You don’t have to be looking for a new job to start thinking about your next move. Many of the infrastructure professionals we speak to are doing well where they are. They’re curious about what else is out there, whether their ambitions are realistic and what would make an opportunity worth exploring.

It’s easier to think those questions through, and plan your infrastructure career path, before a role comes up. Start by looking at the work you’d like to do more of, where your experience would carry weight and what you’d need from a move to make it worthwhile.

Which infrastructure career paths are open to you?

The same project can look very different depending on where you sit. An investor might assess whether to commit capital. A developer might work to get the project financed and ready to deliver. An operator might focus on how the asset performs over time. Advisers and public bodies have a different view again, from advising on a transaction to setting out what a project needs to deliver for the public.

Think about which decisions you’d like to be closer to. That can help you work out whether you need to change employer, move into a different type of organisation or take on new responsibilities where you are.

From advisory to investment

An adviser who has spent several years assessing deals for investors may want to see how those decisions are made, and what happens to an asset afterwards. Investors often value experience of putting capital at stake, so a move on similar pay can be a practical way to build it. Our article on lateral career moves in infrastructure looks at how to weigh up that kind of move.

From public procurement to project development

Illustrative example: A procurement lead has helped assess bids for major public infrastructure projects. They understand what makes a proposal credible and where bidders tend to underestimate the public sector appetite for risk. A role with a developer could let them apply that experience from the other side of the table. Our article on moving from public sector infrastructure into the private sector looks at how to show that experience.

A useful next move brings you closer to the decisions you want to make.

What experience can you take into your next role?

When we speak to candidates, we’re interested in what they’ve actually done. If you helped originate a deal, what did you do to move it forward? If you managed an asset, what decisions did you make about its performance? If you worked for an equity investor, how did you contribute to the decision to invest or to the work that followed?

Pick two or three examples you can talk through clearly. Explain what was at stake, what you were responsible for and what happened as a result. Doing this can also show where you need more experience.

A quick check before you start exploring:

• Which stages of a project’s lifecycle have I worked on, from development through to operation?
• Which stakeholders have I worked with, such as investors, operators, public bodies or delivery teams?
• What measurable results can I point to?
• Where would I need more experience to reach the role I want?

What would make a move worthwhile?

A higher salary or a bigger title may be part of the appeal. Look at the work behind the offer too. That includes what you’d be responsible for and how your career progression in infrastructure could develop over time. Our article on lateral career moves in infrastructure sets out the questions to ask the hiring team before you decide.

If you’re considering a move overseas or a return home, be clear about where you’d consider moving and when. Family commitments and schooling can shape the timing as much as the opportunity itself.

What can you get from an initial conversation?

You’re welcome to get in touch even if you’re happy in your current role or an opportunity we’ve approached you about isn’t right. A first conversation is a chance to explain what you’ve done, talk through what you’d like to do next and ask how that fits with the kinds of roles we see. We’re particularly interested in speaking to people with a passion for infrastructure and with a strong track record in their sector.

As specialist recruiters, we work on behalf of hiring organisations, so we can’t promise a vacancy or predict when one might come up. We can share what we’re seeing in the market and offer a perspective on where your experience might fit.

Thinking about your next move? Get in touch with Largo Jackson for a confidential conversation, or explore our career advice and mentoring pages.