Upgrade Your Construction Career by Updating Your Resume

Building a home might be hard work, but building a good resume can be even harder. It doesn’t have to be, though. We’ve gathered the best tips for creating a construction resume, and included some of the most common resume mistakes, so you’ll know what to avoid.

We’ve even included a downloadable construction resume checklist that will walk you through creating the perfect resume for your next construction job.

Why Are Resumes Important?

Resumes are a tool that applicants use to sell themselves to a potential employer and land a job interview. They should highlight you and what you can bring to a job. When it comes to resumes, it doesn’t matter how qualified of a worker you are: if your resume doesn’t stand out in a good way, it may get discarded and cost you the job.

Common Resume Mistakes

Hiring managers are constantly looking through stacks of resumes every day. As such, they are quick to toss out resumes that are full of mistakes. So if you want to ensure your resume gets you an interview, be sure to avoid these simple mistakes:

Too Many Errors

Whether it’s an overlooked typo or a minefield of grammatical errors, in the resume world, mistakes are never kindly looked upon. Most employers consider them as a reflection of the candidate, which may cause them to form a bad first impression of you and pass over your resume.

No Keywords

When resumes are submitted online, many times they are first sorted using an algorithm that searches for certain keywords relevant to the job posting. Resumes that don’t have any of these keywords are often rejected at this point, never making it anywhere near a hiring manager.

Bad Visual Design

Many resumes are guilty of being ugly or difficult to read…or both. They may have used an outdated template that makes it look too busy, or its layout is poorly organized. Old resume templates – and even newer ones that are packed with walls of text – make it hard for hiring managers to find the information they need to see.

Tips for Building a Great Construction Resume

Any hiring manager can tell you what separates good resumes from the bad. Here are a few ways to strengthen yours and make it stand out from the others:

Tailor It With Keywords

The best tip is to tailor your resume to each specific job you apply for. Yes, this is time-consuming and annoying, but it pays off. Pull keywords from the listing and add them to your resume. It’s an easy way to prove you are qualified for the position, and shows employers you made time to read their description. Keywords can also help your resume make it past any algorithmic screening processes the company may have in place.

Use Action Words

List out former job duties using action verbs. For example, instead of saying you were “responsible for customer calls,” state that you “resolved customer queries.” These words are more powerful and interesting, and better describe the duties you performed.

Use the Right Format

There are two common resume formats, aimed at different experience and education levels, so use the one that best suits you. Chronological resumes focus on extensive work experience, and list yours from most recent to least. Functional resumes are better for applicants with little to no experience, and focus on highlighting skills and qualifications. You can also combine the two formats if you think it will better highlight what you have to offer.

Include An Objective

The objective is usually the first thing a hiring manager reads on your resume, so make it count. Include how many years of experience you have, the exact job title you are applying for, and any relevant skills you have. Objectives are your chance to catch a hiring manager’s eye and state why you are the most qualified candidate.

Pay Attention to Design

The best resumes of 2019 include clean designs and modern fonts, and feature clearly-labeled sections, to highlight your experience and accomplishments. There are several free resume templates in word processors and on resume template websites, and many of them feature hints of color, bold lines, and beautiful fonts, all of which work together to create a modern, readable resume.

While inputting your information, only include what’s needed. Avoiding lengthy paragraphs and keep your resume to one page. Search for the best resume examples and pay attention to the language and design aspects they use, then incorporate them into yours.

Proofread Before You Submit

We all make mistakes, but they shouldn’t cost you a potential job. Be sure to proofread your resume – or get a friend or family member to – before you send it off to ensure it’s accurate and error-free.

Now that you know what resumes do, as well as what makes a resume eye-catching, it’s time to make yours. Click here to download our helpful construction resume checklist and get started on yours today!

For additional assistance in updating your resume, download the resume checklist. To see current job opportunities, click here