Growing With Gilbane
Gilbane promotes a culture of caring that treats every employee as a trusted member of the Gilbane family. A three-time member of Fortune’s “100 Best Places to Work,” we are focused on providing our people with career and future growth opportunities by investing in the next generation of builders by giving college students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the AEC industry. Converting interns to full-time entry-level workers is a tried-and-true method for filling our company with talented young people. Our presence on a higher education campus, whether at a career fair or a project site, is a great opportunity to find new talent.
Gilbane on the CSUN Campus
Gilbane is excited to be back on the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) campus building the Sierra Annex, which will be an iconic campus building that improves the student’s academic experience through its adaptable and collaborative design. Gilbane first partnered with CSUN in 2015 when preconstruction began on the award-winning Associated Students Sustainability Center. That remarkable project earned an Architectural Award from the Los Angeles Business Council for Innovation and Technology in the Build Environment, among others.
Gilbane, in collaboration with Gensler, is providing design-build services for the Sierra Annex academic building at CSUN. The 62,000 SF, $44.5 million building will be located immediately south of its sister building, Sierra Hall. Sierra Annex will include a 3,050 SF auditorium, two additional lecture halls, four seminar rooms, and many large classrooms. Site work, utilities, and accompanying improvements are required. The modern design focuses on using natural light, maximizing flexibility, and encouraging collaboration among students and professors. Additionally, the classrooms in the new Sierra Annex will be the most adaptable on campus, including furniture that can be configured for lectures or breakout sessions. The lobby, corridors, and waiting areas will include seating areas that are bright, flexible, and inspirational. This three-story building will be the campus’ first new academic building since 2009.
From Student to Project Engineer
Akbar Massoud attended a career fair in the spring of 2021 as a Construction Management student at CSUN when he met the Gilbane team. He was hired as a Construction Intern in June of that year and began work on the Wilshire La Jolla project, a high-rise residential building. When Gilbane began construction on the Sierra Annex in 2022, Akbar transitioned to that project. As an intern, Akbar gained valuable hands-on experience on two projects and achieved certifications like CPR/AED, OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety and Health, and several Procore certifications in areas like Project Management and Quality and Safety. He also joined the United States Green Building Council and became certified as a LEED Green Associate.
After Akbar graduated with his Bachelor of Science in May 2022, he was hired as a Project Engineer and began working on the Sierra Annex project full-time. It was a seamless transition since Akbar had already been working on the project. He gained more responsibilities as a project engineer, using his strong proficiency with Procore to provide timely and current project information to all members of the project team. He is responsible for reviewing all contract drawings and specifications for completeness and constructability. Akbar reviews scopes of work to ensure that all labor, material, and equipment necessary for the project has been purchased and is in accordance with the contract documents. He also uses other technology like SmartApp, Bluebeam, and OpenSpace to implement project controls. Watch the video below to hear Akbar explain how he uses OpenSpace.
Since joining Gilbane full-time, Akbar has become an integral part of the Sierra Annex team. He has also returned to the CSUN career fair representing Gilbane and has had the opportunity to share his story with current students.
“It has been truly rewarding working with Akbar and watching him grow from Intern to Project Engineer. He brings so much to this team, not only from his academic experience in the CSUN Construction Management Program, but also his dedication and pride in building on the campus of his alma mater.” Tom Szerlag, Sr. Project Executive for CSUN projects, notes, “I’m excited to watch his continued growth and see where his career with Gilbane takes him.”
Less than one year after graduation, Akbar has experience in two major markets, several certifications, and has recently been promoted to a higher level of Project Engineer. Gilbane’s culture of developing emerging talent and giving them opportunities for growth is a true standout in the industry. Watch the video below to hear about Akbar’s experience working with his alma mater.
If you know a talented college student looking to get started in the AEC industry, please direct them to our careers page where they can apply for internships as well as project engineer and superintendent positions.
