Construction is a huge field and one that’s changing fast, with new trends like PropTech and smart cities taking hold. As well as the tried-and-tested career-building tips, there are pointers relating to recent developments that should be taken into account. Read on for the lowdown on how to grow your career in Singapore’s construction industry.
Get to know yourself better
Building a career in construction, as with a career in any other industry, is best achieved when the role fits your personality, needs and desires. Are you interested in managing people, or more hands-on technical roles? Do you prefer client-facing roles or working on construction sites? Have you thought about moving to work overseas? These are a few of the questions to ask yourself to not only assess whether you are in the right role now, but also where you want to go.
Drawing on this knowledge, you can then look at the myriad of roles in construction that fit, comparing them against each other. For instance, someone who prefers working with people would find project supervisor and estate manager roles more appealing than a job as a mechanical and electrical coordinator, quantity surveyor or building information modeller.
Plan your career in Singapore’s construction
There are numerous paths for people into careers with construction skills and qualifications. It is one thing deciding on a career where you want to develop, and it is another to plot your way forward. You need to look decide on the various aspects of your career, including what kind of companies you want to work for, whether you want to gain experience in one location or across a number of countries, and what ongoing skills development needs to take place to propel your career in Singapore’s construction industry.
Moreover, it pays to periodically review your career plan as new roles and job titles are emerging on an ongoing basis. For example, PropTech is taking off in Singapore, creating new types of roles at start-ups and large companies like JLL and Lendlease. Some other relatively new areas include predictive asset performance, robotics and automation, design simulation, building information modelling, 3D printing and drone-enabled yard inspection, as outlined by McKinsey.
Don’t stop developing
Keeping up with industry changes and trends to grow your career in Singapore’s construction industry should be an ongoing process, as this will enable you to maintain your competitiveness in the jobs market. One such trend is the rise of smart cities, and Singapore is cutting the edge. It topped the world’s smartest city index, which is published annually by Switzerland’s Institute of Management Development business school, last year, the third time in a row. Read our blog post on smart city career trends in Singapore here.
Get certified
Construction companies in Singapore are incentivised through business levy reductions to train foreign staff on health and safety. Whether you are already based in the city-state or thinking of moving there, health and safety certification is critical. This is just one example of how getting certification or licensing is important, and with the wide range of courses on offer in Singapore, there will be something to meet your career needs.
Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority maintains a handy list of the qualifications that people working in the construction industry need to officially register with the government, and there is a number of providers that run a wide range of construction-related courses in English and Chinese.
For a comprehensive overview of construction-related courses in Singapore, click here to access a government list that covers everything from a bachelor’s degree in building and project management and a certification course for site investigation supervisors to courses for technicians and facilities managers, to name just a few. And to view a range of short construction and civil engineering training courses in Singapore, check out this list from BMC Training.
Perfect those soft skills
Soft skills refer to a person’s ability to maintain relationships with others, and they are just as important as hard skills to grow your career in Singapore’s construction. To give your soft skills a boost, assess which ones you need to work on, ask appropriate colleagues to provide feedback on your strengths and weaknesses if you are not sure, then find opportunities at work to practice them and supplement this with external learning resources. LinkedIn and Coursera run a wide range of highly regarded soft-skills training programs that can be undertaken on a part-time basis.
Construction soft-skills checklist:
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Networking
- Organisation and time management
- Stakeholder management
- Business acumen
Team up with a specialist recruiter
Keeping tabs on what’s going on in the market is the forte of specialist recruiters – partnering with a recruiter in your field will provide access to a wealth of knowledge and expert advice on your career in Singapore’s construction. Even for employees not looking to change role in the near future, this information is valuable for career planning.
How to grow your career in Singapore’s construction industry
A regional construction hub buoyed by supportive government policy, Singapore is going from strength, and subsequently, new career opportunities are there for the taking. Armed with the above tips, you’ll be best placed to seize them. For a confidential chat about roles in construction in Singapore, get in touch with Gough Recruitment and our specialist recruiters will help you navigate the industry.
