Are You a Good Project Superintendent?

If you’re thinking about becoming a project superintendent, it’s important that you know whether or not the position is a good fit for you. The last thing you want is to end up in a job that you’re unable to do properly, especially with an entire job site resting on your shoulders! Ask yourself these key questions if you’re considering pursuing a job as a project superintendent. 

Am I a people person? As a project superintendent, you’ll need to work with a variety of people on a regular basis. You’ll interact with clients, subcontractors, and contractors. Instead of spending your entire day working with your hands, you’ll spend a large percentage of it interacting with people. Are your people skills up to the task? 

Am I able to think quickly and solve common problems found on construction job sites? From knowing how to respond to an unplanned visit from OSHA to problem that has the potential to put your entire project behind schedule, you need to have substantial problem-solving skills when you’re working as a project superintendent. You become the go-to problem solver for every member of the team, and you need to be able to provide them with answers. Even when you don’t have those answers, you need to know who does!

Am I a good leader? People skills are one thing. It’s another thing entirely to be the person responsible for motivating and inspiring your team. Do you possess the necessary leadership qualities that will enable you to evaluate your team’s strengths, put people in the right positions to make the greatest benefit for the team as a whole, and improve your team’s morale when things aren’t going well?

Am I organized and able to juggle multiple tasks on a job site? As a project superintendent, you’ll be responsible for coordinating the efforts of everyone on the job site and ensuring that everything is done–and done correctly. If you don’t have the organizational skills to make that happen, you’re going to struggle with your job sites.

Do I know how to evaluate the quality of the job that’s been done? If you haven’t been in construction long or have never worked outside a very specific skill set, you might not know how to evaluate the quality of the work your subcontractors have produced. Make sure, before embarking on your journey as a project superintendent, that you have a basic understanding of how to tell the difference between quality work and subquality work in every subcontractor you have the potential to deal with.

Working as a project superintendent is a highly rewarding career that allows you to take your construction skills to the next level. If you have the necessary skill set, it’s time to start putting the pieces together and apply for a new job. You could be the one in charge of the job site before you know it!

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