CIM Student Profile

Kelly O’Brien

School: New Jersey Institute of Technology

Class: 2022

Expected Date of Graduation: Spring 2022

“This program is flooded with highly respected speakers from the concrete industry and countless opportunities for first-hand experiences (active job sites, labs, testing facilities, industry conferences, etc.)”

After speaking with a New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Patron and hearing how highly she spoke about the program, Kelly O’Brien, a Central New Jersey native, chose to continue her education at NJIT in the CIM program.  

When asked how the CIM program has prepared her for the real-world, Kelly mentioned that since the program is a hands-on, it has given her the opportunity to “walk-the-walk”. “This program is flooded with highly respected speakers from the concrete industry and countless opportunities for first-hand experiences (active job sites, labs, testing facilities, industry conferences, etc.). I was working as an assistant project manager in the concrete industry when I began the program and, since then, both my knowledge and confidence have grown as a direct result.” 

Kelly, who plans to graduate with a degree in CIM during the spring of 2022, is one busy student! During the day, she works with Pullman SST, Inc. (NYC Branch), a specialty contractor and attends school in the evening. “I have introduced other CIM students to Pullman as well, some of which have taken internships with us,” said Kelly. “The CIM program helped me further my career by giving me the opportunity to prepare and schedule for an ACI certification. I am currently a certified ACI concrete field-testing technician thanks to my CIM courses and professors.” 

Students of the CIM program often travel to industry events and/or association conventions. Kelly was no exception. “I am the NJIT ICRI Student Chapter President and have attended both their speaker presentations and dinners this past year. I was also chosen to attend the 2020 World of Concrete where I competed against 11 other CIM students for the Weatherton Award, a scholarship that honors Bob Weatherton and his many contributions to the concrete industry. For my presentation, I received a $2,500 scholarship!” 

Kelly’s advice:  

“Network, network, network! You have worked hard to get to where you are today, so take every advantage this program has to offer. Make business cards, join every club you can, go to the conferences and competitions and walk up to the guest speaker to introduce yourself. Take this time to get your name out there, because when its time to take the next step into a company, your foot will be in the door as the face they remember.”