Getting onto the career ladder - CareerStructure.com
The construction sector offers huge opportunities for graduates in all sorts of engineering, technical and design disciplines. So once you have your degree make sure you make the most of what's on offer at some of the most exciting firms across the UK.
Graduates with engineering, design, construction and building degrees have a great chance of finding employment. Employers are keen to recruit those with professional skills and technical knowledge. Skills in logical thinking, numeracy and computing, as well the ability to deal both with complex technical detail and project management are in demand. Employers will also be looking for evidence of commercial awareness and resourcefulness, good communication, interpersonal and team working skills, and initiative.
Before you start your job search think carefully about which sectors of the industry appeal most. The construction sector is huge and embraces civil and structural engineering, building services, surveying and architecture as well as engineering construction. So be careful not to limit your ambitions.
There will be opportunities to work on all kinds of construction projects from house building to dam and bridge construction; from road, rail and air transport infrastructure projects to industrial plant, power stations and gas platforms.
Remember that job opportunities are not restricted to the building and construction industry either, as the skills and attributes of graduates can be applied to engineering, environmental science, estate management and conservation. Work experience or further study and professional accreditation can all help you get work in these areas.
Find out more about the range of careers available and what you need to get started.
The employers
The private sector offers the greatest number of employment opportunities, although there are many jobs with local authorities and other public bodies. Think carefully about the type of organisation you want to work for and where your long-term interests lie. A technical degree will open plenty of doors so don't stick to a fixed route.
Consider employers in the following fields:
Civil Engineering
The work here includes transport engineering, bridge engineering, water engineering, public health, landscape architecture, agriculture, power engineering and environmental engineering.
Employers include:
- International construction groups and multidisciplinary consultancies offering a comprehensive range of services including Atkins, Binnie Black & Veatch, Arup, Faber Maunsell and Mouchell
- UK national and regional contractors operating from a UK head office, often with a network of regional bases such as GallifordTry, May Gurney and Taylor Woodrow
- Specialist consultancies such as Fugro, working on coastal and environmental projects and Jenkins & Potter, on rail and structural projects
- Local authority civil engineering departments
- Client companies who are frequent clients of construction businesses and retain their own in-house teams.
Search civil engineering jobs
Construction and Building Services
This work includes construction management, building services engineering, commercial management, quantity surveying, and land and estate management.
Employers include:
- International construction groups such as Buro Happold, Laing O'Rourke and WSP Group
- UK national/regional contractors operating from a UK head office, often with a network of regional bases including Balfour Beatty and Norwest Holst
- Building services consultants, specialists in the building services sector such as BDSP Partnership
- Local authorities
Search building services jobs
Architecture and Surveying
Architectural practices advise on the design and construction of new buildings, the reuse of existing buildings and the spaces which surround them in our towns and cities. Surveying firms measure and map land or a building site to establish boundaries, identify topographical features, and estimate labour and costs involved in planned work.
Architects and surveyors are employed by construction companies, local authorities and other public service organisations, and in private practice. Both the Royal Institute of British Architects (
www.riba.org) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (
www.rics.org) provide directories of private practices.
Engineering Constructing
The work in this field includes roles for chemical engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers, environmental engineers, mechanical engineers, project planners and project control engineers. The leading employers are global operators; multidisciplinary businesses working on contracts with international clients such as WSP Group, Amec, Bechtel, MW Kellogg, Kvaerner and Snamprogetti.
Finding a graduate job
Large graduate recruiters have scaled down their attendance at recruitment fairs in favour of an online approach. Many of the big players in construction, such as Amey, Atkins, Carillion and Faber Maunsell, invite potential recruits to visit their corporate website and fill out online application forms to apply for places on their graduate recruitment programmes.
Bechtel for example only takes online applications for places on its Graduate Development Programme, which takes four years to complete. The company recruits technical graduates from civil, mechanical, chemical and electrical engineers and its Graduate Programme is accredited by relevant professional bodies.
Many of the leading firms follow a similar approach. Management and engineering consultancy, Mott MacDonald, also follows the online route for the 150 graduates it recruits each year from a wide range of technical and economic disciplines. Once again its training schemes are accredited by the relevant institutions.
Smaller employers tend to restrict recruitment activity to times when they need to replace someone or fill a new position so make sure you register with job sites to find all the best roles.
See our Getting Started section for hints and tips on
application forms and assessment tests
Before applying make sure you have thought about your next steps and that your prospective employer's training and development programme will help you to gain appropriate professional qualifications. The relevant institutions can help with precise details visit our
Useful Links page for more information.
Search for the latest graduate roles here
