The Building web site is a part of the large, diverse media group known as CMP Information. The organisation has a range of related magazines and web sites, including: Building Design, Building, Building Services Journal, Property Week, and RIBA Journal, to name but a few; as well as having a broad range of other publications and media channels outside of the infrastructure and built environment sectors.
The most important part of any of the web site reviews featured in the NES newsletters has to be the section about the jobs that are featured on the web site. It isn’t as straightforward for this web site though, as the jobs section is managed as an entirely separate web entity: www.building4jobs.co.uk. This web site, like the one it links from is also well designed, clear to navigate through and has a good deal of relevant, useful content. Whilst the site claims to have over 4,000 vacancies, at the time of checking there were ‘only’ a little over 3,000; the top categories of which, were: architectural/design (1,193), surveying (684), and construction (469). The jobs are searchable through these categories and also through clearly defined links to searches based on location or company. Added benefits of the site include a salary checker, job alerts, CV checker, company profiles and careers advice. The range of selected employers listed on the site are paying advertisers as opposed to being there for any parti
cular merit and more often than not are recruiters anyway rather than direct employers.
However, the main web site (and the focus of this review) is also similarly immense. There is an extensive range of news throughout the sites and its archives. On the home page there is a ticker tape with all the latest news, which, because of the extensive media network to which the site belongs, is very current. The news is categorised into relevant sections, including: sustainability, housing, health & safety, specifier, buildings gallery, campaigns, league tables, supplements, events and awards. Each of these category areas is also further divided into sub-categories.
Other services include a range of newsletters delivered on a daily or weekly basis. There is a general newsletter available as well as specific ones focusing on health & safety, housing, legal, sustainability and technical. The newsletters are a valuable, free resource available through this web site, helping the time-poor professional to keep up to date on the latest developments and current affairs that are pertinent to them.
Also on the site is a directory that is claimed to cover the construction products and services, but as with many of these large media companies, inclusion comes at a cost, which unfortunately devalues the usefulness of this service (as non-paying companies appear to be excluded, despite their value to the industry).
It would be impossible to feature and/or review all aspects of the web site within the scope of this newsletter review. However, the subscription features, free newsletters, up-to-date news and diverse sector coverage makes this site one of those that really should be included in amongst any favourites collection if you work in the infrastructure or built environment sectors.