What Does A Construction Manager Do?

July 25th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

The construction managers are responsible for supervising the whole construction project including the construction team. They are also responsible for communicating and coordination with the proprietor as well as with the architect from the very beginning of the design. However, the Construction Management Association of America has the chief responsibilities of a construction manager. These include:

  • Quality Management
  • Time Management
  • Safety Management
  • Project Management Planning
  • Contract Administration
  • CM Professional Practice
  • Cost Management

Detailed job responsibilities of a Construction manager:

  • A construction manager evaluates the various plans such as civil, architectural, electrical, mechanical, as well as structural. They also make recommendation in several organizational factors like availability of materials and labor, construction feasibility, time requirements, and project cost etc. Construction manager also provide information for energy management requirements and life cycle cost studies.

  • The construction manager makes the budget of the construction project in accordance to the available information. He also reviews and processes the first cost estimation with the progress of the project. In most of the cases, construction managers set up the final cost estimation after the project is completed.

  • It is one of the responsibilities of a construction manager to recommend for the various purchases and accelerate the development of construction project in order to complete the plan by the required dates.

  • The construction manager prepares a progress schedule at the early stage of the project. This progress schedule incorporates all the project activities performed by him, as well as by the contractor, architect, and the owner. He also monitors the schedule and provides periodic reports as well as status report to the management.

  • He observes the work and supervises individual team member, until the project is completed and accepted by the proprietor. It is his responsibility to assure the owner that both the material provided and the work carried out is in accordance with the specifications.

  • The construction manager is further responsible to set up and preserve an effective cost control system while monitoring the total project costs.

Significance of Construction Project Management

June 30th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

The competitive world of the construction industry are in continues need of more and more trained construction professionals who are well-equipped with the latest skills and the knowledge to carry out the assigned jobs effectively. Thereby, if you are considering construction project management as a career, then you need to take up a program that helps you to excel. These courses are specially designed to provide the necessary professional skills, knowledge and expertise.

Course details:

These courses also help the existing constructional professionals working as project managers or project personnel along with those entering the field of construction management. These are also very useful for other service providers such as construction consultants or contractors. The main focus of such courses lies on the essential principles of the project management knowledge while covering the core concepts of managing a project right from the very beginning to final ending.

The course content depends on the college from where you are the pursuing the program. However, they generally include:

  • Plan reading
  • Construction accounting
  • Acquisitions, developments and estimation.
  • Real estate law
  • Field project management
  • Bidding and scheduling

Generally a student needs to qualify eight intensive courses in order to obtain a certificate in construction project management. However, students also have the options to pursue individual classes focusing on a particular course.

The Core Courses of Construction Project Management Program:

  • Construction Accounting: This course helps you to learn to review the accounting theory. It also provides a detailed understanding of the various terminology used in accounting. This includes payroll accounting, lien law, progress payments, construction cost control, sub-contractor invoices, cash flow, back charges and cost of sales.
  • Real Estate Acquisition s: This particular course focuses on the nature of development projects as well as sources of funds. The source may also include mortgages, construction loan processing, and payment.
  • The Estimation course: It helps you to gain knowledge in cost estimating with a special emphasis on pricing and quantity survey.

Job Opportunities for Construction Project Management

June 30th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

With the booming of the construction industry, the job opportunities in this field are in high demand, not only in the United States but all over the world. In fact the total construction management jobs available in the market are more in number than the number of qualified individuals who are seeking jobs in this particular industry. Thereby, several schools and colleges are offering various regular as well as online courses and programs in construction management in order to meet this high demand.

Construction management programs are a comprehensive job, where the managers are responsible for each and every aspect of the assigned construction project. Their job responsibility includes managing each and every equipment that are being used, making and organizing the project budget, administrating the employees and the various contractors. Thereby you need to choose a construction project management degree that covers broad course www.

Reasons for such high demands:

  • The ever increasing complications of construction projects needs well trained professionals with management background.
  • Almost in every country there is a need to replace some of the nation’s old infrastructures.
  • The advancement of the methods and materials in construction industry.
  • The huge number of ever growing structures.

Career options:

There are several career opportunities for you once you successfully complete your construction management course. Approximately half of the professionals working in the construction management industry are self employed. You can even be a proprietor of any general construction companies or own specialty trade construction companies. You can also get employed in any construction industry or can even work in the architectural, engineering or in any other related services companies. You may even work in the local government’s construction projects.

Salary Information:

According to the reports of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average annual salary of a graduate in construction management or even in construction science is above forty thousand dollars. However, the salary of an individual in the construction management industry largely depends on the type and size of the construction project as well as on the geographical setting and economic condition of the country.

Online Degrees in Construction Management

June 30th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

Construction management is an important occupation that provides outstanding employment opportunities to those interested to serve the construction industry. If an individual plans to start construction management career, he must have strong experience and know-how in construction industry. Numerous construction management colleges and schools offer 4 year degree programs in construction engineering, construction science and construction management. The curricula of construction management courses and programs develop the skills of individual in the field of construction management.

How to get online degree in construction management

Getting construction management online degree may be quite easy. If an individual want to increase his career options, he can achieve construction management online degrees through very flexible schedules. An individual can attend night classes or classes on weekends to complete his online degree program. An individual can also specialize in construction management online degrees by choosing construction management programs that are focused on areas such as site planning, financial management, cost estimating, contract administration, and architectural sciences.

Construction management online courses

Construction management online degrees are designed to help an individual become successful in the construction industry. Construction management online programs enable student learn design, drawing, construction planning, managerial tasks and much more. Through construction management online courses, students can specialize in commercial construction, residential construction, field supervision, and architectural design theory. The degrees earned after course completion, will enable them to run construction management business efficiently.

Construction Management: A popular career Choice

Recently, construction management has become a highly popular career option for many. This is because construction industry is developing day by day, and they need highly skilled construction managers. Individuals, recruited in the job of construction management, are responsible for the failure and success of the entire project. Construction management degrees train people with interpersonal management and communication skills. Job prospect for construction managers is expected to become superb in future.

Top Online Colleges for Construction Education

June 25th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

The Penn Foster Career School :

The Penn Foster Career School is certified by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools and also by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. This online school offers various associate, certificate, diploma, and degree programs that are designed to give the skills that an individual requires in the contemporary fastest growing fields. In fact it is one of the oldest and largest distance learning educational institutions in the world. There are numerous American corporations and business giants such as IBM, Ford, Xerox, U.S. Steel, and DOW Chemical, who have used the training method of the Penn Foster Career School to educate their individual employees.

Online Civil Engineering Degree:

This distance learning has given you the facilities to earn a civil engineering degree while pursuing your current job or other schedules. The various skills that you will learn in this particular degree include:

· Engineering Mechanics and Land Surveying

· Highway Construction and Design

· Engineering Materials and Technical Writing

· Technology Orientation and Technical Mathematics

Online Electrical Engineering Degree:

This s chool provides supports and facilities for you to complete your online Electrical Engineering Degree. The particular aspects that this course involves are:

  • Electric Motors and Controls
  • Fundamentals of Electricity

New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies:

This institute offers over 1,500 continuing education courses, which are directly related to the several key industries and creative sectors of New York. The courses include the knowledge of top experts in their respective fields and also meet the highest University standards. The NYU offers Real Estate Institute (REI) for the students to take the benefits of a close relationship with the real estate industry. This particular institute features a master degree as well as a graduate certificate in construction management.

Master of Science degrees in Construction Management:

This course offers you with the basics of both business and project management. It further helps you to learn to successfully manage the various components of a construction project such as cost control and estimating, project scheduling and planning, labor relations, and negotiation.

Graduate certificates in Construction Management:

This course endows the students with the various opportunities to widen the specific skills necessary to gain a competitive knowledge about the industry. These include legal principles, accounting, cost management and technologies etc. It provides a firm foundation for your professional practice.

Construction Project Management: What Does The Job Demand?

June 25th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

Project management is one of the most essential elements in the construction process. Without any effective project management it is almost impossible to carry out a construction job with efficiency. Project manager is like a navigator that directs the ship towards the destination. Construction of building, roads and any other project is definitely a very demanding job and every project manager needs to give his 100% in showing excellence. The construction industry in the America is considered to be a microcosm of the entire American Economic System. It provides job to about 5.6 million people in several industries along it construction industry.

Stages of construction project management:

  • Human resources management
  • The organization
  • Decision on the technology to be used
  • Project delivery systems
  • Checking the quality
  • Maintenance of safety and security
  • Increase in productivity and
  • Eliminating disputes that harm production

Qualities of a Construction Project Manager

  • Do not accept the tender blindly but always verify it carefully
  • In the field instruct supervisors to unload the materials and also take care of these.
  • Carefully verify the design, development and drawing before implementation of the project.
  • The project manager is expected to be present on the sight throughout the construction process.
  • This job demands program management services.
  • He is responsible for controlling cost, time and quality all together.
  • The project manager is responsible for financial management. He/she is as responsible for the project funding, cash flow, and cost.
  • He should also be responsible in managing the human resources. Productivity of the labor would be questioned to the project manager and hence he should be responsible for this.
  • Quality of the material. Construction deadline and the other small issues will also have to be managed by the professionals.

Construction Management As A Career

June 25th, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

Construction management can be a good career option for those individuals who are interested to work in construction industry. It has become a well-known career over the past ten years. A construction manager is an individual who manage a construction site efficiently. The duty of construction manager is to ensure that the workers complete their job properly, and according to the code. Good construction management may break or make a complicated project. Hence, it needs strong level of work, management and communication skills and understanding of industry-based software and technologies.

Steps to become successful in construction management career

If an individual is interested to start construction management career, he must follow some steps to qualify for construction management jobs that are available today.

  • The first and most important step is to search for education colleges which provide construction management degree or certification. Some universities and colleges offer variations of certification, and an individual must also look for those schools which provide online degree in construction management.

  • If an individual has full time job, but desires to enhance his earning prospective without cutting down his present income, he may apply to an institution which provides construction management degree and program online. This would enable him to keep his finances and job in check, while he works towards his construction management degrees.

  • To achieve success in construction management career, an individual must apply to an accredited online school. This ensures that future employers will respect and honor the degree of an individual. Another way to gain success in construction management career is to apply for internship or apprenticeship with a firm that has full time positions in construction management. If an individual does not have much time for internship, he can look for a mentor who can teach about the construction management job.

These steps might be time consuming, however, if an individual follows these steps, his construction management career will become flourishing and successful.

Online Construction Management Colleges

June 3rd, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

The marvelous growth in the international construction market has forced more and more construction companies to do business across the international dateline. This helped in expanding national and international construction opportunities and has made Construction Project Management, an interesting and popular subject. There are various construction management degree programs that facilitate an individual to learn the complete range of construction procedures on a project, right from the beginning to end. These kinds of courses also include the construction of commercial, institutional, industrial, civil and residential facilities. These construction project managers are responsible for leading and managing every feature of the particular construction project. The responsibilities include hiring/ firing of staffs, distribution, inventory, safety regulations, coordination and legal paperwork.

Career Opportunities:

After completing your construction project management degree you can recognize and comprehend building codes, direct and supervise a project plan, sketch and plan designs using CAD technology, and meet other established norms and conditions of the construction companies.

Online Colleges:

  • Penn Foster Career School : This institution is recognized by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council and also by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools for high school and vocational-technical programs. They are affiliated with DANTES. Penn Foster Career School offers two degrees in construction management- Carpenter and Home Inspector.

  • University of Florida : This University provides an online master’s degree in construction management. This program is comprised of 11 courses and has 33 credit hours. At the end of the program, it is necessary for every student to come to campus for completing the written comprehensive exam and also for presenting their individual project report. This University is recognized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

  • Community Colleges of Colorado: The online construction management degree programs of this institution include A.A.S. in Construction Technology with an Emphasis in Construction Electrician, A.A. with an Emphasis in Building Code Enforcement, and A.A.S. in Construction Technology with a Special Emphasis in Power Technology. The Community Colleges of Colorado is certified by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Construction Management: Online Degree

June 3rd, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

Construction management degree programs are specially designed to meet the escalating demand of the professional construction managers in the various areas of the booming construction industry. The ever rising complication and complexities in the construction industry requires more skilled and sophisticated managers who can bring the concepts of designers to reality. The course content of these construction management degrees is very beneficial for the students who are interested in engineering and architectural design. This degree will surely suit your purpose if you want to learn managing from the construction field. After successful completion of these management degrees you can either work in the leading construction companies or run your own business. You can also specialize in one or more fields.

The course content of a construction management degree depends on the colleges or university that you choose. However, the general course includes:

  • Construction Planning
  • Design and Specifications
  • Drawing
  • Surveying
  • Various Construction Methods
  • Administration and Managerial Tasks

There are courses with the help of which students can also specialize in several areas such as in architectural design theory, in residential, in field supervision, or in commercial construction. These degrees also help them to be flexible in their work and enable them to lead in the construction business in some respect.

Online Degrees:

The various degrees on construction management include:

  • Bachelors Programs in Construction Management: Professionals working in the construction industry can pursue these courses that include methods and materials, strength of materials, codes and specifications, statistic, construction electives, hydraulics, fluid mechanics, soil mechanics, structural mechanics, graphics, surveying, management and estimating.

  • Masters of Construction Management Degree: It is a two-year online degree program that provides flexible, through and simplified work-related course materials and knowledge which you can access from any part of the world.

A Career in Construction Management

June 1st, 2008 by Jason Stollham
Jason Stollham

Certificates and degrees in construction management provide the construction industry professionals the necessary skills and information that enables them to take on broader responsibility and move ahead in their careers. These kinds of programs are even appealing option for other related professionals such as, engineers, architects, and real estate professionals. These programs also help other professionals whose efficiency in their jobs also requires more comprehensive, a stronger and latest understanding of construction management basics.

The construction management includes both light and heavy projects that include residential, small office buildings and large office buildings and infrastructures. The construction manager is responsible and accountable for the overall scheduling and control of a particular project. This responsibility requires a command of several skills that include knowledge of the regulatory, management, estimating, environmental aspects insurance, and safety of the particular construction management field.

Benefits of construction management degrees:

These are the benefits of pursuing construction management degrees:

  • These programs provide opportunity to expand professionally, to progress, and to get your hands on new and significant knowledge to augment your professional growth.
  • To provide a methodical and detailed foundation in the field construction accounting and other related business matters such as bonding and insurance.
  • To offer acquaintance and practical experience with the abundant legal aspects of construction, that range from key points of a contract and administrating contracts to real estate law and land development directive.
  • Provide knowledge, skills and confidence in calculating tentative costs and arranging bids.
  • Provide latest and the widely practiced knowledge of construction techniques, materials and equipment.
  • To enable individuals to work efficiently with suppliers, clients, architects, engineers and others.
  • Provide information to interpret construction material standards and properties.

The prospective students:

These programs are extremely beneficial for:

  • Construction professionals who want to progress into management roles. However, three years’ construction experience is necessary.
  • Other professionals from the related fields for instance engineering, architecture, real estate, and others who require a firm grasp of construction management basics.
  • Individuals who are seeking a new career path as construction consultants.