Seasonal Help Turns Full Time: Meet Kevin Conway

​Kevin Conway says that life is a balance and he is so happy to have that with PennDOT.

Conway graduated with a bachelor's degree in Construction management/business administration from the Pennsylvania College of Technology.  For 14 years, he worked as a Construction Manager/Estimator in the private industry.

As the years went on, he became more interested in the road/bridge construction side of the business, so he decided to apply at PennDOT.

"I wanted to learn everything from the bottom up, therefore I had to start as a seasonal employee," said Conway. He said the idea of a lifestyle change is what inspired him to apply because he had young children and wanted to spend more time with them.

He started as a seasonal Transportation Construction Inspector (TCI) and knew he would be laid off during the winter months until a full-time position became available. He also knew that any hours worked as a seasonal TCI would count toward his retirement.

Conway explained that as a seasonal TCI, he worked when the construction season started (mid-March until December). He inspected the work being done on roads, bridges, or other transportation projects; tested materials for quality assurance; trained personnel associated with project construction; calculated quantities of work performed, and materials used for the project, and documented the daily tasks performed by the contractor. Today, Conway is a TCI Supervisor and now trains others.

"I have had conversations with many talented people who have expressed interest in working for PennDOT.  I try to sell the lifestyle to them; I try to put people into my shoes and show them the mistakes that I made in my career. I talk about my experiences from the private side, and I usually tell them I wish I applied to PennDOT 15 years ago," Conway said.

Every day Conway encounters something new, whether it is the field conditions, weather, location of a project etc. He is constantly learning with each new project or experience.  Conway notes that as a full-time employee for PennDOT, he has been able to have more time with his wife and family over the years. It has provided him with the job stability he wanted with holidays and weekends off.

For Kevin Conway, working for PennDOT is all about balance.

Visit employment.pa.gov and click "Open Jobs" to apply for a position with PennDOT today! We're currently hiring for our Winter Maintenance Program. Learn about all our opportunities at PennDOT.gov/jobs.