Charlene Jarvis

NAME Charlene Jarvis
JOB Construction manager
AREA OF WORK Construction management
EMPLOYER BAM Contruct Ltd
QUALIFICATIONS Construction management, Liverpool John Moores University

I decided to work for a contractor as I wanted to be based on site rather than spending most of my time in an office. I researched potential employers on the internet and attended a construction careers fair at university. I was looking for an employer that paid well and had a good training programme. I was attracted to BAM Construct as the representatives at the careers fair seemed particularly attentive, plus the organisation offered a mentoring system for new starters. I had a first interview on campus followed by an assessment centre in London, which involved group tasks and a second interview.

Refurbishing and rebuilding

At the moment I’m working on a refurbishment and part-new-build project at the engineering laboratories at  Liverpool University. As a site manager, I look after one of the buildings that’s being worked on. I’m responsible for managing the subcontractors, which involves making sure they are building to specification, keeping to schedule and complying with health and safety regulations. I also liaise with the design team and with the client. On an average day I spend about 40 per cent of my time out and about on site.

Best and worst

The hours can be quite long – I’m on site by 7.30 am and work through ‘til 5.00 pm or a little later. There may be a bit of a commute. However, I enjoy seeing buildings progressing and being completed: it’s amazing to compare what a site was like before you started to what it finally becomes.