Name: Jamie Slaper
Title: Project Manager
Company Name: Levien and Company
Years in Commercial Real Estate: 2-3
In the last 12 months, which project, transaction, honor or accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Twelve months ago I was still a new hire at Levien and Co. as an assistant project manager. Very quickly, I was given responsibility until I became a project manager running my own projects. Looking back, it happened in the blink of an eye. For the past 11 months I have been overseeing the work at New York Law School and the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. It is definitely an honor to realize the support my company gives me plus it is always great to receive emails from clients that say "Every day we think to ourselves that we're so lucky to have you" (they know how to play into my ego). Truly though, I think that the support is given because Levien and Co. know that I love what I do.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession?
My biggest fear was, and is still, that clients would not take me seriously as a young female regardless of my job performance or recommendations. You do not see many young women these days running large projects and you definitely do not see many young women in charge who love to laugh and keep their project team smiling. I believe that everyone should take enjoyment out of the kind of work they are doing. I also believe that if we have a happy team, we have a unified team and a smoother project.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first job was opening and sorting mail for the law firm where my mother worked when I was 14. I learned that I really cared about the proportions and exact alignment when folding mail to go out - a budding perfectionist. Lastly, I learned that I did not like being tied to the office and needed to work in a field with a lot of moving pieces and action.
What are you doing differently in 2014 that has had positive impact on your career?
Laughing at all of the project's idiosyncrasies instead of stressing about them. It makes solving the problem much easier and less daunting.
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