Marc Secord
“With the Gold Seal Certification on my side I knew I was helping myself in terms of career advancement.”
Marc Secord, GSC, Vice President, Milestone Equipment Contracting Inc.
Marc began his career in construction when he was only 15 years old, as a summer student. His father worked in construction and encouraged him to join the workforce. He enjoyed what he did and that motivated him to begin a long career in the Canadian construction industry. “Education has been very critical in my career, when I was 19 years old, I was managing smaller projects and it was apparent that if you didn’t have high enough accreditation on the job site, your voice wasn’t heard. That’s really where I decided to pursue the Gold Seal Certification.”
Starting his career as a labourer, he worked his way up into the role he holds today, Vice President of Milestone Equipment Contracting Inc. He has been very fortunate to have experienced different aspects of the construction process, from equipment operation to site supervision, managing projects, and eventually managing segments of the company. Today he’s responsible for the financial performance of the company.
Obtaining his role didn’t come without the requirement for education. Marc began taking night classes at the University of Calgary in the Construction Management program. “That helped me get started, and to understand the fundamentals from an educational perspective of what we need to accomplish. As well, it introduced me to the benefits of the Gold Seal Certification. Once I finished the Construction Management program, and I earned my Gold Seal Certification soon thereafter, I then applied to the Professional Gold Seal. I knew it was going to be beneficial for my career. I’m a huge advocate of education and I think there is so much for us to learn. I always attempt to influence people around me to take the same steps.”
Marc received his Gold Seal Certification in October 2013. He described the continuous growth and improvement. “When I received my Gold Seal Certification it was very exciting. It was a validation that I could work and learn and have success in both functions. It helped me go on to further education and now I’m working on completing a Master’s degree in Business Administration.”
“There’s never a time that will be a perfect fit, so just go out and make it a priority, and do it. We have so much to learn, there’s an incredible amount of information out there and our industry is rapidly growing. The requirements are becoming more challenging, clients want things done faster, with more precision, and within the budgeted cost. Ongoing learning and improvement is a key function of success.”