Construction Project Manager to Tech - path to success?
Hi everyone, I'm looking for the community's thoughts on how you might swap industries if you were me. Me: 32 Project Manager TC: 130k Since I got out of college I've grown with a mid-sized construction firm ($40M revenue, ~450 employees) to about as high as I can go without marrying into the owner's family. Now I run a team of ~25 individuals with all different skill sets, manage concurrent projects across five branches from a high level view, and formulate strategic plans with the executive team to keep said team constantly busy and bringing in revenue. Mentorship is hard to come by and I've hit a point where the job is neither difficult nor providing an environment to learn new skills. I've taken it upon myself to get familiar with SQL, Python, and Tableau after migrating our entire operations from Excel and a whiteboard to a real ERP system. That software gave me very large datasets to start doing analytical work on issues related to hiring /retention, sales, account manager performance, estimating, etc. I also proto typed a bunch of mobile apps for various internal and client facing purposes then, after pitching the case to the owners, worked with third-party vendors to make them a reality. That said I am not anywhere close to even a junior engineer in terms of coding ability. Is there a reasonable path to transfer into the tech industry for, say, project or operations management or something that aligns with my skillset thus far? If you were me would you just start fresh and learn to code better?
You may find it boring , but sounds like you might have the skills for a junior Data scientist or data engineer. Boring in that you will be starting at the bottom of the ladder. If you are lucky you may find an employer who recognizes your past leadership experience, but I think it will be hard. The good news is, even the basic entry level roles with big firms will pay you more than what you are getting now for a DS role. I hope I am wrong with the leveling, you sound like a good worker, all the best
Data Science is actually fairly interesting to me and the focus of my non-work projects so it might not be that boring! I totally expect to take a title or even pay cut due to starting over. That doesn't concern me too much since I'm here to work hard, learn, and prove myself.
You are on the old side but could go MBA-> Tech Product/Program Management. I did MBA>Consulting>Tech. Did you go to a “name brand” undergrad? It makes it easier as your resume gets attention
My undergrad is from a decent school, but the programs that are highly regarded there aren't the ones I was in. I actually subbed some of my undergrad classes with ones in the MBA program just for the challenge. What aspects of an MBA program would you consider most import for yourself and your path?
The full-time, top 20 MBA programs provide access to a pipeline of mid-career new joiner roles e.g., leadership rotation programs, investment banking, tech product management, brand management, etc. This is a big draw of the program. I work in a team that manages pricing and packaging at Microsoft, so marketing classes, project finance, data science and managerial accounting (cost modeling) we’re the most relevant. I support the engineering teams and work with them and product daily. A few considerations: The GMAT is a huge bear to study for while working. You’re already making as much as some of the lower end jobs coming out of business school, and if one of these other strategies is successful you should be making more by the time you’d graduate. It’s awfully fun to take a break from work - I’d do it again!
Tech giants are also looking for people with experience in construction for data center construction. I came across a few positions at Google requiring that type of skillset. You can try that route as well. I know a friend who worked in housing industry and landed a job at Google.
This is a great “bridge” idea
Career changes are always eyebrow raising but you’re in luck in that sooo many companies are in desperate need to fill positions in software that they might let you in the interview. Id spam my resume everywhere I want to work for entry level positions, make sure to rewrite my resume to explain why my experience would be useful in the software industry and practice for interviews because I’d likely get a few.
I appreciate the advice. Thank you.
Yes there is a lot of hope in case you were wondering. I keep trying to convince my friend who is in construction with an electrical engineering degree to change careers because you plateau so quickly. If you’re working in nyc for example I’d recommend a start salary request of 130k. Just get your foot in the door and then the sky is the limit