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Teamwork is absolutely essential on a building site – you won’t get very far on your own.
Teamwork is absolutely essential on a building site – you won’t get very far on your own.
As a site foreman in building maintenance, Cihat combines organisation, planning and execution – and, together with his team, ensures that every project is carried out successfully. In this interview, he talks about what his day-to-day work is like and why he is seen as the ‘big brother’ on site.
My name is Cihat. I started working at ZÜBLIN as a skilled tradesman. Within a short space of time, I was given the opportunity to attend the foreman training course and, later, the site foreman training course. I have been working as a site foreman in building maintenance for the past three years.
The difference is that, as a site foreman, you sometimes lend a hand on site. And the size of the project: as a site foreman, you are responsible for smaller projects, whilst as a foreman you are responsible for larger ones.
My main responsibilities include training our own staff and briefing partner companies, scheduling and planning the workflow, carrying out regular checks on the work, and coordinating deliveries. I keep an eye on the entire construction process and ensure that everything is done at the right time and to the required standard.
To start out as a site foreman, you need a solid foundation: a completed vocational qualification, foreman training and, of course, several years’ experience as a skilled tradesperson on a building site.
Personal skills are just as important. You should have organisational skills and an interest in the building trade. Assertiveness and open communication are key. On a building site, things don’t always go to plan: materials may be missing, a machine might break down, or the weather could cause problems. When that happens, you need to stay calm, think on your feet and quickly find a practical solution.
As every project in building maintenance presents new challenges, every site is different – and that’s exactly what makes the work so exciting. When a project is completed, it fills me with pride, even years later.
One project I’m really proud of is the balcony refurbishment of a high-rise block in Reutlingen. The wind and weather really put us through our paces there, but we stuck it out together right to the end and achieved an outstanding result. In the end, we managed to satisfy 24 property owners – and it’s precisely this feeling that makes our work so special.
I am currently working on the refurbishment of a large underground car park right in the heart of Stuttgart city centre – whilst the car park remains open to the public. The car park is in dire need of refurbishment, and at the same time, many different trades – such as electricians, pipework specialists and fire safety experts – are working side by side. Furthermore, the underground car park serves as a passageway to five other neighbouring car parks and buildings. This combination of confined space, ongoing traffic and numerous stakeholders makes the project particularly challenging and exciting.
Here, everyone contributes their own experiences and strengths. That’s exactly what makes our collaboration effective and ensures a high standard of work. We learn a lot from one another and benefit from the fact that everyone brings different expertise to the table.
And, to some extent, I’m also ‘the big brother on the building site’. When problems arise, people come to me.
ZÜBLIN has been a great support to me in achieving my career goals. I have always found a willing ear and have been given the opportunity to develop my skills and take on responsibility. This support has played a key role in my career to date. My next goal is to qualify as a certified foreman.
From my experience as a foreman, I can only recommend that you familiarise yourself thoroughly with the technical aspects of the job and always keep track of what’s going on. Taking on responsibility is part of the role – so you shouldn’t be afraid to do so.
