Construction Management Certification and Education

A decade ago the world was falling into financial disarray. The great recession and subsequent mortgage crisis devastated many industries. The prices of American homes plummeted. The lack of interest in real estate brutalized the construction industry. All over the country, builders walked away from their jobs to find more profitable employment elsewhere.

That’s quite a different picture from today. A strong economy and renewed investment in infrastructure are pumping life back into the construction industry. We are experiencing a construction boom.

However, even with high demand for quality workers, those wanting the best jobs with the best salaries face stiff competition.

Setting Yourself Apart

How do you get the best job? How can you ensure your resume sticks out when employers and hiring managers are going through the stacks in front of them?

Employers want skill. They want workers ready to hit the ground running. One way to show that skill on paper is experience. That can come in the form of prior work as well as education and certification.

Your experience and training signals to employers that you have the skills they need, and that they won’t waste resources having to teach you. Degrees and certifications require you to demonstrate a high level of standardized competence. When employers see you’ve achieved those credentials, they’ll know what you can bring to the table.

College Education

There are many different paths you can take to climb the construction career latter. It’s no longer enough to just rely on practical, on-the-job training. While that is still very important, more and more candidates are turning to post-secondary education to help advance their careers.

This is especially true for project managers and supervisors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “it is becoming increasingly important for construction managers to have a bachelor’s degree in construction science, construction management, architecture, or engineering.”

Recognizing the importance of these programs, more and more colleges and universities are offering bachelor’s degrees in these areas. There are even master’s degrees in construction management.

Licenses and Certification

As in many other industries, there are other ways of establishing your competence outside of formal education. One of these methods is professional courses and earning professional certifications.

For the most part, certification is not a construction manager requirement (though some states require licensure for construction managers). However, just because it isn’t mandatory doesn’t mean hiring managers aren’t using it to filter and rate applicants.

Remember, certifications demonstrate a high level of skill and knowledge of the construction process. They also shows you’ve met a recognized standard of professional practice.

The following are three certifications worth investigating:

1. The Construction Managers Association of America (CMAA) offers what it calls the “gold standard in personnel credentials for the Construction Management profession.”
2. The American Institute of Constructors offers a certification program to graduates of construction management programs as well as established constructors with several years of project oversight experience.
3. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers safety certifications. You might not see this as importance, but the construction industry is constantly rated as one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States because of occupational hazards. Employers are always looking for ways to improve job safety.

Take the time to investigate these options. Not only will they help you get the right job, they will help you build a more successful career path and earn a little extra dough along the way.