![]() In a previous article ‘Mistakes that young construction professionals should avoid when starting out’ I offered some advice to young construction professionals. In this article I offer some more advice.
Conclusion Construction is a tough business and there isn’t an easy route to the top. Yet, it can be rewarding for those who are prepared to work hard, taking the rough times in their stride. There are probably few businesses where you will interact and work with such a wide variety of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It will be challenging at times, but overcoming these challenges will be satisfying. No day will be the same, no project will be the same. What advice do you have for young professionals in the construction industry?
What was the best thing you did when you started your career in the construction industry? This article is adapted from information in the author’s popular books: 'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide' and 'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide' and 'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights' 'Construction Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors' is another of Paul's useful books. These books are available on Amazon and other online book stores. Paul publishes articles regularly on LinkedIn and his website. Paul writes regular articles for other websites, gives lectures, mentors, and is available for podcasts and interviews. © 2017 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.
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"Contractors have certain obligations on every construction project." What are the contractors obligations on a construction project?Do you understand the contractor’s obligations? The contractor has certain responsibilities and it’s important the contractor (and their construction team) understands what these are. These obligations include:
"Contractors must set out the works correctly and immediately report errors in the supplied information."
Failing to understand obligations is no excuse for contractorsContractors must understand their obligations. Many projects fail because contractors, or their designated team, have failed to understand or fulfil their obligations. This article was first published on the ClockShark website. Please share this post "The tips included in this book are arranged and structured in a very good way. Very useful book for construction practitioners." To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below: 'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide' 'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide' 'Construction Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors' 'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights' 'Construction Book reviews' To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher' Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts' Find out how Paul Netscher can help you Order your books from Amazon Order your books from Amazon UK © 2017 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. Note: We welcome genuine comments, especially comments that add additional information to the subject matter in the article. We however reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments, which includes comments that have nothing to do with the subject, comments that include inappropriate language, and comments that are an advertisement for a product or company, or which include an advertising link. We will not enter into discussion on why a particular comment was removed.
"Construction frequently faces a shortage of skills and a lack of good people." How did you gain your knowledge and experience? How did you develop into your current role? Construction frequently faces a shortage of skills, a lack of good people – why? There are usually new graduates from colleges and university who cannot find a job. There also seems to be an unlimited number of jobless unskilled people. It’s not that there is a lack of people available, they just don’t have much, if any, experience, skills or both. Nevertheless, the construction industry expects to find skilled and experienced people whenever their projects require them. Construction companies are poor at mentoring and training people. Many apprenticeship programs have been dismantled, and those that are still available are poorly utilized, and recently qualified people from them don’t always find a job. Those of us that have reached management positions in construction usually did so through hard work, and sometimes a little luck. But none of us would have got to where we are if we hadn’t been employed when we had no experience and few skills. None of us would have been there if we hadn’t been offered opportunities to grow and develop – yes, we frequently had to grab those opportunities with both hands and work our way through them with hard work. But, none of us would have reached our management positions if we weren’t aided, mentored and trained by our managers and those that worked with us. I didn’t magically get my knowledge from nowhere, and there was certainly no internet in my day. Books can only give you so much – for the rest I relied on good supervisors and project managers. I am sure my questions exhausted them and I’m sure my mistakes irritated them – but their training, patience, and perseverance paid off and I became a valuable asset to them and the company. This is my story Paul Netscher Why is there a lack of skilled people in construction?Centuries ago people used to aspire to become good craftsmen – whether it was a stone mason or a carpenter. These days craftspeople and tradespeople are sometimes looked down upon – and yet, where would we be without a good plumber or competent electrician? Why should society denigrate any trade or occupation? Construction is a cyclical industry and often there isn’t job security. People in the industry frequently lose their job – not because they weren’t capable, but only because of the work dried-up. Companies become bankrupt and people are left without a job – sometimes owed for several weeks’ work. There is a lack of commitment by construction companies to provide training and experience to new recruits. Newly qualified construction graduates are left jobless because they don’t have practical experience. Who wants to work in an industry that is crying out for experienced people and yet doesn’t want to provide the experience. Construction usually demands arduous work, long hours, sometimes in difficult weather conditions, and workers are frequently expected to work far from home. The pay and rewards often don’t warrant working these hours and conditions. The industry does a poor job at promoting itself, or the career paths and opportunities that may exist in the industry. Often people get into the construction industry as a last resort because they couldn’t find anything else to do. "Construction companies are notoriously poor at training people." Why don’t construction companies train and mentor people?Construction companies are notoriously poor at training people. Companies are reluctant to employ and train new graduates, preferring to search for skilled experienced people, who often aren’t available, are expensive, or aren’t always the quality person the company thought they were employing. In desperation, many construction companies resort to employing mediocre people that can’t really do the job properly and who often tarnish the company’s reputation and cost the company money. So why don’t companies train their people? There is always an excuse that it will cost too much money, we don’t have time to train people, if we train people they’ll leave or they’ll demand bigger wages. Often construction companies are short-sighted and are only looking at the project they are currently working on. Construction as I said is cyclical, so companies feel it’s a waste of time training someone who they might no longer need at the end of the project. If the truth is told it’s probably simply because construction companies couldn’t be bothered and they believe they’ll always find someone to fill a vacancy. Some construction companies believe that it’s the governments duty to provide construction skills and construction qualifications – yet ultimately everyone needs practical experience and the only way of getting this is if construction companies provide the opportunities and the mentoring. But the industry anyway shouldn’t be relying on the government. Training and mentoring in construction The advantages of training and mentoring skilled people I’ve had huge success with training and mentoring people. Contrary to popular belief they haven’t deserted the company once trained, but have stayed and made the company better. People who are trained and mentored feel that the company appreciates them, others see their colleagues being trained and promoted and want to be part of the team. There is a glimmer of hope for many that have been left neglected in the same job for years. There is new motivation and productivity improves across the company. Trained people, with better skills, require less supervision, they deliver better quality work, they work smarter and safer. Good employees are critical to the success of your construction project in more ways than one It's often easier to attract new people to the company when the word spreads that the company has good training and mentoring programs. People want to work for a company that values them and where they’ll be trained and equipped with new skills. Yes, some people will leave after they’ve been trained, but their training won’t be wasted as they simply increase the pool of skills in the industry. If lots of companies were training people, then ultimately there would be a greater pool of skilled people to choose from, which would allow us to employ better candidates. Having skilled employees improves the contractor's reputation. Being more productive means greater profits and possibly allows the company to drop their prices. Ultimately this means the company may actually win more work and grow, and the newly trained people will be required to support this growth. Employing newly qualified, but inexperienced people, allows companies to train them in the ways and the culture of the company. Frequently new candidates who are employed because they have experience and knowledge disappoint because they bring the bad habits and poor culture of their old company with them, habits and culture that might not be a good fit with your company. "Practical books to help every level of management in the construction industry." Having a skilled construction workforce is in your handsWe need to be training the tradespeople, the supervisors, the project managers, and the whole construction team, so that the next generation of construction people will be better and more capable. We cannot rely on others to train and mentor people. We cannot assume that we will find suitably skilled people whenever we need them. We were given opportunities to reach the positions we did, and we owe it to the next generation, and we owe it to the construction industry, to train and mentor individuals in the construction industry. If we don’t we will be condemned to a life complaining of the lack of skilled people, and we will be condemning the construction industry to a steady decline in service, quality and standards. What are you doing to improve the skills in the construction industry? How do we retain skilled employees in construction? High Employee turnover? The sooner you know the better. This article was first published on the ClockShark website. Please share this post To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below: 'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide' 'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide' 'Construction Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors' 'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights' 'Construction Book reviews' To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher' Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts' Find out how Paul Netscher can help you Order your books from Amazon Order your books from Amazon UK © 2017 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. Note: We welcome genuine comments, especially comments that add additional information to the subject matter in the article. We however reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments, which includes comments that have nothing to do with the subject, comments that include inappropriate language, and comments that are an advertisement for a product or company, or which include an advertising link. We will not enter into discussion on why a particular comment was removed.
I often get asked what a young professional should do to become successful in construction. Here are a few mistakes that young construction professionals should avoid when starting out.
"These amazing practical construction management books will help make your next construction project a success, and turbocharge your career." Construction needs you to be successfulConstruction isn’t easy, there are tough projects, difficult people and companies and people that will let you down. It’s important not to become discouraged. Your career won’t always go as planned. There will be times when you are going up and then times when you feel your career is standing still or even going backwards. Unfortunately construction is cyclical and there will be times when the construction industry is busy and other times when work is in short supply. Your progress up the ladder is very dependent on these cycles. Obviously when work isn’t plentiful your company won’t be in a position to promote you or give you a project to manage. I often had mundane jobs in between construction projects. Take each of these jobs, no matter how boring, as a challenge and ensure you deliver them successfully. Every job always offers something new to learn. Don’t get impatient. But, also don’t let your company pigeonhole you in a job that you are good at doing. Always ask for new opportunities, not salary increases or promotions. The grass often looks good on the other side of the fence, but be careful about jumping companies since they often don’t turn out the way you expected. The new company frequently has the same irritants that your previous company had, and you have to get used to working with new people and systems. If you leave a company it should be for experience and not money, unless the company you are with is really taking advantage of you and paying you poorly. Good luck and keep learning. Construction needs all the bright enthusiastic young professionals it can get. You are the future of construction. Some more useful articles to help you succeed in your construction career. What does it take to manage a construction project? Time management Did you make a difference on your construction project today? What advice do you have for young professionals in the construction industry? What was the best thing you did when you started your career in the construction industry? This article is adapted from information in the author’s popular books: 'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide' and 'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide' and 'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights' 'Construction Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors' is another of Paul's useful books. These books are available on Amazon and other online book stores. Paul publishes articles regularly on LinkedIn and his website. Paul writes regular articles for other websites, gives lectures, mentors, and is available for podcasts and interviews. © 2017 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. Note: We welcome genuine comments, especially comments that add additional information to the subject matter in the article. We however reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments, which includes comments that have nothing to do with the subject, comments that include inappropriate language, and comments that are an advertisement for a product or company, or which include an advertising link. We will not enter into discussion on why a particular comment was removed.
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Note: We welcome genuine comments, especially comments that add additional information to the subject matter in the article. We however reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments, which includes comments that have nothing to do with the subject, comments that include inappropriate language, and comments that are an advertisement for a product or company, or which include an advertising link. Comments must be in English. We will not enter into discussion on why a particular comment was removed.
CategoriesCopyright 2016 - The attached articles cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes without the consent of the author.
The opinions expressed in the attached articles are those of the writer. It should be noted that projects are varied and different laws and restrictions apply which depend on the location of the contractor and the project. It's important that the reader uses the supplied information taking cognisance of their particular circumstances. The writer assumes no responsibility or liability for any loss of any kind arising from the reader using the information or advice contained herein. "I have what I consider some of the best books on construction management."
Books are available from: Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk takealot.com kalahari.com Amazon.in Amazon.de Amazon.fr Amazon.it Amazon.com.au Powell's Fishpond uread bokus Amazon.ca Amazon.es Other retail stores Available in paperback or on Kindle "28 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE, DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS AND BUILDING SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES"
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