How to transition your career from General Contractor to Developer?

The million dollar question. How do you leverage your education and experience working for a Commercial General Contractor and make a successful transition to a Commercial Real Estate Developer? This is without question, the #1 search criteria from almost every candidate we recruit who currently works for a GC across America.

Here are 5 strategies to help you find that dream job with a Developer or Owner.

Step 1: Join a General Contractor that builds for Developers. Sounds simple, but it’s typically an after thought. You go to college, you join the Construction Management or Civil Engineering program and look for an internship and jump right in without much thought other than, I need a job with a good company. Periodically that will work, however “what you build” has a lot to do with whether or not a Developer will have an interest or even consider you as a candidate in the future. You see, many of the most successful Developers are companies you have never heard of. Of course, there are the majors like Hines, CBRE, Brookfield, Prologis, Digital Realty, Simon Property but there are hundreds of small family offices with large real estate portfolio’s as well as local & regional Developers that offer significant opportunities for someone like you. In my experience, the local & regional Developers offer far greater long term upside than what is offered by working for one of the major blue chips in the industry.

Step 2: Train, Educate, Learn and Prepare yourself. During phase one of your career and while you are working for a GC, the more the better. I mean, the more you dig deep, work hard, ask questions, build relationships, show up, step up when you are at work as well as the work you do outside of work to learn and connect with the right people. It all will pay off. Here is a fact: A Real Estate Developer wants to hire talent from other Developers, not from GC’s.So you must stand out! You need to have superior soft skills, technical abilities, deeper & wider relationships, more experience in the type of projects they develop, a diverse skill set in design, preconstruction, estimating, project management and a track record of leading projects from site work & utilities to project completion and close-out.

Step 3: Understand the Bed you’ve Made for Yourself and Shift. It is never too late, but the sooner you can adapt and maneuver your career experience in the direction of what a Developer looks for when they hire, the sooner it will happen. If your project list includes hospitals, airports, schools, government buildings, prison’s, casino’s and/or apartments then you need to ideally pick one and go deep or get out of that GC now and join one that works with private Developers in a specific niche. Once you’ve made that move, 2-5 years from now after you have a stronger resume and deeper relationships, make the transition to a Developer.

Step 4: Your Specific Project Experience is Critical. This is the door opener. When a Real Estate Developer advertises a position or calls us with a specific position they need filled, 99% of the time they want someone with specific project experience. Without it, you will not be considered. Simple as that. Again, if your focus has been Corporate Campus’, then stay in that lane and be the best at that type of work at your level in the region. That goes for Industrial/Tilt-Wall, Medical Office, Hospitality, High rise Office, Business Parks, Multifamily, Condominiums, Life Sciences, Biotech, etc. The more you know the more likely you are to get the shot at making the transition from General Contractor to Developer. As a recruiter, the client will say “we prefer a candidate from a competitor, however we will consider someone from a GC if they have ______________ project experience.” There you have it. Your project experience matters!

Step 5: Stay Aware and Informed. The only way the transition will happen is if you are open minded and open to hearing about opportunities. “Always be closing” they say in sales. The same holds true when it comes to making the transition from a General Contractor to a Developer. Set up alerts on LinkedIn’s job board to notify you when the following position title’s are being advertised: Construction Manager, Director of Construction, Vice President of Construction, Construction Director, Development Manager, Director of Development. Add the industry in Commercial Real Estate and the locations of your preference. Also, when a recruiter calls be nice, you never know if or when they will have a position that could help you make this move.

In summary, be prepared and work towards your goal by stepping up everyday. One last thought, the more Developer career options you have the better. I see so many people who attempt to make this transition and accept the first job with the first company and first offer they receive whether it’s a Developer or Owner just to get out of working for a GC. Do your homework, make sure it is the right position with the right people and they have a track record. The harder you work, the more you are prepared and the more offers you have, the better decision you will make. Hope this was helpful and we are here if you need our help with this process.