Career snakes and ladders.

[Tannedbaldhead]

I gradually worked my way up the career ladder in construction starting off as a trainee estimator working my way through the positions of junior surveyor, surveyor, senior surveyor and survey team leader to the heady heights of commercial manager. I assumed that being reasonably good at my job and experience would eventually get me to the heady heights of commercial director at some point in my 50s and from there cruise to retirement. Job done.

Then the credit crunch hit and construction took a hammering guys in other industries would not believe. My last management tasks were to sack all my staff before visiting my line manager to be chopped in turn.

Since then I have suffered periods of unemployment, worked freelance and even did a spell of mucking out stables and dog walking (best jobs I've ever had as far as enjoyment and job satisfaction were concerned) before landing a full time position as just another surveyor in a large construction company specialising in social housing repair and renovation work.

I'm nearly fifty now (very nearly 50 ), in a fairly junior position, my CV is a mess, the industry is full of old guys with very similar career paths and recent experience as myself and it's also full of younger guys who were in the right place at the right time to have progressed their careers through the recession with intact career paths and having picked up all the most recent and relevant training in current management and technical practice. What's more I always get the feeling guys like that are very wary of guys like me and keep us on tasks where our long experience and technical knowledge never gets a chance to shine on the off chance that if it did we could present ourselves as competition for future promoted post.

I have the feeling that when playing career snakes and ladders if the player hits a snake, particularly older players, there wont be any more ladders. I suppose I should count myself lucky. Within my circle of friends and ex colleagues there are some very able older people who haven't even managed to gain junior positions within their old professions.

[vescaegg]

Sounds like you have had a bit of rough time. I must admit I didnt think the recession would have been much of an issue for highly experienced surveyor. But, one thing I have learnt and I am only really a few years in, is that there is a massive aspect of it being who you know rather than what you know. A couple of my friends who are at big PQS firms have really stressed that they have to network all the time to be noticed and within a shout for promotions etc.

Are you keeping up to date with all current regs etc? We have had a couple of people in our place who have unfortunetely gone by the wayside due to not keeping up basically. Is there a stigma where you are now that you may be set in your ways due to having been in the profession so long?

Hope the situation improves soon for you.

[The Beaver King]

Got to agree with the above; Construction really is a case of 'who you know' when looking to secure a new role.

I'm 7/8 years into my career and my General Manager has made it very clear that networking will solve a lot of problems in the future. I've seen it first hand, attending a meeting and my manager knowing most of the people there having done the circuit over the years. It makes it easier to build relationships and, ultimately, secure work.

We're not talking small companies either, mostly national M&E and main contractors.

If you haven't already, I'd suggest creating a Linkedin profile and adding any old contacts.

Another avenue is through an agency. Perhaps set your sights a little higher (management or higher), you might be surprised at the opportunities you are offered.