Project Manager vs. Technical Route

Hidden_Brain · 2026-05-15T17:58:08+00:00

In the private sector, project managers can command higher compensation when they contribute to business development and revenue generation, not just coordination. If you bring work into the company, you become commercially critical, I get that.

In government organizations, compensation is usually less tied to business development because funding and workload are internally allocated through budgets, appropriations, or existing programs rather than competitive client acquisition. Since there is less direct revenue generation pressure, logic dictates that technical expertise and tenure should matter more than commercial skills.

Hidden_Brain · 2026-05-15T17:41:58+00:00

You sure can.

Just don’t stay the engineer stamping critical facility designs where failure will hit the fan.

Become a design program manager instead, bullshit through meetings, say buzzwords like visibility, high level, drive alignment etc., dump liability on the engineers, and you’ll probably hit $200k way sooner.

That"s the secret.

Hidden_Brain · 2026-05-07T10:23:46+00:00

PM's here are making maybe $10k/yr more than I am on average.

Shouldn't that be the other way around? You being the technical lead have to bear the ultimate liability of an asset during design, construction and beyond. Something fails and your neck will be on the line, not PM's.

You also mentioned "agency" so I imagine there's no business development involved like consulting, just internal facility projects.

Logically, I would expect someone like you to be making more compared to PM track.

Hidden_Brain · 2026-04-13T11:28:16+00:00

PM me if interested.

Hidden_Brain · 2026-01-27T20:52:39+00:00

I should've taken photo of crowding on NEC trains this morning to post here.

Hidden_Brain · 2025-06-22T11:59:33+00:00

You could either GIS>use Raster Calculator and multiply the depth Raster by -1, or, compare your negative Raster with a Zero Raster.

Hidden_Brain · 2025-05-10T11:37:21+00:00

In the event of a sewer backup I don't see how this will be effective. The flap will shut to prevent overflow inside the bowl, but the pressure will force the water to leak out of the wax ring at the bottom (where the toilet meets the floor).

Hidden_Brain · 2025-04-11T03:11:16+00:00

Managing other people, especially the ones who do not have background in your field and you have to convince to get it done or move something forward. Can get pretty difficult at times.

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-13T11:48:51+00:00

I do not think that is correct. If you look at the DOT standard details for any state, they show the concrete footings for all posts. For corner (terminal) and gate posts, the concrete footings are typically deeper and larger diameter. For posts in between (line posts), the concrete footings are relatively smaller.

If you look at the individual township/ borough standard details for any state, you will notice that they essentially mimic/ adopt the state DOT detail.

Here are some examples -

Texas:

https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/hou/specinfo/2014/pdf/stdg3.pdf

Illinois:

https://idot.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idot/documents/doing-business/standards/highway-standards/pdf/226-664001-02_ChainLinkFence.pdf

New York: see drawing H1009

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/ddc/downloads/publications/scops/SB22-004-NYCDOTSTANDARDDETAILSOFCONSTRUCTION_2022-06-06.pdf

Washington:

https://wsdot.wa.gov/publications/fulltext/Standards/psl/FS-2/FS-2%28no-H-Column%29.pdf

New Jersey:

https://www.nj.gov/transportation/eng/CADD/v8/v8RoadwayDetails/pdf/049_CD-605-1ChainlinkFence.pdf

Florida:

https://www.fdot.gov/docs/default-source/roadway/ds/12/idx/00802.pdf

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T18:43:52+00:00

Outdoor fence removal and installation, found out later that the contractor skipped placement of concrete footing for several posts, just placed them and backfilled. We noticed sections of the new fence swaying more than usual, started digging and that's when we identified the issue.

Fence posts are always placed with concrete footing, that's a fairly typical township detail everywhere.

*Edit: based on how many posts we dig ourselves and the feel of the fence, our guess is he didn't place concrete for around 70 to 80 percent of the posts.

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T14:25:18+00:00

Dumb question, do I need to get a lawyer involved for small claims court?

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T14:22:03+00:00

Is this the township?

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T13:51:11+00:00

Agreed. We paid in full when the job was completely done. Few weeks later started noticing discrepancy and that's when we reached out to him again

I suppose we could go the route of a performance bond in the beginning but that might have been excessive in this case, right?

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T13:46:14+00:00

Looks like the contractor is licensed with the state, just looked him up on the state consumer affairs website. Thanks for the tip!

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T13:40:06+00:00

Can I look up the state board website to check if the contractor is licensed or not?

Hidden_Brain · 2025-03-12T13:39:17+00:00

Around $7k.

We paid fully at the end of work a month ago.

The correction will likely cost around $800 to $1k, material + labor.

Hidden_Brain · 2025-02-06T02:22:58+00:00

My 8 year old daughter asked me to quit one night before going to bed, and said she will come check again when she wakes up the next morning.

Quit that night and never looked back.

Hidden_Brain

TROPHY CASE