Why I Switched to a Career in Construction Tech: Looly

Growing up in Manhattan, I was fascinated by the towering skyscrapers I passed on my way to school each day. My hobby of sketching buildings around New York City led me to take technical drawing classes, then create Revit models for my high school internships, and eventually manage MEP BIM coordination processes on large project sites. So it’s no wonder I found my natural fit in VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) because it combined my two passions — building things and using the latest technology to do it.

The problem with building things

One of the biggest challenges, for me, was helping my fellow teammates see the value in modern technology. Because for too long construction professionals had been sold on heavy, clunky tech, and burned by “Hollywood BIM” which made it hard for me to convince a superintendent with 30+ years of construction experience that there was a way to resolve issues faster and better than before.

To get around this roadblock, I learned to speak to my teammates about issues in “construction-speak”, not BIM-speak. For example, asking a superintendent “how are we rerouting the gravity line on L01 if a cable tray is at the same elevation in the doorway,” was more effective than “that’s wrong. That’s not what the BIM is showing”.

I also made it my mission to find technology that served a real need rather than just “look cool.” While the possibilities for technology nowadays is infinite, there’s the reality of what’s directly applicable now, and what will be in the next 20 years. Focusing on the wins I could get my most senior superintendents buy-in on was more of a priority than pitching how AR/VR is the next best thing. For example, proving the value of a mobile plan viewer was a no-brainer for me!

Focusing on these wins first and having zero tolerance for clunky technology made the adoption easier in the long run. And, while I’m no longer in VDC, I’m still helping construction professionals adapt to innovative solutions as a Construction Solutions Manager & Product Specialist at Fieldwire.

Realizing the solution is Fieldwire

Every day, I get to speak with PEs, supers, and PMs who are just realizing that tools like Fieldwire exist to solve our industry’s common problems. My team and I pay great attention to our customers and their feedback to improve the usability of our platform in the field.

Since we're so focused on helping our end-users work more efficiently, we make it our mission to incorporate their feedback into our product roadmap (see my latest update here). And that's one of the best parts, in my opinion, about working at Fieldwire.

If you’d like to join Fieldwire on its mission to change construction through software, I’d love to hear from you! We’re actively seeking people with industry backgrounds to join our Construction team (but also have open roles across all other teams). Apply online and make the switch to technology today.