day, I had never realized the impact that I and others make every day we go to work in construction. Knowing that I can return to that community 50 years from now and still view the fruits of my labor is a pretty awesome thing. The truth is that my work will still be standing long after I am gone—if not quite as long as the pyramids have lasted, at least long enough to impress my grandchildren's grandchildren.
Career Opportunities
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of construction managers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.” Construction managers are expected to be needed to oversee the anticipated increase in construction activity over the coming decade. Those with a bachelor's degree in construction science, construction management, or civil engineering, coupled with construction experience, will have the best job prospects. The bottom line is that the industry needs more construction managers than the universities can turn out. This is the case across the nation. As the level and complexity of construction activity continues to grow, so will the demand for qualified construction managers.
Distinguishing Construction Companies
One of the things that makes a career in construction so appealing is that the firms that perform construction services come in all shapes and sizes, across all sectors of the industry. One of the ways we distinguish construction companies is by their geographical reach. Construction companies may be identified as local, regional, national, and even international. Anyone choosing a career in construction will be able to easily match their personal and professional preferences when it comes to selecting a size and type of firm to work for. You can find sector-specific companies within each type of geographical distinction—residential, commercial, civil, industrial, and environmental.
Characteristics, Advantages, and Disadvantages
Each type of company will have various pros and cons relative to a number of factors. For example, number of employees, number of offices, location of offices, organizational structures, annual revenue, wage and salary ranges, training opportunities, use of technology, relocation requirements, scope of services offered, and opportunities for advancement and promotion are just a few of the distinguishing characteristics.
Local companies—Local companies are just that—they are local and serve a narrow clientele usually limited to a city or county area. The advantages to a local company are that they are most likely well known in their communities and often family owned. The number of employees could range from just a few to 50–100+ depending on the type of construction performed and the sector of the industry. Similarly, annual revenues will vary depending on the same variables—type of construction and sector of the industry. One of the advantages to working for a smaller, local company, is that you have an opportunity to learn many aspects of the business because you have to wear many hats. This could also be construed as a disadvantage. But the biggest complaint that I have heard from employees of smaller local companies is that there are fewer opportunities for advancement and often a lack of formalized training and limited use of technology. You may also see lower wages and salaries. On the upside, most likely you won't get pigeon-holed and stuck doing narrowly defined tasks for long periods of time. More than likely you will be tasked to do multiple jobs—sometimes all at the same time. But if you like being part of a smaller organization where everyone knows your name, then “local” is good. There will be little to no distance between the field and the leadership of the company—you may expect to have daily interactions with the president of the company. And you won't have to worry about being asked to pull up stakes and move to a new location when one job ends and another one begins.
Regional companies—These companies usually will branch out across an entire state or may even work in a multistate area such as the Rocky Mountain region, or the Mid-Atlantic region, or the Northwest Region. Once again, the number of employees and revenue will depend on sector of the industry and type of construction. It's likely they will have more employees than a local company, but still have a pretty good grasp of the names of the individuals who work for them. Compensation will likely be more than a local company can afford, but still may be shy of what the nationals can pay. You may enjoy some perks at a regional company that would not be available at many local companies, such as a company truck. A regional company may or may not have more than one office. Or they may have a main office with perhaps one or two smaller satellite offices. Expanding to a regional market is often a first growth step for successful local companies. This can sometimes lead to a good opportunity for an up and coming younger employee who seeks advancement in responsibility and compensation. They may be charged with setting up a satellite office and soliciting for new business in a new area. The growth of regional companies often begins with a single satisfied client who wants their “local firm” to do work for them elsewhere. In other words, the contractor follows their client to a new location and then grows from there. Once you have a reasonably sized job in a new locale, it may make sense to pursue additional clients and additional business which leads to the company having a presence in a new area. This scenario is a common impetus for expansion.
National companies—National companies generally do business all across the United States and have offices in many cities with a headquarters or home office in one of them. The number of employees, annual revenues, and volume of work will correlate with the size of their geographic range and scope of services. Generally, national companies will have more formalized employee recruiting and training programs, as well as more formal organizational hierarchies. You can also expect higher wages and salaries with more expansive benefits and job-related perks like company vehicles, cell phones, and iPads. There are many advantages to working for a large national company. These companies often employ the latest technologies and provide training to employees in their application and use. They will also have more formal administrative and management processes and procedures. One of the disadvantages is that you will most likely not know your fellow workers in all of the various branch offices. You'll be familiar with your group but certainly not the entire company. And there is a great distance between the frontlines and the executive level leadership of the company. Opportunities for advancement and promotion will be greater than with a local or even regional company. However, it is far more likely that you will be relocated at least once in your career from one office to another.
International companies—If you choose to work for an International company, more than likely, travel and relocation becomes a common experience for you. The projects that international companies are often involved in are large-to-mega in size. Salaries and wages will be similar to the nationals with added “hardship” compensation paid for extensive travel, multiple relocations, or remote assignments. All the benefits and perks, trainings, technology, and opportunities that exist with a national company are going to be equivalent with an international company. It's common for the international companies to have thousands of employees located in offices and on projects all over the world. You often see international companies create distinct divisions like the U.S. Division, or a North American division. This is particularly helpful when cultural and operational protocols differ from one area of the globe to another. Obviously, the opportunities for advancement are immense—as is the accountabilities that come with those advancements. Anyone who likes to travel and experience other cultures could be right at home in an international company. The biggest challenges usually involve family matters associated with having school-age children or a working spouse. It's not so easy to pick up and move every one to two years once you have a need to establish roots. But if you have risen to an executive level in an international company, the need to relocate your family is most likely no longer necessary, although regular overnight travel is very common, along with the accumulation of a lot of frequent flyer miles!
