By Jeff Brown, Midwest Regional Manager
And the question still stands! How do you find opportunities that fit your construction skills? How do you make sure that you come across the employment options that help you grow? Being in the industry, you know that building is all about a strong foundation. With that said, your construction career demands more than simply applying to every job that requires construction skills or accepting every construction job offer that comes your way. Take a look at the following steps in order to increase your chances of landing jobs that are a great match to your skillset.
Help Yourself
You know better than anyone but it’s not easy to find opportunities that fit your construction skills. It takes a lot of time and effort to create a short list of jobs that match your qualifications. How about relieving your stress and getting where you want to be quickly? How about reaching out to a construction recruiter and having them find you the construction job that you are looking for? Construction staffing firms give you exposure to a market and opportunities that you had no idea existed. They have in place strong relationships with clients that allow them to vouch for your construction skills.
Become Marketable
When you think of ways to find opportunities that fit your construction skills, you need to keep in mind that the environment you work in also plays an important role for your future development. In other words, it is wise to choose organizations that want to invest in growing your qualifications. From training, to apprentice programs, to safety education, look for positions that help you become more marketable in the long term. Remember that each construction job that you land must be another step toward your career goals. Don’t just think of today’s paycheck; be more strategic with your choices.
Leave a Mark
The construction industry is a space where word of mouth has a tremendous impact on locating tradespeople with expertise. This is true even more today now that the industry is facing a severe labor shortage and employers are desperately looking for professionals with strong construction skills. That being said, it is important that you do your best to leave a mark at every construction job that you hold. Work on your personal skills and try to grow your network of contacts since this will work to your advantage during your attempt to find opportunities that fit your construction skills.
Have a Professional Profile
It is very important to remember that the way you portray yourself in the industry plays a great part in your effort to find opportunities that fit your construction skills. The days when you could apply for a construction job without a resume or without having a professional LinkedIn profile are gone. Moreover, the way you come across on your social media profiles is also key in landing positions that match your skillset. Hiring managers and construction recruiters use social media to get a better understanding of a candidate’s personality and culture so you need to make sure that you give the right picture.
Don’t Stay Behind
This one is pretty straightforward. If you don’t take care of your construction skills you are not going to land the opportunities you want. The construction industry is changing rapidly due to the new trends, procedures, equipment and machinery that are being introduced. Staying behind will take you out of the game. To avoid that you must stay up-to-date and take all of the necessary actions to stay current within your field. Don’t let your license or certifications get out-of-date but rather invest in yourself and your capabilities in order to be able to find opportunities that fit your construction skills.
Key Takeaways to Finding Opportunities that Fit Your Construction Skills:
1. Work with a construction recruiter to find opportunities that fit your construction skills
2. Choose construction jobs that help you become more marketable for the future
3. Work on your personal skills to leave a personal mark
4. Build and maintain a professional profile
5. Make sure you stay current with your construction skills
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
