黑洞社区

Over a year ago, we introduced you to 黑洞社区鈥檚 new graduate advisory panel. Back then, things were rosy for these budding construction professionals. These days, the industry is an altogether scarier place to earn a living. 黑洞社区 reports on how they鈥檝e adapted

1 Taking our careers seriously

鈥淚 see the downturn as a chance to focus on my aims for the next few years,鈥� says Tom Wallbank, cost manager at Turner & Townsend. 鈥淚鈥檝e been contacting clients more regularly and referring to best practice documents to make sure I鈥檓 doing things right.鈥�

Sophie Campbell, an architect at Sheppard Robson, agrees. 鈥淭hese days I鈥檓 deadly serious about my career.鈥�

2 Actually reading the chief executive鈥檚 emails

鈥淚 read those things from start to finish now. Everyone is suddenly a lot more interested in company strategy,鈥� says Aaron Wall, a graduate engineer at WSP.

3 Doing as we鈥檙e told

Wallbank says: 鈥淚鈥檓 flexible with regards to what my managers want me to do. If the firm required me to relocate I wouldn鈥檛 question it.鈥�

4 Putting up with bullies

鈥淚 was at a seminar for women in property,鈥� says Diane Aldcroft, assistant land buyer at Persimmon Homes. 鈥淭here was one woman there who was being bullied and was wondering whether she should leave her job. Half of the people there said yes, but the other half, myself included, told her she鈥檇 be crazy to leave when the job market was so bad. People have to put up with things they never would have before.鈥�

5 Giving clients whatever they want

Firms are determined to keep clients by meeting their every demand 鈥� even if it is not in the contract. Blessing Gwena, assistant design manager at Kier, says: 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing everything for clients, whether it means moving forward handover dates or even holding parties to entertain them. If the client wants a different window from the one specified 鈥� we change it. Before we might have argued, but now it is not worth risking losing the client.鈥�

6 Looking busy

Campbell says: 鈥淔riends keep coming to my desk for a chat, carrying piles of paper. I asked one what the paper was for and she said 鈥業鈥檓 trying to look like I鈥檝e got lots to do!鈥欌��

7 Going abroad

Mark Chamberlain was a surveyor for NG Bailey when he joined our graduate advisory board. Since then, he鈥檚 given it all up for a career in the oil industry in Azerbaijan. He says he was looking for a job with a guaranteed future, but he admits: 鈥淚 miss watching Top Gear.鈥�

8 Specialising

Become an expert and you鈥檒l be less dispensable, advises Gwena. 鈥淚鈥檓 specialising in the education sector. This is the time to keep doing what you are good at and maintain relations with clients.鈥�

9 Watching what we say

The office blabbermouth is a dying breed, as people choose their words more carefully. 鈥淚f somebody says 鈥榦h I have nothing to do,鈥� they are told, 鈥榮hush, don鈥檛 say that too loudly鈥�. We are all more careful about what we say,鈥� says Aldcroft.

10 Watching the subbies on site

鈥淚 am wary of our subcontractors cutting corners to cut costs, so I鈥檓 keeping a close eye on them. For instance, I鈥檓 ensuring waste is put in the correct bins,鈥� says Richard Devoy, graduate quantity surveyor at Shepherd Construction.

11 Bigging ourselves up

People are talking a lot more about themselves and their projects,鈥� says Campbell. 鈥淒uring Friday drinks the senior partners may congratulate somebody on a project. Then other people will shout 鈥榦h don鈥檛 forget about my project鈥�. Nobody wants to be forgotten nowadays.鈥�

12 Trying new things

While some people are specialising, Wall reckons this is the time to look at options you might not have considered before. 鈥淢any of us are beginning to realise our skills are transferable 鈥� a structural engineer could become a civil engineer.鈥�

13 Working hard, even on Fridays

Aldcroft says: 鈥淏efore you wouldn鈥檛 think twice of leaving a bit early on a Friday, but nobody does that any more. We all arrive bang on time and nobody leaves before five.鈥�

14 Shelving that job hunt

鈥淚鈥檝e been really busy at the moment, so I have not had a chance to network or keep an eye on new opportunities, which is probably a bad thing. Then again, there are not really any opportunities out there,鈥� says one graduate.

15 Skipping long lunches

Sophie Campbell says: 鈥淟unch hours are just that 鈥� an hour and not a minute more. Also, there is far less going out for lunch with contacts.鈥�

16 Worrying about becoming chartered

Gwena says: 鈥淚 have started to worry about what will happen to my chartership. If I lose my job I can always work in a bar, but who will help me get my ICE?鈥�

17 Killing gossip

Aldcroft says: 鈥淧eople really don鈥檛 want to be seen chatting to colleagues or making personal calls. You don鈥檛 stand around the office as much and you hurry off the phone.鈥�

18 Stalling

Some specialist contractors are holding up projects longer than necessary, says Gwena. She says some are being paid by the day and are therefore trying to stretch out jobs for as long as possible; others want to appear busier than they actually are. 鈥淔or example, if something could be finished in a week, it might be worked on for two weeks.鈥�

19 Sacrificing small luxuries

Campbell says: 鈥淭he quality of our snacks has fallen. We used to get tea cakes and French biscuits but now it is just Jaffa cakes and custard creams.鈥�