The Building BITE

Please tune in to this episode of The Building BITE Podcast as we hear from industry experts about key topics to help you be successful. The Building BITE host Mike Diercksen, CRIS, welcomes Allison Nichols, Director of Standards and Compliance for Facilities Operations and Planning at the University of Miami. Allison starts us off by sharing her professional career and how her career journey can be broken down into thirds working with Contractors, Owners, and Program managers/ Developers. Through all these experiences, Allison has continuously learned and grew as a professional and ultimately followed her passion. Ultimately, Allison shares how her journey has led her to the University of Miami, where she can incorporate all she has learned in managing projects to drive the university forward. While discussing her path, Allison leaves our listeners with some excellent takeaways regarding their careers: 1. Be Passionate About Whatever You Choose to do: This is the number one thing when making a career decision. So much time is spent developing and learning the skills of your desired trade that it is critical you have a solid connection to the field. As Allison was drawn to Engineering, she enjoyed spending time learning and growing, which would have been made much more difficult had she not found a deep passion for it. 2. Be Transparent: Be willing to share with others! The more you can be transparent and communicate with people, the more they can share with you. By creating these types of bonds and relationships, you will get increased exposure to new and exciting thoughts while benefitting yourself and those around you. 3. Be Resourceful, Flexible, and Inquisitive: Many people leave school and are not very assertive when finding their way professionally. Just because you are new or young does not mean that you cannot ask questions of those around you! Showing that inquisitive side is a great way to demonstrate a willingness to learn which, opening many doors for you professionally. The exposure that comes as a byproduct of these questions and opportunities will help to fuel your career! To learn more about how you can better prepare your firm for the challenges ahead, listen to our full podcast episode with Allison Nichols, Lifelong Learning, Finding Your Passion to Build a Career. Please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast!