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Construction administrator skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Neil Opfer,

Irish Horsey Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical construction administrator skills. We ranked the top skills for construction administrators based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.4% of construction administrator resumes contained construction management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a construction administrator needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 construction administrator skills for your resume and career

1. Construction Management

Here's how construction administrators use construction management:

Involved in constructions administration, engineering coordination and on-site Construction Management
Provided the services of full-time personnel to assist the Construction Management organization with document control support at the construction field office.

2. Construction Projects

A construction project is an organized process of constructing, redeveloping, renovating, or otherwise improving a building, or structure. The project phase begins usually as a broad criterion that is then made with the help of a brief, feasibility analysis, funding, and planning. The majority of construction projects are one-time jobs.

Here's how construction administrators use construction projects:

Tracked and monitored individual construction projects to avoid cost overruns and to ensure achievement of profit margins.
Supervised construction projects to ensure that all architectural designs and specifications were implemented by contractors.

3. Construction Contracts

Here's how construction administrators use construction contracts:

Assemble construction contracts including recommendation for award and bid tabulations.
Prepared, reviewed and negotiated construction contract agreements.

4. Project Management

Here's how construction administrators use project management:

Project Management Purchasing Assist in various Human Resources tasks New Employee Orientation and Certification Manage all other office/clerical duties
Received training in Project Management and Contract Negotiation.

5. RFI

RFI, short for Request for Information, is a preliminary business practice document used by the procurement industry to obtain general information about products or services, and to capture granular details of their procurement needs from experienced vendors in the market or the capabilities of various suppliers to enable purchasing decisions better informed.

Here's how construction administrators use rfi:

Reviewed the contract documents and specifications and consulted with the design professional as required to provide responses to RFI's.
Coordinated Shop Drawing and RFI review with consultants; responsible for Log(s) documentation and weekly publication.

6. Purchase Orders

Here's how construction administrators use purchase orders:

Verify correct coding of invoices and verify information on invoices against purchase order information.
Create Purchase Orders, fill out applications, run or have runner submit permit documents to the municipalities.

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7. Shop Drawings

Here's how construction administrators use shop drawings:

Prepare punch lists, chart delivered equipment, review plans, specifications, shop drawings, and change orders.
Processed shop drawings, samples and product data and reviewed them for compliance with the contract documents and specifications.

8. Meeting Minutes

Here's how construction administrators use meeting minutes:

Participated in weekly subcontractor meetings and produced meeting minutes.
Document and distribute inspection & conference meeting minutes/details.

9. Construction Phase

Here's how construction administrators use construction phase:

Provided mentoring to staff during the construction phase of the project and maintained a collaborative environment to ensure maximum resource utilization.
Performed department head duties during construction phase while construction administrator remained on project site in Washington.

10. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how construction administrators use data entry:

Manage database operations and data entry on project specific software.
Put together extensive data entry manual for entering mortgage loans into the CBS system within the Bank.

11. Construction Sites

A piece of land where constructional activities are to be conducted is termed as a construction site.

Here's how construction administrators use construction sites:

Field work which requires construction site visits and field inspections including extended field assignments at NEON's Domain construction sites.
Requisition, expedited and shipped parts and material to detachments for support of construction sites.

12. AIA

Here's how construction administrators use aia:

Prepared all notice to owners, certificates of insurance, and AIA billings for projects.
Produce Contract documents on AIA Software (American Institute of Architects).

13. Office Equipment

Here's how construction administrators use office equipment:

Closed Salt Lake City office after projects completed including shipping of all office furniture, office equipment, etc.
General office duties including scanning, faxing, ordering office supplies, and maintaining office equipment.

14. Payment Applications

Here's how construction administrators use payment applications:

Attend monthly pencil draw and budget meetings; process vendor invoices & payment applications.
Verified, corrected, and approved payment applications.

15. Contract Administration

Here's how construction administrators use contract administration:

Coordinate day-to-day contract administration & construction activities.
Contract administration of a 28,500sf, $6.5MM new Multi-Purpose Cafeteria on Hawthorne High School campus.

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What skills help Construction Administrators find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What construction administrator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Neil Opfer

Assoc. Professor - UNLV Civil & Environmental Engineering & Construction Department, Website

First off, know what competitive salaries are in your area of the country for the type of job you want as you never have to recover from a good start. Some companies, for instance, will offer salaries that are simply not competitive. As an example, a few years ago, we had one CM graduate starting at $70K per year at one firm (heavy-highway contractor) whereas another grad had been offered $42K per year for a commercial flooring contractor. That $42K was simply not competitive with the market whether that employer offering that salary knew it or not. Also, compare offers versus area living costs. Use cost-of-living calculators such as at bankrate.com If you, using this bankrate.com tool, were offered one job in Las Vegas NV at $80,000 per year versus another job opportunity in Los Angeles CA, you would need $122,000 per year as a comparable salary. Remember to measure yourself as to earning that salary on a regular basis. Don't take jobs where a bonus is promised to make up for a bad salary. Example here is taking a Superintendent Job where your Job ended up profitable but other jobs run by others overall didn't so taking that lower salary and not getting that bonus didn't work out so well. Again, benchmark yourself against what others in the industry in that same area are actually getting paid. If you truly feel you deserve a raise where you're at but can't get it you may need to change jobs to get to a higher salary scale. But that firm offering above-market salaries may be doing so because of internal problems (bad bosses, poor working conditions, insane hours, insane understaffing, etc.) so look before you leap. It's a given that to be successful as a working professional in construction, one cannot just work a 40-hour week. But you shouldn't be working 7-10s or more on a regular basis either. Again, through networking you perhaps can find out who are the 'bad employers.'

What soft skills should all construction administrators possess?

Irish Horsey Ph.D.

Interim Chair of the Department of Construction Management and Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University

Leadership and communication are among the most essential skills of a construction manager. Construction managers are responsible for ensuring that projects are built safely on schedule, within budget, and to the quality outlined in the drawings and specifications. To fulfill these responsibilities, construction managers must lead multiple teams, including primary, secondary, and third party players, on a construction project through effective oral and written communications.

What hard/technical skills are most important for construction administrators?

Irish Horsey Ph.D.

Interim Chair of the Department of Construction Management and Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University

Construction Managers are project managers with specialized technical skills. Construction managers' most important technical skills are print reading, estimating, scheduling, project and technology management.

Do you want to know more?

List of construction administrator skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a construction administrator resume and required skills for a construction administrator to have include:

Construction Management
Construction Projects
Construction Contracts
Project Management
RFI
Purchase Orders
Shop Drawings
Meeting Minutes
Construction Phase
Data Entry
Construction Sites
AIA
Office Equipment
Payment Applications
Contract Administration
General Contractors

Pay Applications
CAD
Project Budget
Construction Process
MEP
Design Intent
Punch List
Construction Schedule
Construction Drawings
Site Inspections
Project Close-Out
Project Completion
Construction Administration
Value Engineering
Bid Packages
Expense Reports

Travel Arrangements
Cost Analysis
Insurance Certificates
HVAC
A/P
Construction Issues
Bid Process
PowerPoint
Building Permits
Prolog
HR
Timberline
A/R
Design Development

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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