Tagged: graduate programs

Hire Ed

Ready to advance your career? We can help (part 1)

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American will change jobs 10-15 times over the course of their working life. That’s a new job, every 5 years.

There are a number of reasons why people change jobs but, more often than not, the reason a worker changes jobs, or even careers, is to advance to something better – whether it’s more pay, a higher position, or a career that is a better “fit” for their skills and interests.

Whatever the reason, frequent job changes demand that workers not only have up-to-date skills and knowledge, but they also need to know how to conduct an effective job search and market themselves appropriately.  Here are 3 things you can do to make a change for the better in your career. Continue reading →

Success: Do you have what it takes?

Some advice from one generation of leaders to the next

by Phil Hammond

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

You get up in the morning. Get in your car, call Uber, hop on the T or settle yourself in a home office. How do you do it? How do you motivate yourself to be successful in your chosen field? How do construction managers, facility directors and project managers operate effectively, successfully and cooperatively within project teams?

It is estimated that by 2020, 46 percent of the workforce in the US will be between the ages of 24 and 39. For baby boomers, like me, that means preparing to hand over leadership in the workplace to members of the millennial generation. For some, including some millennials, this raises an important question: are millennials ready to lead?  Josh Bersin, in Forbes Magazine, argues they are not.  Pointing to a recent study which showed 30 percent of millennials themselves felt they were not prepared for the responsibilities of leadership due to a lack of confidence managing employees and resolving conflicts, Bersin notes, “this generation isn’t developed for leadership now” (Bersin, 2013 ). Continue reading →

bird by bird: how to thrive, not merely survive, in the new academic year

black and white birds on a wire
Photo by Ridham Nagralawala on Unsplash
by Kelly Jenkins Lin

Author and speaker, Anne Lamott, tells the story of her ten-year-old brother who was trying to write a report on birds. Despite having nearly 3 months to work on it, he had put it off until the night before it was due. Close to tears, he sat at the family’s kitchen table surrounded by books and pencils and clean paper, overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Then Lamott’s father sat down beside her brother, put his arm around his shoulders and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird” (Lamott, 1994).

For many adults, returning to school can feel like trying to write a report the night before it is due. On the threshold of a new academic year, surrounded by stacks of books and pencils and clean paper they feel overwhelmed by the enormity of what lies ahead and wonder how they will ever make it through. Below are five steps that will not only help students to survive, but to thrive, in the new academic year. Continue reading →

Haylee Bacik

The Future of Construction: Haylee Bacik (MSCM ’18) shares her insights

Part I of Haylee Bacik’s story can be found here: Hardhat and Mortarboard

Haylee Bacik has been called the “future of construction,” and a role model for young women who want to get into the industry. She recently received a Master of Science in Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology and is currently employed by Gilbane Building Company as the lead project engineer on a $12 million expansion project in western Massachusetts.

Phil Hammond, Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Professional and Continuing Education at Wentworth Institute of Technology recently asked Bacik for her thoughts on the past, present and future of construction, particularly for young women. Continue reading →

Haylee Bacik

Hard hat, mortarboard, softball cap: Haylee Bacik shares how she balances work, school, family and fun

To hear many of Haylee Bacik’s professors and colleagues talk, she is something of a superstar. A 2014 graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Bacik earned her Master of Science in Construction Management in 2018, while working full-time and keeping up with a busy social life. Along the way, she received numerous awards and accolades, including this year’s Dean’s Award from the College of Professional and Continuing Education.

But, like so many part-time learners, Bacik wears a lot of hats—full-time employee, student, family member, teammate. And she has faced her share of challenges. Still, she has managed to find time for the things she enjoys—softball, volunteering, and a cat named Bandit.

Below are excerpts from a recent interview with Bacik.

L/L: Tell us about yourself.

Bacik: I grew up in Lowell Massachusetts and attended Greater Lowell Technical High School where I fell in love with carpentry. I first came to Wentworth as an undergraduate because it offered the perfect blend of hands-on learning and real-world application that I wanted. Now, I am a Project Engineer at Gilbane Building Company. Being in the field and solving problems is something that I enjoy doing and that stems from my carpentry shop roots.

[Outside of work and school] I enjoy playing softball. When I was an undergraduate [at Wentworth] I was captain of the team and received the Sweeney Award. Currently, I play in a summer co-ed softball league. I also enjoy knitting, sewing, and all sorts of crafts. And I have traveled to some incredible places—Mexico, Jamaica, Ecuador, and Ireland—but would love to visit France, Africa, and Greece sometime.

And I have a cat named, Bandit.

L/L: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Bacik: When I was younger…I wanted to be a veterinarian. However, in high school, I fell in love with the carpentry trade [which] led me to my current path. In my spare time, I volunteer for the Lowell Humane Society where I help plan events and care for the animals in the shelter.

L/L: What was a typical day like for you while you were going to school?

Bacik: Balancing school and work is no easy task, but it can absolutely be done with good time management. Often, I would wake up very early in the morning, go to the gym, go to work all day, and then stay at work through the early evening until my homework was finished. Every week I planned what I would work on for homework each day based on the weekly deliverables. Chipping away at the work day by day is key, as weekends are never as free as you plan them to be.

L/L: What was the biggest challenge you faced? How did you solve it?

Bacik: The biggest challenge completing school while you are working full time is balance. The balance between work, school, your social life, family, and friends can be a real struggle. For me, it was making plans way ahead of time and fitting those planned events into my weekly schedule. There are going to be events and gatherings that you just won’t be able to attend. Knowing your limits and not stretching yourself too thin is so important, because making too many commitments is going to burn you out.

L/L: If you had to do it over again, what 3 things could you absolutely not do without?

Bacik: 1. A good, reliable laptop with a strong internet connection. (My classes were online)
2. A weekly/monthly planner. I used Outlook often to keep track of both work and school.
3. The support of my family, company, co-workers, and friends.

L/L: What is next for you?

Bacik: Post-graduation I have continued to work as a Project Engineer for Gilbane Building Company on a $12 million freezer/cooler expansion project in western Massachusetts. This is a great opportunity for me to learn about ground improvements, foundations, steel, and refrigeration systems as well as cost management. I look forward to gaining more field experience to further develop my career in project management.

L/L: Finally, If you were only allowed to post one Tweet what would it say?

Bacik: Be Kind. Be Driven. Be Humble.

a man and woman kneel next to a car with the Lowell Humane Society logo men and women pose on a softball field 

Check back for Part II of our interview with Haylee Bacik as she shares her thoughts on a career in construction management and the past, present and future of construction.

Where will you be in 3 to 5 years?

Get Back on Track with a MS in Project Management

Where will you be in 3 to 5 years?  If you have an undergraduate degree in computer science, computer networking or computer engineering you might be building networks and computers, or coding programs.  And, while you might find the work satisfying, you might be starting to wonder if there is something more; something with more responsibility and a higher salary.  Because, often times, even the very best programmers can find themselves stuck in a rut if they lack the managerial and project management skills they need to advance in their careers.

Undergraduate programs in technology don’t always provide basic managerial and project management training.  But, today’s project managers must learn how to manage people (team members and stakeholders), deliver projects on-time and within the constraints of a budget, which are skills that take time and experience to develop.

The discipline of project management teaches how to manage the triple constraints of scope, time and cost.  Project managers work collaboratively with their team and give them the vision of the project’s intended final outcome.  A project manager leads with a common project vision and empowers and assists their project teams, in order to make each team as effective as possible.

Could this be you? If you are ready to advance in your career, and you would like to develop skills that will complement your technical knowledge and experience, you might want to consider an advanced degree in project management. At Wentworth, our program includes courses  that are especially well-suited to those in a technology environment including Global and Virtual Project Management, Troubled Projects, Agile Project Management and Managing ERP systems.  Wentworth is proud to offer one of the only Master’s of Science in Project Management degrees with a strategic focus, which is strongly recommended by the Project Management Institute (PMI.)

Don’t wonder if there’s something more; do something about it, today.  And be sure to check back here in the coming weeks for a list of the 7 most important qualities you should look for in a Project Management degree program.

 

Hollis Greenberg, PMP, CSM is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology.