ASPE's 2010 National Scholarship Recipient

Phillip Strawn, California State University, Chico

Student Essay: What would be the benefits of a career in estimating?

When I think of the benefits of construction estimating, I think of three key items that would provide me with great pleasure: the competitive nature of estimating work, the team approach that is incorporated into estimating, and the ability to land projects.

I am a competitive individual. I enjoy competition with others and even more so with myself. Throughout my time spent at California State University, Chico I have take two construction estimating classes, one, general estimating, was required in order to graduate and the other, electrical estimating, was for personal gain.

In each of these classes, the professors attempted to make the projects as close to real life as possible by creating competitive, low-bid, scenarios where students were assembling estimates and "competing for the job." Boundaries were set where estimates/bids were required to be above a minimum profit margin with all aspects of the work accounted for and properly taken off in quantity takeoffs. These activities drew me to love my estimating classes. They inspired me and brought out my true competitive nature.

I continually push myself in my schooling, work, and life to achieve greater heights. It is that same drive that would make a career in estimating pleasurable for me. The thought of assembling a body of work in competition with other firms for the right to build is invigorating to me.

The next idea of estimating that intrigues me is the idea of teamwork. It is common knowledge that estimates for large projects are not assembled individually, but as a team. Growing up, and all throughout high school, I was involved in team sports. Through these team sports I have found that I enjoy working with others towards a common goal. Estimating, to me, is nothing more than a team of individuals doing their portion of a project in a team effort to attain one objective; landing the job. This component of estimating would make my day-to-day job with my fellow team members a pleasurable one.

The last aspect of estimating that I find to be intriguing is the idea of helping to support those around you. I grew up in a broken home, one in which I was requested to help take care of my family and the idea of being a bread winner serves me well. It is that same philosophy that I see portrayed in estimating today.

The economy is in a downturn. Companies are struggling to be awarded projects, and the more skilled individuals a company has in their estimating department, the more likely companies will have success on bid day. As an estimator, I would take great pride in my work. In the role as an estimator I see a great opportunity to use my talents as a means of providing my company, my co-workers, my local economy and myself with future construction projects and a positive inflow of cash.

Companies' futures ride on the backs of their estimators. They look to the estimators to be accurate in their quantities, true to their building styles, and still turn a profit.

It is the culmination of competition, teamwork, and the ability to help those around me that I look to construction estimating as an inspiring career.