For the first in a series of profiles on readers working at the coalface of construction, we interview Colin Small, a project director for Bovis Lend Lease in London
When does your day begin?
I'm on site for 7:45am. It takes me two hours to get to central London from where I live in Colchester.

How do you get to work?
I take the train to Liverpool Street from Colchester, then the tube to Knightsbridge. I prefer it to driving, which would take around four hours.

What's the first thing you do when you get onto site in the morning?
I make a cup of coffee, switch on my computer and check my e-mails. I usually have about 20 waiting for me in the morning.

What's the most common problem you encounter?
In central London, where I'm mostly based, its logistics and material deliveries. We get round it by good planning, lots of planning meetings, as much prefabrication as possible and having a dedicated logistics manager. So much time and money can be lost loading and unloading, it's becoming more common in London to have a logistics manager. Someone has to organise road and bus land closures for moving in cranes, unloading large panes of glass and so on. Everything has to be timed.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job?
Delivering a quality product after all the hassles, solving the problems that come up and completing a project on time.

The good thing about this project is the camaraderie between the project team. We often go for a pint after work — you have to stay sane somehow!

What's the worst thing about your job?
The constant pressure and the demands of balancing programme, against quality, against cost. Also, the shortage of quality labour and getting that labour to stay on site. It takes so long to travel across London that the site's deserted by 3pm as everyone wants to get home by 5pm.

When does the day end for you?
I get home between 8pm and 9pm, so I leave the site between 6pm and 7pm. Sometimes I'm the last one to turn off the light. The good thing about this project is that there is good camaraderie between the project team and we often go for a pint after work and discuss the day — you have to stay sane somehow! Working in central London there is always a pub handy and travelling by train, means I don't have to worry about drinking.

What kind of project do you see yourself working on next?
I'm about to move onto the Empress State Building next to Earl's Court, for Land Securities. It's a £76m 30-storey office block, and there are plans to have a revolving restaurant in it.

What's your tip for aspiring site managers?
Be committed. College doesn't prepare you for how to run a site and how to control everyone and everything, so ask and learn as much as you can from as many different types of people as you can. Practical experience is all important. You also need to be a diplomat with a cross section of society everyday.