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As a construction manager, you will be in charge of overseeing various construction projects. Construction managers are professionals that assist construction teams in completing their projects quickly, safely and efficiently.
Construction managers can work on any construction project. Therefore, if you are doing a construction management degree, you should know that you have a bright future.
It would be best to know the different career paths you can take after completing your education to determine the best option for you. These paths include:
Construction Superintendent
The job of a construction superintendent is to oversee the day to day operations of a construction project. The superintendent is the manager who oversees the building process and has to be on site every day to ensure things are going well.
Their job description will include tasks such as preparing a job schedule for workers, liaising between different departments and monitoring the building’s progress. Compliance in construction is vital, so ensuring the building meets safety, and other standards will be a crucial job for the construction superintendent.
Construction Project Manager
A construction project manager is responsible for an entire construction project from start to finish. Their job is to oversee the building’s construction at every stage, providing stakeholders with adequate reports till its completion.
Their duties include creating timelines for completion, setting up the project’s budget and managing the resources used during construction, all of which a construction project management software can help do. Archdesk is a construction management platform that can make work easier for construction project managers.
Using construction management software helps to ensure the construction team works efficiently, improves communication and avoids budget overruns that can ruin a construction project. However, a construction project manager is more than their tools, and leadership is their most vital skill.
Project or Field Engineer
A project engineer is unlike other engineers as you do not need an engineering degree to become one; a construction management degree will do just fine. The field or project engineer is in charge of determining how efficient a construction project is.
Hence, they need to be excellent problem solvers to ensure the project proceeds as efficiently as possible. Efficiency is particularly critical as it pertains to raw materials.
The field engineer helps construction businesses select building materials to make the construction team and process more efficient. They will consult other project engineers and the project’s stakeholders to explain what the project needs for maximum efficiency.
General Contractor
General contractors are construction professionals who manage construction teams. You will learn much about the construction process during your construction management course, and if you know how to deal with people, a general contractor can be a lucrative career for you. A general contractor can work on a commercial or residential construction project as long as there is a construction crew. Their duties include:
- Assigning duties to workers.
- Helping create work schedules.
- Hiring subcontractors.
- Ensuring safety standards are met and applying for building permits.
They can also consult with clients about the project’s progress.
Construction Cost Estimator
If you are more interested in the financial aspects of construction, you can become a construction cost estimator. It takes a keen eye to develop an adequate budget for a construction project. You will learn how to manage the finances of a construction project when studying construction management which gives you a unique skill you can apply in the construction industry. As a construction estimator, you will collect and analyze data to estimate the time, money, materials, and labor required to construct a building.
You can take many career paths as a construction manager, especially in a booming construction industry. A few of them are general contractors, construction cost estimators, construction superintendents, field engineers, and construction project managers. You have to find what matches your skillset or interest.