I have worked for a small family owned CM/GC for the last three years. I am very interested in real estate development, but also enjoy working as a CM. I have worked as an onsite super and project manager so I have a decent amount of field experience. I graduated from a liberal arts school so my education is unrelated to the industry. I have taken a real estate finance course just to become more acquainted with that side of the business in case I do choose to pursue development.
Anyway, my question is if a construction management certificate, or similar classes such as project management classes worth taking? Would I be better off just pursuing a MS in construction management? or is the certificate enough? My objective is make me a stronger candidate in the event I pursue working for a bigger GC/CM or for a developer.
If you want to work for a Developer, I would recommend an MBA or a Masters in Real Estate Finance and Investment. If you start to research the top development companies, you will see that everyone that works on their development team has a background in Economics or Finance. Developers only care about money, so they do not care if you have a background in design or construction, although having that helps.
Try to find mentors or a couple of people who have a position that you want and look at what their education is, then try to mimic that. Start reaching out to people on LinkedIn and invited them to coffee, so you can start building your network. The best people to get advice from are the ones who already work for the exact companies that you want to work for. I do not think a Masters in Construction Management is necessary, you can learn everything in those courses on site easily. If you want to work your way up in the top construction companies, I would recommend a Masters in Engineering instead.
Feb 19, 18 3:14 pm ·
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Construction Management Certificate/Classes
Hello all,
I have worked for a small family owned CM/GC for the last three years. I am very interested in real estate development, but also enjoy working as a CM. I have worked as an onsite super and project manager so I have a decent amount of field experience. I graduated from a liberal arts school so my education is unrelated to the industry. I have taken a real estate finance course just to become more acquainted with that side of the business in case I do choose to pursue development.
Anyway, my question is if a construction management certificate, or similar classes such as project management classes worth taking? Would I be better off just pursuing a MS in construction management? or is the certificate enough? My objective is make me a stronger candidate in the event I pursue working for a bigger GC/CM or for a developer.
Thanks
I come from a similar background and have worked in both fields. I would recommend staying the GC/CM route and pursuing certifications.
If you want to work for a Developer, I would recommend an MBA or a Masters in Real Estate Finance and Investment. If you start to research the top development companies, you will see that everyone that works on their development team has a background in Economics or Finance. Developers only care about money, so they do not care if you have a background in design or construction, although having that helps.
Try to find mentors or a couple of people who have a position that you want and look at what their education is, then try to mimic that. Start reaching out to people on LinkedIn and invited them to coffee, so you can start building your network. The best people to get advice from are the ones who already work for the exact companies that you want to work for. I do not think a Masters in Construction Management is necessary, you can learn everything in those courses on site easily. If you want to work your way up in the top construction companies, I would recommend a Masters in Engineering instead.
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