So I have been working full-time for a little over 3 years for construction general contractors as an entry-level project manager. After being in the industry for three full years and having been a part of a handful of projects, I’m starting to realize that construction is not a huge passion of mine, particularly the hours and volume of responsibility. Does anyone on here have a success story of starting on this same path and transitioning to a different career/field? Ideally I want a job that is less hours and honestly less stress, and ideally without a pay cut.
I initially chose to go into construction because it seemed cool. I still enjoy seeing the tangible progress of a building going up. Through various internships the type of work was a nice juxtaposition to the endless calculations, numbers, and computer screens of engineering school. But now, the hours suck, especially being salaried. The low bid model that the whole industry uses discourages any sort of quality both on my end and that of the subcontractors I manage. Now, I feel like I’m swinging toward the opposite end of the pendulum and I feel like I want to do something more technical.
I have a bachelors in Civil Engineering and a masters in Engineering Management. It seems like some form of engineering consulting is my best route, but I wanted to source from the masses to get some ideas I can look into. Or, are the hours and stress just part of working and I need to get used to it? TIA