How do I get a job in construction and building services?
Graduate careers in construction and building services offer a chance to make a difference to the world around us – and not all roles require a specific technical degree. Whether you want to learn about entry requirements for graduates, discover what working on a building project is really like or how to impress construction recruiters, you’ll find the answers here.
Construction is all about creating, restoring and sustaining the built environment. From homes and offices to town centres and roads, the construction industry affects the way people live now and in the future. Whether you want to get involved with the design of a project, oversee its actual construction or ensure its efficient functioning once completed, there is a graduate job for you.
How can I get a job in construction and building services?
Graduates are in high demand with construction employers. Most employers have a formal, structured application process for graduates and the easiest way to get your construction job is to apply in this way. Many employers accept applications from graduates all year round but some do operate annual recruitment with fixed deadlines. You can check individual recruiters' deadlines by searching their employer profile on TARGETjobs or by browsing a copy of TARGETjobs Construction & Building Services Engineering, which you can pick up free from your careers service.
The number of graduate vacancies is often determined by the number and size of the projects the employer has taken on – only the largest players tend to recruit a standard number each year.
Search for graduate jobs in construction and building services starting now
Find construction graduate employers and graduate programmes starting after graduation
Whichever construction discipline you want to start your career in, you will find having relevant work experience an advantage. Many graduates find their jobs through doing an industrial placement year or similar work experience with a construction employer: employers typically give conditional job offers to those students who have impressed them. If your degree does not offer a sandwich year with a construction company, you should apply for work experience opportunities on your own initiative. Your careers service will be able to help with this.
What qualifications and skills do I need?
The precise entry requirements of each construction employer will vary in terms of degree classifications and degree disciplines, so it’s worth searching for construction employers that accept your qualifications. Although many construction employers do not specify a particular degree class, some will require at least a 2.1. Contrary to popular belief, there are many opportunities for a successful career in construction and building services with a degree in any discipline.
Graduates from any discipline are generally eligible to apply for vacancies in facilities management, project management roles and jobs in project planning, although a built environment or technical degree (including civil engineering) is often advantageous.
Getting a job in construction management generally requires a construction-related undergraduate degree or postgraduate conversion course. Some employers accept applicants without a construction-related degree and will sponsor them through the appropriate conversion course.
Graduates with a building services engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering degree are eligible to start a career in building services engineering. There are postgraduate conversion courses available, although these tend to require an undergraduate degree in a technical discipline, such as engineering, science or maths.
Construction recruiters also look beyond your qualification to whether you have the personality and core skills that they require in a graduate employee. The main competences they require include:
- Communication and teamworking skills
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Organisation and time management
- Commercial awareness
What does the application process involve for a graduate job in construction and building services?
Some construction employers will ask you to submit an online application form; others prefer you to send a CV and covering letter, either via e-mail or attached to a basic form on their website. Once you’ve submitted the initial application, each employer will customise their own selection procedures: you may be asked to at least one interview and/or an assessment centre.
What different areas of work are there in construction and building services?
There a huge range of roles available in construction. The main graduate jobs can be found in:
Related careers include architecture, quantity surveying and building surveying, civil and structural engineering and town planning.
Within these areas there are lots of opportunities to specialise as you become more experienced. This could be in a particular type of structure (such as residential, transport, commercial and sports and leisure) as well as in a particular aspect of the work. For example, building services engineers could become an expert in sustainability, IT or acoustics.
Where could I work?
Completing a construction project is a collaborative process, involving the work of many different organisations.
Graduates tend to work for two main types of construction company that have traditionally carried out different roles:
- A consultant: usually hired by clients quite early on in the project to advise on design and cost matters
- A contractor: completes the actual construction of the project, usually employing subcontractors to carry out work requiring specialist or technical expertise.
However, the divide between these two types of company has become less rigid in recent times: it is now increasingly common for large construction organisations to offer an all-in-one design and build service to clients. Similarly, large organisations such as large supermarket chains or property developers, can have in-house design and property departments.Facilities managers can be employed by specialist facilities management companies or by individual companies to manage their own buildings.
Whichever type of organisation you work for, one of the ways to almost guarante job satisfaction is to choose the right construction employer for you: an organisation in which you feel comfortable and your professional development is encouraged.
What professional development opportunities are there in construction and building services?
One of the most obvious ways to develop your career is to become professionally qualified through a relevant professional institution, such as the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) or Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineering (CIBSE). Getting a professional qualification marks you out as a high quality professional in your field, expands your knowledge and usually gives you a salary boost too. In some construction specialisms, your employer will expect you to become qualified; in others, it is strongly encouraged. Either way, your employer should pick up the fees and support you all the way.
When you join your construction company you will be given a manager to assess your progress and help you make the most of opportunities.You will also be given all the training you need, which can include training on ‘soft skills’, such as good communication, as well as technical matters. Some construction employers will provide you with mentors and buddies to ease you into working life. Career progression in construction can be swift once you’ve built up some experience, especially in specialisms where there are skills shortages such as building services engineering.
What is working life like?
Construction is project based and essentially an exercise in teamwork and organisation. Even as an inexperienced graduate, you will work closely with many different specialists at all levels of seniority, both within and outside your own organisation. It is likely that you will also have contact with the client and the public.
Your working environment depends to a certain extent on whether you work for a contractor or consultant. Contractors spend the majority of their time out on site or in on-site make-shift offices, while consultants will spend their time at head offices and commute to the construction site when necessary. Contractors’ hours tend to be longer than consultants’ hours, although both contractors and consultants may find themselves working longer near a deadline. While contractors tend to work on one project at a time, consultants are likely to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
You rarely get to choose which projects you work on; construction employers have traditionally hired on an ‘as needed’ basis and you will be allocated to projects where you are, uh, most needed. However, where possible, good employers will allocate you to a range of different projects to help you gain a rounded understanding of the construction industry. Some recruiters operate a rotational scheme, where you’ll be rotated around a number of projects in your first year.
What will my salary be like and will I get to travel?
Most recruiters in TARGETjobs Construction & Building Services Engineering offer a salary of between £21,000 and £26,000 – and that’s before professional qualification.
The construction industry is global and construction professionals' skills are in demand all over the world. Whether you would like to travel is one factor when choosing the construction companies to apply to. Many international employers will give you placements abroad and will be able to help with practical issues such as setting up bank accounts.
What are the highs and lows of working in construction?
Most people working in construction and building services find loads of reasons to love their jobs. They tend to enjoy getting out and about on site, as well as the variety of the work. Being able to literally see the results of their work is another plus. And these reasons don’t even take into account the good salary and travelling opportunities!
There are flip sides to this, though: if you’re out on site, hours can be more than the standard nine to five. Similarly, although most construction professionals jump at the chance to be on site, it does mean that you have to contend with all weathers.
What current trends in the construction industry should I know about?
Construction is so central to the way we live – not to mention the UK’s economy – that the industry has to constantly respond to the needs of people, institutions and governments. Arguably the highest priority for construction at the moment is sustainability: the need to make sure that developments are environmentally friendly and meet the needs of users now and in the future.
Other key trends are the use of new technology to help plan and build projects, and the construction and restoration of homes to meet the needs of first-time buyers. An awareness of such issues impresses recruiters so keep up to date through joining professional institutions (even as a student) and keeping an eye on the trade press such as Building magazine, Green Building and Construction Industry Times.
What if I have other questions?
Check out our FAQ section.
Work in construction and building services
With thanks to Wates Group Ltd for providing the accompanying image.
This article has been viewed 1582 times.
Rating: 4 / 5 (4 votes cast for this article)
Rate this article:
Related articles