Why I Switched to a Career in Construction Tech: Claudia

From a young age, I was always drawn to math and art (such a cool kid, I know). But I had no idea how to combine these two passions into one career. Until one day a teacher said to me: “Have you considered engineering?”

Ha! No one in my family was even remotely affiliated with the construction industry. Not only had I never considered engineering, I also wasn’t sure I understood the difference between an engineer and an architect. But after falling into (and loving) my engineering degree, I ended up working as a structural engineer in Australia.

I absolutely loved (and still love) the construction industry. The work is a fantastic blend of creativity, math, and science — everything I was hoping for. The projects are extremely collaborative and the people (whether they’re tradespeople, designers, or project managers) are highly skilled, extremely practical, and down to earth.

From Engineering to Construction Tech

When I moved to San Francisco from Sydney to further my career, I stumbled upon Fieldwire. The company’s mission to empower the fieldworker, improve construction productivity, and essentially make the lives of construction folks easier, really resonated with me — so much that I immediately understood the product. From the minute I picked up the Fieldwire app, I could see how it could have helped me and my entire project team. Despite having zero tech or startup experience, I knew I wanted to be a part of this movement.

Still in San Francisco, I currently work in Fieldwire’s Business Operations team. Probably the most surprising thing about this transition was the overlap between my current and previous roles. The operations team is responsible for delivering projects and managing stakeholders — not too dissimilar from my responsibilities in construction. And the best part is, the skills I gained while working in construction around problem-solving and finding practical solutions have been extremely transferable. Oh, and the people are okay too ;)

If you’re interested in switching to technology from construction yourself, I’d love to hear from you! We’re actively seeking people with industry backgrounds to join our various teams around the world. Apply online and make the switch today.