JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 265

C O N ST R UCT I O N

£20,000, rising to around
£38,000 with seniority. If
you progress to become
an environmental
engineer, you can earn
up to £90,000.

construction-related role. Here
are some of the construction
roles available to graduates.

Quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor's task is
to figure out what materials
a construction project will
need and how much it will
cost. During construction
they will continue to report
on the costs and needs of
the project, and will often
be required to monitor
subcontractors, risks, disputes
and regulatory issues.
What qualifications do I
need? You'll need a degree
or professional qualification
accredited by the Royal
Institution of Chartered
Surveyors. You can study
quantity surveying to degree
level or convert a degree
in a different subject as a
postgraduate, and you can
start as a junior or trainee
surveyor while studying.
How much can I earn?
Depending on who you
work for, you'll start on
between £18,000 and
£25,000. Fully qualified,
experienced surveyors
can earn up to £80,000.

Site supervisor
As you can probably work
out from the name, a
site supervisor oversees
all kinds of construction
projects, organising
work schedules, ordering
materials, assisting project

Risk manager

managers and ensuring
on-site working conditions
are safe and agreeable.
What qualifications
do I need? Alongside
qualifications in construction
or civil engineering, you'll
also need a Construction
Skills Certification Scheme
(CSCS) card. Experience is
useful, relevant health and
safety training is essential,
and the old CV staple of a
full driving licence is usually
required so you can travel
between sites easily.
How much can I earn? You'll
start on around £28,000,
rising to £40,000 or more
depending on experience
and the size of the project.

Environmental adviser
The environmental impact of
any building venture has to be
assessed, and as an adviser

you'll be addressing issues
including air quality, land and
water contamination and
waste management. You'll
need to write reports, liaising
with clients, stakeholders and
other relevant parties, and
stay up to date with the latest
changes in environmental law
and building regulations.
What qualifications do I
need? Although you can
land a job with a level 6 NVQ,
most employers require
a degree, and preferably
one in a relevant discipline
such as environmental
sciences or geography. If
you're looking to progress,
you can gain professional
qualifications from Institute of
Environmental Management
and Assessment (IEMA).
How much can I earn?
Newly trained environmental
advisers will earn at least

If you have a degree that's not
directly related to construction, it
shouldn't be a barrier to finding
employment in the industry

There are a lot of things
that can go wrong
in construction, and
it's a risk manager's
responsibility to
identify these before
they actually do any
damage, whether that's
to an organisation or its
personnel. You'll need
to figure out the costs
and legal issues involved
in solving problems, as
well as providing plans
and support to enable
companies to avoid
problems in future.
What qualifications do
I need? A degree in risk
management is sometimes
required, although if
you've studied business,
management, economics
or engineering you could
still be a risk manager -
perhaps topping up your
degree with a qualification
from the Institute of Risk
Management (IRM).
How much can I earn?
Newly trained risk
managers receive a salary
of £20,000-£30,000.
For senior manager this
is £45,000 and can rise
as high as £75,000.

Find out more
* Construction Industry Training
Board citb.co.uk
* Go Construct goconstruct.org
* Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors rics.org/uk
* Prospects prospects.ac.uk

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 2 6 5


http://citb.co.uk http://www.goconstruct.org http://www.rics.org/uk http://prospects.ac.uk

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