll also learn how they optimize the design collaboration, review, and submittal processes for project teams. You will get a better understanding of what’s available in and applicable from Forge to BIM 360 and gain inspiration for driving business value with models and data.
Watch session >
Check out the Solution Marketplace
Lots of viewers met our partners during live demo sessions where they connected directly with our attendees to answer questions and show off their products and integrations with Autodesk Construction Cloud.
You can find all these partners and other integration partners in our Solution Marketplace. Must be logged in to view. Be sure to check out:
- Applied Software
- Arkio
- Bridgit
- Cintoo
- DocuSign
- DroneDeploy
- Eagle Point Software
- EarthCam
- Esri
- Eyrus
- hh2 Cloud Services
- HoloBuilder
- GoFormz
- GTP STRATUS
- Ideate Software
- IMAGINiT Technologies
- Join
- Leica Geosystems
- Linxup
- Milwaukee Tools
- Microdesk
- MSUITE
- Multivista
- Newforma
- Newmetrix
- ProjectReady
- Topcon Solutions
- The Wild
- Unity
- Xinaps
The post Autodesk Partners Dive Into Key Construction Technologies at AU2021 appeared first on Digital Builder.