CSI news and notes

by arslan_ahmed | March 17, 2023 3:44 pm

The Specs 101 Series puts the building blocks of specifications at your fingertips

The Specs 101 Series is a six-part online series, an introduction to the language of specifications. These days, everyone on the building project tram should be able to read, write, and use specifications. Specs 101, available in the CSI Learning Library, addresses how the changes in construction documentations occur in today’s marketplace.

“The Spec 101 Series is a tool I recommend to my colleagues who are looking to get a quick tutorial on all the basics you need to know about writing and reading specifications,” says William Massingill, CSI. “Use Specs 101 to stay current on industry standards for specification processes. It significantly improves your insight towards successful project deliveries with construction documentation.”

In addition to the learning series, the CSI Learning Library also features a number of individual courses for a customizable learning experience.

The following online courses are some of the most recently watched:

Visit CSIResources.org to see how the industry can use this valuable resource as a minimal-cost investment in staff development.

CSI Community Connect Forum: How to Attract Young Specifiers

The CSI Community Connect Forum is the go-to resource to connect with architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) peers in real-time, keep up on current events, get informative professional insight, and even share interesting information about yourself.

A conversation about “recruiting young specifiers,” which began as a roundtable discussion at the 2022 CSI National Conference in Denver, continues to offer insights into ways in which the industry can attract new professionals to the field, such as these comments from Karen Burditt RA, CSI, CDT, AIA, NCARB.

“By stressing ‘young,’ you miss the point of who can easily shift into spec writing; mid-career architects and project managers who either need flexible schedules or find their careers upended by layoffs,” says Burditt. “These mid-careers professionals have the practical field experience and an appreciation for specs. They are the immediate future for
this profession.

“I got into specs 20 years ago, when none of the other architects in the firm could be bothered with the coordination/review of project specs. I did the specs while doing CA on a wide variety of projects.

“At the next firm, I started preparing the inhouse specs, in between my CA projects. Now I am on my own as a full-time independent spec writer, and there is no shortage of work out there. I get calls from all over the country from desperate small- and medium-sized firms in need of an independent spec writer. I enjoy the variety of projects,” says Burditt.

“By the way, my very first experience with specs was a spec writing contest, as a freshman at a local community college’s architectural technology program. I got second place. The first-place contest winner was a middle-aged woman who was doing a midlife career switch into architecture. Never underestimate how a relatively small thing can lead to a career.”

Stay in the know about the 2023 CSI National Conference

There is still a lot of buzz around the success of the 2022 CSI National Conference, and CSI is actively planning the 2023 event, which will take place October
4 to 6, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Do you want to stay in the know? Sign up for the latest CSI National Conference news to hear about keynotes, networking and learning opportunities, as CSI roll out the details. Just go to constsi.realmagnet.land/2023-national-conference-get-updates, add your name, email, and company, and you will not miss a single detail about this must-attend event.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/csi-feb-news-n-notes-2/