Not everyone is cut out for that job.
If you work in construction management at a construction company, the company will likely expect you to eventually become a site representative or a supervising engineer. This is only natural from the company’s perspective, and for you personally, it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain experience and advance your career.
Experience as a site representative or supervising engineer is an advantage when changing jobs. Even if you go into business for yourself, you’re more likely to get enough work to make a living.
On the other hand, not everyone is cut out to be a site representative or supervising engineer. Some people may simply find that managing the entire construction site isn’t their cup of tea.
Some people may feel that they “just can’t handle dealing with government agencies or coordinating with various parties.” Continuing to do work that isn’t a good fit for you can lead to physical and mental health problems.
If it's not the right fit for you, working as a temporary employee is another option.
If you are not suited to be a site representative or a supervising engineer, you also have the option of working as a temporary employee.
This is because, when working as a temporary employee, most will end up working alongside the client company’s employees. They will follow instructions and perform tasks such as on-site management, construction work, and CAD operations.
I don't make any unnecessary (?) adjustments, and while I do provide some support, I probably won't be in charge of overseeing the whole thing. So, the psychological pressure isn't that great.
I myself once held a position where I was primarily responsible for negotiating with clients and coordinating with relevant organizations in the areas of design and construction management. At one point, the workload became overwhelmingly heavy, and it broke me. This happened on multiple occasions.
Based on that experience, I realized that I wasn't cut out to be a site representative or a supervising engineer, so I'm currently working as a temporary employee.
Some might ask, “Wouldn’t being a contract employee be fine?” Depending on the terms of the contract, contract employees may sometimes work as management engineers (a role similar to that of a site representative or supervising engineer) in design work.
Therefore, depending on the terms of the contract, it may sometimes be better to work as a temporary agency worker rather than as a contract employee.
Even as a temporary worker, you can make a decent living
In recent years, the hourly rates for both engineers and laborers have continued to rise. So, even as a temporary employee, there are opportunities to earn a decent income.
While it could be said that salaries are high because of the generous overtime pay, it seems that some companies are also raising base salaries. It’s fair to say that unless companies improve their compensation packages to a certain extent, they won’t be able to attract enough employees.
As an aside, I’ve heard from several people that, when comparing similar temporary positions at a general contractor versus a construction consulting firm, the pay is better at the general contractor.
However, I was told that even working for a construction consulting firm, the pay is fairly good. I can’t say for certain that this is the case at every workplace, but,Even if you're an engineer working as a temporary employee, it seems you can still expect a decent level of compensation.
If you’re someone with experience who feels you’re not cut out for roles like site representative or supervising engineer, working as a temporary employee might be an option. Am I the only one who thinks that?
