Construction & Real Estate
As populations grow around the world, there is a greater need for property. Every family, business, and organisation, needs a place to live and work. This need has led to more services being offered by the construction industry and by real estate firms who make it easier for individuals or organisations to sell and rent property.
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This list is a sample of roles within the Construction & Real Estate industry. Studying accounts can aid you to follow a career path which leads to one or more of these roles, amongst many others.
General Manager
A General Manager would run the show at a particular company, such as a construction or a real estate firm. They (she/he) would be expected to take most major day-to-day decisions, improve the way the business operates and manage relations with fellow companies and authorities.
Financial Manager
The Financial Manager is an accountant who oversees the financial health of the organisation and takes decisions with the rest of the managing team to support the business to have a long life. The Financial Manager might supervise a team of accountants, and heads important functions such as the monitoring of cash flow to ensure that the organisation can always pay its employees and suppliers on time, have enough money to invest when needed, determine the profitability of the business from the different types of incomes and expenditures, and produce accurate financial information.
Quantity Surveyor
The Quantity Surveyor works closely with the Financial Manager, as they are responsible for leading all aspects of the contractual and financial side of construction projects. Quantity Surveyors manage the costs of a construction project by estimating and controlling costs, which are communicated to the Financial Manager, to ensure that the construction project is completed within its projected budget. They also make sure that the structures being built meet the relevant legal and quality regulations.
Operations Manager
This person takes on responsibility to ensure that the organisation and its projects are running as smoothly as possible. An Operations Manager works closely with several key people in an organisation to ensure that company goals are achieved. Such areas can include the finance, marketing, and human resources departments.
Senior Accountant
Within the finance department, the Senior Accountant is the key person responsible for keeping track of the company’s income and expenditure. Using this information, they draw up financial reports showing the financial position of the company. The accountant also calculates taxes and seeks to identify data and information through financial reports which helps the management team, and the business owners make decisions on how to spend and save money.
Business Development Executive
For a business to survive, it needs to grow and be competitive. Business development includes seeking ways to make the company grow through new ideas, contacts, and clients. This role requires the individual to have some accounting knowledge such as budgeting expenses and forecasting revenue, a good grasp of financial literacy, as well as research, negotiation, leadership, and communication skills, amongst others.