A Day in the Life of a Forward Planner at D.R. Horton
A forward planner at D.R. Horton works on "five to seven projects at any one time," juggling tasks such as permit pulling, attending meetings, preparing plans, and managing consultants, making each day unique and filled with new challenges while also building upon prior experience. The fast-paced environment allows for continuous learning and skill development across multiple projects, as Avery notes that "no day is the same."
Project Management, Problem-Solving, Communication, Fast-Paced Environment, Multitasking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Avery Jones
Forward Planner
D.R. Horton
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Environmental & Related Sciences
Real Estate
Real Estate
Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. No two days are alike; the work is fast-paced and involves managing multiple projects concurrently.
2. The role predominantly involves office-based tasks such as pulling permits, attending meetings, preparing plans, managing consultants, and reporting project updates.
3. The job offers continuous learning and development opportunities, allowing you to build upon your experience with each new project while tackling unique challenges.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a forward planner look like?
A day in the life of a forward planner is never the same, which I really enjoy. We're in the office most of the time, as opposed to being out in the field. Every company is different.
Some home builders like their forward planners and project managers to be more out in the field. However, DR Horton has them more in the office. As a forward planner, you're working on five to seven projects at any one time.
It's really fast-paced with a lot going on. Your main responsibilities include pulling permits, attending internal and external meetings, preparing plans, and managing consultants. You also report on project updates to senior staff.
What I really like about it is that no day is the same. You're doing similar tasks for every project, but each project also has its own challenges. This means you're not doing the exact same thing every day to where it feels repetitive.
It's cool because you get experience working on similar tasks. So, when you're on your third project, you realize you've done some of these things before. It might look a little different, but it's great that you're learning something new every day that will help you on a future project.
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