Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
A degree in construction services or management means a lot of potential for career growth, or—dare we say it?—career building. Yep, a major aspect of working in this field is experience, so you'll need to take some of those lower-level grunt jobs before you can start working on the next major trade building.
There are two paths you can take to get your foot in the door. The first is to get a little experience in just about everything in construction. Get a broad range of experiences and education so that you'll be able to contribute to just about any team.
The second is to devote yourself to one trade within the construction world and get very acquainted with it. This means taking up a skill, like plumbing or computer-based scale models. Either way, having that one specialty will make you much more marketable.
Easy enough, right?
Wrong.
This is where we tell you about that catch-22 that countless poor college graduates are lamenting.
Ahh, yes. You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get that experience. This is tricky in general, but it's relatively easier to get a lower-level construction job and work your way up, especially if you have a degree under your (tool) belt.
Common Career Fields
Construction: Surprise. Well, Shmoop be darned. Looks like the skills from the construction services degree can be directly applied. The field of construction services is all about the hands-on work. This means being on a team of people who are actually in charge of creating the structure that's being built. You'll be on the ground level with tools in-hand and hardhat…on-head? This is a position that many make a living with, but those with a degree can use it as a springboard into management.
Cost Estimation: Determining the cost of even a small project can be daunting, but when you consider multi-million dollar projects…yikes. Fuhgeddaboudit. That's what cost estimators do, though; they put the general scope of a project into account and determine a rough cost for it. They must factor in the cost of labor and materials, as well as any other factors that'll determine how much money is spent. Just imagine if they ran out of money halfway through the construction of the pentagon. It'd be a half-a-gone. Ba-dum-tsh.
Field Surveying: Being the person or team to relay all of the specific details of a site to the other members of the crew is a very important job. In order for everyone involved to complete their job, they need the surveyors to be punctual and accurate. If production begins, and an inaccuracy is discovered, all progress comes screeching to a halt until the appropriate numbers are given. This means that mistakes are unacceptable and a high level of accuracy is expected at all times.
General Superintendent: Those who take the path of a general superintendent will find themselves at the helm of the project they're on. From beginning to end, the superintendent has his or her hand in every aspect of the project. This work includes hiring the necessary workers to complete the job, as well as overseeing the progress to ensure everything is completed on time.
Owner: Owning a construction company is a common end goal for a construction services graduate. By understanding the ins and outs of the construction business, you'll be able to open your own firm and hire others to work for you. This requires a lot of money, though. You won't exactly be able to pay your workers in good vibes and two thumbs up…however sweet that sounds.
Project Engineer: Project Engineers serve as the liaison between the labor and technical teams. Much of their position involves revising the work of others. For example, when financial reports are filed, Project Engineers are in charge of verifying their accuracy. They also make sure the person or company hiring the team is happy with the progress of the site. If not, the weight of responsibility falls on the Project Engineer's shoulders. They're like the Atlases of construction.
Project Manager: Like Project Engineers, Project Managers serve as the step in between the construction workers and the higher-level management. This means making sure the architects, workers, engineers, and suppliers are all on the same page. They come up with the most efficient (and hopefully ethical) strategies for completing the project on time. Although Project Managers are technically considered management, they also stay involved with the labor team.
Current unemployment of the major
5.1%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
11%Stats obtained from this source.