ONETOWATCH

Dayle Bayliss

Construction Consultant

FREE CAREERS PORTAL >

CIOB members can now benefi t from a comprehensive online

interactive careers portal providing all kinds of advice for both employees and employers. This ranges from the basic things like how to ask for a pay rise and write a CV, to interactive tools that allow you to ask questions on how to develop your career and achieve a good work life balance.

The new website has been developed by the CIOB in conjunction with careerinnovation.com, a leading careers specialist, and is free for members to use.

RESOURCES ON THE SITE INCLUDE: Career Healthcheck, based on evidence about the things that help people achieve career satisfaction and success.

Users complete a short questionnaire and receive an output report plus recommended actions and resources to help increase their career “agility” in seven areas.

CareerPulse, an approach based on describing scenarios of real situations people face, then providing a careful selection of resources to help users think through these scenarios.

There are also interactive tools, information pages, downloadable guides and checklists.

If you’re a member you can fi nd out more by logging into the members area at www.ciob.org/content/career- zone#sthash.3QM68iwL.dpuf

Q Why did you choose a career in construction? A My parents undertook a large construction project when I was younger and this instigated my interest. Unfortunately the careers advice I had wasn’t great, when I mentioned construction the automatic response was “oh you should study architecture.” While I enjoyed my

architecture degree it didn’t cover the technical details of how construction actually works, so a job offer with a local authority made me switch to surveying. This role helped me perfect a technical understanding of construction with the some architectural understanding — the ideal mix.

Q What’s the best and worst part of your job? A I run my own company and the variety this creates makes what I do the best job in the world. It is hard work, long hours and can be stressful. No two days are the same and I’m constantly learning new skills and ways of solving problems. Keeping up to date with technology and regulations can be a challenge, but that’s what makes me want to start work in the morning.

Q What’s been your worst professional mistake? A Delaying stepping out on my own and starting the business. It was only a redundancy that made me take stock and realise I could start my own consultancy. We have been established two years in October and it has been the most exciting two years of my career. I only wish I had done it sooner.

Q What would you have done if you hadn’t worked

in construction? A It would still be in construction, but probably a trade: painting and decorating.

Q How do you relax when you’re not at work? A If I am not painting and decorating then it is cooking and baking. Baking is the one thing where I switch off and relax. It also goes down well when there are cakes in the offi ce!

Q What’s the best bit of advice you’ve been given? A If you work hard enough for something that you truly want, you will achieve it.

Q What’s your most embarrassing work moment? A It usually revolves around my name as people are expecting a man and it can put them on the back foot. Or I have had it that people don’t believe I am involved in construction or run my own consultancy — generally more embarrassing for them than me.

Q If you were starting your career again what would you do differently? A Defi nitely have a greater understanding of all the careers available in construction. There are so many opportunities in construction and such a diverse range that I think there is a career suitable for everyone — but all the opportunities aren’t always known. This is one of the reasons I attend so many careers events and mentor at one of the local schools — there are so many opportunities and we need to shout about this.

Dayle Bayliss’s profi le can be viewed at LinkedIn

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CIOB Career Development

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