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Some common concerns you might have in the UK construction market:
- "There's so many companies going under..."
- "Everyone's busy winning work but no projects seem to be starting..."
- "It's difficult to see any career progression as the future seems to be so uncertain..."
All the above is happening right now and it's making a lot of people feel a bit vulnerable as we head into winter. No one wants to get up on a Monday morning and worry that there job or company might not be there in a couple of months. So, you either keep your head down and hope for the best or you move to a better company.
It's clear, with recent failures, that bigger isn't always better. Major contractors might seem the safer bet, but the margins worked on tend to be extremely tight without a lot of room for the unforeseen. So whilst the turnover might seem impressive, it really is all about the bottom line profit. These large firms can quickly run out of money, as we've seen recently, and close the doors with no notice.
On the other hand, specialist contractors operate with a very different business model. They work directly for the client, not as a subcontractor (as that will be affected by the above if you're in the supply chain) and operate at much healthier margins. Yes, the numbers are smaller (in terms of project values) but if your 10m project makes the same profit as a 100m project, it starts to make much more sense.
Smaller projects still offer the same challenge in their complexity, particularly in central London. The scope is largely the same it's just the scale is different.
I'm working with a couple of contractors who:
- Are making healthy profits on their projects - 10% to 20% or higher
- Have a confirmed, solid pipeline of projects that are ACTUALLY starting
- Can offer much quicker career progression - you're not just another PM, you play a much bigger part
The future of construction projects in central London is the re-use of buildings/structures rather than demolish and rebuild - Cut & Carve, multi level basements, new storeys on top etc.
If you're a Project Manager, with experience of central London(must have)cut & carve, substructures, faade retention, complex temporary works, soft strip demolition - contact me. I've got live roles NOW, paying decent salary packages (80k to 100k DOE) and all offering a road map for your own career progression.
