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Archive for January, 2010

The Opportunities in Construction Jobs Overseas

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

The developed world maintains many types of project, including continuation, decommissioning and environmental work, much of which is implemented by some of the industry’s leading companies, who are diversifying into new markets. Factors such as tourism and the continuing rise in the global population have increased the demand for housing, commercial buildings, high-rise constructions, industrial processing plants and new and improved transport infrastructures.

New markets are arising in countries with unused natural resources. Countries such as South Africa, South America and Russia are providing budding opportunities in this area, whilst countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and Dubai are plowing billions of pounds worth of investment into housing, hospitals as well as residential and tourist developments. Other industries are having a positive effect on the construction industry; India has achieved an almost overnight success within its IT sector. As outsourcing and the off-shoring of international business have grown in conjunction with the development of this IT industry so, too, has the demand for commercial, residential and retail constructions. China is also offering substantial opportunities for jobs in construction as its changing infrastructure demands new housing and power developments.

UK qualifications are well-respected worldwide by construction recruitment organizations, offering British workers considerable opportunities to work overseas. Whilst overseas project tend to favour more experienced graduates, many multinational companies will readily take on more-recently qualified graduates into their ranks. Contracts overseas can mean long periods of time away from the UK and, in some cases, working longer hours than UK contracts stipulate. However, in these circumstances, many companies offer employees additional pay allowances and extra money to assist the costs of intermittent flights back to Britain.

Construction jobs overseas require a variety of employees with a variety of skills, such as site managers, site engineers, plant engineers, electricians, quantity surveyors, structural engineers, store managers, finance personnel, personnel managers, catering staff and procurement managers. Working abroad can also present language and cultural challenges, whilst trying to oversee a large build, but this leaves extra room for graduates to use their qualifications to their best advantage.

Important Things for Having a Good Interview

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

In any interview you want to present yourself as a skilled and knowledgeable professional who is a great team player and enthusiastic about the company and the position for which you are interviewing. One way to really shine is to follow some guidelines for when it is time to attend an in person interview. The following are a few points to remember when preparing and meeting a potential employer.

Be on time. This really should go without saying and even though it seems like common sense many people with show up to the interview late. This is one thing that will really reduce anyone’s chances for consideration. One way to really shine is to follow some guidelines for when it is time to attend an in person interview. The following are a few points to remember when preparing and meeting a potential employer.

Thank the interviewer for their time both at the beginning and end of the interview. Being polite really goes a long way and people will remember it when it is done in a genuine way. Sometimes people are nervous and forget to covey their gratitude for the chance to make a case for why they should be hired for the job. Remember that the interviewer is often conducting many interviewers and really responded to someone thanking them for their time.

Carry extra copies of your resume for the interview. When doing tons of interviews details can become overwhelming and making the interviewers life easier will help. By having extra copies of your resume you can supply someone that may be attending the interview that wasn’t scheduled to be there ahead of time. It shows that you have the ability to be forward thinking and can handle details that others do not.

Be well groomed. There are lots of different styles of how to wear your hair or choice in attire. Presenting yourself as well groomed means you look like you are cared for. Having messy hair or wrinkled clothes can appear that you do not care about how you look. You do not have to have the most expensive clothes or the latest styles just make sure that you are wearing clothes that are appropriate to the type of work you are applying for and that you look well-kept.

Following these guidelines and employing some common sense by putting yourself in the interviewers shoes can have a really impact even if it is a subtle one. At the very least it will help keep you in the running and not cut your campaign short before the real consideration happens with the people that make the decisions on who gets the job.