Abby Ferri

If you’re in the construction industry, have a resume, and have let others view your resume either in a job interview setting or as a friend, I’m sure you’ve heard the words:

“You bounce around too much!”

First, you should congratulate the commentor on such a unique observation, with sarcasm of course.

By nature, many of us in the construction industry are always keeping an eye out for the next big project. To put it nicely, construction is a dynamic industry. The dirt behind that statement includes project-halting union disputes, material shortages, the weather, archaeological finds, mating birds, community activism, and many other factors that can seemingly be out of our control. So we try to control as many factors as we can, including our own destiny, by keeping an updated resume in our high-visibility vest pocket!

My bouncing around has enabled me to learn in 12+ years what it may take some an entire career to learn, if ever. I’ve seen once top-secret projects come to life, worked behind the secured gates of US military installations as well as the fancy gates of monster homes in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and elite coastal communities of Southern California. I’ve lived the entire life cycle of a building from planning to demolition.

I have had direct impact on a contractor saving thousands of dollars in insurance premium.

I have held court over hundreds of classrooms, site trailers, and pickup truck tailgates to train thousands of workers on safety and health.

I have responded to serious injuries.

I have prevented more than a few serious injuries (hopefully).

I have coached contractors to win awards they greatly deserved but never found the time to apply for.

I have so many fun, sad, scary, and real stories to tell.

So yeah, I’ve bounced around a lot! I do not regret a single line item of my resume. All of my experience has been earned and I continue to seek out places where I can bounce to next.