It is no accident that successful people have rewarding careers with the best companies. Unfortunately, most people plan their holidays better than their careers and many end up in a dead-end job they don’t enjoy because it ‘sounded good at the time’ or ‘the money was too good to refuse’.
If you want to make the most of your career, do not leave it to chance, make it happen by doing what the successful people do – plan it!
Start by investing time in ‘you’ and follow these 3 simple steps to map out a rewarding career path that will make you happy:
The first and most important step in career planning is making sure you are heading in the right direction towards the right destination.
Why waste time going in the wrong direction?
Knowing your destination gives you a sense of direction and certainty as you tick off the right milestones. Just as important, if you make a detour on the way, if you know your destination, you can get back on the right track.
FIRST, MAKE SURE YOUR DESTINATION IS GOOD FOR YOU
Too many people chase jobs that end up disappointing. A rewarding career is not the same for everyone, it depends on your ambition and your personality. If you are naturally introverted, maybe a public facing leadership role might not suit you. If you don’t know already, find out a bit more about yourself and focus on roles that will suit your personality best– there are plenty of online resources if you need help – here are links to 2 well known, in depth, paid for, solutions we recommend if you are really serious:
and here’s a free one that works well:
BEWARE THE SHINY
Too often money is the motivation and not job satisfaction. Not knowing your destination means any job could tempt you – especially ones with big salaries – but will they give you job satisfaction?
Sometimes more money is necessary. If you know what job works for you and your direction of travel, you will find the right opportunity that balances pay with the right progression – so take your time and do your homework.
Just make sure to plan your career first, be happy and excel at what you do. More money will not make you happy but if you are one of the best at what you do, it will follow.
THE BIM CAREER MAP
Whether you aspire to be at the top of the organisation or the ‘go-to’ BIM Technician, this BIM Career Map is a good way of illustrating the roles and levels on a typical journey towards digital leadership – and how you can progress within a role if that suits your personality better.
THE DREYFUS SCALE
The BIM Career Map model uses the Dreyfus scale to differentiate levels within roles. This tried, tested and trusted system is a highly effective way to assess skill levels and clearly defines a pathway toward expertise within a role.
WHICH ROUTE IS BEST FOR YOU?
You can start your BIM / digital career construction career path in several ways. Mostly from higher education with a degree but there are an increasing number of apprenticeship schemes. None should cast your direction in stone as a digital construction career can be discipline agnostic and, if your timing is right you can change your route to suit your aspirations.
There are 3 primary routes for advancing your digital career: design, project management and consultancy.
THE DESIGN ROUTE:
Architects, Engineers etc.
Some design teams are genuinely embracing BIM and are building Construction 4.0 into their business strategy. Some do BIM because they have to – their passion is design, not so much process. If you love design and authoring models rather than managing them, the design centric route is for you.
The design teams that win work with clients that rely on their digital intelligence tend to be the ‘tier 1s’ (tiers define proximity to the client decision makers – tier 1s being the closest) and these tend to be the very large, global players although a few smaller companies are flying the flag too.
If you want to be pushing the digital construction boundaries at the forefront of Construction 4.0, make sure you are with a tier 1 design team that has digital in their DNA and empowers employees to get involved in their digital transformation. Otherwise, consider Project Management or Consultancy.
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ROUTE:
These can be project management specialists or major contractors – whoever occupies that tier 1 slot (see above).
As these companies win work based on their ability to reduce risk and deliver better outcomes on time and on budget, the advances in digital construction – and their ability to use them – help differentiate. The good ones embrace digital transformation and innovate. The best are thought leaders.
If you want to be at the forefront of Construction 4.0, look for the best of the Project Management companies including the tier 1 Contractors or consider Consultancy.
THE CONSULTANCY ROUTE:
Digital Construction Consultancies fulfil a variety of roles for a range of clients from training staff on the technology at an architectural practice to creating digital construction strategies for national governments.
As you are not siloed in your own company bubble, Consultancies are an excellent way to see how digital works best (or does not) across different organisations. This bird’s eye perspective is also appealing to Project Managers and clients if you want to switch tracks in the future.
BEYOND CONSTRUCTION
Being at the forefront of Construction 4.0 means that as the industry catches up with others, so your skills become more transferable.
Data science is a good example. Tier 1s are becoming more data centric and many are now advising clients on how to make data centric decisions when procuring, building and operating their assets. Leading teams and innovating in data science is not exclusive to the construction industry. Relevant experience opens doors in many other sectors, creating more opportunity for you to maximise your career.
STEP 2
When you are comfortable that you have a good idea of what the ‘perfect’ career looks and feels like FOR YOU, and you have a good idea of your destination, you can start building your career map. Step 2 is about making sure you do not make a false start:
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