Turner Construction

Forest Parker

Sara

Engineer

In college, Sara decided to major in civil engineering because of the broad career options it offered. After holding a few internships at engineering design and consulting firms, she decided she wanted to get out from behind the desk, have a more hands-on job, and work with people. Sara took a job with Turner Construction Company and is now helping to build a $300 million hospital. She collaborates with subcontractors, the client, architects, and her Turner colleagues every day—all while donning a hardhat and boots.

How did you hear about the job at Turner?
I saw a flyer for a Turner Construction Company information session on my campus, attended it, and started talking to the recruiter who ran the event. I ended up speaking with him again over the phone and setting up an onsite interview at one of Turner’s projects. When I arrived onsite that day, I was interviewed in the Turner trailer. We then threw on some boots and went outside. It was me and two other people interviewing that day, and I think along with the interview itself, Turner was interested in seeing our comfort level while on a construction site. With my previous engineering internships, where I conducted onsite testing, I had no problem being on a work site. Ultimately, I got hired!

What surprised you the most when you started?
Turner really sees their employees as their greatest asset. I was wary coming over to the construction side with a civil engineering degree—I was worried I’d struggle with some of the job requirements like estimating and scheduling, since I had not done much of that in school. But they provided training and everyone at Turner was more than willing to help me.

What other kind of resources does Turner make available to its employees?
Turner uses cutting-edge technology on its projects. Turner has in place technology tools that other general contracting firms aren’t yet fully utilizing, the big one being 3D modeling. The tools allow you to take a 2D plan and turn it into a computerized 3D model on the computer. You can utilize it for subcontractor coordination, cost analysis, scheduling, and more.

We hear you do some recruiting for Turner. What’s your advice to students who are job hunting?
Take an interest in the companies you are pursuing. The students that stand out to me come with knowledge about the companies they visit and the industries they want to be in. They also have a general game plan for what career they want to pursue. Looking for that first job out of school can be stressful. Students should take the time to make sure your potential employer is a good fit. Someone once told me job hunting is similar to dating. I think that is kind of true: You want to pursue the company you are interested in, but you want to make sure the company will work for you as well. Take the time to consider that you are a good fit for each other.