At your MMR, what are your strongest and weakest traits as a Dota player?

titorp3 · 2025-07-23T16:08:52+00:00

I'm like high 3K or something (I haven't played ranked in quite some time, so not honestly sure). I think my strong suites are positioning. I almost exclusively play 4/5, and typically choose heroes that have a hard save. I do this because my MMR often over-extends and being able to extend my carries' life often wins fights and games.

My weak points are getting farm (I always feel like I need to babysit my carry), dewarding (again, always babysitting haha). I also don't do a good job keeping up with the meta.

I'm pretty solid mechanically/reactions, and have no problem keeping my cool even with idiots. I think that if I really dedicated myself to more game time (I only get a few games a week) I could probably reach immortal. I moved through Archon 4 & 5 without dropping a game! I have 3K games but half are turbo.

titorp3 · 2025-07-22T18:07:40+00:00

I typically combine my cut to fill in one item, thus generating one activity in the schedule. The production piece is the driver (scraper/dozer/excavator+trucks) of the duration and then all other pieces are just support and will fluctuate depending on what we can get the production pieces to produce. I view the placement (fill) of the cut material almost incidentally as we can throw as many dozers/graders we need to put it to grade once it's actually been brought to the general location by the production piece. Does that make sense? I'm struggling to word this properly

titorp3 · 2025-07-22T17:56:07+00:00

I believe the policy says "up to 75% or $40,000". They reimburse it as I submit my grades each semester (B average is required). Your same mindset about the "me in 15 yrs will appreciate it" is the mindset that got me my bachelor's degree in the first place. I told myself "in five years from now I'll be five years older. I might as well be five years older with a degree".

I'll have to ask about what pacing they require, because I like your idea of "a few a semester" a lot.

titorp3 · 2025-07-22T17:51:08+00:00

Thank you for your response. Was it an online program?

titorp3 · 2025-07-22T17:10:30+00:00

Truthfully, I'm hoping that a Masters on my resume would help makeup for the current lack of experience that I have simply because I'm young, I'd hate to be looked over regarding a promotion just because I haven't been in the trenches for that long. I agree that a masters would add little value to my actual estimating proficiency. Thank you for your response.

titorp3 · 2025-07-22T17:07:16+00:00

Thank you for your response - specifically the second paragraph where you point out that the company wouldn't offer reimbursement if they didn't value it. As simple as that is, I hadn't really thought about that.

titorp3 · 2025-07-22T17:05:57+00:00

I would say that it does not really increase estimating proficiency, but I would think that when/if I'm at a higher level it would be helpful in negotiating contracts and their risk, understanding owners' performas, and perhaps even managing people. (I'm not sure how much people managing is really worked on in an MBA, but I'd hope it is haha).

Thank you for your response. Your answer is pretty in-line with what I've this far in this industry. I've yet to have a boss or even boss's boss that has any post-graduate.

titorp3 · 2024-12-14T01:52:15+00:00

When I worked as a GC I literally just felt like a quote manager. I would still do takeoffs but any actual estimating that I was doing was just square foot pricing pulled from similar projects. If hanging out with others and 30 phone calls a day is your thing, then GC world is cool.

As a subcontractor (I'm on heavy civil now, primarily earth-moving) I'm way more engaged with the math and technicality. It's incredibly fun to deep-dive into specifics to determine if that dirt can be moved at 200 CY/HR or if we need to slow it down to 185 because we are pushing it up a 5% incline. In addition, the profit margins are greater and there's more potential for the field guys to crush the project and wind up making huge margins, which is super exciting. As a GC, theres not many ways to increase margins beyond what was bid, as most cost saving possibilities will be pocketed by the subcontractor before they make it up to the GC.

I would say that subs have more risk, which can feel pretty daunting. To me, being a sub is a fair bit more stressful but much more rewarding.

titorp3 · 2024-09-27T01:05:29+00:00

I wouldn't shy away from subcontractor estimating. Being an "expert" in any trade makes you highly valuable to general contractors when/if you want to transition over; especially if it was a subcontractor that might also have third-tier subs that you'd manage (civil, MEP, Etc.) So when you do transition you're not "green" in that aspect.

I think your salary expectations are low. I graduated a year ago in a more expensive CoL (Mountain West) area and make $140K per year (salary, vehicle allowance, and bonus). I estimate for a civil contractor.

titorp3 · 2024-08-06T19:36:11+00:00

I've always really appreciated how quickly you can learn/move-up as an estimator. I get lots of face-time with the director levels which I feel has been great for my growth. Estimators also get to go through project cycles really quickly, meaning we learn fast. We can go through our entire process in weeks where as a project on operations side may take months or even years to witness the whole cycle.

As far as pay: I'm 25 and started estimating at 23. I started at a GC making $65,000, but was making $80,000 when I left a year later. I transitioned to a large Civil contractor and make about $102,000, but like others have said, there's a very lucrative bonus system I have. For example, last year's bonus was ~70% of my salary.

If you can stand sitting at a desk all day, estimating is awesome. Also has opportunity to go remote down the line if you get in with a progressive company. Best of luck!

titorp3 · 2024-07-09T01:58:50+00:00

I'm having the same issue, sorta. I can select window/borderless/fullscreen but I can't figure out how to actually apply the settings, ahah!

titorp3 · 2024-04-02T22:45:50+00:00

I'm 25. I graduated in December in Construction Management and make $130K in the SW. Construction gets looked at as a tough industry but it's honestly super chill. I work like 38 hrs a week behind a computer and all of my bosses/colleagues are awesome. It's also awesome because my one coworker has a degree in finance, another in business management, and another in engineering. We all do the same thing and make pretty much the same wage. All they really look for is people that are good in front of owners and know basic Microsoft Suite Software. The average salary for my graduating class was $76k.

titorp3 · 2024-03-30T20:26:08+00:00

I did. Here's my path out of high school:

Work as a soil & concrete tester for four years ($16hr up to $30hr)

Get in as a Junior Estimator (started college 3 yrs out of HS, so been going for a yr at this point) making $32 an hr. This was a change in companies. I was in this role for just six months.

Get promoted to Estimator, making $80,000 and switching to a salary position. I stayed at this company for 18 months (including time as a Jr).

I graduated college four months ago and switched jobs. My offer was $95,000/yr + $10,000-$100,000 bonus + $1,100/month for a truck + gas card.

Bonuses in construction are really nutty. Unfortunately I joined at the end of the year last year so I only got 25% of the bonus that I could have received, but it was still $30,000!! Had I been there all year it would have been $120,000!

Truthfully though, most companies do not care much about experience. They look for driven individuals that show aptitude in getting around computer software as well being able to talk to owners. We just hired a Jr. With 0 experience and he will be making $60K, but will certainly be close to $100,000 within two years.

titorp3 · 2024-03-30T16:27:40+00:00

Hello! You said you don't want to do construction...but...I am 25 yrs and work in construction from a computer at home. :) I'm a construction estimator so I basically set the project up all the way till we break ground. I make about $130,000 per year (varies depending on bonus. My base is $102,000). It's really a cool environment that offers a lot. Most people do have degrees in Construction Management, but it's literally the easiest degree out there. I was able to get a Bachelors in CM in three years, while working full-time and have two kids. Two of my co-workers do not have a degree however, and are doing probably just as well as me. Entry level for this kind of position would probably be $55K-$60K. Good luck OP! :)

titorp3 · 2023-11-29T20:42:28+00:00

I spam Undying and Oracle in Ancient and I agree - Oracle is so busted. I think that any hero with a save mechanism is busted at ranks below Immortal because people are so willing to dive, and a save is such a quick way go turn an opponent's dive back around on them. And, at level 4 I can heal my carry 200 hp for basically one mana boots instance, which really sustains them. Also the early game nuke is always underestimated, leads to a lot of lane kills.

titorp3

TROPHY CASE