Proclaim your communication skills
One of the most important skills in construction is the ability to communicate. If you can demonstrate this, you’ll be well away.
The construction industry has an inherent need for people to communicate both up and down at all levels. Fundamentally there is a requirement to transfer information from documents and drawings to the ‘doers’ on site. This can take many forms, from written instructions and method statement briefings, tool-box talks and inductions, to hand-drawn sketches or 3D interpretations of what is required. A new graduate must also be able to feed back to line managers and communicate with people outside the industry who may not be not familiar with the everyday terms of reference or construction jargon.
The standard model of learning requires monitoring, reflection and instigation – these attributes all need a high level of communication. This can be reflected through feedback reports, progress meetings and so on.
Providing evidence of your skills
In an application we look at education and the subjects studied to find out if the student has participated in group projects where communication skills would be required. We look to see if the applicant has had previous work experience that demonstrates that they have had to deal efficiently and politely with team members and the general public. Involvement in clubs or teams – anything from sports teams to drama clubs – is evidence of teamwork, which again requires strong communication skills.
At interview, communication skills will be tested right from the start, looking at how the applicant greets the interviewer, judging their response to the first few questions and then how they cope with more challenging questions. Students will also be asked how they can demonstrate that they have strong communication skills.
Kevin Howat is a professional development manager at Edmund Nuttall Ltd.
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