Chris Miles, board director, Longcross Construction
My advice would be: remember that hard work pays off, you don’t get anything for free, and research very thoroughly the career opportunities available because there is such a diverse range of roles available: from tradesman to architect, plumber to quantity surveyor.
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I would also advise that having a strong academic background is less important than having drive and experience. If I am interviewing a youngster today with an excellent academic CV, that would only count for maybe 40% of my final decision. More important is a combination of personal drive, ambition, commitment and personality. People skills can also get you a long way in construction: unlike many other sectors, you have to be able to engage with people at many different levels, especially on site.
Chulu Kamalondo MCIOB, lead contract administrator, Crossrail. Chair of CIOB’s Novus London committee
I’d say do your research and know exactly what you want to get out of the industry. I entered the business straight from school as an office manager at Laing O’Rourke, ordering site materials, hiring plant, speaking to suppliers etc, and until I’d worked there for a while I had no idea of the diversity of roles available.
After a year at Laing O’Rourke I decided I was interested in quantity surveying and they put me on a two-year part-time degree course while I was working. After qualifying I have been lucky enough to gain work on the Olympic Park and now Crossrail.
Pippa Higgins, senior design manager, Crossrail West Stations, Taylor Woodrow
Seek out someone who is experienced in the profession and ask them about their experiences. There is no particular career path so don’t be fazed by what is laid out in a brochure.
You can change your path to specialise in one sector, such as engineering, design management, planning, environment or commercial, or explore a broader spectrum of work – the construction world is varied and exciting. Find an employer that has training designed to give you a variety of experiences, so you can make an informed decision about the path you want to take.
Natacha Redon MCIOB, assistant project manager, Turner & Townsend
I studied project management at university, which was useful in terms of teaching industry best practice and concise methods of working, but very poor at explaining what the role specifically entails. After starting work I had to read up to understand basic things such as what a project execution plan is. Costing was barely looked at on my course, or how to read building plans, which most of my class couldn’t understand at graduation.
However, I don’t regret my focus at university on BIM and Soft Landings, now that I’m lucky enough to be part of a specialist innovation group within Turner & Townsend focused on BIM and it’s thrilling to see clients wanting to get ahead of the game and genuinely interested in what the technology can do.
Rob Hooker MCIOB, co-founder, Greendale Construction
I would say soak up all that is offered, engage with the whole construction team. Make sure you meet all the characters from the guy digging the hole to the grand designer. Take time out to travel and if it feels right get some construction work experience abroad. Feel a sense of pride in what you do and be a team player. Understand your strengths and use these to progress your career. Keep up with new innovations and products and deliver a quality job.
Leanna Fry MCIOB, site manager BAM Construction
My advice to any youngster is get work experience as early as possible in the field you are interested in. I started a degree course construction management without really knowing what I was getting into, but by chance I enrolled on a one-day-a-week work experience placement with HBG (now BAM).
Even though I was studying construction management, it was only then I realised what being a construction manager actually meant.
I’d have hated to have completed the degree and walked onto site to realise I was in a totally different career to the one I thought I was in!
