A Job Guide to Building and Design Careers

There are a lot of different avenues to go down when it comes to building and designing careers and attracts a lot of people with very different views, creativity, and skillsets. If someone was to be looking into getting into a building and design career, the requirement may be very different depending on what line of work they wish to get into, this is because of the vast variety that can occur in this section of work, ranging from a lot of manual labour roles to design and computer-based work.

For example, a bricklayer would need to have a different set of skills from the home interior. A building designer would need to complete around a 2-year degree and if they were to move into architecture, another 2 years would be required. Construction workers are usually taught on the job over many years, starting with an apprenticeship and moving up the ladder with hard work and dedication.  

Aspiring designers (interior or related) usually have a degree in the subject and then may do additional exams under certain agencies or boards to get to a better standing.  

The skills that are required is where it differs a little more depending on the role. All aspects of building and design need creativity, it is how someone can imagine a piece of work and then bring it to life on a huge (or smaller) scale. A building designer thrives on being able to solve complex problems and work under the parameters and limitations of a budget whilst still being able to bring a vision to life.

What sorts of careers could someone be looking at doing with a building (architect) or design degree?

·      Architect

·      Architectural technologist

·      Building control surveyor

·      CAD technician

·      Fire risk assessor

·      Interior and spatial designer

·      Town planner

·      Urban designer

·      Building surveyor

·      Commercial/residential surveyor

·      Construction manager

·      Estates manager

·      Estimator

·      Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer

·      Landscape architect

·      Planning and development surveyor

·      Interior / Exterior designer

These are only to name a few, all these careers can vary in the salaries that they give. An average architect can earn between £25,000-£35,000 per year and an interior designer can range up from £27,000-£50,000 but some research shows that some architects and designers can be reaching six-figure years depending on the jobs that they are doing and the cliental that they have.

The avenues that usually bring in the biggest salaries for people are the ones circulating either new build home construction and design to working with a historical building that needs a lot of consistent work and a special talent to keep the design and look in the era that the building was first created.  

The lower end jobs are construction workers like bricklayers and shop front assistants. Though these do come under the category of building and design, they are at the lowest end and can have a smaller starting salary, but these can be great starting points for individuals that want to get into the industry and want to get a feel of what building and design careers may look like.

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