Name: Jackie C.
Company: The Ruhlin Company
Title/Position: Project Controls Manager
Years working in construction: 12
What was your path to a career in construction? I attended Case Western Reserve University for a Civil Engineering Degree. While at college, I believed I was going to be a designer. However I wanted to intern at a construction firm so I had experience and more knowledge for when I was going to design. Once I had that internship I never looked back. The first two jobs out of college that I was lucky enough to be on were both $300 Million dollar projects.
What do you like most about working in construction? My favorite part about working in construction is all of the different people you get to interact with on a daily basis. Being able to communicate with the field staff at one minute and then an owner the next makes you have to be a well-rounded person.
This year’s theme is “Keys to the Future.” What is the key to the future of construction in Ohio? The key to the future of construction in Ohio is the youth. We need to continue to get the youth interested in construction and educated on all of the different options our industry provides.
If you were to give young women (high schoolers) advice about beginning a career in construction? Be as involved with the industry as you can be. The more you get yourself out there the further you will go in your career.
