Let me start by explaining the different stages of construction management - business development, design, planning, budgeting & costing, and execution. Every stage above requires a civil engineer. When a construction company starts a new project need to decide where to launch, analyse the supply and demand which is done by the business development team. Civil engineer helps in understanding different topology (slope, river, etc.), and highlight the cost that could be incurred. The architect would design the concept with various amenities, and a civil engineer would determine whether it would be feasible. The management team would decide the timeline which is based on the different activities which are determined by a civil engineer (e.g. knows which activity takes more time). Next stage is understanding the budget and cost involved for various activities. In the execution phase, the actual building construction happens.

After completing my engineering, I joined a real-estate developer, and they construct high rise buildings. In the case of the housing sector, there were 4 segments - low cost, affordable, premium and luxury. Different companies operate in different segments. I worked on a project which has high rise residential towers (6 towers with each having around 50 floors). My responsibility was the structural work, which consists of making the beams, columns, slabs and ensure they meet the specification.

I was working on the project execution phase and handled a team of 10 people. These people would assign work to around 200 labourers. First, I make a weekly schedule and then divide into a daily schedule. For example, determining which activity is critical and should be done on a priority basis and how many labours are required. I get a report from my team, and I analyse whether the plan and execution have matched. Safety is of very high priority for high rise buildings, and I ensure the workplace is safe (e.g. not wearing a helmet). I also spend time to analyse the quality of the structure, which was cast in the past and whether it meets the requirement.

In some cases, I need to get approval from my manager to correct a deviation (from the requirement), and in some cases, I look for ways to handle the deviation. I actively looked for ways to save time and cost. For example, improve the productivity of people by improving the design, reducing wastage etc.

I ended up choosing science as my friends chose it, and I was not interested in biology. I ended up selecting an elective of electronics. I heard there was a kind of guarantee to get a job after 4 years of engineering. I was afraid of choosing Computer Science as I was not sure whether I could compete with people who had computers at home. I had limited choices as a result and I couldn't get mechanical (as I didn't score enough marks) at the top college in my state hence chose Civil. I didn't like the technical part of Civil, and I was interested in construction management (where I get to learn about different stages).

I think you must be comfortable to talk with people (from labour to management). You must be prepared for different challenges (e.g. spend 4-6 hours in the hot sun at the site). Patience would also be necessary (e.g. weather is not in your control).