Building a Career in Construction: 5 Top Choices for Business and Finance Majors

Building a Career in Construction: 5 Top Choices for Business and Finance Majors

by Chris Woodard 05/03/2020

Business and finance are two of the most versatile disciplines that can land you great opportunities in many industries. Business and finance majors acquire valuable skills and knowledge that enable them to make a huge impact on any type of business. While many graduates dream of working in corporate and even in Wall Street, one industry that is often overlooked is construction.

There’s no denying that the construction industry has a negative reputation for fresh graduates. Stereotypes reinforce the notion that construction jobs are dirty, stressful, and not really ideal for fresh graduates. The image of construction work that typically comes to mind involves groups of people in rugged boots and yellow hardhats discussing project plans or using heavy equipment. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to job opportunities in the construction industry. 

Should you choose to enter construction, rest assured that there is a high demand for skilled and professional workers. In fact, many construction business owners are struggling to meet the rise in demand for more construction projects. With a huge chunk of the workforce retiring, construction firms need to train new employees and fill these jobs sooner rather than later. 

If you are interested in pursuing a career in construction, here are some jobs that are well-suited for business and finance graduates. 

B2B Account Executives

If sales is your forte, the role of a B2B account executive is a good fit for you. Business-to-business (B2B) account executives represent the company in reaching out to prospective and current clients and offer solutions through their products and services. This role is perfect for business graduates because of their in-depth knowledge of sales processes as well as the methods for building a network. The responsibilities that you may have as a B2B account executive include:

• • • Oversee the sales cycle, from looking for prospective clients to closing deals
    • Present products and services to prospective clients and respond to their questions
    • Provide after-sales support and resolve issues to maintain client loyalty

Junior Project Managers

Junior project managers assist their senior counterparts in ensuring the successful delivery of a construction project. This involves coordinating with owners, contractors, suppliers, and other stakeholders to achieve project goals. Here are some of the duties of a junior project manager:

• • • Oversee the flow of information from the owner to the concerned teams and other project participants
    • Assist senior project managers in supervising the tasks needed to complete a project
    • Develop plans for construction projects, including schedules, employee’s duties, and budget allocation

Construction Marketing Specialists

Construction marketing specialists help develop a construction firm’s marketing strategy, create marketing collaterals, and monitor marketing programs across multiple channels. This involves researching the market for profitable segments to target, estimating the demand for their firm’s products and services, and creating actionable plans to reach the target market. The duties of construction marketing specialists include:

• • • Assist senior marketing specialists in looking for trends and identifying new marketing opportunities
    • Create marketing collateral and ensure that brand guidelines are met
    • Develop product and service proposals to aid in trade show projects and other lead generation activities

Junior Business Analysts

Business analysts aid construction firms in assessing different operational issues and providing solutions to address them. Fresh business graduates can join as junior analysts to aid senior counterparts in fulfilling both permanent and ad hoc tasks. Some of the business analyst roles in the construction sector and their duties are as follows: 

• • • Sourcing Analyst – Create the profiles of potential contractors, suppliers, and vendors and analyze them for prequalification
    • Financial Analyst – Identify the financial status of a project by comparing and analyzing actual costs versus plans and forecasts
    • Payables Analyst – Oversee the entire accounts payable process, from the receipt of invoices to closing transactions
    • Disbursement Analyst – Analyze the company’s cash position and forecast long-term and short-term cash flow

Junior Collections Specialist

The construction industry is notorious for late payments and it is up to the construction business to be proactive in protecting their payment rights. Collections specialists are responsible for the management and collection of accounts receivables from clients as well as managing billing problems and reducing the rate of delinquent payments. They are also often responsible in ensuring that preliminary notices and liens are sent out to protect companies from lost revenue. Finance graduates can take on the junior collections specialist role and assist collections personnel in managing receivables. Some of the responsibilities of collections specialists include

• • • Collect customer payments in accordance with the agreed-upon payment due dates. 
    • Make timely reminders to clients for receivables with near payment deadlines
    • Encourage clients to resolve delinquent accounts while keeping the company’s reputation for excellent customer service

Job opportunities in the construction industry are on the rise. If you are a business and finance graduate currently looking for career opportunities, it is time to consider working in the construction industry. Depending on your skillset and your specialization, many of the jobs available to you can offer competitive salaries and a fulfilling career.

by Chris Woodard 05/03/2020