Career consultant

Q I am a part-time HNC Construction student and I'm desperately seeking employment within the construction industry as a trainee. I am finding it extremely difficulty finding work as I live in the West Midlands. There are more opportunities in the south-east, however due to my commitments at college, I could not move. Can you please advise me?

A Richard Lee, group chief human resources officer, Willmott Dixon Holdings, says: The construction industry is in many respects a "journeyman's industry" and people have always travelled to construction sites, moving across the country to work on a particular project. You may have to cast your net further and take your studies with you. Depending on your college and the details of your course, it may be possible to start the next stage of your HNC at an alternative college or university. Or consider distance learning. Talk to an adviser at your present college and contact universities and colleges elsewhere in the country to discuss options.

Keep applying for every possible opportunity and use your time positively. The upside to this difficult period is that it can provide spare time to plan and conduct a job search thoroughly. You could spend this time completing your HNC and gaining the best qualifications that you can, picking up any extra courses to make your experience diverse and current. Willmott Dixon is in fact growing in the Midlands and the north and you could find that with good, relevant qualifications, you are in the right area of the country in any case. You could send your CV to our head office as we are accepting CVs for our 2011 Management Trainee Programme and have offices throughout England and Wales, including Birmingham.

A Caroline Owen, business director at Hays Construction, says: It may be advisable to tailor your HNC modules to areas where professionals are more in demand. I would certainly recommend looking at law and contract, and tendering and estimating, as there are more opportunities at pre-contract stage within commercial teams rather than in site operations. I would also suggest being as flexible as possible with regard to the companies you approach - the top 10 contractors may not be recruiting, whereas smaller refurbishment contractors will tend to receive fewer applications. If you are still unable to secure work, offer your time in a voluntary capacity to demonstrate your abilities, gain experience and build up contacts. You are far more likely to be considered for work if you are already operating in the sector.

Q I have been a local builder and recently completed a Construction Management degree. I have been trying hard to get that job I studied for and I am about to give in. What would be the best alternative, without having to do more courses or Uni work? I and many others in the same predicament with crippling debts from studying need a job. I am still very keen on construction but sick of the pitfalls and recessions. Would health and safety or managerial knowledge transfer help and if so how?

A Glenn Foster, people leader, Rok, says: I can understand your disappointment, but hopefully it is not all doom and gloom. Construction is a diverse sector and there are still opportunities within it - some companies are really struggling but others are recruiting. There might not be so many landmark, prestige projects being built but there is plenty of maintenance and improvement work being done and FM businesses are doing well. Another growth area is demolition, with the emphasis on recycling buildings and re-using brownfield sites. Here, an understanding of building materials and processes is helpful.

Your course is likely to have had elements of project management, co-ordination and budget control in it. These are valuable, transferable skills so you could cast your net wider, looking at organisations that buy construction services where your hands-on knowledge would be useful, or consider building material suppliers.

The more skills you have, the better your chances. Don't feel what you learned at university is wasted; just see how you can apply it to a range of possible opportunities.

A Sean Mcvittie, regional manager, Hays Construction, says: It is a challenging time, but there are things you can do to improve your chances. Have you tailored each application to the specific job requirements, or targeted specific sectors that are showing more resilience, such as rail, retail and utilities? In terms of health and safety, we are experiencing an increased demand for health and safety advisers, and managers. The potential downside is that they are not construction specific - opportunities exist within sectors such as manufacturing or health. So a move to health and safety might increase your job opportunities, but some relevant experience and qualifications would also be required.

Q I've recently become a father and I'm keen to spend more time with my baby son. My wife is going back to work, and although her job is more flexible than mine, I don't want all the stress of combining work and family to fall on her. But at the moment I'm running a £25m job that's 20 miles from our house, and the driving takes up more time every week. I've read about employers offering parents "compressed hours" or nine-day fortnights, but how will that work on a site? I am committed to my career, but it's not the only thing on my mind at the moment.

A Jeremy Galpin, Costain Group talent and skills manager, says: Congratulations on becoming a father and it's great to see your commitment to sharing the joys and the work with your wife. The time your son grows up will pass very quickly and you should make every effort to ensure you have a balance in your life that allows you to contribute and support your family as well as achieve your work and career objectives.

Achieving the balance will be a constant and continuous challenge so these would be my top tips:

• make sure your have the right team in place so you can delegate effectively
• develop a successor within your team who can be your number two
• start thinking about the next role you want and start creating time for your own personal development. This should help you focus on delegation.
• review the times you travel - could you leave 30 mins early in both directions and save travelling time?
• consider the feasibility of working from home for some of the week remember, it's not how long you are at work that counts but how effective you are.

Ultimately a good employer will respond positively if you offer a practical business solution that means your job is still delivered but allows you to achieve your personal objectives. If all of the above are insufficient, you could consider reducing your hours for reduced pay or propose another arrangement, that will work, to your employer. All the best.

Our panel of career consultants offers advice every month in Construction Manager magazine.

Q I am a contracts manager, recently made redundant. I'm applying for jobs, but aware that there are now more construction workers looking. My CV is really just a list of my past jobs, and that used to be enough. But what do I need to do to make it stand out from the crowd for the next role?"

A Lynne Crowe, regional manager, Hays Construction, says: It is crucial to demonstrate why this company needs you above anyone else. Your starting point should always be the job description and person specification. Make sure your CV clearly highlights all training and qualifications relevant to the role. Every skill and example of experience will be scrutinised against the job competencies.

Employers will be looking for evidence that you can meet their technical and behavioural needs. List all your relevant experience, quantifying your achievements where possible. In the current climate, containing costs and maximising profit are important, so emphasise how you've achieved that in the past projects.

Ensure the information is presented in a layout that is easy to read. Aim for two to four pages in length and apply a consistent layout. Limit yourself to the most relevant work experience and list employers and job roles in reverse chronological order. The last 10 years is more than enough.

You should include a personal statement or profile directly beneath your contact details, as employers will look at this first to obtain a snapshot of your skills and personal qualities. Any gaps in employment must be explained, and if you were made redundant, demonstrate how you used your time wisely, for example enrolling on a course to update your skills.

Our panel of career consultants offers advice every month in Construction Manager magazine.

Q I joined a major consultancy as a non-cognate (my degree was in geography) but I'm now a qualified QS. I'm working on a leisure centre project, but I'm finding it really difficult to get the information I need from the site team and subcontractors. It moves very fast and people don't tell me about all the variations, although they should. I feel I don't have the respect of the site team. The project will be over in two months, but how can I make sure it doesn't happen again? Also, I'm thinking that being a project QS isn't right for me, I'd like to make a sideways move within the company, but these days the attitude is "you're lucky to have a job".

A Hllary Richardson, HR manager, Rider Levitt Bucknall, says: You mention that you're a non-cognate, but I think that's not really an issue. You're a qualified QS, you have gained excellent knowledge of the industry in your training, and wider academic knowledge as well, so you have plenty of to be proud of. You think other people "should" be giving you information. But the way you're acting clearly isn't getting respect from the site team, so think about your attitude – maybe it's a bit whingeing? Put yourself in their shoes, think of what they need and what you can give them. Explain that getting the right information in a timely manner will lead to X, which benefits everyone on the project. If you can give them something they find worthwhile, and helps them in their roles, then they'll give you more information.

Now you're also thinking about moving on. If you're at the right level and ready for a new challenge, and can bring experience and skills to the role that benefits the company, there's no reason why your employer shouldn't look on the idea favourably. But if you can turn the situation in your current project around, that definitely puts you in a stronger position. You'll be able to say "I faced these experiences, but I was able to respond and get people to come on side."

If you don't deal with these issues, they will follow you to your next job or project. Address them now and the experience will be invaluable, whatever you end up doing.

Our panel of career consultants offers advice every month in Construction Manager magazine.

Q Although still employed, I believe that my age (57 years) is against me in terms of seeking new employment. I have sent various recruitment agencies my CV (which excludes my date of birth) for positions that I am well qualified for. In all cases, the agency has contacted me confi rming my suitability and at the same time requesting my DoB. When I query why they need to know, they say that it is essential information for their records. I give them the information and then never hear from them again - strange that. I'm suspicious that the DoB information is being used to eliminate me, either by the agency or the recruiter.

A Lynne Crowe, regional manager at Hays Construction, comments: What is important is that you have the right skills in place, not what your age is. You are right not to put your age on your CV - neither should a recruiter ask for this on the phone or at any stage of the recruitment process. Job applicants are among those individuals covered under the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. You are well within your rights to refuse to divulge your age. A good recruiter should be interested in hearing about your experience and not how old you are.

Use the conversation to emphasise your successes and give some additional background to your CV. Talking more about your achievements at length will really give colour to your CV and demonstrate why you are a candidate worth seeing. What skills are needed in the industry and do you have them? Have you done everything you can to highlight these skills in your CV and on your covering letter? If you are applying for specific roles make sure that you stand out from the crowd. Understand where your strengths are and be confident enough to tell the recruiter why you should be put forward for this role. If you are positive that there is nothing holding you back but your age, check the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) website www.rec.uk.com for a list of reputable recruiters.

A Rick Lee, group chief human resources officer, Willmott Dixon Holdings, says: My advice to anyone planning a job search is to explore a number of different avenues at the same time. This should include recruitment agencies and approaching potential employers directly, or indirectly with the person who makes the appointment decision, be it the CEO, can be by letter, email, phone, or at an event they are attending. Highlight ways in which you could contribute to their business and what difference you would make. Work with your personal network of contacts. Somebody always knows somebody, who knows somebody. The network can be built up from friends, family, acquaintances, former bosses, colleagues, clients or people you have met on training courses. Your contacts can help you identify and make contact with people who have the power to make an appointment.

Once contact is established, ask for a meeting. Some people will be happy to meet you on the strength of a recommendation and won't ask to see your CV beforehand, but if they do, send it without your date of birth. Your end game is to secure a face-to-face meeting with someone in the company you wish to work for, who will see beyond your CV to your maturity and experience. John Lees has written a couple of books with chapters on the direct approach which you might find helpful. Good luck!