Most individuals in senior management now understand how essential BIM technology is to company operations.

In my experience over the past year, Vendors & Resellers specifically are crying out for experienced Application Engineers and Consultants and they aren’t afraid to convert people from a multitude of different BIM jobs.

Perks & Benefits

There are many reasons why someone would benefit from moving into an Application Engineer or Consultant job with a Software Vendor rather than a construction company, produced by the fact there is a strong need for this kind of talent in these companies.

They might find, for example:

? A better salary on offer: Experienced Application Engineers can expect to be paid anything between £45-50,000, and even junior roles can command respectable packages of £30,000+. Fully qualified BIM Managers will see their remuneration coming in at £50,000 and above.

? Many vendors offer other benefits such as a company car and a bonus scheme to supplement earnings.

? It’s not just about money though – a major benefit to be felt from crossing over to a vendor is the commercial experience that can be gained. The opportunity to be client facing, delivering a proprietary piece of software or process is very rare within the construction space, and often this can be limited to module integration into existing systems instead. Individuals aiming to broaden their experience could find more commercially oriented work within Software Vendors.

? Application Engineers with a passion for their industry will benefit from the exposure to the latest technology that can be obtained within a position in a vendor. They can expect to be well trained on the latest innovations before they are shipped out to the construction companies, effectively being at the frontier of the industry.

Risk & Reward

However this transition is not entirely without risk and candidates need to balance the positives and negatives before they move to another part of the construction chain. They need to be mindful that there may be an obligation to travel a lot to client sites, and they must consider how much they would miss being able to collaborate directly with construction professionals.

I think the biggest risk factor to consider however is whether an individual working within a construction company will miss the hands-on element of their job. For those in a design role, the move away from “pure” hands-on work is sometimes a concern owing to the level of experience they have built up in their career to get them to this point. However, a move away can offer the opportunity to leverage this technical knowledge in a different capacity. Herein lies the perceived risk/reward proposition.

Whilst these points need to be taken into consideration it is worth highlighting that a move into other aspects of the software market can be a lucrative proposition, with a major skills gap that needs filling with Applications jobs. BIM trained individuals are perfect for this, trained highly in all the necessary skills from the competitive BIM market, and could reap the rewards of standing out from a sector shortage.

If you’re looking to transition into a more commercially focused BIM position within a vendor or reseller, get in touch and I’d be happy to have a conversation about how we can help.

You can read more by me about the world of BIM, and the evolving role of a BIM Manager here.