The Growing Field of Construction Management

The Growing Field of Construction Management by Anne Harvester

Construction management has quickly become a popular career over the last 10 years. This can be attributed to many different factors; the first of which being that development companies in the construction industry have started placing very high value on employees who can successfully perform construction project management. This is really no surprise considering that good construction management can make or break a complicated project. It requires an extremely strong level of detail-oriented work, communication and management skills, as well as a solid understanding of all industry-standard technologies and software.

If you are interested in construction management for your career, there are several steps you can take to qualify for the type of construction management jobs available today. The first step is to look for higher education institutions that offer a construction management certification or degree. Many traditional universities now offer variations of these degrees and you can also seek out schools that offer a construction management degree online.

If you have a fulltime job now and are hoping to increase your earnings potential without decreasing your current income, the best option may be for you to apply to a school that offers a construction management program and degree online. This will allow you to keep your job and finances in check while you work toward your construction management degree. In doing so, you can avoid costly out-of-state tuition fees, any relocation costs or additional costs of living that you may incur as a campus or university-based housing resident. The one important thing to remember is that the online school you apply to must be accredited. This not only ensures that any future employers will honor your degree, it will also ensure that you can easily transfer your credits to another school that offers a construction management program and degree if necessary.

Another great way to learn more about construction management and gain the hands-on experience you will need is to apply for an apprenticeship or internship with a company that has one or more fulltime construction management positions. If you already have a fulltime job and do not have enough time for an internship, you could find a mentor who can teach you about the job after hours, or you could even ask to shadow a construction management supervisor for a day to get a better understanding of what the job is like.
These tactics may be time consuming, but you can keep reminding yourself that it will be worth the time and energy spent: the average salary for construction management positions was approximately $63,000 in 2002.

However you go about gaining your degree and work experience in the field of construction management, it will be a step in the right direction for your career and your life.

Anne Harvester works as career advisor and has seen an increase of jobs in the field of construction management. For those interested in the career of Construction project management she recommends at the very least Construction management certification but preferably a Construction management degree.

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