How to find jobs during the credit crunch

There are still plenty of opportunities in construction for bright and able candidates with the ability to sell themselves. Grant Prior reports.

Unemployment is rearing its ugly head once more as the jobless total across the country has edged-up to nearly 1.7 million, while the number of unfilled vacancies has dived to 634,000.

The UK as a whole is facing a tightening of the job market as the full effects of the credit crunch continue to filter down to every part of the economy.

But even against this gloomy backdrop, construction recruitment is continuing to show its resilience, with contractors and consultants still battling it out for the industry's star performers.

The market has changed and it is no longer a case of construction professionals coming straight out of college and touting their services to the highest bidder.

During the last decade all the talk has been of skills shortages and well-qualified new recruits and experienced workers have found it easy to walk into new jobs.

That is now history. And professionals looking to land their dream job in the current market must do their homework (see box on p21) and make sure their skills are applicable to sectors relatively unscathed by the downturn.

Housing has been blitzed by the credit crunch and recruitment consultants have been swamped with CVs from housing specialists looking for new work.

Transferrable skills

The challenge is to see whether their skills are transferrable then make them an attractive proposition to contractors in other markets.

Scott Bulloch, head of construction at ATA Selection, says: "As soon as a job ad comes out we are inundated with applications from housebuilders.

"There has traditionally been a Chinese wall between housebuilders and other markets because bricks and mortar is a long way away from other types of jobs. Civil engineering requires qualifications which they haven't got so you are looking at finding people work on jobs like schools and health.

"The problem is that most main contractors have transferred resources internally from falling departments so it's a tough time for housing professionals."

The exodus from the housing market has led many employers to believe that they have an enlarged pool of potential workers to choose from. Firms are now putting candidates through stricter interview procedures and taking longer over appointments.

Hays regional director Pamela Lindsay-Dunn explains: "Clients are becoming choosier because their perception is that there are more people in the marketplace.

"The days of a quick interview and job offer are over - clients are calling for second and even third interviews now."

Missing out

But not all of the power has switched back into the hands of employers. Lindsay-Dunn believes some professions are still in huge demand and employers will miss out on the best people if they dither too long. "They will interview people then wait to see who else is around, but the reality is there aren't many other candidates," she says. "Clients are waiting over appointments and losing people.

"The more astute clients will use that reasoning to try and knock a few grand off salaries but it doesn't work because there are still not enough people around at that skilled level. In fact, the opposite is true and you need to offer more money because people are more reluctant to move jobs in a downturn."

Well-qualified civil engineers are still in massive demand as the sector continues to hold-up well. Project managers with civils experience are also highly sought after as are quantity surveyors.

There is also a massive demand for estimators, with freelance workers pulling-in a good hourly rate.

Bulloch says: "The challenge for our commercial property department is finding estimators because everyone is tendering for everything as the market goes through changes.

"Freelance estimators are now getting £50 an hour. Bright, well-educated estimators can be very picky about the firms they choose and as soon as those sort of people's CVs go up on the jobs boards the phone starts ringing off the hook."

Educating candidates

Contractors have taken advantage to put a brake on wage rises in all but the most sought-after disciplines. "Rates have not significantly dropped yet but we are making candidates be as realistic as possible by educating them about the current market as clients are looking to squeeze rates," explains Bulloch.

Contractors are looking to be impressed at interviews by job-hunters who are really keen to join their organisation.

Technical skills

GB Building Solutions director Andy Hall says: "Obviously we look for technical skills and experience and also people who know people - those that have a reputation.

"We look for people with energy and enthusiasm who want to be part of the company. We want people who are energetic and dynamic - being a self-starter is a massive thing for us because people can hide in big organisations."

It is the same message at Balfour Beatty. A spokeswoman says: "Our markets are holding up well and we are always looking for well-qualified people. The problem is finding them then making sure we hang on to them."

One industry veteran says: "There are a lot of people out there who found work in a boom but will struggle in a recession.

"The very best will always be in demand but the days of anyone walking into a job are over."