Influential Woman · Construction

Neha Murkute

Assistant Project Manager, ReyCon

Boston, MA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Architecture Degree Master's degree in Construction Management Degree Northeastern University Degree Boston Member Women in Construction (former member) Member Women in Transportation (former member)

Her Story

About Neha

I grew up surrounded by construction - my whole family, both my dad's side and my mom's side, is in the industry. I saw all the men working on construction sites and knew I wanted to be part of it too. I started with a degree in architecture, but I quickly realized that designing wasn't my cup of tea. So I pursued a master's in construction management at Northeastern University in Boston, and that's where I found my calling. Now, as an assistant project manager at Raycon, I manage entire construction sites with around 200 people. My days are long - typically 12 hours - and packed with responsibilities. I handle everything from managing invoices to coordinating product data approvals with architects, overseeing subcontractors, and ensuring we execute drawings correctly. There's a lot of back and forth between me, the architects, and the subcontractors because drawings aren't always clear, so I manage submittals and RFIs where we ask questions to architects and they respond. It's basically managing and babysitting everybody on-site to make sure everything gets built right. My architectural background really helps me understand the technical side, though I'm glad I'm not in architecture anymore because there's so much detailing and ownership - if anything goes wrong, it's on the architect's drawings. In construction management, I get to be hands-on and see projects come to life.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Neha

01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say we shouldn't be scared of entering this male-dominated world. When it comes to construction, we meet a lot of people with big egos, especially when it's a woman asking them to do work. Because I am a construction manager and I need to get things done, I think we shouldn't shy away from that. We need to be bold enough. We shouldn't be shy - we have to be bold enough, and then we need to step up sometimes. We cannot be people pleasers in this industry. We have to be upfront, and it is what it is, and deal with it.

02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenge is that it's tough to work in this male-dominated industry. But when it comes to opportunities, there are really good opportunities in terms of growth. Construction offers a lot of options - you don't have to be just a construction manager. You can be a scheduler, you can be an estimator. If somebody likes construction and wants to enter this industry but they have other skills or interests, like if a person is interested in accounting but wants to be in construction, they can be an accountant in the construction industry. It's like the best of both worlds. Construction is an industry where there are a lot of options and good growth opportunities - we can expand in many different directions.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

When it comes to construction, I think we need to be honest. We make a lot of mistakes here, and it's just that we need to be accountable - we cannot shy away from it, we cannot run away from it. It's just acceptance. I feel like it is what it is, we need to accept and move on. So I think in terms of ethics, I try to be as honest as possible because it's gonna help me in the long run.

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