Switch from Construction into CRE career
Hello guys,

I finished my undergrad less than a year ago with a BS in structural engineering and I currently work under a general contractor in construction. I would like to switch my career into CRE, eventually into REIB or REPE down the road. 

My questions are:
1. What role should I aim for within CRE given my 8 months experience in construction? I know my experience isn’t really applicable to CRE but I’m thinking of a development or acquisition analyst role.

2. What’s the likelihood that I break into CRE at a top brokerage for the roles above, given the fact that I didn’t have any finance or real estate related internships in college.

3. What should I self-learn to pass the interview/break-in? I’m studying for my CFA lvl 1, but I’m unsure of what to learn and how to learn financial modeling, and real estate in general.

Thank you in advance!
[{"id": "el3ic42", "text": "First you need to decide- what side of the industry do you want to pursue? What do you enjoy? What are your goals?\n\nAnd as a FYI, 8 months construction experience doesn\u2019t move the needle for anything.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "el3k636", "text": "I would go talk to a few developers that focus on repositions.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "el486xl", "text": "Actually just met someone that started in construction that worked there way into a specialty asset management position at a reit. They wanted to bring on a guy to handle draw schedules and inspecting construction work was completed satisfactorily before disbursing funds. May want to look into that", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "el7rqeq", "text": "I went Architecture into CRE, but stayed on the development side (project management). Any project manager group will hire construction folks for assignments. It\u2019s maybe not a huge pay raise immediately, but you\u2019re on the other side of the table and one step closer to the capital.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ela36ds", "text": "I went Engineering (MEP) into CRE. I worked three years in MEP and completed an MSRE to make the transition. I currently work at a MM bank on the lending team. Feel free to PM me with any questions", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "elg85jn", "text": "your experience suggests project management would be a logical transaction. Not the highest paid position. A decent living, to be sure. But the top earners in CRE are typically fee driven. Do the deal, get the dough.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]