Table of Contents
✓ The problem of adaptation of graduates of construction universities on construction sites is complex, multifaceted, and challenging to solve. Many scientific works and publications have been written on this topic. Nevertheless, young civil engineers struggle with their first job.
Briefly about engineering and civil engineers
✓ A civil engineer is a specialist with a higher technical education, the creator of information about the architecture of the material means of achieving the goal and its functional properties, the method (technology) of manufacturing this means (product), as well as the means itself and the material embodiment of the goal, and the person who carries out the management and control over the manufacture of the product (buildings and structures).
✓ The main engineering task is developing new and optimizing existing solutions for the design, construction, and operation of buildings and structures.
✓ Initially, engineers were called persons who operated military vehicles. The concept of “civil engineer” appeared in the XVI century in Holland about the builders of bridges and roads, then in England and other countries.
Main person at the construction site
✓ The most crucial person on the construction site is a foreman or a civil engineer. The foreman is, in fact, the general manager; he manages the entire construction.
✓ The foreman is a professional who knows all the subtleties of construction work. He directs the work of several teams of 150-200 people of various construction specialities.
The profession of a foreman is close to engineering specialities and, at the same time, carries the responsibilities of a project manager:
- Monitoring the implementation of construction technology
- Subcontracting contracts and expenses
- Contacts with customers
- Divorce of workers
✓ A foreperson must have a higher education. And not only specialized (construction). Management applicants with a degree in management are highly valued. Applying for an engineering major is not easy; Research Paper Writing Service– can make the process a little easier.
✓ A graduate of a construction university often has only to roll up his sleeves and wear a white helmet. However, it will not be superfluous to understand the subtleties of the profession represented.
✓ Take it as an axiom: they don’t become foremen right away. You must work on a construction site for a couple of years as a worker and at least a year as a master. And only then, if everything works out, you will be appointed foreman.
✓ The long path to the profession is entirely justified. A good foreperson should be able to work with a trowel and knead cement and lay down the wall. Then he can evaluate what others have done and conduct technical supervision professionally. By the way, this is one of his primary duties.
✓ Another is the competent organization of the construction process. At the disposal of the foreman are not only brigades but also equipment: cranes, trucks, bulldozers, etc.
✓ As an experienced commander, he puts workers and machines in their places to get the most out of it. In any weather, he is present at the construction site, corrects the actions of teams, does not allow equipment downtime, and transfers forces to problematic areas in time. Provides workers with materials, overalls, and equipment.
✓ This work is intense – in shifts. A good foreman tries to create a friendly atmosphere in the team when everyone feels in their place and feels the importance of what they are doing. Of course, it is impossible to manage many workers alone. Brigadiers and linkmen come to the rescue. And here, you can not do without sociability and finding a common language with different people. To avoid disagreements, one must have unquestionable authority. And it can only be earned by a professional who can understand the problems that arise and solve them promptly.
✓ The profession requires experience in construction and organizational skills and deep engineering and technical knowledge, which can be obtained only in a specialized university. To give a straightforward task to the teams, it is necessary to be able to read complex drawings. All the work done on the construction site must strictly comply with the design and estimate documentation.
✓ There is a lot of work with a variety of documents. The entire course of construction is necessarily “logged.” It is necessary to fill out magazines on technical documentation, issue orders, fix the scope of work and determine the deadlines for their implementation.
✓ To have all the necessary equipment and equipment available – make an application for materials, structures, parts, and tools in time and order components from warehouses. Meet incoming cars, arrange to unload, and check accompanying documents and certificates.
Competitiveness of a graduate of a construction university in the labour market
✓ The concept of competitiveness of a young specialist closes on what abilities, qualities, knowledge, skills, and abilities ensure the demand for a university graduate in the labor market.
As a rule, graduates with excellent knowledge, excellent skills, and practical skills in their training field are only sometimes competitive in the labor market.
What is missing to achieve a high professional level?
✓ The competitiveness of a young specialist should be considered not only in the professional but also in the personal sphere.
✓ The primary psychological condition for successful activity in any field is confidence in your knowledge and your abilities to achieve your goals. The main directions in which self-confidence as a future professional should be developed are:
- Mastering and improving professional skills.
- Acceptable behavior in various situations of human communication.
- Creating a good appearance and image.
✓ In other words, students should form three groups of skills in learning: technological, communicative, and conceptual. Technical skills are associated with the development of a specific profession. Communicative ones are directly related to communicating with various people.
✓ Conceptual is the art of predicting events, planning activities, and making responsible decisions based on system analysis. The study of the experience of managers at various levels and their understanding of managerial activity allows, going from the opposite, to describe the model of an effective professional employee through answers to the following questions.
- Does the employee work effectively without pressure from the manager?
- Does the employee perform the job with high quality and on time?
- Will the employee make additional efforts if the team needs it?
- Does the employee work well in the absence of the boss?
- Does the employee create problems at work?
- Does an employee help other colleagues to do their job better?
- Does the employee prevent conflicts, and does it contribute to creating a favourable psychological climate in the team?
✓ Thus, the optimal combination of professionalism and socio-psychological qualities can ensure the future specialist’s competitiveness in the labor market and universities — competitiveness in the market of educational services.
