Reasons to Choose a Career in Construction Management
Why Choose a Career in Construction Management?
You envision a future in leadership but also enjoy seeing the tangible results of your work. While multiple career paths can help you fulfill both desires, there is something truly special about construction management. This field underscores today’s most impressive structures, ensuring that community members have safe, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing places to live, work, and relax.
A growing field with a strong future, construction management promises many rewards that go beyond compensation. From autonomy to flexibility and the joy of collaboration, there are several reasons to love construction management.
Feeling inspired? Keep reading to discover the benefits of construction management and to gain valuable insight into today’s top construction career opportunities.
The Construction Management Field Explained
Construction management may seem like a targeted career path, but this field is actually quite diverse and continuing to expand. Generally, it relies on skilled management professionals to oversee and guide the complexities of the construction process: project initiation, procurement, post-construction inspections, and so on.
Throughout this process, construction managers keep major projects on track. This calls for effective resource allocation, plus a strong understanding of zoning requirements and other complex concerns. Beyond this, construction managers may develop specialized expertise, with many focusing on residential, commercial, or industrial projects. Some further specialize in sustainable construction or accessible built environments.
The role of construction manager commands a great deal of attention and respect, but there are numerous other job titles within this vast field. From superintendents to construction project managers and site engineers, aspiring professionals can benefit from seeking targeted training in construction management.
What Do Construction Managers Do?
Every day looks a bit different for the modern construction manager, as this field calls for a variety of tasks, and often, collaboration with different types of professionals. However, this is what makes construction management so compelling as there are always new challenges to tackle and new projects to complete.
That said, role encompasses a few main responsibilities:
- Planning. From cost estimates to timetables, construction managers handle many details during the planning process, often collaborating with engineers or architects along the way. Consultations with clients are also to be expected.
- Subcontractor selection. Construction managers may rely on multiple subcontractors to handle specific components of construction projects. They should vet and select these subcontractors carefully to ensure that they can complete required tasks on time while maintaining optimal quality.
- Monitor progress. Clients, construction firms, and other stakeholders want to be kept in the loop about projects. This often falls to the construction manager, who conducts regular site inspection, submits reports, and utilizes project management software to keep abreast of new developments.
- Maintain compliance. A myriad of rules, regulations, and industry best practices underscore every task on the construction site and beyond. Construction managers are responsible for ensuring that all projects and operations are fully compliant with safety standards, environmental regulations, and building codes. They must also obtain permits from relevant agencies and verify contractual compliance.
- Resolve problems. While proactive planning and careful subcontractor selection can limit the potential for delays, these are always possible. In the event of an emergency or other delay, the construction manager is responsible for communicating problems to the client and finding a swift resolution.
Skills and Qualities of Successful Construction Managers
Construction managers draw on robust skill sets to deliver positive outcomes for challenging construction projects. Management competencies are especially important. This means developing a comprehensive array of skills that, ideally, will include these essentials:
- Project management
- Risk assessment
- Document management
- Contract negotiation
- Construction bidding
- Expenditure monitoring
Extensive technical knowledge is a must as construction managers need to keep up with complex building codes and environmental regulations. Depending on their specialty, they may also need to master techniques specific to areas such as civil engineering or sustainable building.
Soft skills are also important, as these help construction managers communicate and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders. Examples include:
- Active listening
- Emotional intelligence
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
Educational and Training Requirements
With such a broad range of skills expected, aspiring construction managers often find it easier to step into this nuanced field upon completing targeted degree programs. Having said that, the path to becoming a construction manager could also begin with working in entry-level positions.
Prior to ascending into management roles, some dedicated construction professionals begin by working on crews. As laborers, they gain an in-depth understanding of framing, sheathing, heavy equipment operation, and any other concerns that can influence decision-making and team rapport as they move into management roles.
Other construction managers make lateral moves, drawing on their expertise in project management or property management to inform their work in construction. These professionals may benefit from graduate-level training that allows them to address problematic skill gaps.
The path to becoming a construction manager may involve not only a graduate degree, but also certification programs or other forms of credentialing to convey niche expertise.
Benefits of Construction Management
Construction management can be a highly rewarding field, especially for ambitious individuals who enjoy seeing their work play out in a uniquely tangible way. Below, we’ve highlighted the most compelling reasons to work in construction management:
Financial Rewards and Career Progression
Construction managers are often well-paid, with data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicating that these professionals earned annual median wages of $101,480 as of 2022. Those in the subcategory “heavy and civil engineering construction” fared even better, earning $104,600.
Strong wage potential is well within reach immediately upon entering the field, but there are also numerous opportunities for advancement. Such opportunities may consist of account management positions or even executive roles related to construction.
Job Satisfaction and Fulfillment
Construction management can spark high job satisfaction, as managers find their work interesting and meaningful. They love the confidence that comes with seeing projects completed on time and under budget.
Bluebeam’s Amanda Wieting explains that these successes can be deeply meaningful: “The rewards of working in construction are the contributions made to our communities and society.” She adds that she has a huge “appreciation of the construction industry and all of that goes into providing these thoughtful spaces that are very impactful to the lives of those that work, live or visit.”
Versatility and Transferable Skills
Training to be a construction manager is valuable not only because it inspires confidence and in-depth technical knowledge, but also because it can facilitate lateral moves into other fields, if desired. Soft skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving are notoriously versatile, but other competencies may also play into career progression.
Many construction managers eventually move into aligned fields, taking on specialty positions that correspond with their unique interests or skill sets. For instance, architectural and engineering management holds a myriad of similarities to construction management, but with a greater emphasis on design and engineering necessities.
Growth and Demand in the Construction Sector
The construction sector is booming, with a remarkable report from Construction Today revealing that construction activity since 2021 has exceeded $500 billion. Furthermore, projections suggest that by 2030, contracts awarded to plant manufacturers could be worth an annual $60 billion.
With this growth will come significant demand for skilled construction managers, as evidenced by data from the BLS. This field provides an estimated 38,700 openings each year! Construction projects have been cited as a necessity for addressing current housing issues, so construction projects will likely be abundant for years to come.
Future Trends in Construction Management
Construction management is a quickly evolving field, with exciting trends anticipated due to emerging technologies and unprecedented demand. We’ve highlighted a few of the most anticipated trends below, along with the opportunities they spell for the construction managers of tomorrow:
Technological Advancements in Construction
Technological advancements will drive several of tomorrow’s most impactful developments in construction and, by extension, construction management.
To note, artificial intelligence (AI) has a powerful role to play in the field’s future, especially given the current, unprecedented demand and the sector’s struggle to keep up. Other compelling opportunities include:
- Building Information Modeling to form digital representations of structural characteristics.
- Site surveys completed via drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
- Smart sensors and other Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to drive real-time data collection.
- Prefabrication and 3D printing to improve productivity.
Sustainability and Green Building Practices
Sustainability is increasingly a priority in construction, with the tenets of green building integrated into impressive and impactful projects. There are many ways to promote sustainability through construction management:
- Material selection, with an emphasis on reclaimed and locally sourced opportunities.
- Using recycling solutions to limit the amount of waste at construction sites.
- Seeking compliance with green building standards.
- Utilizing sediment control strategies to limit the potential for erosion.
Embrace Construction Management Opportunities With Texas A&M
Are you eager to embark on a career journey that will help you help others through the power of built environments? Whether you have a background in construction or are ready to make a meaningful career change, you will benefit greatly from pursuing graduate-level construction management coursework.
An excellent pathway? Texas A&M’s Master of Science in Construction Management. Available online, this targeted program provides a powerful opportunity to prepare for success in an in-demand and influential field. Get in touch to learn more about this program, along with the personal and professional benefits it could promote.
