Transferable skills
Thinking of changing careers? Your skills can be valuable to construction employers.
You may be surprised by how many skills you already have that are useful in construction. Like other industries, it needs a workforce who possess a wide range of skills and so it can be easier to change to construction if you've worked in industries using similar skills.
See what skills you could bring from your industry:
Oil and Gas
Working in oil and gas has a lot in common with construction. Both can have high pressure workplaces where health and safety is very important. If you have project management, trade or machinery skills from here they'll be a good fit in construction.
IT
Systems for email, mobile phones and CAD keep every building project going. It you have IT skills, you'll find a place for them with most construction firms in jobs like IT project management and system maintenance.
Engineering
Construction and engineering have a lot in common. They both deal with CAD, building information modelling (BIM), site safety and reading plans. This makes a move from engineering to construction one of the easiest.
Manufacturing
If you've worked in manufacturing, then you might know a lot about machinery, safety, transport, stock keeping and supply chains. Skills like these help to keep large construction projects moving.
Logistics and Transport
Sites always need mechanics, plant operators and people to organise the equipment going on and off-site every day. You might need a Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) card
to bring your skills to construction.
Finance and Accountancy
Finance and accountancy skills are important to all construction projects. If you're coming from these industries you'll be in demand for jobs like data analysis, finance management, quantity surveying and project management.
Armed Forces
The discipline and teamwork of the military is a great match with construction. If you've finished an apprenticeship during service, it'll be just as valuable in construction. If you're a former officer, then your leaderships skills will make you a good choice for management.
Creative
The creative industries are all about solving problems in new ways, and so is construction. Learning a trade is a good choice if you can think on your feet and enjoy seeing a project come together. Lots of construction companies also have design, public relations and marketing departments where you can challenge your skills.
Administration and Customer Service
Great administration and customer relations skills are important in construction. If you have this kind of experience you could be ready to take on anything from client relations and HR to office management roles.
Management and Business
Coming from business and management you’ll be familiar with business development, team building and setting goals. These are just as important in construction and your skills can lead to planning positions at all levels.