If you are truly interested in the position and can really see yourself working for this particular company, it is worth your time to attempt to negotiate a take it or leave it job offer.  You have nothing to lose and perhaps everything to gain by asserting yourself and essentially presenting a counter offer to your prospective employer. 

Generally speaking, most engineering firms or construction companies looking to fill executive level positions make their decision from the pool of applicants they invited back for a second interview.  If you learned something about the position or the company in the first interview that is not necessarily a good fit for you, be prepared in the second interview to present your case as to why you deserve that better salary or that extra week of vacation.  Tell them how your unique skill set can be an asset to their construction or engineering firm.  Let them know you want to work for them, be positive and enthusiastic in your demeanor.  If they are fair, they will at least listen to you and give your statements some thoughtful consideration.

After the second interview, if you receive a phone call offering you the position, then you can discuss whether they have accepted your request for a larger salary, more time off, etc.  Hopefully, they are eager enough to hire you to make some adjustments in their offer.  If they decline to make any accommodations for the modifications you asked for, ask them for 24-48 hours to think over their offer. 

At this point, it is truly up to you whether or not you want to accept their position as is, or if you want to continue in your job search.  You could accept their job offer as presented to you, in the hopes that after working with the company they could see you truly deserve the extra benefit you originally asked for.  On the other hand, perhaps it is better for you to move on and continue to look elsewhere for employment.  Sooner or later, an opportunity will present itself again and with any luck, it will be just the right match between you and your new employer.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com

Plan Strategically

Strategic planning is among the most important elements of project management. It helps you and everyone involved to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. When planning out a project, you’ll have to identify deliverables – establish project milestones, determine required labor as well as equipment. Planning strategically will go a long way in maximizing efficiency.

Establish a Flow of Communication

Effective communication is essential for successful project completion. In fact, 59 percent of the US workers believe that communication is their team’s major obstacle to success. Therefore, as a PM you’ll need to establish a flow of communication with the stakeholders and suppliers as well as other team members on the ground. Good and bad news alike will need to circulate in a timely manner. Failure to do so will lead to delays, misunderstandings and other problems in the long run.

The contract documents, including the drawings, progress records, request for information (RFI), and change order forms establish the basis for all communication in any project. Thus, it’s vital that any direct communication that’s not stated in these documents be acknowledged, documented and reported via the right channels; this flow of communication will make preparation and implementation smoother.

For large and more complicated projects, tools such as Collaborative Work Management (CWM) will come in handy. Such tools will dramatically improve communication by syncing attachments, comments, news, budgets, and calendars and enhance real-time scheduling of changes. As a result, it will allow you more time to coordinate work at the site and direct your efforts towards success.

Form a Habit of Monitoring Progress and Making Adjustments

Managing a project requires integrated effort and more attention. A good PM should be an essential part of the project, working closely and figuratively alongside others. You’ll have to carefully analyze daily progress reports as well as keep an eye on schedule and budget. Many are the times you will need to actually see an issue in person before you can resolve it. In case the set timelines start to slip, you’ll need to identify the possible root cause and discuss ways to bring the project back on track.

In conclusion, the key to a successful project completion is being firm but flexible. Always ensure you’re looking ahead to understand the risks involved in the project and try to mitigate them before they become big problems.

If you are looking for a career as a project manager, Webuild Staffing is here to help. That’s what we do best every day – find exceptional professonals, exceptional jobs!

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com