Construction jobs entail all kinds of manual labor. If you want to direct and lead others, you should already know how to do all the things you’re telling them to do. You should be good with your hands and know how to fix things. You should also know how to delegate and give orders and see them followed through. When you’re working on a construction site you usually need to yell everything.
There aren’t any academic requirements to taking on construction management jobs. Most people who fill the position were construction workers first. There are some who go to school first as well, but it’s not necessary. You need experience. That’s what counts more than anything else in this business. You also need a good strong, healthy build. If you have a good amount of muscle on you, you’ll be better off in the construction business. For starters, it’s good if you know how to break up a fight and can actually go through with it. There are often fights that break out between construction workers and if you’re afraid to get your hands dirty and stop the mess, then you might as well look into a different profession.
The pay isn’t that great. Salaries for managers and directors in construction make from $30K-$50K a year. It all depends on how much business they bring in for the contractors. Sometimes they’ll get paid on commission based on the job. But for the most part, they work long hours and get paid meager wages. Since there aren’t very many requirements to getting the job, you can’t be too surprised by the lower salaries in this business.
It’s a stress free environment if you know how to handle yourself. You need to speak the lingo. You need to know what it’s like to be one of the guys. Oftentimes, you’ll need to hit up the bars and drink with the guys to be on the inside with them. However, you can do it as you please. Just know that if you earn the respect of your workers, they’ll do better work for you and that’s really what it means to be a director. So you might want to take on a regular construction job first to get a feel for what you’re getting into when you become a director.
