Novus Blog
Why choose a career in construction?

Whether you are looking for a change in career or a school leaver, there are so many diverse opportunities in the construction sector. Here’s our top 5 reasons why we feel construction is a great sector to work in right now.
Construction really underpins our economy and society.
Few sectors have such an impact on communities across the UK reaching from Lands End to John o Groats touching all our lives, or has the same potential to provide large numbers of high-skilled, well-paid jobs.
With ambitious growth laid out by the Government in recent times, construction has never been more appealing. Here’s why:
1. There is a huge choice of roles within Construction
Working on site, the career opportunities are vast and diverse. Take a look at our vacancy page and you will notice at least 10 different types of Trade roles.
Novus are one of many Companies in our sector making career opportunities immense.
The diversity of roles available is huge.
From Quantity Surveyors to Environmental Managers, from Painters to Resourcing Managers (like the one writing this blog), there are any careers that you might expect to associate with construction, but these are just a drop in the ocean.
Take a closer look and there is a role to suit people at every level of education, qualification, experience and career aspiration.
2. Develop skills for life
The growth in population and increasing social pressures ensure there will always be a need for construction projects of all shapes and sizes.
Subsequently, there will always be a demand for workers trained with construction skills.
Creating, stability and consistency of workflow is an appealing benefit of choosing a career in construction.
A hands on career such as joinery, carpentry, painting, roofing, and bricklaying to name but a few enables you to learn skills that will last a lifetime and has the added benefit of continually improving with the experience of each completed job.
There is an ongoing opportunity to learn and upskill as the industry ever changes and grows.
The more experienced and skilled you become, the greater the opportunity to progress and develop your career (for those who want to).
Novus for instance have a long tradition of nurturing talent within our 124 years history and has multiple examples of colleagues progressing from apprenticeship level through to senior leadership positions, including our CEO.
3. New technologies creating the next generation of Construction careers
Increased investment along with demand to become more efficient, autonomous, and digitally driven is driving in technological innovation.
Careers that currently do not exist or are in development stages are likely to emerge over the next 5 years. Have a look at our blog post speculating what new careers might emerge in construction in the near future.
This will not only present new opportunities for someone to become a pioneer within a new field but also to become highly sought after within the industry.
Demand for specialists in artificial intelligence, robotics, data science and computer programming are projected to rise.
4. Making a difference in the Community
In many sectors, workers may often contribute to a very small part of larger process and never actually see or feel the rewards of their efforts.
In construction however, the outcome is regularly more evident. For example, when building a house, the construction worker can see, touch, and feel the finished article of which their contribution played a part in producing.
This can be a very rewarding and motivating experience.
In many instances, working in construction is likely to have a positive impact on the environment and communities we live in, thanks to the contributions of the work force.
Regardless of whether you’re working behind-the-scenes, involved in the design, build, or even refurbishment of an existing building, in our industry, all your work is invaluable.
Corporate Social Responsibility and ethical conduct programmes are incredibly important throughout construction.
The opportunity to take part in morally rewarding activities such as our own BIG 5 campaign is an ever-present reality. At Novus, our Social Value team colleagues are at the heart of everything we do.
5. No two Days are the same
No matter what your role is within construction, no two days will be exactly alike. Construction is ever changing and progressing on a daily basis.
Whether this be a commercial roofer repairing a storm-damaged school roof, an electrician checking the wiring on new built social housing or an Online Community Manager reviewing the latest Government housing policy announcement on Twitter, every day is different.
And due to its ever more inclusive nature, there is something for everyone.
The Government appears to value Construction as a route to economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.
So take the plunge, take a look at our vacancies page and come and join Team Novus.

Introducing our Apprentice of the Year: Lily Davies
This week is National Apprenticeship Week, so we’re shining the spotlight on one of Novus’ true rising stars – and recent winner of our Apprentice of the Year’ trophy at the Novus Awards – Lily Davies, who is working with us as a Junior Bid Writer.
We asked Lily to tell us about her journey so far, and her aspirations for the future – and what she would tell people considering beginning their own apprenticeship journey in our sector.