Construction National

Top skills for graduate jobs in construction, QS and civil engineering

It’s all go for graduate recruiters in the construction industry at the moment: they’re busy starting to open up their 2012 graduate schemes while still filling some ad hoc vacancies for 2011 (yes, if you’re looking for an immediate start, there are still a few jobs out there). Whatever your degree background, recruiters stress that your transferable, non-technical skills are the key to securing a graduate job offer. Nigel Kibler, training manager at BAM Construct UK Ltd, gave us his tips on the competencies construction recruiters are looking for, and how to demonstrate that you have them.

Teamwork skills:
•All construction projects are brought to life by teams. You’ll have to cooperate with others and contribute to tasks, and Nigel advises graduates ‘that most employers also look for people who can lead teams as well as work within them.’
•Demonstrate your teamworking skills by mentioning any clubs or societies you’ve been part of and what was involved in working together successfully.

Communication skills:
•Neil says: ‘You will have to negotiate your way through complex communications on a daily basis with different teams involved on a project.’
•A well written application form or CV and cover letter demonstrate good written skills; listening, verbal and persuasive skills will also be gauged by employers throughout the selection process.

Commercial awareness:
•Construction employers, at their heart, are businesses that need to make a profit from their projects. Nigel explains that, ‘a commercially aware employee will find ways to make projects more efficient, and spot any potentially costly defects.’
•Keep up to date with commercial issues and talk about them in your interview and, if possible, in your initial application. This shows you understand the factors that can affect turnover in the industry.

Time management:
•‘Complex construction projects require effective organisation and time management if they are to be delivered to budget and on time,’ says Nigel.
•Examples of times when you have juggled course deadlines and assignments with part-time work or involvement in extra-curricular activities demonstrate that you are organised and can manage your time.
Problem solving
•No matter how well you plan, construction projects can throw up all kinds of obstacles. A calm, practical approach will help to minimise delays and deal with unexpected problems.
•According to Nigel, recruiters will be looking for specific examples of your practical ability, such as ‘an eye for detail and the ability to adopt a common sense approach to solving problems under pressure.’

Enthusiasm for the industry:
•Graduates with a genuine interest in construction are attractive to recruiters, because their enthusiasm for the industry means they are more likely to progress, make contacts and be happier in their job role – this helps their employer and themselves.
•Nigel advises graduates to ‘demonstrate how proactive you have been in finding practical experience and keep up to date with industry trends and current issues within trade press and news feeds from professional bodies.’

The skills you already have:
You’re likely to have a lot of these skills already, so don’t be intimidated by the list of skills recruiters are after. A good way to familiarise yourself with your skills is to sit down with a large piece of paper and make headings such as ‘academic life’, ‘work experience’, ‘travel’, ‘leisure’, ‘voluntary work’ and ‘extracurricular activities’. Then, under each heading, think about what you achieved, how you contributed to and learned from this, and the skills you developed as a result. This will give you a huge database of your skills and examples of them, ready for future applications and CVs.