Day In The Life Of A Construction Manager

On any given day, a construction manager may spend time negotiating a contract, hiring a subcontractor, inspecting a plumbing installation problem, or all the above.

Job descriptions can only go so far in portraying the day-to-day, so it's worth taking a deeper dive into what it means to be a construction manager. In this blog, we’ll be exploring a day in the life of a construction manager and what attracts thousands of applicants to the role each year.

Job Duties:

There is no typical day for a construction manager. One day, you could be meeting with stakeholders and the next you could be at the job site investigating the source of a project delay. With that in mind, most project managers are expected to spend their days on all of the following:

• Planning, organising, scheduling, directing, controlling, and finishing the construction firm’s projects
• Hiring and managing subcontractors and staff
• Preparing and submitting budgets
• Maximising available resources, whether material or human
• Working with architects and engineers to optimise the final product
• Negotiating contracts and representing the firm at meetings
• Keeping construction workers safe
• Ensuring compliance with local and construction laws

Common Skills:

Many construction managers have several common skills that keep them engaged with their work and passionate about their projects.

• Communication skills: This is ranked as the most important for project managers because poor communicators were unable to define objectives clearly to their subordinates.
• Accessibility: Construction managers must always be on call in case of emergency, and willing to adapt to unforeseen circumstances, like bad weather.
• Depth of knowledge: Understanding the details, like why certain materials are used in lieu of others, adds to construction managers’ reputation among the staff, and their morale.
• Competence: While ranked only the fourth most important skill, the ability to do one’s job is still exceedingly important.

Career Development:

Being geographically mobile and able to relocate to change employers or projects will be an advantage in progressing your career. Working for a large global firm may offer opportunities to work overseas, particularly if you develop expertise in an area in which skills are in demand, such as transport infrastructure.

With substantial experience as a construction manager, you could progress to becoming a project manager, contracts manager or a senior manager/department head. With additional training, you could move into specialist fields such as building inspection or health and safety.

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