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Experience counts for Gary Wykes, director at SDC Builders. When describing his ideal applicant for the role, Wykes says he prefers applicants with an HND or a degree, but is quick to stress that while training is important, it is experience that matters. "It is always useful for applicants to hold a qualification or a professional membership, however if they have done the job successfully elsewhere, then we would be interested in them," he said. For this job, Wykes says applicants should have a minimum of five years' experience putting together tenders for commercial and industrial projects on both traditional and design and build projects.

Only the committed
Wykes also values strong unbroken work history. "What we don't want is people who aren't committed, enthusiastic or who see the job as a stop-gap. This is a tough and challenging role, as such we are looking for people who are dedicated and enthusiastic. We need someone who can cover a variable workload and contribute to the team on a wider basis than just a pure estimating role. Most importantly, they need to be committed and they need to be a team player."

many young managers expect senior jobs too soon

Gary Wykes, SDC Builders

With the industry becoming more client-focused, Wykes also says that candidates today need to be able to liaise with clients effectively and be able to listen to the clients' brief and properly understand their requirements. This is an increasingly important part of the role.

Comparing candidates today to those of five years ago, Wykes says that while some candidates are as good as they have always been, some are much weaker. "The main difference is that there seems to be fewer of the good applicants around, and that a number of younger applicants seem to expect to attain senior positions a lot quicker than their actual level of skill dictates."