Construction, engineering & design consultancies...

[GT03ROB]

Yazza54 said:

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.

There is a chance yes.

If there is no work or projects in your home office but there are openings elsewhere the chances of a like it or lump it ultimatum is real. Secondly most major international companies reward/promote on the basis of mobility. If you are not mobile don;t expect the best opportunities, promotion or pay rises.

[Yazza54]

GT03ROB said:

There is a chance yes.

If there is no work or projects in your home office but there are openings elsewhere the chances of a like it or lump it ultimatum is real. Secondly most major international companies reward/promote on the basis of mobility. If you are not mobile don;t expect the best opportunities, promotion or pay rises.

Thought as much, I've never had an issue with travelling as such but I've hear of people actually being relocated and living in a hotel for months on end. It's great if you're a single bloke but that kinda stuff puts unwanted stress on relationships. Not to mention paying for a house I wouldn't be living in!

[GT03ROB]

Yazza54 said:

......that kinda stuff puts unwanted stress on relationships.

Divorces are very common!!!

[Yazza54]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I am now with a M&E contractor, we have a building side too so a mix of working with our own builders and other main contractors. Enjoying it so far, good to be hands on, still have a design role within the company but am managing projects too, so a nice mix. It's also been enlightening to gain a proper appreciation for where all the money goes and get into estimating too. May be worth a try.

[psychoR1]

Or try a smaller consultancy - lots have grown out of the boom over the last couple of years, spun out of 'faces' from the bigger practices and some pure specialists in IT/AV?

I think the speed of change, not in tech, but in companies in general will be the way of the future - nothing is forever or even long term anymore.

Just IMHO of course...

[ClaphamGT3]

A shrewd move - I'm not one to knock other players in the market but I think that Arup, both as a proposition and as a business model, is time-expired.

[bucksmanuk]

ClaphamGT3 said:

A shrewd move -

I know of 2 people who work at Arup's - I completely agree.
both of them amazingly arrogant at times...

[Yazza54]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I went for an interview with them a few years ago and that was 100% my impression.

[psychoR1]

Yazza54 said:

I went for an interview with them a few years ago and that was 100% my impression.

Having had to manage some of their designers in the past I would quite agree...composite elliptical staircase by Caparro anyone...circa £1M with big up front prototyping design cost...