Career Advice When Applying for Professional Construction Jobs
Posted by Steve Thomas , Construction Recruitment Director, UK & Canada on Monday, August 15, 2022
Maintaining an advantage over other candidates in a highly competitive job market can sometimes seem like an impossible task. Writing a good construction CV and being well prepared for the all-important job interview are vital components in getting noticed, nailing the interview and consequently starting a great new construction job. This article will look at and reference some construction career advice from Maxim’s career advice page aimed at people applying for professional construction jobs.
The Construction CV
First impressions count and a neat and carefully presented CV emphasises an individual who cares about what they do. Your CV needs to grab an employer’s attention and if poorly presented, will only grab the attention of the “round file”. Good layout and presentation means nothing if bad punctuation, spelling and grammar pervade the writing. Inaccuracy in these areas may well cost you the invitation to attend a construction job interview.
Some areas of the CV benefit from bullet points, especially when listing your most impressive achievements in your personal profile. Maxim’s CV advice covers this technique:
“This section can be best when punchy bullet points of your 3-6 most impressive achievements are listed.”
As bullet points allow a potential employer to find relevant information quickly and are easily digestible, this is a great way for highlighting positive and relevant information.
Industry qualifications and relevant experience from previous construction industry jobs covered on a CV need to be substantiated in interview, so while showing yourself in the best light possible is the idea, being able to back-up your CV with evidence in the construction job interview is also an absolute must.
Tailoring the information to suit the specific job opportunity is always recommended. Don’t use the same construction CV for all the varying construction industry jobs you apply for. Take note of the job description requirements and amend your CV accordingly. The prominent parts of the CV should mirror the employer’s wants and needs. For more detailed construction career advice see the art of constructing a great curriculum vitae.
The Construction Job Interview
Professional construction jobs always require an interview. From travelling time and what to wear, to construction interview questions and answers, preparation is key to success. Here are a few tips:
Estimate travelling time and allow plenty of extra time for getting stuck in traffic, trains running late etc. This can’t fully guarantee punctuality, but will cut down on the odds. If lateness is unavoidable, inform the interviewer/company. This also applies for virtual meetings; leave plenty of time to spare for computer glitches! Check your software and headset are installed and are working in good time before the meeting start time! Appropriate dress is also important even if it just means wearing a shirt and tie on a videocall. It is better to overdress than to underdress and regret it.
When applying for professional construction jobs, prepare questions to ask at interview. Maxim’s construction career advice page covers this:
“The best questions often become apparent during the meeting. However, it is always good practice to have a few basic questions that show you are interested in your potential new employer.”
Always ask the questions that arise in the interview. The more interest and engagement the interviewer picks up on from you the interviewee, the more favourable your chances.
Answering difficult interview questions is always dreaded and here is a summary:
- Avoid detailed negative comments about any previous employers as this can reflect badly on you
- Consider your answer before starting a response to a difficult question
- If needed, ask the interviewer to explain the question further before starting to answer it
A key point to remember is that it’s about how you deal with an awkward situation, not the correct or incorrect answer to an interviewer’s question itself.
Confidence, smiling and enthusiasm are orders of the day when attending interviews, and it is key to remember you are at the interview stage because the employer would like to employ you. If they didn’t, there would be no interview.
Further Construction Career Advice
Our Career Advice Section provides a thorough and in depth look at finding and securing professional construction jobs. From a construction cover letter, to advice on leaving your old job, to the first day starting a new construction job, and from construction job resignation to construction counter offers.
Construction Career Advice in Maxim News
Scouring the Career Advice Section can be beneficial for candidates looking for professional construction jobs. Over time, Maxim have collated much information and construction recruitment knowledge. Some of this vast collection of construction sectors know-how concerns construction career advice.
Greater specifics can be found amongst these pages, such as how to tailor your CV for construction dispute careers or if looking for construction claims jobs, or how to tailor a clerk of works CV, or even advice to ‘Avoid damaging your professional construction career’. When applying for professional construction jobs, the more information you have at your fingertips, the better the chances for securing that construction job role.
Looking for Professional Construction Jobs?
Maxim Recruitment are a specialist construction recruitment agency and candidates looking for professional construction jobs, need look no further for CV and career advice. Whatever your next step is upon your construction career path, Maxim can help.
Steve is responsible for Maxim Recruitment in the UK. He is based in the Maxim head office in Leicester, Leicestershire and regularly travels to meet employers, job seekers and to attend construction industry networking events all over the UK. With over 20 years' experience in construction and property recruitment he works with a number of repeat clients and engages in search and headhunting assignments for a range of premium UK and international clients.