How to Be a Good Project Assistant in a Construction Company

A project manager's assistant in a construction company is an administrative assistant with more selective responsibilities. If you have experience as an administrative assistant this job will not be too hard to understand, but the industry can be very fast paced so if you are a quick earner that is even better. The position is also often called project coordinator, because in essence you are the one that is in charge of coordinating all the paperwork for the project.

First off, get familiar with the industry'svocabulary and lingo, this will come with time but reading upon the industry will only help you, and get familiarized with the company's older and finished projects.

Understand the subcontractors' roles within each project and some of the more technical wording, since you will be the one that has a lot of contact with them.

Be a fast learner, each industry will have different software's, and therefore you may have to learn more than one, but a new skill to add to your resume can only be good. In fact it is requested to be familiar with computer skills such as Microsoft Office such as the most used software's are Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Strong typing skills are also required; usually if you can type 45 words per minute or more is good.

Have good communication skills, you will also need to be very firm and know how to express yourself when speaking to potential subcontractors about a new or ongoing project. And it is important to have good work relationship with both your project manager and the superintend of the project, all three create a team.

Know how to maintain a calm attitude, do not let subcontractors or even a superintended walk over you, sometimes you will have to deal with people with bad tempers, in some cases it is normal to ask advice or even transfer the calls to your project manager.

Time management, organizational skills and know how to prioritize are also essential in the job, as you will probably have to deal with more than one project at a time; and therefore it is a good idea to keep your desk neat and orderly so you do not waste time looking for important papers, and create binders for each project with inside all the necessary paperwork.

Be positive and upbeat, especially when talking on the phone asking subcontractors if they want plans to be sent to them for an eventual project.