Changing My Career Trajectory

Mike O’Malley doesn't mince words when he talks about how Northwestern Engineering’s Master of Science in Executive Management for Design and Construction (EMDC) program impacted his career. 

"EMDC was a turning point in my career," he said.   

O'Malley (EMDC '19) originally did not believe he wanted a career in construction. 

His father and uncle started O'Malley Construction Company (OCC) in 1996, and a career in the family business was always an option, but O'Malley thought he would go a different route.  

He majored in business management in college, and when he graduated in 2011, he faced the worst job market for young people on record, according to an Economic Policy Institute report.  

Construction quickly became more intriguing.  

O'Malley joined the family business and spent years working as a laborer and carpenter. Over time, he realized there was a gap between his technical knowledge and his understanding of what it took to manage a construction company.  

He wanted to close that gap. To do that, O’Malley turned to EMDC. 

"The EMDC program offered me an opportunity to learn the blocking and tackling of the construction business from some of the top executives in the city," O'Malley said. "For me, it was a no brainer."  

He quickly reaped the benefits of his decision. O'Malley took a business development course that focused on generating a response to a Request For Proposal (RFP) and competing to provide services on a construction project through a presentation to a mock interview panel.   

In his role at OCC, he had recently struggled in a competition and failed to win the project. Through the class, he was able to gain valuable feedback and advice on how to make his RFP response and presentation more effective and impactful.  

Just after the class ended, O'Malley pursued a new project and faced an RFP response and presentation to a potential client.   

"I was able to present with more confidence and an expertly crafted pitch," O'Malley said, "and we won the project." 

Today, O'Malley is a director at OCC, where he is involved in most aspects of the company's operation. He is currently focused more on sales and business development, but an ideal day for him still includes helping colleagues find solutions to problems in the field, in addition to assembling bids and getting to know prospective clients.  

Whenever he faces a new challenge, he thinks back to his time in EMDC. 

"The most important lessons I learned were the tales from the field shared by both the instructors and my classmates," he said. "We spent a lot of time discussing different challenges people faced, what their options were to solve, and how they ended up making it work. The stories and learning from the success — or occasional failure — of my peers were the true value of this program." 

O'Malley is a strong advocate for the program and recently joined the EMDC Alumni Ambassador Program, providing him with a structured outlet to interact with current and prospective students. He delivers the same message to both audiences.  

"The program provides access to best-in-class faculty and a peer group that is top-notch," he said. "The reward of hanging a Northwestern degree on the wall in your office cannot be understated.”