Job Profile/ Description/ Responsibilities
According to the CMAA, a construction manager has almost 120 responsibilities which fall into 7 categories, which are – cost management, project management planning, time management, contract administration, quality management, CM professional practice and safety management. So basically, the job description of a construction manager is to plan, direct, coordinate and budget activities that are concerned with construction. He is also supposed to look after the maintenance of structures, systems and facilities with the help of subordinate supervisors. The professional is required to be a participant in the conceptual developing of the construction project and then oversee its organization, implementation and scheduling.
Requirements
Academic - Construction Management requires candidates to have a degree in the specific field itself. There are formal degrees followed with an on&-the-job training and continued education. The American Council for Construction Education has information on the various degree programs for this field. There are various construction management courses as well as construction management universities that provide the necessary qualifications to excel in this field and make a solid career out of it.-
Skill sets - To be efficient at building construction management, you need to have an impeccable comprehension of documents and formalities. You need to have critical thinking abilities so that you can identify alternative solutions and their weaknesses as well as strengths during the construction process. He/she should have a pioneering attitude to invent novel approaches to some problems you might face. You should have good coordination and instructing capabilities so you can adjust your subordinates' actions and teach them well. You need to be an active listener as well. You should have good judgment on issues and good decision making as well as negotiating abilities to avoid complications through the building process.
Training - As part of your construction management studies and course programs you are required to go through the on–the–job training process. Just the necessary educational qualifications won't be enough for this job. To work successfully in the field and actually delegate the duties and responsibilities properly can help sharpen the skills and put to use everything you have learned in your course as a student. And there is no better way to do this except through training and first hand experience.
Prior experience - A construction project manager needs to be a master at all his duties. To be able to achieve that, prior experience in the field can prove to be advantageous. If you do not have a good understanding and firsthand experience in the different sectors around the construction site this may prove to be a problem for you while delegating and managing your subordinates.
Employment outlook
Career prospects (globally) - With the infrastructure and real estate industry booming at present, a career in construction management can prove to be both stable and promising. The employment opportunities for construction managers are limitless whether in the private or public sector companies that deal with infrastructure development. Amongst the topmost employers of construction project managers are public sector companies like airports, highway development departments, railways and the defense services. There are also options available in energy, power, telecommunications and other IT related sectors. Real estate projects also have great opportunities for construction managers. Nonetheless, experienced managers can work as independent consultants as well.
Salary - The sky is the limit when it comes to remuneration in this field. Private sector companies obviously pay higher remuneration when compared to public sector companies. Even the starting pay packages differ quite a bit between the two. But with experience comes bigger pay packets and that is a perk in this industry. One can expect to earn up to $100,000 as a construction manager.
Due to globalization, there have sea changes in the economies of the world. As a consequence an overall growth in each sector of the global economy can be seen especially in the industrial, service and financial sectors. With rapid growth of these industries a number of new projects for development of infrastructure in various areas have also been developed. For effective management of all these vast projects demand for efficient and dedicated construction project managers is also increasing.
