JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 264

you're not there are certificates, diplomas
and other vocational awards that can
help you learn the knowledge and skills
that you need to be able to take an NVQ
(or even get a job, depending on the
employer). You can complete these via
assignments, practical tests, written
exams or online multiple choice tests.

Experience counts

One thing to remember is that experience
is all-important in construction - realworld understanding of how sites and
projects run is crucial to any career in the
industry. Contact any company you can,
large or small, local or national, and take
every opportunity, whether it's labouring
or shadowing a technician or project
manager. This will help you to stand
out in interviews and let you figure out
which areas you find most interesting.
A formal qualification, even if it's in
a relevant subject, may not be enough
in an industry that relies on practical
knowledge. If you're currently enrolled on
a built environment degree, for example,
then work experience is important; if
you're studying for an unrelated degree,
it's imperative. And remember: a stint
as an intern could end up landing you a
full-time, paid job with that company.

2 6 4 /// J O B S & C A R E E R S

Graduates in
construction
With around 2.5 million jobs
in the construction industry,
that naturally includes a
whole range of jobs open to
graduates. There are industryrelevant degrees such as
construction management,
but if you have a degree
that's not directly related
it shouldn't be a barrier to
finding employment in the
industry - you can take a
construction conversion
course and/or gain work
experience, according to
your potential employer's
stipulations. Some areas
of the business won't
require you to do this -

construction companies
also need people with
marketing or business
development degrees,
for example, as well as
IT and digital experts.
The number of design
and management roles in
the industry also allows
graduates to transfer
skills from any degree
to forge a career in
construction. You can
also study higher national
certificates (HNCs), higher
national diplomas (HNDs)
and degrees full-time
at university or parttime while you're in a



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018

http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/jcspring2018
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/JobsandCareersAutumn2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/YourBusinessWithJamesCaan2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/Careers/Careers_with_Hayley_Taylor_2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com