5 Jobs in Construction and Civil Engineering

5 Jobs in Construction and Civil Engineering

Did you know that a career in construction doesn’t always have to be physical labour? There are many courses available now with so many different options. Of course, there is still a massive demand for careers in practical skills, however the management and planning side of the industry is growing.

Here are five top jobs within the Construction and Civil Engineering sector, and how you can get into them:

Building Surveyor

What is a Building Surveyor?

They are responsible for advising clients about the design, construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings.

Do I need a degree? 

For this type of role, you will usually need a degree or professional qualification which has been approved by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. However, you could also complete a degree in a different subject such as economics, law or maths, and then take an accredited postgraduate qualification in surveying.

Other options are an apprenticeship, working at a job then qualification or trainee schemes.

What will I do?

Your typical day could look like:

• Surveying properties, looking for structural faults and making recommendations.
• Advising clients on disputes such as property boundaries.
• Ensuring properties meeting building regulations.
• Dealing with planning applications.

What sort of salary can I earn?

You can earn a starting wage of around £22,000 up to £70,000 when you are more experienced.

Quantity Surveyor

What is a Quantity Surveyor?

They are responsible for overseeing construction projects, managing risks and costs.

Do I need a degree?

There are a few routes to becoming a Quantity Surveyor, and a degree is one of them. Other options are an apprenticeship, working towards the role, or a training scheme.

Useful degree subjects are as follows:

• Construction
• Structural/civil engineering
• Maths
• Geography
• Economics
• Land Studies

What will I do?

Within this role you would be working either in an office or outdoors. A typical day could look like:

• Working out quantities and costs of materials, time, and labour.
• Negotiating contracts and work schedules.
• Advising on legal matters
• Writing regular reports on costs

What sort of salary can I earn?

For this role, you can expect to start on around £18,000, moving up to £80,000 when more experienced.

Estimator

What is an Estimator?

They are responsible for working out costs for companies to supply products and services to clients.

Do I need a degree? 

Not necessarily, but many will choose a higher national diploma or degree before looking for work. In a field such as:

• Structural engineering
• Civil engineering
• Construction management
• Quantity surveying

What will I do? 

Depending on where you choose you work your tasks could vary, but may look like

• Researching materials, equipment, and labour costs
• Responsible for job timescales
• Risk assessment
• Preparing and submitting quotes
• Bidding for new contracts

What sort of salary can I earn? 

A typical salary for this role can start at £20,000 and when more experienced this could move up to around £40,000

Construction Manager

What is a Construction Manager?

They organise the work on building projects, ensuring it’s all completed safely, within the budgets and on time.

Do I need a degree?

A degree is one option, but not the only one, you can also complete an apprenticeship or working towards the role.

Typically, though you’ll need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or a degree which has been accredited by The Chartered Institute of Building. These courses typically include project management, economics, IT, and accounts.

Another route is an apprenticeship, which you could complete in a subject such as construction site management or design and construction management.

You can also get to this route via a relevant course like:

• HNC in Construction and the Built Environment

What will I do?

Your day could look something like this:

• Reviewing plans with architects, as well as surveyors and engineers.
• Organising work schedules.
• Reporting progress of work to clients.
• Looking after health and safety requirements.

What sort of salary can I earn? 

You can expect to start on a salary of £27,000 and once experienced can go up to £65,000

Project Manager

What is a Project Manager?

They are responsible for planning and organising people, tasks, and resources to ensure projects are completed on time and within the budgets.

Do I need a degree?

For the career, you don’t need to do a specific degree, but project management or construction management may give you an edge over others.

What will I do?

For a Project Manager, your day could look something like this:

• Agreeing upon timescales, costs, and resources
• Negotiations with contractors and suppliers
• Monitoring progress, quality and costs

What sort of salary can I earn?

You can expect to start on a salary of £20,000 and once experienced can go up to £50,000