My Construction Management placement

MA Construction Management student, Mia, undertook a placement as a Construction Design Manager at BECT building contractors as part of her studies. Find out what her role entailed, and advice for students looking to undertake a placement.

How did you secure your placement?

I was lucky enough to know someone already working in the industry, and they offered to pass my CV on to their company. That opened the door for me, and from there I went through the interview process and managed to secure the placement.

What was your first day like?

My first day was definitely nerve-racking. I had a lot of ideas about how it would go and, in the end, it was nothing like what I imagined. Because I’d never worked in construction before, I was really worried about not knowing what I was doing. But I was lucky, my first day went well. My line manager was friendly and made me feel comfortable straight away. They started me off with the basics, like reviewing and understanding drawings, which helped ease me into everything and settle my nerves.

What were your highlights?

My placement had loads of highlights, but the biggest one was realising I wanted to be a Design Manager. I got the chance to run design team meetings on my own, which really pushed me and boosted my confidence. I also became good at spotting mistakes in drawings and suggesting the ways to fix them, which felt good, knowing how much those small details impact a project. Another part I enjoyed was going out on site to take measurements and then adding them to the drawings, so they were accurate for the design team to work from. I also worked on two listed buildings, which helped me get familiar with listed building regulations and different traditional construction techniques. On top of that, I was responsible for all the technical submittals and RFIs, making sure every question was answered, the correct information was given and signed off by the right people. It was a lot of responsibility, but it taught me so much. 

How did your current knowledge and skills gained from the course help you on your placement?

Uni really set me up well for my placement because I already had a good grasp of the basics. Learning things like the RIBA stages, how a project programme works, and the main contract types meant I could understand why certain drawings were being asked for and what stage the project was in. Knowing how to read drawings and having some awareness of regulations also helped me pick up on mistakes and follow conversations more easily. Plus, all the group projects at uni made a difference too, because I was already used to communicating clearly, working with different people, and asking questions when I needed to. All of that made it much easier for me to settle in and get involved properly. 

What have you learned from your placement?  

The biggest thing I learned on placement is that no one knows everything, and it’s completely normal to ask questions. The more questions I asked, the more things made sense, and it helped me get the most out of the experience. I also picked up a lot of useful skills, like writing clear professional emails, reviewing drawing packages for mistakes, taking meeting minutes, and chasing up actions so everyone stays on track. It also taught me how to communicate with people professionally and work with different teams without feeling nervous.

Some other things I learned as a trainee Design Manager:

• How to work with architects, engineers, and subcontractors
• What to check for when going through design and spec packages
• How design changes are managed and why updated drawings are so important
• Organising RFIs, technical submittals, and keeping documents in order
• Sitting in design meetings and understanding how decisions get made
• How to spot issues early and feel confident speaking up
• Managing your time and prioritising when everything feels urgent
• Using key software and tools more confidently (Bluebeam, Procore, Navisworks, Revit)
• Understanding how different teams fit together in the design process

Any advice for students considering undertaking a placement?

Definitely do it. A placement really helps you get a feel for what working life will be like once you finish uni. It also gives you a better idea of what specific role you might want to go into, especially in construction where there are so many different paths you wouldn’t even know about unless you were in the environment. It also helps you develop your skills and understand what you’re taught at uni so much better because you get to see it in action.