Find out the top 10 core skills you need to master as a combination building inspector and what hard skills you need to know to succeed in this job.

A combination building inspector has the primary responsibility of inspecting buildings and structures on whether they conform to the set codes and laws in all the phases of the construction process. He/she also enforces codes and ordinances related to energy, building, electrical, plumbing, and handicapped as well as keeping the records of inspection.

Other than inspecting buildings and enforcing codes, other duties include making sure that the construction work performed has the required permit and that it conforms to the building code and the approved plan; reviews plans for the building constructions and alterations to ensure they comply with the building codes; recommends changes to be made to meet the set codes; issues and signs off permits for building, demolition or alteration of signs if they comply with the codes and interprets the requirements and restrictions of various codes.

Core Skills Required to be a Combination Building Inspector

Core skills describe a set of non-technical abilities, knowledge, and understanding that form the basis for successful participation in the workplace. Core skills enable employees to efficiently and professionally navigate the world of work and interact with others, as well as adapt and think critically to solve problems.

Core skills are often tagged onto job descriptions to find or attract employees with specific essential core values that enable the company to remain competitive, build relationships, and improve productivity.

A combination building inspector should master the following 10 core skills to fulfill her job properly.

Knowledge of Job:

Knowledge of Job is essential to every employee who needs to have a clear understanding of how their jobs fit into the overall organization to eliminate carelessness and laxity.

A Combination Building Inspector must be able to evaluate this criterion when selecting an employee and know the common descriptions of a person with either right or inadequate knowledge of the job early enough to either keep them or let them go.

Strategic Planning:

Strategic Planning is organizational management activity that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations while guaranteeing that employees and other stakeholders are working towards common goals.

A Combination Building Inspector should be liable to develop the systematic tools to be used in the organization's processes that coordinate and align resources and actions with the mission, vision, and strategy throughout the organization.

Team Building:

Team Building represents various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within the different teams at the workplace.

A Combination Building Inspector ought to provide team building activities to his team to cultivate better communication, morale, motivation, productivity and help employees know each other better as well as their strengths and weaknesses to be used in building a better workplace.

Planning and Scheduling:

Planning and Scheduling are the act of establishing a plan for a set of tasks that needs to be completed and including when they should be done.

A Combination Building Inspector needs creativity in balancing both planning and scheduling by clearing defining what and how activities will be carried out by when and who in particular to ensure there are a clear flow and accountability to every staff.

Dedication to Work:

Dedication to Work is a devotion or setting aside the scheduled time that you are required to work each day consistently without fail as well as being on time and giving 100% of your efforts to doing quality work.

A Combination Building Inspector ought to be dependable and set an example for the rest of the workforce by showing up for work on time every day consistently and producing quality work while applying company policies and business strategies.

Dependability:

Dependability is the characteristic of being able to be counted on and relied upon by providing services that be trusted within a period.

A Combination Building Inspector needs to be dependable and hire reliable employees who can be counted on as consistent and beneficial to the business, building their niche as an essential element of the larger team without worrying about bringing less than your efforts.

Enthusiasm:

Enthusiasm is an intense enjoyment or a lively interest in a certain thing with a zest and a strong belief that can be felt by those around you.

A Combination Building Inspector ought to be enthusiastic as well as create a friendly atmosphere that makes the staff comfortable with the surroundings, with the other employees to create a less passive working place.

Self Confidence:

Self Confidence is the ability to know who you are and what you are capable of doing which shows in your behavior, your body language, how you speak, etc.

A Combination Building Inspector must be confident enough to inspire confidence in others while encouraging them to handle daily tasks and their personal lives with self-confidence that will, in turn, produce a well-rounded individual.

Evaluating Others:

Evaluating others is the capacity to see the individuality in others and recognize a person's unique point of view.

A Combination Building Inspector must master the skills of evaluating others to help his staff members to identify their talents and match those talents to the proper job without trying to judge them by their actions that can create a misinterpretation of who they are.

Organizational Skills:

Organizational Skills is the ability to make use of time, energy and resources available in the most efficient manner to achieve their goal.

A Combination Building Inspector should organize the work for the employees to ensure overall organization, planning, time management, scheduling, coordinating resources and meeting deadlines is handled most efficiently by each employee for both personal and professional growth.

Hard Skills Required to be a Combination Building Inspector

Hard skills are job-specific skill sets, or expertise, that are teachable and whose presence can be tested through exams. While core skills are more difficult to quantify and less tangible, hard skills are quantifiable and more defined.

Hard skills are usually listed on an applicant's resume to help recruiters know the applicant's qualifications for the applied position. A recruiter, therefore, needs to review the applicant's resume and education to find out if he/she has the knowledge necessary to get the job done.

A combination building inspector should have a good command of the following hard skills to succeed in her job.

Combination Building Inspector: Hard skills list

Analyze data from a blower door test
Apply building codes and specifications
Apply drafting and mechanical drawing knowledge and techniques
Apply electrical codes
Apply knowledge of fire codes
Apply mathematics to statistical modeling
Apply statistical methods
Apply structural and safety principles to buildings and other construction projects
Conduct a blower door test
Conduct an air leakage test on a building's ventilation ducts
Conduct investigations and research
Define the thermal envelope of a building
Enforce laws, ordinances and regulations
Evaluate new construction industry practices
Examine structures and identify construction faults or expose potential maintenance problems
Follow hazardous materials specifications
Follow regulations
Follow safety procedures
Inspect material moving equipment before and during normal operation for wear or breakage
Interpret and explain governmental and organizational rules, policies and regulations
Instructing
Maintain repair records
Maintain safe work environment
Mathematics
Measure the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of an appliance
Measure the carbon monoxide (CO) output of appliances and cook stoves
Measure the steady-state efficiency of an appliance
Monitoring
Operate and maintain inspection tools and equipment
Prepare reports in timely manner
Quality Control Analysis
Reading Comprehension
Read blueprints and technical drawings
Read schematics and specifications
Recognize public safety hazards
Time Management
Trouble Shooting
Understand, use, and communicate technical information
Use a differential pressure sensor such as a manometer
Use algebra
Use basic mathematics
Use computers in building inspection activities
Use geometry
Use metering and test equipment in building and construction inspection

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