When I was 19, I walked into the estimating office of my family's construction company thinking I was ready. I wasn't.

The other intern had two prior rotations and a civil engineering degree in progress. I had a European History degree from a liberal arts school and no clue how to use an engineer's scale.

My first assignment was a waterline takeoff - by hand. No on-screen takeoff software. Just a digital wheel and a ruler I didn't know how to read. I couldn't even set the scale. I didn't know what a trench was. Or appurtenances. Or how any of this work got built.

Every time I turned in my takeoff, the chief estimator sent me back with a red pen massacre that made my pages look like they were bleeding out. The other intern flew through takeoffs in an hour that took me five days - and he made sure I knew it, punctuating my failures.

I called my dad multiple times that first week to tell him I was quitting. He'd just laugh and say, "It's not rocket science, you’ll get there." To me, it felt harder.

That was the first time I realized I'd have to treat not having an engineering degree like a superpower. I wasn't going to win on skill or speed. But I could outwork anyone.

So I did. First one in. Last one out. I spent Fridays with field crews to learn how the work really gets built - asking questions about the trench boxes, what geotextile fabric was for, and why you couldn’t reuse existing material for backfill. I'd lose, sure - but I'd go down swinging.

Eventually, I got the hang of it.

Later, after college, I joined a big contractor in the Mid-Atlantic. Day one of the rotation program, we went around the room: "Penn State, Civil Engineering." "Virginia Tech, Construction Management." Then me: "Tristan Wilson, Washington & Lee, European History."

Again, I felt like a fraud.

My first rotation was in estimating. I struggled. I didn't know what I didn't know. I blamed every mistake on not being technical enough.

Three months later, I got assigned to the field on a complex $50 million highway job. My boss, the project manager, was a 4.0 civil engineer from Virginia Tech. I figured I was toast.

But when he asked what I knew, I was honest: "I've worked on paving crews. I can use a shovel and run a roller. I don't know how to read these drawings. But I'll work my ass off."

He took me under his wing.

Every day, I'd batch my questions into two sessions so I didn't bug him too much. He taught me the basics - line and grade, stationing, quantities, measurement and payment. But the real magic happened in the field.

I got to know a general superintendent - no degree, just decades of wisdom and absolute command over the job. He could run HCSS blindfolded, interpret the most complex drawing sets, and explain stuff in plain language. I figured, if this guy can do it, why not me?

So I learned everything I could from him - not just how jobs were built, but how people got built. He taught me mindset, how to earn respect, how to motivate a crew. The kind of leadership you can't learn from a textbook - but I read those too.

Today, the playing field is wide open. You don't need a degree to learn civil construction. You can pick up an old civil engineering textbook, watch YouTube videos on trench safety or reading plan sets, or go down rabbit holes on forums and LinkedIn. What used to be locked up in college classrooms is now available with a search bar and some hustle. Whether it’s investing or philosophy or engineering, knowing the the basics cold is what matters most. Not memorizing formulas.

Eventually, I could somewhat hang with the engineers. What I lacked in pedigree, I made up for in curiosity, attention to detail, and effort. And I could write a damn good letter 😉. I stayed organized. I dove into cost reports. I still messed things up. But I got decent.

Fast forward: I spent 13 years in this business, eventually running a major paving division. I never needed that degree to build challenging projects. I needed reps. I needed mentors. I needed the field.

Now I run a software company helping estimators and builders do their jobs better. And funny enough, I felt many of the same insecurities starting Edgevanta too.

I'm not a coder. I don't have a CS degree. In the early days, I'd sit in technical meetings and feel like I was back in that estimating office with no clue how to use the scale, the voices around me speaking a language I barely understood.

But here's the truth: I may not have had the courage to start this company if I hadn't already succeeded in an industry where I once felt completely out of my depth. That experience taught me how to learn. How to master the fundamentals. How to find great people who could fill in the gaps. How to keep showing up, even when I felt behind.

You don't need to know everything. You just need to be curious, honest, and relentless.

So yeah, I've spent hours learning software, engineering basics, and AI workflows. But the biggest lesson? You don't need to know everything. You just need to be curious, honest, and relentless.

I love engineers. Many are close friends and mentors. Civil engineers are quantitive experts and problem solvers who understand how the physical world works. But the best ones I know will tell you: it's not the degree that makes you great. It’s that foundation and a whole lot of other things.

Yet some of the most capable people I've met in construction - and now in tech - don't have traditional credentials. But they build. They care. And they never stop learning.

If you're the boss, consider giving the non-traditional candidates a shot.

You never know who's got the fire in them.

You don't need the paper to prove you belong.

You need the guts to show up and figure it out.

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About the Author

Tristan Wilson is the CEO and Founder of Edgevanta. We make software that helps contractors win more work at the right price. He is a 4th Generation Contractor, construction enthusiast, ultra runner, and bidding nerd. He worked his way up the ladder at Allan Myers in the Mid-Atlantic and his family’s former business Barriere Construction before starting Edgevanta in Nashville, where the company is based. Reach out to him at [email protected]