Michaela Caruso

I've been in the commercial construction industry for about 5 years now. I started out doing project management, where I was well-versed in managing every aspect of the construction process from the beginning when we were first awarded contracts all the way to closeout. Now I work as a pre-construction coordinator, and my job entails going after all prospective jobs that have been publicly listed - we propose on those jobs or bid on them. Once we're awarded the jobs, my role really kicks in and I help with the buyout process, ensure all scope is covered, and then I write all the contracts for our company. We currently do about $275 million worth of work a year, and our win rate is around 25%, so I'm involved in going after over a billion dollars worth of work per year and then buying out $250 to $275 million per year of awarded contracts. I got involved in construction when I went to Kennesaw State University for my bachelor's degree in construction management. I started getting experience in the industry throughout school through internships and things like that, doing more project management stuff. Construction is one of those industries that values experience more than the degree, so I had to get all the things to go with the piece of paper. Looking ahead, I hope to be owning my own company in about 5 years.