What can I do with my degree?
Whether you choose to find a job or continue your studies after completing your degree, there are a number of options available to you within the construction industry. Let’s explore some.
Apply for a graduate scheme in construction
A graduate scheme in construction is a great way to get into the industry. Graduate schemes are designed to fast-track new recruits into the world of work by providing mentoring, hands-on training and professional development – offering a clear path to a rewarding career in construction. As well as construction-related degrees, companies will often accept graduates from business, management or other fields with transferable skills.
Charlotte landed a place on Barratt Development’s graduate scheme – read her story here.
Consider a training course
Rather than going straight into the world of work, you can enrol onto a training course to further develop your skills.
National Construction College
The National Construction College (NCC) is a collection of construction training sites and centres across the UK. Run by CITB, the NCC delivers industry-led, first class training in real-life environments – offering over 140 construction courses at all levels from apprentice to director.
Take a look at the entire range of courses offered here.
CIOB Academy
The CIOB Academy is a training provider offering a wide range of construction training courses, from leadership and management development to digital technology training and much more. Training can be delivered in person or online, and access to online resources such as webinars, lectures and talks is often provided.
You can view CIOB Academy’s courses here.
Find a role in construction that matches your degree
A career in construction isn’t just for construction or engineering graduates; there are roles suitable for nearly every degree subject.
Careers for finance graduates
Accountant
An accountant looks after the finances of a business, responsible for keeping track of the money that comes in and out, as well as preparing financial records for audits, overseeing wages, tax and VAT submissions, and much more.
Risk Manager
A risk manager identifies and assesses threats to construction projects. They create policies to protect assets and minimise accidents, mistakes, budget loss and public liability, taking into account financial, legal, environmental and reputational risks that may affect their organisation.
Economist
An economist studies complex data and statistics to provide financial advice to businesses. This is achieved through researching and monitoring economic trends, using this data to create statistical models to predict future developments.
Careers for business graduates
Business development manager
A business development manager drives business growth and attracts new clients within a company. They develop a network of potential new clients, research new market opportunities, oversee growth projects and make sales projections to help meet growth targets.
Learning and development manager
A learning and development manager is responsible for the training and professional development of company employees. They identify employee’s talents to nurture their growth and help them reach their full potential, while improving the capability of the organisation as a whole.
Bid manager
A bid manager is responsible for helping companies win new contracts by preparing and writing detailed commercial documents such as pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) and tenders.
Construction careers for law graduates
Legal advisor
A legal advisor is responsible for handling a company’s legal requirements. This includes preparing contracts, acting on behalf of clients in disputes, conducting legal research, maintaining compliance to the relevant construction laws and regulations, preparing damage claims, and much more.
Conveyancing advisor
A conveyancing advisor is responsible for transferring the ownership of property from one owner to another. This includes ensuring titles to the property are transferred from seller to purchaser and advising on any legal issues with the property.
Land & property valuer
A land & property valuer gives professional advice to businesses and individuals who buy, sell and rent land and property. The estimate the market value of land, buildings and real estate to help their clients maximise profits from a sale or rental agreement.
Getting into construction without a degree
A degree is only one of many routes into the construction industry – whether you have industry experience or not, there are various opportunities, including completing an apprenticeship, applying for an entry level position, attaining construction qualifications such as BTECs and NVQs, completing on-the-job training and many more.
Careers in construction
To find out how to land your first job in construction, head over to our employability section here which also includes CV and cover letter writing advice, as well how to nail that all important job interview.
Still looking for the perfect job? Browse our comprehensive list of job roles here.
And don’t forget to follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.