Building and construction management

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Arbitrator
• Building control surveyor
• Building services engineer
• Building surveyor
• Construction manager
• Estates manager
• Estimator
• Fire risk assessor
• Quantity surveyor
• Site engineer
• Sustainability consultant

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Architectural technologist
• CAD technician
• Environmental engineer
• Facilities manager
• Financial manager
• Further education teacher
• Geotechnical engineer
• Management consultant
• Planning and development surveyor
• Town planner
• Urban designer

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed he

Work experience

Some building and construction management courses offer a year in industry, giving you the chance to gain real-world experience, develop professional contacts and strengthen your practical skills. Alternatively, you could apply for summer placements or internships with a building or construction company. If you're studying a relevant course, it will usually include site visits, live projects or field trips, giving you the opportunity to see how theory is applied on site.

Make the most of any work placements, as some companies use them as a way to identify and recruit future employees. They also give you the opportunity to build your professional network, explore different roles and understand how the construction industry is structured, as well as the skills and qualities needed for particular jobs.

Short-term or temporary work with a relevant company can be useful too and can often be found by making speculative applications. Check firms' websites for details and send a tailored CV and cover letter that shows your interest in the company and the role.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

The UK construction industry mainly consists of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) alongside a smaller number of large national and international companies. The private sector provides a range of job opportunities, while local authorities and other public sector bodies also employ building and construction management graduates.

Typical employers include:

• UK and international construction firms
• design-and-build companies
• civil engineering contractors
• building and project management companies or consultancies
• property development companies
• organisations involved in urban regeneration, sustainability and the built environment
• housing associations
• NHS trusts and other health organisations.

The technical, management and professional skills developed during your degree are also highly transferable and valued by employers in other sectors, such as finance, marketing, logistics, HR and general management.

Find information on employers in property and construction, engineering and manufacturing, and other job sectors

Search for property and construction vacancies.

Skills for your CV

Studying a building and construction management degree helps you understand how construction projects are planned, delivered and managed, and equips you with a range of practical and professional skills.

These specific skills include:

• logical thinking, numeracy and digital skills
• the ability to deal with both complex technical detail and the wider commercial, environmental and practical demands of a project
• teamwork and communication skills, as well as the ability to work independently and manage your own workload
• awareness of key issues involved in planning, delivering and managing construction projects
• an understanding of health, safety and risk management
• an understanding of leadership, people management and working with diverse teams
• developing areas of technical expertise and personal interest.

You'll also develop transferable skills that enable you to:

• learn and adapt quickly in changing environments
• analyse and critically examine a range of information sources and use them to support decision making
• research a problem in depth and from different perspectives
• gather, summarise and present information clearly and confidently.

A placement year gives you the opportunity to apply your skills in a real workplace and to develop additional strengths, such as confidence, self-reliance and initiative. Spending time in a commercial environment will also boost your business awareness and enable you to start building professional networks and industry contacts.

Further study

Postgraduate courses are available in areas such as:

• business and construction-related engineering
• construction law
• construction management
• construction project management
• international construction management
• sustainable construction and project management.

Industry professionals use further technical study to progress their careers, specialise in a particular area, or work towards chartered status with professional bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Direct entry onto a research degree, such as an MPhil or PhD, is also possible with a good honours degree, as is entry on to an MBA, which can provide a route into senior or general management roles.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search for postgraduate courses in construction management.

What do building and construction management graduates do?

Of those in employment in the UK 15 months after graduation, nearly three-quarters (79%) of building and construction management graduates are working as quantity surveyors (43%), chartered surveyors (15%), construction project managers and related professionals (9%), production managers and directors in construction (7%), estimators, valuers and assessors (3%) and civil engineers (2%). Electrical engineers, property, housing and estate managers, inspectors of standards and regulations, and mechanical engineers are also among the top ten most commonly reported jobs.

For a detailed breakdown of what building and construction management graduates are doing 15 months after graduation, see What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.