The labor shortage in the construction industry is far from a secret. Despite pushes to encourage younger generations to consider careers in the trades, available talent is in short supply. The problem isn’t just with a lack of younger workers entering the industry. According to Forbes, 600,000 workers left construction jobs when the recession hit in 2008. According to the U.S. Labor Bureau, there were 434,000 vacant construction jobs as of April 2019.
Today, many view any sort of construction job as dangerous – both financially and physically. However, that isn’t always the case. The restoration industry, for example, offers unique career paths – and the industry is generally not negatively impacted by economic recessions because they handle jobs covered by insurance policies – not jobs paid directly out of the property owner’s pocket.
If you are considering starting a career in construction/restoration, or are already in the industry but not sure if you want to stay put, let us offer you a few reasons to go all in:
At Wylander, our average job posting for an project manager or estimator has a base pay of anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 depending on where the job is located, size of the company, desired level of experience, etc. And that’s just the base. From there, most companies offer solid bonus and commission incentives. Plus, we have seen that base salary number rise in nearly every market across the U.S. in the past few years.
Again, to some extent, restoration companies are recession proof. In fact, even in the midst of a recession, restoration companies can be quite profitable (fortunately and unfortunately) from large weather events like hurricanes and wildfires. Sageworks research shows construction-related industries account for seven of the top 10 industries with the highest sales growth. Plus, while technology is certainly helping the construction industry become more efficient in many ways, there will always be a need for people as well.
On the topic of technology as we mentioned above, there is a need for people who are tech savvy to embrace some of the more technical innovations! For example, drone pilots are needed to help scope out large insurance losses, roof damage, and more. Computer-savvy people are needing for CAD drawings, creating estimates in industry-specific software platforms, and others are needed for documenting jobs with 3D imaging cameras, etc.
Good employers get it – Millennials and Gen Y are looking for jobs where they can make a difference. In the restoration industry, you can. This industry is all about serving people and helping put lives back together. Often, restorers are helping people on some of the hardest days of their lives – after a house fire, flood, or other disaster. You can be there to hear their hurt on the first day, walk them through the project, and be there for that big “thank you” hug at the end when they get to go back into their fully repaired home or business. This is an industry where you can make a difference every single day.
Ready to dive in? Get into our candidate pool!
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