Construction, engineering & design consultancies...
Discussion
CRB14 said:
It's booming in London but clients are still wanting to screw the back out of contractors who are still fighting it out to win jobs. Tender prices will have to start increasing soon (surely).
The biggest problem for the industry now, I believe, will be that with the market being in such a dip for so long and so many manufacturers downscaling there won't be a sufficient supply of basic materials to meet demands.
A lot of people also moved out of the industry so as things pick up there will no doubt be a short supply of competent staff. I'm not complaining though as my value will just go up and up.
Oh yeah, the clients have really been turning the screws wen it comes to price. Thankfully my company work in a niche area supplying products that reduce site labour time and waste costs, so we've been reasonably busy.The biggest problem for the industry now, I believe, will be that with the market being in such a dip for so long and so many manufacturers downscaling there won't be a sufficient supply of basic materials to meet demands.
A lot of people also moved out of the industry so as things pick up there will no doubt be a short supply of competent staff. I'm not complaining though as my value will just go up and up.
Lead times have been swinging out for quite a bit now, we could get most things within a week or so. Now it seems to be 3-4 weeks and it has to be shipped in from abroad
Indeed, it's definitely good for those left in the pool. There seems to be quite a few guys retiring at the minute as well and not many younger faces...
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I'm ex-Atkins and have worked at a few of the other big names and way before I was 31 I was sick to death of the consultancy lifestyle. Travel is fun when you're young AND single, but the unpredictable nature of the role can get tiring.In summary (of all the companies I've worked for):
Things I liked:
- Never too long on a project
- Some interesting work locations - places and stuff that make for interesting tales (where it didn't contravene the OSA)
- Good for professional development - cross discipline working makes you a much more rounded person.
- Excellent tacit training, i.e. the experience you get is worth a huge amount and is stuff that makes you very valuable.
- Once you have a foot in the door, early progression (pay and rank) can be very good by moving around a lot.
- Good way to build a super-impressive CV.
- Hotel food
- Lack of predictability / able to plan your own time
- Often chaotic work planning - consultancies tend to overbid for work due to not always winning. Sometimes they win everything.
- Very pressured environment at times. Need to be seen as first in / last out.
- Accounting for your time when work is peaking and troughing.
- Working on way too many projects at the same time to the point of total ineffectiveness.
- Hardly ever seeing a project from inception to completion
- Parachuting into a f
ked up project to try and sort it out, when sometimes it is beyond saving - Lack of formal training when times are busy
- Lack of supervision when times are busy
- Being told how much budget your team WILL HAVE not how much you need.
- Being gazumped in resource terms - half your team is nicked for a high-priority project
- Compared to being self-employed the endless form filling when you need new equipment.
HTH
I'm ex Arup best consultancy I have worked for, it takes time to settle in to there ways. I progressed really well there, training was excellent if you have the right drive and skills you can achieve. I have worked in small, medium and some of the other big players but Arup standout it had a family feel. There not for everybody but I do miss lots of aspects of it.
From a main contractor's point of view, if you've taken a position at Arup you will need to make sure you have an over-inflated ego and sense of self importance, and make sure you have an ability to aportion all blame and responsibility onto another party in the design process than yourself. 
If you can do all of the above, you'll fit right in!
If you can do all of the above, you'll fit right in!
I think its true that many so called consultants dont - they just trott out the same old schemes rebadged time and time again and force the clients to take the solution the consultant wants rather than vice versa?
The industry is very claims conscious which leads to horrendous oversizing of kit due to safety factors.
Until consultants sharpen up they will continue to be driven down market by D&B Contractors...
All IMHO of course....
The industry is very claims conscious which leads to horrendous oversizing of kit due to safety factors.
Until consultants sharpen up they will continue to be driven down market by D&B Contractors...
All IMHO of course....
Main contractor in peace!
We have used Arup a lot in the past, and in days gone by where clients tended to have more £ to spend, Arup were definitely one of the market leaders, and probably rightly so.
Since the recession where everybody (architects / consultants included) have had to cut their cloth accordingly, and find a way of delivering more for less, Arup are being left behind because they seem to refuse to alter their attitudes and typical ways of working. It's almost as if they can't deliver value for money for clients, and are only interested in flagship architectural masterpieces which is not what the majority of clients want now, particularly in the public sector.
We have used Arup a lot in the past, and in days gone by where clients tended to have more £ to spend, Arup were definitely one of the market leaders, and probably rightly so.
Since the recession where everybody (architects / consultants included) have had to cut their cloth accordingly, and find a way of delivering more for less, Arup are being left behind because they seem to refuse to alter their attitudes and typical ways of working. It's almost as if they can't deliver value for money for clients, and are only interested in flagship architectural masterpieces which is not what the majority of clients want now, particularly in the public sector.
In 30 years of drafting for engineers and contractors, I've never worked for Arup, due to their reputation as a place to work and the people who work for them, its even the same overseas as a mate worked for them in Hong Kong and said similar things as you.
Luckily I've been out of the UK since '96 and have enjoyed working overseas. 10 years in HK, then 8 years in Australia. Now I'm heading for New Zealand. Haven't really made a lot of money, but its been a great experience and my daughter has seen a bit of the world growing up.
Good luck with what ever you decide to do, just don't be afraid to leave the UK if an opportunity comes up, because if it doesn't work out, you can always go back. Luckily for me, even after a while out of work recently, things are looking up again.
Luckily I've been out of the UK since '96 and have enjoyed working overseas. 10 years in HK, then 8 years in Australia. Now I'm heading for New Zealand. Haven't really made a lot of money, but its been a great experience and my daughter has seen a bit of the world growing up.
Good luck with what ever you decide to do, just don't be afraid to leave the UK if an opportunity comes up, because if it doesn't work out, you can always go back. Luckily for me, even after a while out of work recently, things are looking up again.
Don't want to thread hijack, but having never worked at a larger consultancy... Is there a high chance of them firing you off overseas, to another region, on secondment on a like it or lump it basis?
Obviously projects need some site attendance from time to time but the idea of having my life toyed with like that massively puts me off some of the larger companies.
Obviously projects need some site attendance from time to time but the idea of having my life toyed with like that massively puts me off some of the larger companies.
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