The Day a Construction Site Broke Me — and Then Built Me
The resilience within me kept me going on within in construction industry
CONSTRUCTION BLOGS
I still remember the day when the senior resident engineers at site scolded me over my silence on a quality issue. I was just a few months old civil engineer on site, very enthusiastic and firm to learn about construction, but that day, all fascination vanished into the air.
There was an angry engineer shouting at me, and I was standing there silently, totally blank, not knowing what to say or how to react. The issue itself was technical. The block masonry wall was not properly aligned. The supervisor had not checked the drawings and continued the work. I used to visit the site periodically to see what was going on. I trusted the “experienced supervisor” and thought he would teach me, but that day my assumption proved wrong.
The resident engineer visited the site and verified the work against the drawings. It was wrong. Instead of rebuking the supervisor, he called me and scolded me in front of everyone. It literally shattered my confidence and pushed me down in my career. I held my tears and came back to my office, but how long could I hold them? I hid somewhere and cried.
I began to hate my career. I prayed to God, asking why I had selected this profession. I even questioned Him, what was my fault? I was new on site. The whole day, that traumatic experience kept revolving in my mind. I began to hesitate around everyone because I felt that everyone was looking for me just to make fun of me.
I started searching for jobs on LinkedIn. I thought switching the job, or even the career, would solve my situation. But who would hire a few-month-old engineer? Frustration started growing inside me. When I reached home, I was hit by a severe headache due to stress. I took some pills and slept, still crying.
The next day, I dragged myself to the site. I was trying to hide from the site staff, especially the resident engineer. I was sitting in the office, still digesting yesterday’s humiliation, when the phone rang. It was the resident engineer calling again.
I panicked. My first thought was to ignore the call, but then I realized he might complain to the CEO about my unresponsiveness. Sweat started appearing on my forehead. Out of fear, I picked up the call.
“Hello… Hello… Minhal?” came the strong voice from the other end.
“Yes, sir,” I replied hesitantly.
“Come over here to the site right now,” he said and hung up.
At that moment, I started shivering with fear, and my mind went completely blank. I looked around, hoping for some kind of rescue. I prayed to God, why me? Still, I took steps toward him, sweating all over my body.
He was standing there with his subordinates, holding a measuring tape. I was still wishing something would happen and he would just vanish. When I reached him, he looked at me and asked, “Why are you sweating?”
“Nothing, sir… just the heat,” I replied.
“Come with me. Let me teach you how to measure the alignment of the wall,” he said, and walked straight toward the block masonry area.
He explained everything, how to measure alignment, how to check the quality of blocks, how many layers should be laid, how mortar is prepared, and how to control site work to ensure quality is up to the mark. He guided me through every detail, and I listened carefully and observed closely.
When he was done, he looked at me and said, “Get used to this construction environment. If you have chosen this career, keep in mind that it is harsh. This is not an office job where everyone is polite, even those who are against you. This is a live construction site. Every mistake becomes visible, and if not rectified on time, it damages your name and reputation.
“Yesterday’s misalignment was not about you or the mason. You are new, and the mason is not a professional. I am the experienced one here, responsible for the work. If that mistake had gone unnoticed, it would have damaged my reputation far and wide. Wherever you work, any engineer on site prioritizes protecting his reputation. If something threatens it, his behavior can be harsh, like what you experienced yesterday. Get used to it as soon as possible.”
After saying this, he left.
I stood there, looking at the under-construction building and absorbing his words. I realized that what I had assumed to be harsh behavior was actually a critical learning moment for me. I was also an engineer on site. Nobody cares whether I was new or inexperienced. To them, I was ‘the engineer’ in charge.
Later in my career, I would become the highest-paid professional with bigger responsibilities. My mistakes or blunders would then become direct threats to my reputation. The resident engineer had simply taught me to take responsibility early.
This is the harsh reality of a construction site. Unlike other industries where growth follows a structured path over time, construction does not allow that luxury. You must take responsibility immediately and adapt to site realities. The good part is, it pays off later in your career.
The sooner you accept responsibility and learn in a harsh environment, the higher the chances that you will outgrow your peers. I have personally experienced this. I know some people may call it harsh, an abuse of power, or unnecessary strictness, but honestly, where does such an environment not exist?
I have worked in the corporate world as well. Harsh meetings and bitter truths are common there too. But the advice of that resident engineer has always helped me to rework and become more professional.
I firmly believe that if you have not experienced the harsh realities of your profession, you will never be confident enough to develop new ideas or build a strong reputation. It is psychological warfare. Those who survive it get rewarded. Those who surrender sacrifice their growth.