Michael DeSafey | Executive Recruiter and HR Professional
3 Key Skills Needed to Advance in Construction Management
Construction managers are in high demand–and it’s a great position that you’ve had your eye on for quite some time. When you’re interested in this critical promotion, however, you want to make sure that you have the skills you’ll need for your new job. These three key skills will help you advance in construction management and acquire the job of your dreams.
Organization Skills
Construction Management Skills Career Advancement
As a project manager, you’ll need to keep your project running smoothly–and that means staying organized. If you struggle to locate your tools at the end of the day or you never know what you’re going to be doing until you arrive at the job site each day, your
organization skills need some work before you can advance to construction management. Work on staying aware of what’s going on around you and keeping track of your own equipment. Develop strategies for keeping your truck organized. Starting with personal organization is a great way to increase your ability to organize larger projects.
- Problem Solving Skills
As a project manager, you’ll be responsible for managing the problems that crop up in every project. There’s no passing it off to someone else now; you’re the one who needs to come up with a solution! Start with the problems you see on construction sites now. Do you see a potential solution? Present it to your current project manager along with the issue. They’ll appreciate the initiative, and you’ll be gaining valuable new skills.
- People Skills
Project managers don’t have the luxury of just working with their hands. You’ll need to get to know the people around you: learning their strengths and weaknesses, understanding what combinations of workers fit well together, and understanding what’s needed in order to motivate specific employees. Start small as you learn how to interact with other members of your team–especially the ones that you don’t like. Develop your negotiation skills. As a project manager, your interactions with people are more important than anything else on the site!
Moving on to project management is an important step–and it’s one that, in many cases, has little to do with your skills as a contractor. By developing these three key skill sets, you’ll discover that you’re in a much better position to attain this type of promotion. Start developing your professional skills today to acquire the job you’ve always dreamed of.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com