Karla Alvarez
Construction Project Manager
Lendlease LMB
New York, NY USA
“Naysayers are limited in their vision. Don't let others dictate your limits.”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Wanted to be and Artist or Creative and was accepted to Arts and Design HS, but parents put me in a College Prep HS instead.
Completed to the MS in Civil Engineering program at CU and got employed at an environmental engineering firm, stuck running calculations and writing reports. Was not happy.
Volunteered for some field engineering at my firm. Loved the idea of working directly with construction trades, but kept getting overlooked. I couldn't get on the Construction team.
I went back to school for a diploma in construction building management diploma at NYU. Thought I would make connections to get a new job. The guys got looks but not me.
Then I got lucky (Luck = Preparation meets Opportunity). Federal Government was pumping money into environmental construction project which would required diversified staff. I raised my hand.
I worked 20+ years shoulder to shoulder with trades men and supervisors. Then moved on from consulting to contracting and now construction development!!
Being prepared, ready to do the work and ask when opportunities and circumstances presented themselves was the key for me. At times it wasn't easy but I always keep my goal in mind.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Mary Louis Academy
Mary Louis Academy
Career
Construction Project Manager
I manage the cost control team for a construction development company.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Numbers
Accomplishing Goals
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Make use of the internet. Join groups (FB, LinkedIn) and associations that relate to what you want to do. Ask questions of those in the biz. Volunteer to assist (even minor positions) in projects associated with what you want to pursue. Learn everything you can about that area (documentaries, books, articles, posts, talk to veterans of the biz). Make a plan that suits your life and circumstance. Ask a successful person in that field to be your guide and mentor. Be open to advice.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You don't want to work in construction. The men won't listen to you. "
Challenges I Overcame
Gender Discrimination
