Resume Tips for Construction Jobs

Every industry has its own way of doing things. If you’re going to apply for a graphic design job with Adobe, you better believe your resume needs to be striking and creative. Likewise, if you’re applying for an accountant position, it needs to be factual and to-the-point. When it comes to construction-related jobs, there are also some ways you can craft your resume to hopefully get yours to the top of the stack.

• Make your job history crystal clear.

The very first thing most employers and recruiters look at for most positions is job history. We want to know right off the bat:

• Where you have worked.
• How long you worked at each company.
• Your position/title at each company.
• Your responsibilities within that position.

Don’t be afraid to include some numbers within your bullet points in this section. For example, how much volume (in dollars) have you handled in a year? Or, how many employees and/or subs have you managed at once? What’s the biggest job you’ve ever run or managed? These are all questions you’ll likely be asked during the interview process, so having them right on paper from the start suggests you are the type who pays attention to your job volume and hopefully, in return, the margins of your jobs. 

Also when it comes to outlining job history, be honest with the start and end dates of previous jobs. Even if you have a lot of jobs and turnover on your resume, it’s better to be honest and explain the turnover to the recruiter or hiring manager than try to flub the dates – which will come out later and muddle the hiring process.

• List relevant skills and training.

There are some very specific skills restoration companies are looking for from people who have industry experience. Make sure you list skills relevant to the restoration world. That might include:

• Xactimate proficiency
• Knowledge of doing program work/working with carriers
• Experience with industry software like DASH, MICA, Restoration Manager, PSA, Encircle, etc.
• IICRC certifications

This is where the use of keywords also comes into play. When scanning through a big stack of resumes, hiring managers, owners, and recruiters will be quick to notice buzzwords. Plus, recruiters searching through literally thousands of candidates on job search sites like Indeed, CareerBuilder, and others, will be specifically searching for words like “Xactimate” and “IICRC” to narrow down their candidate pool.

• Talk about soft skills.

Aside from your solid construction and restoration knowledge, we want to know how you are with customers. While there isn’t a whole lot of time for this on a resume, even one or two bullet points about your ability to create rapport with customers, “sell” jobs, communication skills, etc. will go a long way. Restoration companies are very relational-based, so the better you are with people, no matter the position you are applying for, the better.