Philadelphia Development, Construction Industry Continuing To Grow
Marcus Toconita is the Production Director and manages all construction management duties for Callahan Ward which includes scheduling vendors, bidding, quality control and more.
His partner, Nino Cutrufello, is the Development Director for Callahan Ward. Nino's position has him managing the daily business and development activities at Callahan Ward. Nino's responsibilities include company finances, project estimates, land acquisition, contract negotiation and more.
When hiring for your company, what do you look for in an employee?
"To handle the stresses of managing a development and construction project, like most employers we look for well-rounded, intelligent, creative and hard-working individuals. That having been said, one of the character traits we've explicitly begun looking for above most others is optimism. Simple personality tests can be administered that single out optimism and test for this characteristic alone. We don't solely rely on these tests in making our hiring decisions, but if nothing else, they are useful in confirming our decision or helping select between two or more highly qualified individuals."
What advice would you give to someone entering into your field?
"Enjoy the process of learning and be resilient. We are also being tested on a constant basis by the market, by our vendors, by our competition and by our clients. Not taking things personally and being able to keep your head above water will be important when it seems like everything is going wrong at once. Also, as with most things in life, it is important that you love what you do. We are passionate about buildings and about delivering a quality product."
What changes have you observed in the past year in real estate as far as business growth and hiring practices are concerned?
"In the past twelve months, we've observed a noticeable amount of growth in the development and construction industry at all levels of the business. From individual subcontractors who are struggling to keep up with a demand to larger construction management and development firms who can't get new projects under contract fast enough. It's difficult to say how long the current cycle will last, but for the time being the demand appears to be real and it appears to be generally sustainable as millennials begin to enter the job market, move downtown and are looking to live in neighborhoods and homes that offer a unique and high-quality experience that can only be found with downtown living."
What is the median salary for a position in your field?
"A construction manager could expect to make anywhere from $50,000 up to near $100,000 for an experienced higher level manager. The pay scale in the development field is slightly different. Compensation depends on the size and volume of deals one's company does and how close one is to the decision-making process. Entry level positions at development firms likely start in the $50,000-to-$75,000 range with upper-level development managers making in the several hundred thousand dollars per year and up."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/
