Building your resume
Your resume is one of the most important pieces for gaining employment. Our Skills Assessor will help with your construction resume development in this how to video. (Take note of the simple design and straight-forward information.)
Hint: We're ready to help you build your resume and share advice. Apply Now!
Organization
As you sit down to build your resume, organize your information. Dedicate an allotment of time to work on your resume. Write down your past positions and task experience along with past employers. You should also allot a certain amount of time every day to looking for a job.
Choose a space that is comfortable and free of distractions to maximize the time spent building your resume and looking for a job.
Keep a journal detailing the actions taken and the persons contacted to ensure that you follow every possible lead. Record and track information such as:
- Who did your speak to?
- When?
- How? (Email, telephone)
- Where? (Information from a website, personal contact, etc.)
- Why? (Possible job, first contact, response to an ad, etc.)
- What? (Type of job offered, when does it start)
Contact as many employers as possible.
Network and build relationships with employers and people in the industry.
Understand where the demand is for your skills.
Use different job search methods: ads in newspapers, job websites. LinkedIn, cold-calling etc.
Interviewing
When your resume lands you the interview, remember: Preparation is key. Do your homework about a potential employer’s company.
Research, research, research! You should know about the company you are applying to. The employer will want to know that you are familiar with their industry.
Part of this preparation can include questions you have for the employer. Perhaps you’d like to hear about someone who started in this position and how they were able to grow professionally within the company. Or perhaps you’d like to hear more about one of their successful projects.
You should prepare answers for the following six questions:
1. Tell me about yourself: a question that usually starts the interview to get to know you. Prepare a brief overview of your qualifications and keep it focused on your professional profile (no personal information): professional skills, education, past work experience.
2. Why should we hire you? Take some time in advance to see why you are a good fit to the company, and show the employer that you can contribute to the growth of their enterprise.
3. What are your greatest strengths? Mention one or 2 strengths that are work-related, and explain about a past successful work experience when you used those strengths.
4. What is your greatest weakness? Turn the negative into a positive – identify the challenge and explain how you overcame it.
5. Why do you want to work for this company/what do you know about our company? This is where your research about the company is important. You must show to the employer why you are a good fit.
6. Do you work better alone or as part of a team? Depending on the nature of your job, give an example on how you are an independent worker but also how you successfully worked as part of a team.
Get in touch with us
If you have questions or need more information, please email newcomers@bccassn.com.
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