What a Director of Development at GridStor Wishes They Had Known before Entering the Energy Development Industry
Matthew, a Director of Development at GridStor, learned that the development industry demands significantly more travel than other sectors like finance or engineering, with site visits potentially requiring "going to the airport quite a bit, possibly weekly". This unexpected travel commitment is something Matthew wishes they had known before entering the field.
Industry Realities, Travel, Development, Career Exploration, Workplace Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Matthew Gilliland
Director of Development
GridStor
UC Santa Barbara
UCLA Anderson MBA
Environmental & Related Sciences
Energy & Utilities
Operations and Project Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Extensive travel is required in the development industry, potentially weekly or bi-monthly depending on project locations.
2. A willingness to travel is a crucial aspect to consider for a career in development.
3. Various roles within the industry have different travel demands; development often requires more travel compared to other areas like finance or engineering
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I think I still would have entered the industry regardless of what anyone told me. But it probably would have been good to know just how much travel there could be in development.
Especially, other aspects of this industry are less demanding on travel, like finance, operations, even engineering, and mergers and acquisitions. But development in particular, if the projects are not being developed where you live, then you're going to be going to the airport quite a bit.
This could be weekly, at least once or twice a month in a lot of cases. I think that would have been good to know and go into it with my eyes wide open about that. I'm not sure I did, looking back.