Los Angeles, CA, USA – February 05, 2018 – High paying construction management jobs await those who have the skills to oversee large projects says Jamil Soucar, construction manager.
According to a new survey from the Associated General Contractors of America Construction firms are looking to hire more workers in 2018.
Jamil Soucar is the author of the Real Life Construction Management Guide A-Z the ultimate how-to book for both the student and the veteran construction manager. More than a step-by-step guide, the book focuses on the human factors and personalities involved in managing large projects, and how mishandling them can make or break the entire project.
“Being a construction manager is 80% people skills and 20% technical,” says author Jamil Soucar. “I’ve seen litigations go into the millions, which could have been solved in five minutes if the people got along.”
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Jamil has been on all sides of project management-as an owner’s representative, a project manager for contractors, and an expert witness in litigation cases. He has seen it all, and brings what he has learned in over 30 years to his book.
“Jamil Soucar’s vast knowledge and personal experience is obvious in each and every chapter. This book should be on the shelf of anyone who wants to sharpen their skills in construction management.”
– Tom Turner, Turner Construction
The book is unique. “Instead of reading like a college textbook, I talk to you about the real life and human factors that impact how to best run projects,” says the author. (Available on Amazon or: http://www.Construction-Management-Book.Com. View the book trailer here: http://bit.ly/Construction-MGT-trailer.)
His conversational style and easy delivery lend a feeling that you’re sitting across the kitchen table from him. He knows his stuff, but his heart lies with the human connection of his work.
“What is most special about this book is the injection of the human factor in these principals,” says Soucar. “Framing a wall is easy. Trying to navigate through the egos and personalities of the wide variety of people involved in a project and sail through is the real challenge. I’ve seen litigation escalate because of personality clashes hiding behind the contractual disputes.”
The book is also a practical guide to construction management. In an easy-to-read style, he lays out the steps that managers must take before, during and after construction. There are examples of forms, descriptions of what to expect at each type of meeting, and a detailed description of what each party does. He gives the example of working with architects, contractors and owners.
“Architects figure out their rates by time,” he says. “In the middle of a project, an owner may come and ask to move a door a few feet over. It seems like a simple request to the owner. But for the architect, he may then have to move other things around in order to move the door and that could change his whole plan. Now it has cost him a lot of time and he gets upset. If the owner understands what the architects job is up front, he is more likely to finalize everything ahead of time so there aren’t so many changes mid-project.”
“In his book REAL LIFE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT GUIDE FROM A-Z he not only shares his extensive knowledge and personal history of being a committed Construction Manager, but he also offers a high-quality treatise on the entire concept of construction.”
– Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer
Jamil received his Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from American University of Beirut (AUB) while his country was in the middle of a civil war. At the age of 27 he came to the United States, where he earned a Certificate in Project Management from UCLA. He has worked in the field in various roles since 1983. He is a gifted teacher and teaches college classes and seminars, works as an expert witness in court litigation cases involving construction management issues, and mentors project managers. He owns his own company, Arc and Line, LLC.
Jamil has been named “Outstanding Faculty” every year he has taught at Westwood College, and his seminars have been hailed as “more of a therapy session” because of the mediation training and people skills he includes. Now everyone can learn from this gifted instructor. His practical, real life advice makes this book a must-read.
Much praise has been given to Jamil Soucar from former associates including this from Michael Brady, the Deputy Director Maintenance and Operations (Retired) of The Los Angeles Unified School District.
“As a lead professional expert Jamil did an outstanding job managing a team of Project Managers, Estimators and Schedulers while personally managing some of our more challenging projects. Jamil’s development of a Construction Management Training Program for District staff played a key part in furthering my goals for the Los Angeles School District.”
“Attitude, attitude, attitude is the driver,” says Jamil. “If you see a benefit of having a smooth project, then do the effort to work on teaming. Be fair, be nice, be honest, be straightforward, and don’t play the typical games of finding loopholes to stick it to the other side. Help others to succeed while being very aware of your rights.”
Real Life Construction Management Guide A-Z ISBN 978-1-4809-4139-7, 2017 Dorrance Publishing, hardcover, $43.00, 188 pages, available on Amazon or: http://www.Construction-Management-Book.Com. View the book trailer here: http://bit.ly/Construction-MGT-trailer.
About Jamil Soucar
Jamil Soucar is a construction manager who has worked on both sides of construction projects since 1983, giving him extensive experience from both an owner’s and a contractor’s point of view.
He earned a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from American University of Beirut (AUB) and a Certificate in Project Management from UCLA. Soucar has held a wide variety of positions that give him a well-rounded construction experience from different perspectives and enable him to offer real life guidelines and tips for best practices. He also worked for Turner Construction, one of the largest construction firms in the US. In 2007 he started his own company, Arc and Line LLC, where he oversees construction projects and works as an expert witness in court for construction-related claims.
Soucar is gifted in teaching, has taught several classes and seminars, and was named “Outstanding Faculty” at Westwood College for three years straight. Soucar holds a black belt in Kung-fu. In his free time, he likes to spend time with his family and travel. He lives in California with his wife and two children.
Media Contact:
For a review copy of Real Life Construction Management Guide A-Z or to arrange an interview with Jamil Soucar, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at TheBookPublicist@gmail.com or by phone at 248-705-2214. Follow Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist.
Excerpts from Real Life Construction Management A-Z
Human nature, personalities and egos are big factors in managing construction projects. The physical construction is the easiest part of the fabric of a project. The challenge is how to navigate through the multiple personalities, politics and agendas, not to mention avoiding litigation in an industry that is very litigious.
I have always told my students that Construction Management is 20% construction and 80% people skills.
Well, this is when I realized that each one has a different agenda, a different set of fears and liabilities, and each one is trying to push a solution that fit his/her agenda, not necessarily the best solution to the problem.
Relationship counselors often teach that when you enter into a relationship with a person, you’re taking in the person plus what they call “baggage,” which is all his/her background, flaws, strengths and pasts. The same applies to the project’s team that just met and has to interact with each other on a daily basis for the duration of the project.
Construction management is a fundamental realignment of traditional construction relationships. It removes management functions from both the contractor and the designer and places it in a specific entity: the construction manager.
The key to your success is to build a good rapport with the owner, your client, and get him/her to support you, as you face the multitude of decisions and problems.
As mentioned in several chapters of the book, your main challenge to performing the construction management task is people. Human nature will be your biggest challenge.
Start your work with a partnering session with key players. It breaks the ice.
Remember that in order for you to succeed as a construction manager, you need to make sure that all parties are winners; after all they are the ones who are taking care of your project, whether it is the architect, the contractor, the inspector, etc. As a construction manager, you have to understand where each party comes from to know how to best deal with them. So, for architects, time is gold.
A pre-bid meeting is a meeting with all the potential bidders and the owner’s team to discuss the specifics of the advertised project before submitting the bids. Here is how it works.
The owners vary in size and organization. You may be dealing with a single person as an owner of a house up to the Federal Government as the owner of the project. The owner can be a small city or a large school district.
People don’t have any idea about the other’s background, personality etc. This meeting, to me, was my opportunity to break the ice and inspire an atmosphere of positive teaming to give a comfort level to all players that this will be a positive endeavor.
Here’s What People Are Saying About Jamil Soucar and Real Life Construction Management:
In his book REAL LIFE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT GUIDE FROM A-Z he not only shares his extensive knowledge and personal history of being a committed Construction Manager, but he also offers a high quality treatise on the entire concept of construction.
– Grady Harp
Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer
Jamil Soucar was responsible for overseeing the execution of our local bond construction and repair program in several of our region’s over 120 schools.
He did an outstanding job managing a team of Project Managers, Estimators and Schedulers while personally managing some of our more challenging projects. Jamil’s development of a Construction Management Training Program for District staff played a key part in furthering my goals for the Los Angeles School District.
– Michael Brady (retired)
Los Angeles Unified School District
Jamil Soucar is a valuable resource because of his extensive knowledge of construction management. He assisted me in resolving construction issues and contractor disputes. In my previous position at as Deputy Director of Construction at Los Angeles Unified School District, Jamil demonstrated his exceptional knowledge and abilities to manage, identify, and solve various construction related issues in a timely and professional manner.
– Jay Moore
Ventura County Community College District
Jamil Soucar’s new book on construction management principles is probably one of the best primers on the market for anyone who wants to increase their professional knowledge on the complexities, nuances, and challenges in the construction industry. His vast knowledge and personal experience is obvious in each and every chapter. Jamil is one of the best in this business. This book should be on the shelf of anyone who wants to sharpen their skills in construction management.
– Tom Turner
Turner Construction
Author Jamil Soucar divides his comprehensive manual into twelve chapters and merges the practical and theoretical as he explores the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques involving a broad range of activities such as initiation, early estimating, budgeting, work breakdown, scheduling, construction, risk management, and close out.
If you are a student and are in the process of studying to become a construction manager, or a project manager, architect, engineer, construction manager, builder or anyone involved in construction projects, then an investment in a copy of this book would certainly be worthwhile.
– Norm Goldman
Book Pleasures.com and Former Civil Law Title Attorney, Canada
Unique Book Offers Look Into The Human Aspect of Construction Management.
This outstanding book is a must read for both the person wanting to begin a career in construction management, or the person who has been at it for a long time. Both can learn from Jamil’s more than thirty years of experience. Highly recommended.
– Pam Gossiaux
Amazon Reviewer
Media Contact
Company Name: Westwind Communications Book Marketing
Contact Person: Scott Lorenz
Email: thebookpublicist@gmail.com
Phone: 248-705-2214
Country: United States
Website: http://www.book-marketing-expert.com
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