What jobs can you get with a construction management degree

Radek, what jobs can you get with a Construction Management Degree? I’m wondering, what can I do with a Construction Management Degree?

People who major in construction management usually go into construction management! However, not all graduates will start off as the boss. As a new graduate, you may work as a project manager assistant, a job foreman, or a heavy equipment operator in order to gain the experience necessary to work in management.

When you are ready, there are many opportunities for individuals with an education in construction management. Every construction project you see has one or more managers in charge. With a degree in construction management, you could end up working on homes, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, parking lots, hospitals, and even tunnels. There will likely never be a dull moment!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 61% of construction managers are self-employed, and 11% are employed by specialty trade businesses (e.g., plumbing, heating, and electrical). Others were employed in building construction, and by architectural and engineering firms. Even though the construction industry has been hit hard in this economy, BLS still predicts that employment of construction managers will increase by 17% through 2018.

Careers you can get with a degree in construction management include:

• Building Inspector
• Code Enforcement Officer
• Construction Manager
• Contractor
• Cost Estimator
• Field Engineer
• Heavy Equipment Operator
• Project Manager
• Project Manager Assistant
• Purchasing / Expediting Agent
• Site Inspector
• Specifications Writer

Radek Gadek

As a building and construction management graduate, your technical skills, business knowledge and communication skills will be valued by employers in a range of sectors

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Arbitrator
• Building control surveyor
• Building services engineer
• Building surveyor
• Construction manager
• Estates manager
• Estimator
• Fire risk assessor
• Quantity surveyor
• Site engineer
• Sustainability consultant

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Architectural technologist
• CAD technician
• Environmental engineer
• Facilities manager
• Financial manager
• Further education teacher
• Geotechnical engineer
• Management consultant
• Planning and development surveyor
• Town planner
• Urban designer

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Some building and construction management courses offer a year in industry, giving you the chance to develop professional contacts and build on your practical skills. Alternatively, you could apply for a summer placement with a building or construction company. If you're studying a relevant course, it will usually include site visits and field trips, giving you the opportunity to put theory into practice.

Make the most of any work placements as some companies use them as a way to recruit future employees. They also give you an opportunity to make industry contacts and find out more about the structure of the industry and the skills and qualities that you need for particular jobs.

Temporary work with a relevant company can also be useful. Check firms' websites for details or apply speculatively using a targeted CV and cover letter.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

The UK construction industry is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a relatively small number of larger companies. The private sector is a major source of employment. Local government and government bodies also offer employment opportunities.

Typical employers include:

• UK or international construction companies
• design and build companies
• civil engineering contractors
• building and project management companies or consultancies
• property development companies
• organisations involved in urban regeneration and sustainable development
• housing associations
• health authorities.

The technical, management and professional skills developed during your degree are also valued by employers in other sectors, such as finance, marketing, logistics, personnel and general management.

Find information on employers in property and construction, engineering and manufacturing, and other job sectors.

Search for property and construction vacancies.

Skills for your CV

Studying a building and construction management degree gives you lots of useful knowledge about the construction process, plus you'll also develop a range of practical skills.

These include:

• logical thinking, numeracy and computing
• the ability to deal with both complex technical detail and the wider demands of a project
• teamwork and communication skills, as well as the ability to work independently without supervision
• awareness of issues when planning and managing construction projects
• an understanding of health and safety
• an understanding of effective leadership skills and management of employees
• areas of technical expertise and interest.

You'll also learn to:

• assimilate new information quickly
• analyse and critically examine a range of information sources and use them in decision making
• research a problem in depth
• gather, summarise and present information.

A placement year gives you the opportunity to put your skills into practice and to develop additional strengths, such as self-reliance and initiative. Spending time in a commercial environment will also increase your business awareness and enable you to start forging business relationships.

Further study

Postgraduate courses are available in areas such as:

• business services engineering
• construction law
• construction management
• construction project management
• international construction management
• sustainable management.

Industry professionals use further technical study as a means of career development or to achieve chartered status with professional bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Direct entry onto a research degree (MPhil or PhD) is also possible with a good honours degree, as is entry on to an MBA (as a route into general management).

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search for postgraduate courses in construction management.

What do building and construction management graduates do?

Of those in employment in the UK 15 months after graduation, half (59%) of building and construction management graduates are working as architects, chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, surveyors and construction professionals. 8% are working as production managers and directors in construction while 6% are engineering professionals.

For a detailed breakdown of what building and construction management graduates are doing 15 months after graduation, see What do graduates do?

Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

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