2021’s 30 Under 30 EC&M Electrical All Stars: Melanie Cardenas

Melanie Cardenas

Job Title: Project Manager

Company: Alterman, Inc.

Location: San Antonio

Age: 27

Years on the Job: 2

Interests: Loves to spend time with her husband, who is a cook, and try new foods and baking

At the University of Texas-San Antonio, Melanie Cardenas took a construction management course, which steered her into a career in the construction industry. During an internship at Alterman, she had the opportunity to dive into the construction world, which was very new to her at that time.

“Once I interned with Alterman, I realized my learning capabilities with an electrical contractor were immense, and it was a company that I wanted to grow and learn from,” says Cardenas, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction management in 2018. “My internship allowed me to see the different aspects of the company, how they all work together, and how vital communication is between departments to collectively get the job done.”

As a project manager, Melanie Cardenas will be able to run multiple jobs throughout her career, and each job comes with its own learning experiences and challenges.

During the last two years at Alterman, she has taken initiative by enrolling in multiple electrical apprenticeship classes at the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) to expand her electrical knowledge. As an assistant project manager, she worked under multiple project managers for two years, learning every leadership skill that she could.

Cardenas, who was recently promoted to a project manager position, says her daily work life varies, depending upon the day. She could be performing job-site walks, participating in meetings, or handling documentation.

Cardenas, who previously worked on a health care project, is now working alongside another project manager on some high-profile, mission-critical jobs. She hopes to one day be promoted to a senior project manager or a director.

“The only way to reach my goals is to continue to strive and do the best I can — and learn from my own experiences and potential mistakes,” she says. “There is no excuse for not putting in hard work, so I plan on investing my time and future in this company.”