Most seasoned construction professionals advise the emerging workforce to absorb each and every opportunity, and one local project executive is proof of that method’s success.
Travis Wong began as a newly minted project engineer at Swinerton after receiving his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Just six years later, he’s now sitting comfortably as a Swinerton project executive and is ready for any opportunities the role — and his life — might bring him.
Question: What first interested you about construction?
Answer: You know what’s funny? My mom was a realtor. My dad built homes and developed lots growing up, but I was never interested in it at all. But I think at college, I was just looking for some internships [and] my cousin was able to provide me the opportunity to work at Maryl Group. … I spent time there and decided I really liked it. But it was funny; my dad will always be like, “I can’t believe he ended up doing that!”
Q: What were some challenges early on in your career?
A: I think a lot of the challenges in my career have come when my role has changed significantly from the role before. That was a product of an opportunity [being] presented to me, so it’s not a bad thing, but there was comfort in the previous role. There’s “imposter syndrome” and you don’t feel like you’re ready for it. … It just comes with a time-period adjustment where you’re like, “Did I really just do this?”
Q: Do you feel more comfortable now switching between roles?
A: I think [it’s a] similar transition to this role, where for the first maybe, year-and-a-half … [I] couldn’t solve problems the same way I would have solved them maybe two years ago. But again, now that I’m starting to settle in, … it feels like that was worth it.
Q: What are some proud moments of your career?
A: I think it’s really important for work to be meaningful. So I just can’t speak enough about the opportunities I’ve had to work with really cool individuals — a lot of lifelong friends. I had the opportunity to do jobs in Maui, in San Diego; I’ve probably spent more of my career not on this island than I’ve spent here. I was able to just have fun and find new connections outside of being born and raised here my whole life.
Q: Is there any advice you would give to young people who are just starting out?
A: Obviously there’s the typical things — be a sponge, put in the time early in your career, that it’ll pay off in dividends in the future. Other thing though, too, is [that] there is a balance. I think balance was something I struggled with really early as well. There is such a thing as too much too fast. So just really making sure you make it your job to be well-rounded. Sometimes it’s okay to put stuff down and focus on you and focus on your life. And I think that sustainability has actually helped me be able to push a bit further later as opposed to just pushing as hard as I could have early on.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the future?
A: Oh, that’s a tough one. I mean, obviously Hawai‘i’s home. [My fiancée and I] were both born and raised here. We love the islands. We spent [some] time in California, … met so many people, still go out there at least twice a year just to reconnect, … but at the same time, culturally I grew up here. More of a slower pace of life. So yeah, … generally our plans are to stay in Hawai‘i, maybe start a family.
Career-wise, I think being at Swinerton, I know that they take the idea of opportunity really seriously, … and do a good job of identifying people who might be able to take advantage of those opportunities. So there’s not really a set plan, but I also have to make sure I’m doing what’s good for my career, for my life.
