Could You Be a Future CEO?

At the start of your career you might only have a vague idea of where you want to end up. Or, you might think you know and then find that other opportunities present themselves.

In the infrastructure sector there’s a vast array of roles that your career could evolve into – your education to-date will only offer a vague idea of what these might be. There’s no substitute for being on the inside and working with colleagues from a range of disciplines to see the full range of opportunities.  You might start in a technical discipline and decide to follow a commercial or managerial pathway.

In fact, we don’t really know what opportunities lie ahead. The sector is evolving rapidly to respond to the challenges of digitisation, modular construction and net zero carbon. The skills profile of the industry is changing with it. There will be jobs in the future that don’t yet exist.

And that’s part of the great adventure.

So, what should you look for when you’re applying for roles in the infrastructure sector (at any stage of your career)?

Perhaps the most important thing is to understand how you’ll be encouraged and supported to take an active role in your own career development. Everyone in Osborne Infrastructure Limited (OIL) has a personal development plan, access to learning opportunities and support and mentoring from their line manager.

Given the pace of change in the industry, it can help to know whether a potential employer is a leader or a follower when it comes to technology and innovation. OIL has been at the forefront of developments such as 3D digital mapping of assets and modular construction. Our integrated rail and highways business makes us even more receptive to new ideas.

The most important test is the experience of people who have joined the company; Were they able to build a successful career within the organisation? Many of our senior staff have grown with us – including John Dowsett, the CEO of our newly independent business who started on our graduate programme.

Whether your aspirations are to be a future CEO or lie in some other aspect of infrastructure, you’ll always be encouraged and supported to see just how far you can go.

Interested? Take a look at our current vacancies.