Pure Potential

All About Careers - Construction

Working in the construction industry isn’t all about brick-laying and hammers! A career in construction has led many students to work on some of the world’s architectural masterpieces such as the Shard in London, sports stadiums like Wembley and motorways so thousands of people can get around. Without construction, people would have nowhere to live, nowhere to work, nowhere to enjoy the nice things in life and definitely no London Olympics!

There’s a whole host of professions in the construction industry. Technical consultants, such as surveyors and civil engineers who provide the expert advice needed for all construction projects. Construction teams consist of a range of people from roofers and brick-layers, to building service engineers, architects and quantity surveyors. They are all needed to design, build and maintain facilities, whilst plumbers, electricians, painters, plasterers and decorators are essential to kit-out the interior of the building.

To work in construction, you’ll need to be practical, resourceful and good at problem solving. Some construction jobs require strong maths and I.T. skills. Construction sites are busy, dangerous places, so you’ll need to develop solid teamwork and communication skills too.

Many construction jobs value practical experience over academic qualifications. A common entry route to various jobs in construction is through apprenticeships. Increasingly, you’ll need to have relevant vocational qualifications, such as City & Guilds qualifications, BTECs or ConstructionSkills awards. The construction industry is hungry for university graduates too. Some construction careers may require you to have a degree, such as civil engineering, building surveying and quantity surveying.

The construction industry is an exciting and challenging place to work and currently employs thousands of people across the UK so there could be a job in construction perfect for you.

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