Q&A/Feedback

• What is the market demand for this profession today?

When it comes to the development of Vietnam in recent years, it is impossible not to mention the contribution of the construction industry. This is reflected in the average growth of the construction industry in recent years always reaching over 12%. One of the reasons that the Construction industry always plays an important role in the development is that any industry needs infrastructure (roads, bridges, offices, factories, factories, ports). , houses, hospitals, schools, hotels, industrial parks …) for development. In addition to the need for new construction, the need for repair, upgrading and renovation of existing works to meet the needs of the economy is also very large. We can easily see new construction projects as well as renovation works in all parts of Vietnam in particular and countries around the world in general.

According to the planning of the Ministry of Construction, by 2020, the country needs about 9 million human resources operating in the construction industry. However, at present, the number of construction training institutions nationwide is 45 universities and colleges. Particularly in the city. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are about 11 universities and 4 colleges that train human resources for construction with a total target of 3,000 students. This shows that the labor market’s demand for construction workers is still very large. Especially, there is a need for human resources in Construction Management, a specific discipline of the Construction industry group. Unlike Construction Engineering, which has been trained for a long time in our country, Construction Management is a very new industry both in the world in general and in Vietnam in particular. However, this field of study meets the real needs of providing the market with engineers who are equipped not only with Civil Engineering knowledge but also with economic, financial, and management knowledge.

In addition, it is necessary to emphasize the need for human resources in the Construction Management industry with high foreign language skills due to the integration of Vietnam and the increasing investment scale of foreign companies into Vietnam through many forms. different types of investment.

• What is the future of this industry?

An ongoing situation in the construction industry that we need to pay attention to is the shortage of both quantity and quality of human resources, this is a limitation leading to our country’s construction industry not developing properly. required speed. The number of workers with college and intermediate vocational degrees in the construction industry in general only accounts for 11.8%, the number of high-level workers (6/7 and 7/7 workers) accounts for about 7% of the industry’s workforce. Meanwhile, as mentioned above, the Construction Management industry has only been trained in Vietnam for the last 10 years with a relatively small number. In addition, in order to improve the project investment efficiency, the efficiency of resource use (people, money, machinery and equipment, …), benefits for society, and profits for businesses are not. lack of management knowledge. Moreover, with the current rate of development in the next 50 years, the need to build a basic infrastructure system is still urgent for a country with a developing economy like Vietnam. Therefore, management in the construction field in the future is very promising for those with expertise, high qualifications, good executive ability and market acumen.

• What qualities are required for this apprentice?

In addition to possessing professional and professional knowledge, you need to have some of the following qualities and skills to choose this apprenticeship:

Teamwork skill;
Analytical, evaluation, and problem-solving skills;
Communication skills;
Agile;
Careful.

All these skills will be trained during the study of Construction Management major.

• What is the process of this apprenticeship?

To become a Construction Management Engineer, it is natural that you must study Construction Management to be trained at the University. You can choose to register for entrance exams to schools that offer Construction Management training that you find suitable. Each university will have different admission methods.

Particularly, International University – National University of Ho Chi Minh City. HCM has up to 6 enrollment methods:

Method 1: Admission is based on the results of the National High School Exam in 2021
Method 2: Priority is given to admission according to the regulations of Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City. HCM.
Method 3: Direct admission, priority is given to admissions according to the regulations on enrollment of regular universities and colleges in 2021 of the Ministry of Education and Training.
Method 4: Admission is based on the results of the International University Competence Assessment which will be held on two days May 29 – 30, 2021.
Method 5: Admission for candidates who have an international baccalaureate certificate or graduate from a foreign high school program.
Method 6: Admission is based on the results of the Competency Assessment exam of Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (the first phase is on March 28, 2021 and the second phase is expected to be 1 week after you take the National High School Exam).

After matriculation and admission, students will be able to study subjects according to the training program designed for 4 years. Specifically, in the first year, students will learn a lot of knowledge about mathematics and natural sciences such as physics, analytical thinking. After that, you will be equipped with general knowledge of Construction Engineering, industry and specialized knowledge of Construction Management. In particular, the Construction Management Engineer training program at the International University is designed in the direction of combining with the knowledge of Business Administration to create conditions for students who wish to study more bachelor’s programs. in Business Administration at the school.

In addition, in the learning process, students can also participate in extracurricular activities, clubs… in order to develop comprehensively.

Around the summer of the 3rd year, students will be introduced to do internships in Construction enterprises to facilitate exposure to reality and find job opportunities after graduation.

After completing the internship, students continue to return to school to complete their graduation thesis to complete training requirements and receive a Construction Management Engineer degree.

• Recommend a suitable apprenticeship place?

There are many schools that offer Construction Management, you can search for a list of schools that offer this course on the Internet or in the Admissions Guide.

However, it can be affirmed that there is no school that offers Construction Management training entirely in English as organized at International University –  VNU Ho Chi Minh City. The International University is the first public university in the country to train entirely in English and the school has many majors that meet the quality accreditation standards according to AUN-QA standards of Asia and ABET of the US. The Department of Construction Engineering under the International University, the unit in charge of training in Construction Management is also one of the units that have achieved quality accreditation according to international standards. In order to achieve international accreditation standards, the Construction Management training program is built based on reference to the Construction Management training programs of advanced countries in the world such as the US, Australia, and the UK. , …

Besides the training program, when studying at the International University, students are directly taught by graduate lecturers from advanced countries with modern methods, high quality laboratory system, modern and spacious facilities. At the International University, students are provided with a very good quality study service to meet the maximum needs and help learners develop comprehensively in professional, professional as well as soft skills. necessary for life.

• What knowledge should be prioritized when learning this profession?

To achieve the highest efficiency when studying Construction Management, you need to focus on basic knowledge such as: mathematics, physics. However, because the discipline is more management-oriented, these fundamentals are not as in-depth as engineering disciplines. Next, you should master the basic knowledge related to Construction Engineering (concrete structure, steel structure, foundation). From these basic knowledge, you can easily acquire foundational and in-depth knowledge related to management.

Along with professional studies, students need to equip themselves with foreign languages because this can be considered as the key for them to work at transnational technology corporations or work in developed countries. .

In addition, students need to practice more social knowledge, soft skills and know how to cooperate to work in groups. To be able to further develop their career, students need to have skills in creative thinking, skills in problem analysis and synthesis, skills in problem solving as well as organizing and workflow management.

• What are the difficulties in learning and working?

When we learn anything, we need to study with a diligent attitude; determination, initiative and creativity when learning. Always ask yourself questions like: Why? How?…

Therefore, when studying Construction Management, you may face the following common difficulties:

That is the change in environment and learning style from high school to university. When going to university, students need to actively learn, need to think creatively when applying mathematical knowledge to solve technical problems; Vietnamese students often find it difficult to read reference books on their own to solve assigned problems or to learn more than what they have learned in the classroom. In other words, students need to know how to go to college.
It is a lack of study skills. You need to prepare and practice note-taking skills, arrange study time, reasonable entertainment, along with a positive and proactive learning attitude.
It’s the lack of team work experience.
It is the lack of soft skills in life.
It is the lack of practical experience. If only learning knowledge, theory at school is not enough. Students need to participate in practice, internship in companies and factories to gain experience.
It is the bravery to face new challenges, new jobs, even jobs that require new knowledge…

Similar to other industries, Construction Management industry changes every hour, every minute along with the development speed of the world. Professionals must always cultivate, access new knowledge and equip themselves with a skill to self-study and adapt to changes in technology. Therefore, during your university studies, you will be taught the skills you need to nurture your passion and lifelong self-learning.

• What do you do when you just got out of school? Where?

With the Construction Management major, students will be equipped with the knowledge system so that after graduation, they can take up the following job positions:

Construction consulting company: staff of Sales Department, staff of Project Management Department, staff of Bidding Department, staff of project formulation and project appraisal, …;
Construction company (contractor): Sales department staff, Bidding department staff, QS department staff,…;
Staff of Materials Department, staff of Quality Assurance (QA), staff of Quality Control (QC), staff monitoring the construction volume…;
Project Management Units of Districts/Districts: staff of all departments in the Board;
Staff in charge of settlement work in the Department of Planning – Finance District, District Treasury, Department of Finance, Department of Planning – Investment,…;
Staff at Investment Departments, Project Departments of real estate investors;
Enterprises producing building materials: Staff of Sales Department, Marketing Department;
Project appraisal staff at commercial banks, insurance companies and investment lending institutions;
Construction managers in state management agencies such as: Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport, construction management agencies and urban management in People’s Committees at all levels: provinces and centrally run cities, cities, districts, provincial towns, wards and townships;
Researcher at research institutes on urban economics and management;
Carrying out teaching work at Universities – Colleges with related majors.
In addition, students also have the opportunity to study further to higher levels such as Master’s and Doctoral degrees at domestic and foreign universities.

• How long does it take to become an expert in this profession?

After graduating, it takes you a period of 1-2 years to get used to the job and perform the assigned tasks under the guidance, inspection and supervision.

On average, 3-5 years later, you can work more independently, mentor new friends and can manage a team of 3-5 people depending on your ability. After that, it will be an average of 5 years for you to become a middle and senior leader at your company.

If you want to become a Construction Management specialist, you can also pursue further study paths such as masters and doctorates with the shortest total time of about 4 years. When you graduate, you will become an expert in a narrow field of industry. After that, the work of teaching and doing practical topics will rub and make you more stable, have a broader vision in the industry.

• What is needed to be successful in this profession?

Talking about the overall picture, to be successful in any job, the necessary condition is passion for the job, followed by self-training ability and other soft skills that will determine success in the profession. Although technology changes every second, technology will not completely innovate but build from technology platforms and have a certain life cycle. When you grasp technology and have the ability to quickly adapt to new things, the opportunity for success will always be beside you.

To be successful in this Construction Management profession, too, you definitely need to have career passion, progress, actively train to improve your self-worth to meet the increasingly strict industry requirements of the labor market. Activity – this is essential for success in this field.

• How much is the salary of a novice?

It should be added that Construction Management is a modern industry with many foreign construction corporations investing in projects in Vietnam. Therefore, the starting salary of a newly graduated engineer will also depend on the ability and type of the company with the level ranging from 10 – 20 million VND/month. The level of income will increase with the experience base accumulated during the working process.

• How much does it cost to become an expert?

When an engineer has a lot of experience and high ability, he will be considered as an expert in the field and assigned jobs with high requirements for expertise and practical experience in handling problems.

Currently, the income level of experts is very high and depends on the company and the specific job. Usually large companies and corporations pay experts from 50-60 million VND/month or more. In addition, experts often have very high bonuses based on achievement and effectiveness in the projects they are working on.

• From what sources do this profession’s money-making opportunities come from?

The opportunity to earn money in this profession comes from many different sources such as:

• From salary when working for companies;
• From rewards for good job completion;
• From part-time jobs outside in free time;
• From the cooperation in research and development of project management software;
• From consulting to companies;
• From opening production and trading companies…