A CONVERSATION WITH:
Marilyn J.Goslin
MK Consulting Engineers Lead Cost Engineer
How long have you been in Construction?
I have been in the construction industry since 1978, oh dear, 38 years. I started out as a Rodman in a survey crew on Interstate 66 construction in Arlington, VA.
What/who influenced your decision to enter the field of Construction?
My father – he knew I wouldn’t be happy sitting at a desk. Myself – I knew I needed to be challenged, daily.
Were you one of the first women to join the Field Engineers Union? You are the first women to hold the union book…what is that and what is the significance of that fact?
I don’t think I was the first in our Local which was Operating Engineers Local 77, but I’m pretty sure that I was the only female to get a Field Engineers book. I know other women came in to the trade for the money but it seemed that not many of them looked at it as a long term thing or they found something else. I just hung in there because I loved the fast pace, the feeling of accomplishment and, for the most part, the people I met and worked with. I was lucky to have had some pretty good mentoring from people I worked for and was able to learn a lot from them every day. It was never boring in the field and so much of my experience there has made me better at what I do now.
What companies have you worked for, and what positions have you held? List some of the projects you’ve worked on.
Lane Construction – Survey Rodman
Kiewit – Survey Rodman – WMATA Forest Glen Station
Turner Construction – Party Chief
Dillingham Construction – Party Chief – WMATA Van Dorn Metro
Perini/Tutor/Saliba/Buckley – Cost/Office Engineer – MTA – Lexington Ave. NY Rehab
Lane Construction – Dulles Toll Road Extension – Chief Field Engineer
McKinney Drilling – Caisson Construction in MD, VA and DE – Chief Field Engineer
Centex Construction – Above Net Data Center – Chief Field Engineer
Centex Construction – Dennis Hatfield Clinical Research Center – Chief Field Engineer
Centex Construction – Estimating – Preconstruction Estimator
Phoenix Engineering – Consulting – Senior Estimator
NISTAC – Senior Estimator – Disaster Recovery – Hurricane Katrina
TCT Cost Consultants – Subject Matter Expert – Disaster Recovery – Hurricane Sandy
What has been your greatest career achievement?
I don’t know yet.
What advice can you offer other Women entering the field?
It is still, in many ways, a man’s world but there’s no reason to let that derail your goals. You’ll probably have to do more to get noticed but if you stay positive, willing to learn at each level and in turn helping develop other people in your wake, this will ultimately bring you the satisfaction that you need to move forward. Soak up as much “real life” knowledge as you can from your mentors – LISTEN UP! Everybody that has gone before you has something to teach you. Oh, and develop a thick skin.
How did you balance your career with your personal life including raising children?
HA! Well, I’m never really sure I had any of that “balanced” but I do know this – you have to give yourself permission to learn as you go and forgive yourself, in advance, for your mistakes.
This business can be very demanding timewise and things in your life may be terribly out of balance from time to time. When you add a child or two to the mix it can seem impossible. Trust yourself to figure out what’s best for you and your family first. Stay in a steady routine with your daily management of household things, kid’s homework and activities, school things. This way everybody knows what to expect and what’s expected of them. My boys knew that homework time was right after they got home in the afternoon and had a snack – not after dinner when they were tired. They had enough time to get that done while waiting for me to get home and take them to ball practice or scouts or whatever. Routine is a good thing, although there will be times when you have to be flexible and move to plan B, C, D or even F. Be ready for that.
Reported by: J. Mims-Rivera (Marilyn Goslin has been very modest about her career accomplishments. She has lead large crews to complete field engineering layout, and data management for several multi-million dollar projects. Her experience spans several different aspects of commercial construction, and she has worked for some of the world’s largest construction and engineering firms.)