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A Guide To Graduate Construction Jobs

About Graduate Construction Jobs
With around 3 million people employed in the construction industry in the UK alone, and more jobs being created year on year, construction graduate jobs could offer many different career opportunities. As the industry grows, more vacancies for professionals are emerging and this is also resulting in a skills shortage.

If you have always had a fascination with, or admiration for, innovative building projects - whether they be residential, commercial or industrial, then chances are, you are already reading for a degree that is related to the construction sector. Although skills shortages are problematic, the advantage for you as a graduate is, your skills and knowledge are going to be in high demand when it comes the time for you to apply for graduate construction jobs. Competition for places on construction graduate schemes or for graduate jobs might not be as high as that of careers in other sectors and yet, graduate construction jobs are amongst the best paid.

When people say they work in construction, they could be doing any number of jobs on a day to day basis. Graduate construction jobs could be in just about any role that is involved in making a building appear on the skyline.

From labourers to designers to architects to accountants and everything in between, these are all types of construction industry jobs and, for some of these roles, construction graduate schemes could be on offer with larger companies.

Construction graduate schemes are often designed to give you some experience in doing different construction jobs over a period of time so that you can decide where your strengths lie and which direction you want to to take your career in in the future. At the end of your placement, you are usually awarded with a professional qualification related to your specialist area.

Types of Graduate Construction Jobs
Construction graduate jobs are the types of roles that often give you the opportunity to gain further professional qualifications and registration with relevant professional bodies. Here are some of the types of construction graduate jobs you could do, depending on your degree.
  • Architecture Jobs - Along with graduate engineering jobs, architecture jobs are the most popular roles for professionals in the construction industry. Architecture jobs could see you working for a construction company on a full time basis, or you could be working for an architecture company that completes one-off bespoke projects for clients.
  • Engineering Jobs - Graduate engineering jobs in the construction industry could be available for various areas of the engineering field. Civil engineers, structural engineers and electrical engineers, in particular, could be in demand for graduate construction jobs.
  • Graduate Quantity Surveyor Jobs - Working both on site and doing office-based tasks, graduate quantity surveyor jobs could see you working for large, international construction companies as well as UK companies.
  • Facilities Management Jobs - As a graduate doing facilities management jobs you will likely start as an assistant and have a mentor or supervisor guiding you through your role. Facilities management jobs are varied as you will be taking charge of services that make a building meet the needs of the people using it. This can be anything from parking to maintenance and, in facilities management jobs, you will be responsible for the safety of staff and the people who use the building in your care.
  • Graduate Construction Management Jobs - Again, graduate construction management jobs will see you working on real projects where, initially, you might be assisting superiors or reporting to them on a regular basis with progress on smaller project management jobs.
  • Graduate Construction Planning Jobs - If you want to be part of a team that is responsible for shaping the towns and cities of the UK - or even towns and cities in other countries - construction planning is for you.
These are just some of the graduate construction jobs out there. Not all of them require you to be out there, in the field. Construction graduate schemes and jobs can see you doing office-based work in finance or graphic design for example. If you are working for a construction company, other roles could include sales, marketing or PR. Graduate construction jobs don’t necessarily have to be about being out there on the building site.

What Do Employers Look For?
For some graduate construction jobs, you will need to have the relevant degree to work in that particular role. Some construction companies will also ask for a 2:1 or above.

As well as the relevant qualifications, however, many construction companies are looking for you to be able to communicate your genuine commitment and enthusiasm for the industry. Have you been on a placement doing construction jobs as part of your degree, for example? Have you done summer jobs in construction or worked as an intern. Whatever types of construction graduate jobs you are applying for, any work experience where you can explain your achievements will show your commitment.

Larger construction companies will recruit young people for graduate jobs at set times during the year. If you have an eye on working for a particular company, make sure you are aware of any recruitment fairs they are attending and also what their recruitment dates are.

What Is The Salary For Graduate Construction Jobs?
The good news is, if you are out there in the field working in construction, graduate jobs in this industry are amongst some of the highest paid. Once you have completed placements on construction graduate schemes or you have completed training, professional qualifications will allow you to develop your career in the direction you want to take it.

Some construction jobs abroad or offshore could mean your salary is tax free. They might be temporary roles or short projects but they could also be very lucrative.

Career Progression
Graduate construction jobs are designed to give you structured training so that you can fast track your career. Working with a mentor or a supervisor, you will be able to decide where your strengths lie and eventually take charge of whole projects, supervising your own teams of staff.

A successful career in construction means you never stop learning. Construction graduate schemes and jobs are just the beginning. If you have a passion for your industry and keep on top of new trends and developments then you will be able to continue driving your career in the direction you want to take it in.

Apply for Graduate Construction Jobs In The UK
If you are looking to apply for construction graduate jobs, take a look to see if there are any current opportunities to suit you. You could soon be on the path to a rewarding and lucrative career.

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