While the pandemic slowed hiring in many sectors of the economy, including general construction and new home building in some areas, that is not the trend in restoration. At Wylander, our clients are crazy busy and constantly needing talent. Today, positions with the most openings include mitigation project managers, reconstruction project managers, and estimators. These openings range from requiring little experience to the need for a seasoned large loss project manager, and everything in between.
So if you are out there applying for jobs, but feeling like your resume isn’t getting noticed, maybe it just needs a few tweaks!
Here are some of the things our recruiters look for in online candidate profiles and resumes:
Just because these are construction-related jobs doesn’t mean resumes and profiles shouldn’t be polished; quite the contrary, in fact! Our recruiters are looking for candidates who look professional even on paper. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is the keywords. For example, if you’re looking for an estimator position, be sure you list your “Xactimate” proficiency! Likewise, if you hold any “IICRC” certifications, say so! Those are two keywords our recruiters use first in their candidate searches. Plus, so a look over for typos!
We see a lot of candidates with high turnover, and gaps in employment history. If there are a number of turnovers on your resume, be ready to answer that honestly! Often, the turnover doesn’t stop us from calling a promising candidate, but it will be a topic we’ll bring up early in the conversation. Likewise, double-check your dates of employment to be sure they are accurate. We often run into incorrect dates being put on resumes, which points to an employment gap when there wasn’t one.
While cover letters are a thing of the past, having a few sentence statement about yourself at the top of your resume can really help you stand out! For example, if you have a stellar sales record at your current or previous company, brag a little at the top! Or, if you are passionate about the restoration industry for a specific reason, say so!
You’d be surprised at how difficult it can be to keep candidates engaged and in contact with us sometimes! If you are truly interested in a position and going through the interview process with one of our clients, please be responsive! We let our clients know when a candidate excels at communication (because yes, it’s rare!), and on the flip side, it is a total red flag when we have to chase candidates down. That gives the impression that a candidate does not really want the position or has poor communication skills; both opposite messages you want to send when you’re on the job hunt!
Want more tips on landing your next restoration industry position? Check out our other blogs and be sure you’re in our candidate database by clicking here!
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