By Anthony Stabile, Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager
It’s not news. Your construction career growth is aligned with the opportunities that come your way. How do you find the openings that boost your professional advancement? Do you have a plan in place to locate your next opportunity in construction or are you just waiting for miracles to happen? Your construction career is like construction. It needs careful planning and a strong foundation. No matter whether you are entering the employment world or you are looking to making a change in your construction career, it is important that you position yourself as best as you can for new potential openings. Here are some tips in order to decide what steps to take to land your next construction job.
Working with the Construction Experts
Even if you have been in the industry for a long time and you know your field well, when it comes to looking for a construction job, you must connect with a construction staffing firm. Work with a construction recruiter, as they know the construction industry inside and out. They have strong relationships with contractors, and they know about opportunities that are not public knowledge. Construction recruiters know how to coach you in order to achieve your career goals. Your construction recruiter is able to help you build a competitive resume, identify construction skills that need to be updated, and prepare you for your next project or job opportunity.
Strong Network
How big is your network of contacts? How often do you get in touch with your construction recruiter? A common mistake that professionals make when they hold a position is that they build walls around themselves that prevent them from developing relationships with other colleagues. This works against when they decide to look for a new opportunity in construction. Make sure that you establish new connections and you nurture new relationships everyday regardless of your employment status. Maintain regular communication with your construction recruiter and keep them up-to-date about your career plans.
Flexible Mentality
It is great when you plan things and they come through; however, it is not wise to believe that this is always going to be the case. Often, plans fall through and not being ready with alternative solutions creates frustration. With that said, it is important that you are flexible in accepting opportunities and positions that add to your construction skills and boost your career growth. When it comes to a new opportunity in construction, have a multidimensional approach and accept jobs that require a diverse set of construction skills in order to increase your professional value.
Sharp Skills
When was the last time you obtained a certification? Are you applying for construction careers that are beyond your qualifications and technical abilities? In order to better position yourself for a construction career, you must ensure that you have the proficiency the industry requires and that your construction skills are up-to-date. Hiring managers loathe finding out during an interview that an applicant is underqualified and lacks the expertise they need. Consult with your construction recruiter as to how current you are and what action you have to take to add more value to your portfolio.
Cohesive Plan
Coming across an opportunity in construction is not an easy task. As discussed above, landing a position takes more than just sending out your resume. You need to be willing to put the necessary time and effort into your attempt to boost your career. Build a strategy around your approach and be instrumental in the way you deal with it. For example, updating your skills and obtaining all the necessary certifications needs to go hand in hand with working on expanding your network and reaching out to a construction recruiter. In other words, put structure in your employment efforts in order to maximize your chances of success.
Key Takeaways to Coming Across Your Next Opportunity in Construction:
1. Reach out to a construction recruiter and take advantage of their industry knowledge and expertise
2. Always try to expand and strengthen your network of contacts
3. Be open to accepting opportunities that develop a diverse set of skills
4. Keep your construction skills current and up-to-date
5. Build a strategic plan on how to come across an opportunity and follow it to the letter
About TradeSource
Founded in 1993, TradeSource is a construction labor solutions firm focused on delivering labor solutions to contractors throughout the United States. By supplying skilled tradespeople – where and when they’re needed – we help contractors grow their companies, without the associated costs and hassles of full-time hires. Likewise, we match qualified employees with rewarding and well-paying job opportunities in the construction industry. www.tradesource.com
