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A lot of things have changed over the past five years, not only in the construction industry but in our everyday lives, domestically and professionally. The internet and technology is advancing quicker than the average person can keep up with it and the next must have device is out before you've finished paying for the last one.
In terms of communication, everything is now available at the click of a button and is generally free or low cost in comparison. You can connect, follow, tweet, pick and poke whoever and wherever you like and there is no doubt the internet has made the World a lot smaller place.
So where do you start your career search in the Construction Industry?
Everyone is different, but one thing we all have in common is that we like to know who we are dealing with, so if you are starting your search online, remember who you’ve approached and how you've gone about it. Make a note of your contacts and where you’ve sent or registered your personal information/or a CV. Before doing anything though, make sure your CV is up to date and is clear, concise and ultimately sells you. There is a fine balance between your first CV, one page, name address and qualifications and ‘War and Peace’. Too little and you’ll not get noticed and too much you’ll be likely to confuse matters or reduce your chances. We’ve put together some useful tips for writing a CV for the Construction Industry here.
Next you need to do your research, when I say things have changed, it also means the markets, be it construction or otherwise. The heady days of pre-2008 meant everyone and anyone was recruiting and the approaches many adopted then are not the way to go about business now. For many the recession has meant more work, less pay and generally keeping your head down. Now I appreciate this hasn’t been the case for everyone and there are a lucky few that have bucked the trend and identified new markets, but there has definitely been a reluctance for professionals in work to consider their options and it has been difficult to do so in the past without putting yourself out there. So is now the time for you to dip your toes back into the water?
There numerous ways you can go about looking for a job now and they don’t all involve putting your CV out there. Like with all things in life they all have their pros and cons and there are things to consider before doing so.
Sending your CV out to the world and his friend isn’t the answer. One it devalues your worth in the market and if you are in employment there is every chance your current employer could receive a copy or be given the nod.
When signing up to job boards or anything online, be cautious where you post your CV, many websites have small print or tick boxes that allow your CV/personal details to be shared with 'subscribers', this can quite literally mean anyone and everyone. So expect calls and lots of them, relevant or not so.
Networking, there's endless articles about it and everyone’s got their take, but from what I can see it’s a job in itself and unless you are a business/social media expert you can leave yourself wide open. As the word suggests, 'NETWORKING' means making contacts, in order to do so you will need plenty of time to set up profiles, register accounts and make sure you’ve got your business and social lives separate before doing anything (privacy settings).
Then you have the task of actually identifying key people to approach. Your strength is you, your work history and your ability to sell yourself. By no means am I saying don’t network and I am sure business and social media will play an ever increasing part in recruitment, but don’t be reliant on it, unless you have an inside track and know the right people, otherwise no matter how many invites, tweets, followings, or connections you send they could all be in vain and open to scrutiny.
What has become the most natural route for the start of most career searches is online through the search engines. Here you will be able to find specialists, be it agencies, job boards or associated services. When I say specialists, I mean exactly that. Whatever route you choose, make sure they know their stuff. Start by browsing the job boards, there are lots out there but you’ll soon get a feel for what's what.
ConstructionRecruitment.com is a exactly this a job board, its key difference is that it has been designed by 'people' from the industry and puts you, the job seeker back in the driving seat. It gives you the facility to find construction jobs direct with employers. It is not a trades and labour site, nor is it a recruitment agency service, it is exclusively for professionals in the UK construction industry. Our objective is to demystify the recruitment process, making your search quicker, more informed and at the same time giving you complete privacy as your application will go direct to the employer.
Another route is to find a specialist agency, there are many out there but be selective, identify two or three within the geographical area you are looking to work and approach them in person, whether that’s a call, an email or a face to face meeting. Make sure they specialise in construction and see how long they have been doing it, a good recruiters likely to have a solid work history and a wealth of contacts made over years. Remember you are dealing with people, so there will naturally be some crossover, that’s why it doesn’t pay to spread yourself too thinly.
These two approaches can work well if combined, any jobs the job boards don’t pick up are likely to be the ones the agencies have been appointed to work on. Whatever route you decide on you call the shots and if it sounds too good to be true, then commonly it is, so don’t jump too soon, again do your homework.
We’ve seen the news and heard all of the talk, so in theory it shouldn’t be long before we start to see things filter down the line to the jobs market. Now I very much doubt we will see levels return to that of pre-2008 for some time but it is inevitable if projects continue to be awarded that companies will need that extra resource. Companies naturally retracted through the recession, employees accepted more work and in many cases were only too grateful not to have been effected.
So have we finally waved the storm and what’s going to attract you back into the market?
Will it be a move to bring you closer to home, less hours, less commuting or will we start to see people moving for more money or are you looking for your first break into the industry? Either way we'll keep you up to date with the latest Construction Industry jobs here. We will be adding new companies all the time, so sign up to receive jobs by email, it's quick and easy and rest assured you will only receive jobs that match your search criteria.
