At Raymond, we have outstanding employees, so we decided to feature some of them on our blog. Our next Employee Spotlight features Courtney McCarthy, Project Engineer for Raymond’s Southern California region. Courtney has been with Raymond for seven years. She is a former Division 1 College Athlete, having received a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from The University of Toledo.
We sat down with Courtney to learn more about her and her time at Raymond.
What does a typical day look like for you? My typical day involves starting with emails, then coordinating with my foreman in the field for updates and needs. Depending on the workload, I visit the jobsite for progress and safety checks, and to support our team. Back in the office, I manage schedules, order materials, update logs, and ensure all documentation is current and sent out. I also assist in pricing and support my project manager as needed.
What brought you into the construction industry? My late father was my true inspiration. From my early years through young adulthood, whenever we drove together, often to or from a softball tournament, he would point out projects Raymond had worked on, or he was personally involved in. Sometimes, he’d surprise me by making me his carpool buddy to far-off projects, allowing me to see the construction process from start to finish. His passion for the industry and deep love for this company left a lasting impression on me, and it’s why I explored it further after college.
What do you like most about working in construction? I love watching a project come to life. From drawings on paper, everything in between, to the final stages and looking at what we helped achieve. It is all fascinating to me what we can truly do as humans.
Three words to describe Raymond: Connected, Trusting, Enjoyable
What has been your favorite project with Raymond and why? My favorite projects (but also the most challenging) would be all the theming projects I have worked on over the last five years. The teams that I have had the pleasure of working with on those projects have shaped me into the project engineer I am today. From long hours and sometimes stressful days to seemingly impossible tasks, we always rose to the challenge and succeeded. It is all so worth it in the end to see an outpouring of positive reactions from the public to something we had a huge role in creating.
What current projects are you working on? Right now, I am in the closing-out stage of one of the theming projects we are on, finishing up at BeWell (mental health and wellness facility in Irvine, pictured below), and in the preconstruction phase of Charles Drew University Health Professions Education Building in Los Angeles and Harvard Westlake River Park in Studio City.
What’s the best thing about your job? Each day I get to learn something different; I have a huge role in helping the field achieve goals within a project; and I get to be a part of a team that achieves/builds something great. At Raymond, I have the pleasure of working with some amazing, compassionate, intelligent, and talented individuals who truly care about me as a person, not just as a coworker. Having such a great group of people who just mesh well together makes it enjoyable to come to work every day.
What is your proudest moment at Raymond? Being a part of a time crunching bid two years ago. We were given a call to meet the general contractor, walk the job, truly dive into the drawings, research material costs, and put together a competitive bid within two weeks. After long days, we finally got the phone call and were able to ‘ring the bell’ as we were awarded the project. I was truly proud to be able to work alongside the estimating team and see how well we all worked together to win something that was so crucial at the time.
What is the most challenging part of your job? In school, I was never the best at solving equations. Now, it’s something I deal with almost daily. I would say it’s the most challenging part of my job, but also the most rewarding as I’ve seen myself succeed and continually improve in this skill.
What advice do you have for prospective Raymond candidates? Don’t be afraid to make a mistake; it often provides the greatest learning opportunity. Stay open to acquiring new skills and asking questions to foster your growth within the company. And don’t forget to keep a good sense of humor – we all enjoy a bit of friendly banter around here!
What do you like doing when you’re not at work? I love hanging out with my friends and exploring new places. Trying out new breweries or wineries, especially dog friendly ones. Thinking I am still a D1 athlete and playing softball on the weekends. Hanging with my dog, Cooper, who is my wingman and goes everywhere with me; trail hikes, breweries, wineries, restaurants, beach camping, team mascot at softball games, friends’ houses, and any vacation that is pet friendly. Big sports gal over here, so I love going to sporting events, or just watching with a group. I am a real big extrovert, but don’t get me wrong, I also like lazy days at home watching tv and doing nothing.
Favorite thing to do? Make people smile.
What show/book are you currently binging? The Challenge. I have been obsessed with it since I was in high school, and it just continues to get better every season.
What inspires you? My family. With the unexpected passing of my father in 2019, and other unfortunate events that happened afterwards, it has shown me that no matter what challenges life throws our way we will figure it out and overcome it together.
What is the best place you have traveled to and why? This past year I visited Ireland with two of my best friends and it was a trip of a lifetime. It was truly incredible to see where my family is from. The culture was a joy to discover, the people were so friendly and sarcastic (which if you know me, I am fluent), the views were breathtaking, and the pub atmosphere felt straight out of a movie with traditional music, dancing, singing, laughing, and vibes. I enjoyed it so much; I am hoping to go back next year.
What country do you want to visit but haven’t? Australia
How do you balance your career and your family? Raymond makes it easy for us to have the perfect work life balance. It is encouraged to take time off for your family, friends, and personal pursuits. Personally, like my father, I’ll still answer calls after hours and check emails during vacations – it’s all about finding that balance, right? haha
Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I first walked into the Raymond office at five years old handing my dad plans for his interview, 28 years ago. Now here I am seven years in, and hope I can make my dad and this company proud for many more years to come. I want to say thank you to this company for taking a chance on me. Thank you for investing all the training, guidance, and patience in my growth within this industry, and even within myself.
What is something most people are people often surprised to learn about you? That I indeed wanted to be an Orca trainer my whole life and used to train for it.
