FNB/BER (First National Bank / Bureau for Economic Research) released their latest Civil and Building confidence indices this week. The Civil Confidence Index is 5 (out of 100) which means that 95% of civil engineering construction companies … [Read more...]
What’s really matters on your CV
I've sent out thousands of CVs to hundreds of companies and this gives me a good feel for what does and doesn't matter on a CV. I start judging a candidate from the very first interaction which is often the receipt of the CV and I know most of my … [Read more...]
How to get a job in Dubai
Is Dubai in a recession (late 2019)? Businesses are closing and companies are retrenching. The Purchasing Managers' Index dropped to 51.6 from 55.1 in July 2019, declining for the third month, and properties are selling at a discount. Is this … [Read more...]
Dubai Job Scam
A colleague of mine recently got a job offer to work in Dubai. Nothing untoward since he's on the job market and his name is out there. Luckily he dropped me a line asking what I thought before committing to the offer. I've reproduced all the … [Read more...]
South Africans applying for UAE work visas
I've been finding South African engineers construction jobs in the UAE for many years and part of the service is to assist them with their work visa applications. The first part of the visa application process is completed in South Africa by the … [Read more...]
How much money do you pocket if you work in the Middle East?
Middle Eastern countries don't tax individuals whereas most expats come from countries where they do pay tax. This often makes it difficult to compare packages. I find the only way to properly compare packages is to work out … [Read more...]
The 20 toughest interview questions asked by the world’s top firms
I'm posting this article more for fun than for serious thought. My niche is construction recruitment and I've found over the years that very deep interrogative interview questions are mostly off the mark. When it comes to construction the focus … [Read more...]
How to get noticed by your boss
Do you sometimes feel like everyone else is being promoted and excelling in their careers, while you are missing each and every opportunity? If you would like to excel in your career, or stand out as a professional, the solution is simple: You have … [Read more...]
Improve your networking skills
Technical people are notoriously bad at networking yet it is one of the fundamental requirements for executive advancement. Most technical executives will tell you that they spend very little time on technical work and most of their time is devoted … [Read more...]
CVs that get results
A killer CV won't get you the job but it can get you to an interview. Below is probably the best presentation I have seen so far on how to prepare a proper CV. It was put together by Peter Panayotou who is a professional CV writer. I can highly … [Read more...]
Cost of living index
Have you ever thought of working somewhere else in the world? Do you know if it would be financially worth it? Numbeo.com have just published their 2016 Mid Year Global Cost of Living Indexes and the lists make for interesting reading. It's … [Read more...]
Types of engineering construction contracts used in South Africa
The four main types of contracts used in South Africa are: FIDIC (French acronym for International Federation of Consulting Engineers) 1999 General Conditions of Contract for Construction Works (GCC 2004) The Joint Building Contracts … [Read more...]
Demystifying EPCM contracts – what’s in an ‘M’?
Acronyms abound in the wide world of project delivery methods – D&C, DCM, ECI, EPC, EPCM. The list goes on. Even for those of us out there who speak the ‘lingo’, it can get quite confusing. Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and … [Read more...]
Shortage of engineers? What shortage?
Our government published a list of 100 scarce skills in South Africa (why not 97 or 103?). Seven of the top ten are infrastructure engineers (electrical, civil, mechanical, ...) and I guess this report dovetails nicely with the NDP (National … [Read more...]
Engineer + MBA?
Ask ten people “is an MBA on top of an engineering degree worth getting?” and you're likely to get ten different opinions. … [Read more...]