Construction Management

Career Path

Whilst studying for my A-Levels I was swept along with the crowd completing my UCAS application form for Computer Systems Engineering Degree courses – it was something I enjoyed and was already good at. I was successful in getting into Brunel University, and spent the next three years learning more about computer systems and electronics, and to be honest without much of a plan for what to do when I graduated.

With the end of the course and graduation looming I realised that I needed to decide what’s next! Do I move away from Norfolk and continue on the path I’m on, or do I come back to Norfolk and the family firm and pursue a career in construction?

I had always enjoyed getting stuck in at the office helping out during school and university holidays, and knew deep down that if I wanted to move forward in construction I needed a change of path; joining the team in Honingham without first gaining some construction knowledge wasn’t an option available to me, and neither would I have wanted it to be.

The final year at Brunel was quite intense, and the thought of three more years of education was not an attractive proposition!

I chose to apply to Anglia Ruskin University who offered Construction Management on both a HND and Degree pathway with a common first year. It wasn’t long before I was convinced by the lecturing team to swap to the Degree pathway, which is a decision I don’t regret.

When I returned to the family business in 2007 after completing my Construction Management Degree I initially started working with our Estimators and Surveyors, sending out enquiries, pricing some smaller projects and then taking some of these through to completion preparing monthly valuations undertaking the post contract surveying role.

A vacancy in our purchasing dept opened an opportunity to move sideways and purchase materials, and negotiate sub contract packages with the supply chain, a role I undertook for a number of years.

As the business grew so did the workload so we took on a young person through the Building Futures in Norwich initiative to train up as an assistant buyer. In the fullness of time this person took on the buying role entirely, which allowed me to focus on the overall managing the pre-contract process, and bid-writing.

Current Role

Director

Salary Range

Typical Day

Every day is different! Which is the great thing about a career in the construction industry.

Writing a quality submission, monitoring the workload of the estimators and surveyors, meeting with prospective clients on site, delivering social value in connection with projects.

Things I wish I’d known