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Entry-level positions for aspiring Development Associates

George suggests that an undergraduate or graduate student seeking entry-level positions in real estate development should first consider working for a general contractor in a "project management role or project engineer role," as having a construction background can provide a significant advantage. George highlights that lacking construction knowledge "puts you at... big disadvantages in terms of not understanding timelines or how your contractor thinks."

Real Estate Development, Entry-Level Positions, Project Management, Construction, Career Advice

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

George Champion

Development Associate

Family Office - Real Estate Development

UC Santa Barbara

University of San Diego - Knauss school of business

History, Art History

Architecture, Construction & Design, Real Estate

Operations and Project Management

Worked 20+ Hours in School

Video Highlights

1. Working for a general contractor in a project management or project engineer role can be advantageous for a career in real estate development.

2. A background in construction provides a significant advantage in real estate development.

3. Lack of construction knowledge can be a disadvantage in understanding timelines and negotiating with contractors.

Transcript

What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate or graduate student might consider?

I would say if you work for a general contractor before you get into real estate development, and you do some sort of project management or project engineer role, having a background in construction and working for a contractor puts you really far ahead of a lot of other people who have only been in real estate.

Development is such a blend of construction, too. If you lack knowledge in that side, there are some big disadvantages. You might not understand timelines or how your contractor thinks with negotiating change orders and a whole bunch of other stuff.

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