Top marks to Tom

How did it feel to get the best CIOB exam award for 2001, on top of the best site manager diploma award of 2000?
I was really made up. It was very unexpected, I just tried to do my best. It's always nice when someone recognises the hard work that has to go into these things. My family were over the moon, but people on site have pulled my leg a bit, especially when I had my photograph taken!

How do you balance work, family and college?
It's difficult. I owe a lot to my wife. She has always supported me and given me time to do my work. She takes the kids [he has six] out of the way when I need some peace.

People at the company I was working for at the time I was studying for my exams didn't start till 9am, so I used to get in around 6:30 and get some work done before everyone else came in.

Why did you decide to take the CIOB exams?
I'd been a foreman for about five or six years and I wanted to progress. I saw the way to do this as either through the CIOB or by taking a degree. As I didn't have the academic background to do a degree, the CIOB course at Bexley College in Kent seemed like a nice way in. It's more practical than academic.

How did you cope with being at college?
I did a City & Guilds in carpentry and joinery when I was 20, but I haven't been to college since and it was extremely difficult to get back into it. I've never found learning easy; I've always had to work hard at it. But the lecturers at Bexley College were brilliant: they were always available to offer help and point you in the right direction.

Do you think experience or exams make for a better site manager?
Having worked in site management and trades, I think that managers without practical experience don't command as much respect on site. You don't need to know the nuts and bolts of construction to manage it, but it helps if you can offer a solution to a practical problem on site. Construction management students should work on site to gain practical experience and see how it all works. But it's not all practical - you need a mixture of both.

When does your day begin?
I get in about 6:45am/7am. It takes me about 30 minutes to ride by motorcycle from where I live in Sidcup in Kent.

What's the first thing you do when you get onto site in the morning?
Have a cup of tea.

I much prefer coming to work in a shirt and tie to tatty old jeans and a sweatshirt

What's the most common problem you encounter?
Getting hold of quality resources, materials and labour. Subcontractors hire most of the labour but we have to keep an eye on them to make sure we don't give them too much work to do at once, and that they have finished one job properly before moving onto another. I've always worked in and around London and it's been a consistent problem.

What's the most rewarding thing about your job?
The end product. Not many other industries create something from nothing. And knowing you have made a difference to people, especially with housing refurbishments.

What's the worst thing about your job?
I love construction. There isn't one thing I could pinpoint as being the bane of my life.

What project are you working on next?
A £17m student accommodation and sports and leisure development in Kingston, Surrey, which starts in June.

What's your tip for aspiring site managers?
Don't stick with just one thing. Make sure you have a variety of projects to work on, and work for a variety of companies, from client to subcontractor to main contractor. I love to try different things and Mount Anvil appreciates a varied experience. I also like communicating with different levels of people.

I don't have a favourite type of project yet. I'd like to give civil engineering a go. I want to build a bridge that doesn't blow about.