How To Become a Construction Manager?

A construction manager is in command of all workers on a job site.

 Depending on the sort of construction job they're working on, they may need to manage and assign responsibilities to various sorts of construction employees, laborers, and speciality subcontract employees.

Construction managers are in charge of ensuring that the entire project is finished accurately and on schedule, which involves budgeting, organizing work, adhering to regulatory requirements, and acting rapidly to crises or difficulties.

A construction manager may be responsible for meeting with the following people while planning and supervising a job:

Civil engineers, architects, and inspectors are examples of subcontractors.

With so much responsibility, it's no surprise that a construction manager must possess particular attributes, abilities, education, and experience. Learn more about what most construction businesses seek for in a construction manager to see whether this is the career for you.

Construction Manager Qualities and Skills

Many characteristics and talents are required to be a good construction manager, including:

• Attention to detail;
• Assertiveness;
• Experience in construction;
• Math skills;
• Excellent communication;
• Customer service skills;
• Supervisory and management skills;
• Mathematical and business experience;
• Organization;
• Analytical skills.

Many of these talents are formed as a result of building experience, but the drive to fine-tune and refine these talents is critical to the success of a construction manager.

How Much Do Construction Managers Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction managers earned an average income of $95,260 in May 2019. Heavy and civil engineering, as well as nonresidential building construction, paid the highest wages.Construction manager employment is expected to expand by 8% from 2019 to 2029, substantially faster than the national average for all occupations. These construction management employment opportunities may be centered on:

• Infrastructure improvements.
• Residential building construction.
• Commercial building construction.

With ongoing technological advancements, construction managers are required to stay up with fast-moving trends in order to effectively complete the most modern works.

Construction Manager Requirements

Construction managers are often expected to have a bachelor's degree and work experience in the construction business. When you consider the education and experience that most organizations demand before employing a construction manager, the process might take many years.

Education

Construction managers who want to work for a construction business must often have a bachelor's or two-year degree in a relevant discipline, such as architecture or construction science.Graduates with a two-year degree must demonstrate many years of construction experience before they may be recruited. Some universities also offer construction management master's degree programs. These specialties' courses mostly focus on statistics, management, design, and math.

Construction managers without a bachelor's degree can nonetheless work in the sector. They are, however, most likely to be self-employed general contractors. Workers in the construction business who wish to advance to management positions are more likely to be promoted if they have a higher degree and years of experience in the sector, particularly if they supervise other workers.

Work Experience and Training

Some construction firms may engage construction managers as soon as they complete their bachelor's or master's degree. However, depending on the firm, they may still be needed to complete on-the-job training with an experienced management for months or years.After finishing their higher education, graduates who take an internship or apprenticeship may have a shorter training period before becoming a construction manager. Jobseekers with no higher education but years of expertise in the area may be employed, but they will need more extensive mentoring and training before they can execute the work unattended.

Construction Manager Licenses and Certifications

To legally conduct their responsibilities, several states require construction managers to be licensed as general contractors. For a construction manager to handle a task, a general contractor license must be kept up to date. Self-employed construction managers should also learn about the several sorts of company licenses that they may require to operate lawfully in their state.While credentials are not required, they can help construction managers stand out to potential employers and clients. The Construction Management Association of America offers the opportunity for a construction manager to become a Certified Construction Manager (CCM).

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, a two-year degree with at least four years of experience in the industry, or no degree with at least eight years of experience to be eligible for this certification. Applicants must also demonstrate at least 48 months of experience in an in-charge capacity on at least one construction project spanning multiple phases. After demonstrating that they satisfy these standards, they must pass a technical test to get their certification, which may need the completion of a self-study course.

Examples of Construction Management Jobs and Titles

In 2019, 38% of all construction managers in the United States were self-employed. If you are self-employed and wish to grow your small business, being a construction manager may be beneficial.As a construction manager, you may be in charge of many projects that need you to handle various areas of a construction site. Your work title might be one of the following, depending on the kind of jobs you take on:

• Project Manager;
• Auditor;
• Project Engineer.

Depending on the project, you may also be accountable for a variety of job activities, which may include the following:

• Designer;
• Cost Estimator;
• Landscape Planner;
• Scheduler;
• Supervisor.

When you learn how to do these many occupations in the construction sector, you broaden your abilities and knowledge. As a self-employed construction manager, this makes you more desirable to potential clients as well as possible jobs in the business.

Learning more about the work tasks and requirements of a construction manager can help you decide if this is the correct profession for you. If you are interested in the construction sector and want to oversee projects, you should consider becoming a construction manager.