#8 Careers In Construction

On this weeks' Careers In Construction, meet Ohi, a Senior Planner. The role of a Construction Planner is to develop a plan to complete a construction project based on budget, work schedule, and available resources. Broadly speaking, construction planners are given a result and need to do what is necessary to make the result come to life. Synthesizing the steps necessary to complete a construction project is a challenging task. The steps include choosing among technology and methods, defining work tasks and relationship, and estimating activity duration and resource requirements.
 
1. Why did you choose this career path? 
Growing up I was really good at sciences, problem solving and developed an interest in Construction and the Built Environment. I wanted a rewarding, meaningful & lifelong career. Before becoming a Planner, I did thorough research and found there was a high demand for planners due to a shortage of good planners.

2. What did you study in school/university?
Construction Management and I’m SMSTS trained as this allows me to inculcate Health and Safety when planning projects.

3. What certifications are associated with your career? 
I am working towards achieving my MCIOB (Member Chartered Institute of Building). Others include, APM (Association for Project Management) or PMI (Project Management Institute).
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4. What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue this career path?
Gain a construction related qualification and start as a Trainee Planner/Engineer/Construction Manager. This allows you to gain an understanding of sequencing of work, build processes & gets you acquainted to working on site. Expose yourself to a variety of projects & see at least two projects from Inception to Handover.