Choosing a construction career based on your interests

The things you enjoy can easily lead you to the perfect job, keeping you passionate about what you do and interested in developing your skills.  

Read on to find out more about how to take your favourite subjects, both in and out of school, and turn them into a job you’ll love doing. Plus, we’ll look at work experience and other ways you can get into the construction industry. 

How to find a career you enjoy 

Subjects like maths and science, hobbies such as video gaming and painting – these are all things that you can enjoy and can help you find in a job in construction. They can help you in analytical or creative roles, using skills like problem solving or drawing. Finding a job you enjoy will help you to stay focused and progress, so make sure you think about your long-term passions and how you can use these to help you prepare for the world of work.  

Work experience 

Work experience allows you to gain experience of a role to see if it’s right for you. There are different types of work experience, some where you will ‘shadow’ someone in a role you’d like to know more about, others where you take 1-2 weeks’ placement through your school or college. You can find out more about each type of work experience here. 

Research careers based on what you enjoy 

If you know you enjoy problem solving or working with your hands, you can research job roles around this. Use our career explorer to find the roles most suited to you based on your interests, skills and qualifications. And don’t worry if you don’t have the qualifications yet, it can still help you to know what to work for and how your career path might pan out after school or training.  

Take a look at our fun educational resources 

Whether you’re a teacher, careers advisor or looking for more info about how to get into construction, we’ve got it covered with our educational resources. We even have a FAQ about visiting construction sites so you can see them in action. 

Enjoy science? Some ideas for careers in construction 

Below are some of the roles you might enjoy if science is your thing. Click the links to learn more about each role. 

Materials Engineer / Technician 

You’ll work with a building’s materials to make sure they’re the best for the job. 

Remediation Specialist 

This job is all about the assessment, treatment and removal of contamination from soil and groundwater so constructions sites are safe. 

Civil Engineer 

Civil engineers plan, design and manage large construction projects. 

Interested in art & design? 

Creative types may find a great job doing any of the following: 

Interior designer 

Your job is to make spaces that are functional and beautiful, from planning décor to the building of unique furniture. 

Design manager 

If you like to be in charge of all the creativity around you, a design manager role could be perfect.  

Architectural technician 

This role mixes technology and creativity as architectural technicians specialise in presenting building designs to bring new structures to life. 

If you enjoy geography, these careers might be for you 

If maps and planning out a landscape interests you, these jobs could be perfect. 

Land surveyor 

Planning the shape of land and gathering data for construction plans is the main part of this role, but you’ll also get to use some of the latest tools to do so. 

Town planner 

Town planners have an important job as they must balance the needs of a community and the needs for construction developments.   

Heritage consultant 

A heritage consultant will work to protect any historic buildings or landscapes when construction is planned. It’s about protecting history while building for the future.  

Take our construction personality quiz 

Our quiz will help take your interests and turn them into possible careers in construction. Answer questions about your favourite TV shows and social media channels, then explore your possible job roles. Take the quiz now.  

Find out what construction career could be right for you 

From mythbusters to inspiring blog posts, we have plenty of information about careers in construction for you. Explore your options from apprenticeships to T-levels for getting into the industry.

Find out more about construction work experience 

You’ll find a lot of online resources for work experience. BAM Careers is a great place to start and we have an extensive guide to work experience that will hopefully answer all your questions, from what sort of things you’ll get up to, to how to find it.  

If you’re not sure if work experience is for you, have a look at our list of your options for getting into construction, so you can choose the right path for you. 

And don’t forget to follow Go Construct on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.