By Darin Cox, Southeast Regional Manager
It is not a rumor. The construction industry is recovering and it creates many job opportunities for professionals like yourself. No matter whether you just came out of school or if you are reentering the market after a period of inactivity, it is important that you are going into the construction job market with the best conditions. Every time that you land a job you make another step towards a healthy construction career. But, how do you maximize the chances of getting a construction job? Following the advice below is a great starting point.
Stay Up to Speed
Imagine that you are a hiring manager or a construction recruiter and you receive a candidate who looks like a great fit for the position you have. You call them in for an interview and you find out that a license or a certification they have is not vaild, and is needed for the job. Would you hire them or would you move on to the next applicant? Don’t let that happen to you. Make sure that all of your licenses and certificates are valid and line up with the position you are going for. Don’t wait for the hiring manager or the construction recruiter to ask you to do so. Be ahead of the game.
Team Up with the Experts
A great way to boost your efforts of getting a construction job and building a successful construction career is to reach out to a construction recruiter and follow the advice they give you. They have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the trends and demands of the construction industry. They know what it takes to be successful in the construction job market. Their strong relationships with clients allow them to have accurate and important information on positions you are interested in, and they are able to coach you on how to get the job.
Show You Are Active
Being out of the construction job market for a period of time is not something that should discourage you from applying and getting a construction job. What you need to do to maximize your chances of success is to demonstrate to the hiring manager or the construction recruiter that during your unemployment time you were working on keeping your construction skills sharp. Talk about projects or pieces of work that you spent time on and how these helped you stay in touch with your field. Show that you did your best to stay active and ready for new opportunities.
Be Honest
It is true that getting a construction job is a frustrating task. In their effort to get picked for the job, people sometimes tend to exaggerate their capabilities, skills and achievements. When the moment of the interview comes and the hiring managers go into the details in order to confirm a candidate’s background, the candidate falls short and the interview goes south. It is important that you are always honest with the description you give about yourself. Don’t give false or inaccurate information about your work experience and be sincere about what you do.
Have a Professional Presence
Nowadays, getting a construction job requires more than simply sending out your resume for the position you want and waiting to be called for an interview. In the era of millennials and advanced technology, a successful construction career requires a professional presence that extends from a properly laid out resume, to a strong social media presence, to a solid network of contacts, to a healthy relationship with a construction recruiter. Keep in mind that you are what you share, so it is crucial to stay on top of the way you present yourself to the construction market.
Key Takeaways to Going into the Construction Job Market:
1. Keep your licenses and certificates valid in order to stay up to speed with the construction industry
2. Work with a construction recruiter to benefit from their industry knowledge and network
3. Talk to how you stayed active with construction during periods of unemployment
4. Be sincere about your construction capabilities, skills and achievements
5. Make sure you have a solid professional presence
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
