Construction Jobs Blog

All over the nation, schools, training programs, and educational institutions are searching for individuals with construction experience to become teachers.  With the impending retirement of the baby boomers, industry analysts predict that the United States will experience a significant construction labor shortage in the coming years.  To combat this, many schools and programs are reaching out to young people across the country, trying to turn out more skilled workers before the baby boomers retire.  

If you have experience in the industry, you can help reach out to young people too.  In many places, all that is required to start a teaching career is demonstrable experience in the field.  For example, here in Georgia, two years of verifiable experience will get you in the door and teaching while you work on your teaching certification; you do not need to be certified to start teaching.

In many situations, teaching jobs are more flexible than other positions.  Many community colleges or vocational training institutions have programs that are tailored for students who are working, with classes at night or on the weekends.  Depending on the program, you may be able to keep your other job and teach part-time on the side.  More conventional positions are available as well.  For example, high school construction teachers enjoy strong job security and a regular schedule.

But there are still more reasons to consider a career in education.  One of them is that being a teacher is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling careers.  When the National Opinion Research Center asked more than 27,000 people if they were satisfied with their work, the result was that teaching made the top ten list of most satisfying careers.  Also, teaching construction makes an excellent second career.  Many former construction workers who can no longer work on-site, whatever the reason, have discovered that teaching their skills to young people is the perfect way to continue working in the industry.

To find the industry’s latest teaching careers, log on to TopBuildingJobs.com or CEFGAjobs.com if you are searching in Georgia.

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I was scrolling through recent resume advice today when I stumbled upon a piece on Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist on How to edit your resume like a professional resume writer.  Her advice echoes extremely important points I have brought up in the past, so I’ll try to outline them again.

The first of her “three ideas that guide professional resume writers” is the admonition to focus on what you’ve achieved, not your responsibilities.  Simply telling a hiring manager that it was your duty to do x,y, and z does not demonstrate that you did them well.  Awards, initiatives, and exceptional performances are all examples that should be used instead of responsibilities.  Trunk also points out that “the best achievement is a promotion,” because “it is an objective way to show that you impressed the people you work for.”

Next, Trunk turns to the mindset of writing your resume as a marketing document rather than a moral statement.  It is the skill of walking the fine line between Continue Reading »

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A recent survey of more than 3,000 job seekers and 1,000 hiring managers reveals that seemingly absurd questions are frequently finding their way into job interviews.  Examples of dubious questions ranged from the simply annoying to the patently illegal.  For companies, this raises concerns about how they are being represented, how their reputations are effected, and how to avoid possible litigation.  Job seekers, on the other hand, need to be prepared to handle tough questions that may not directly correlate to the position they’re applying to.

Scott Erker, senior vice president of selection solutions for Development Dimensions International (the company that co-conducted the survey with Monster), called the findings “a wake-up call for organizations that this is happening behind closed doors when the applicant is face to face with their potential boss.” Continue Reading »

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I was reading a newsletter from CareerBuilder today, and it had a piece in it that inspired me:  the “10 Worst Things to Say at Work.”  I thought it was a good piece, and definitely food for thought, but I thought they left some things out.  So I’ve augmented their list to give you 15 Things You Never Want To Say At Work.

1. “That’s not my job.”
If somebody comes to you with an issue, there’s probably a reason. It might be your responsibility to deal with it or your input is valued. Either way, use the situation to prove you’re a team player and a problem solver. Plus, it pays to earn some good office karma because you never know when you’ll need help from other colleagues.

2. “Yeah, no problem.” (If you don’t mean it.)
If you take on a task with a smile but have no intention of actually completing it, you’re going to earn a reputation as an unreliable person. If you know you can’t or won’t complete the project, be honest about it. Your colleagues are relying on you, so your decision not to follow through impacts their jobs, too.

3. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but … “ Continue Reading »

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Looking for a career change and don’t mind relocating?  Maybe you want to move.  Forbes.com came up with this list of the Top Ten Best Cities For Jobs in 2008.

The rankings for the forecast were determined by equally weighing (1) the state’s unemployment rate, (2) job growth, (3) income growth, (4) median household income, and (5) cost of living for full-year 2006 (only partial data is available so far for 2007).  The data was provided by Moody’s Economy.com, and is from the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.

“Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody’s Economy.com, acknowledged the housing market depression the company is facing and said the destinations that prevail on this list weren’t as heavily vested in the real estate development boom, which ultimately led to a historic bust.”

1. Salt Lake City, Utah Continue Reading »

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Many construction and homebuilding jobseekers already know that www.TopBuildingJobs.com is the largest and most comprehensive industry job board on the net.  What some of them don’t know is that TopBuildingJobs.com is also completely committed to customer satisfaction and website usability.  Thanks to readers’ suggestions, TBJ is proud to announce new formatting features for all its customers!

Jobseekers now have easy-to-use formatting tools right at their fingertips using the Quick Resume engine.  Simply log in to your account, and click the “Quick Resume” button in the middle of the page.  Now, you can micromanage the exact layout and design of your resume as easily as if you were using a word processor.  And it’s a great time to log on and edit your resume:  don’t forget that ResumeBlasts are more than 1/2 off through March 1st!

Employers now have access to these same formatting tools when posting and editing jobs, facilitating cleaner postings that are easier to write and read.

Important upgrades like this are always inspired by the same thing:  user suggestions!  Just click ‘contact’ at the bottom of TopBuildingJobs.com to leave a suggestion for the team.

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A couple weeks ago, I was working on a publicity project with a smaller, private homebuilder.  Their goal is to increase production from just under 1,000 units to about 5,000 units in the next five or so years.  I spent some time speaking with the President about the company’s future, and what he needs to do now to get it there.  I asked him what was most important for his success, and he said, “the need of the right people!”

I went on to ask him about the qualities he looked for in potential candidates.  “The right individuals,” he said, “are those that have the ambition to be part of a growing company.” 

“The people I look for are individuals with a strong passion for business, a high sense of energy and drive, and are well respected within the business.  Relationships are key, and the individuals must want and like to be part of a growing organization.”

Homebuilding jobseekers should take much of what this President said to heart.  There are great opportunities with many smaller builders right now, who have the opportunity to grab market share and experience tremendous growth on the upside of this cycle.  Those companies need a certain type of individual:  Continue Reading »

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A little earlier this month, it was officially announced that the highly acclaimed GreenPlumber program is debuting in America.  After generating huge amounts of interest in the program and successfully reducing water consumption in Australia, GreenPlumber is opening its doors to American plumbers through training and accreditation programs run by the PHCC (Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of California) Education Foundation. 

Statistics indicate that water usage has increased at twice the rate of the population, and a significant number of states anticipate freshwater shortages in the next 10 years.  “GreenPlumbers is an accreditation program that trains plumbers in water conservation and climate care issues,” said Stephen Lehtonen, spokesperson for GreenPlumbersUSA.  “The program is designed to help save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” 

And the program has been successful, at least in Australia.  Continue Reading »

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It’s career fair season again.  With colleges and universities back in session after the break, students are bombarded with e-mails about resume workshops and mock interviewing sessions.  Loose fliers drifting across campus remind preoccupied seniors that they have just a few precious months to find a job if they hope to graduate with employment.  Hiring managers’ desks have piles of resumes from young hopefuls seeking their first full time position, or perhaps a summer internship.

I had the pleasure of talking to a few students from Emory University, who all voiced the same concern (among others!):  I don’t have enough experience to get the job I want.

This hurdle may cause more rejections and failures in a student’s jobseeking process than any other, but, ironically, this is rarely a result of actually not having enough experience.  Instead, young jobseekers, concerned about their lack of experience, sabotage their own resumes and interviews. Continue Reading »

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In response to the rapidly growing green building trend, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will unveil its new Certified Green Professional designation during Green Day at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fl.  (Remember, ConstructionJobsBlog will have real-time updates and news posted all day, every day during the IBS — check out CJB on the 14th for live coverage of Green Day!)

NAHB President Brian Catalde said, “We know green is the future of building.  With the Certified Green Professional designation, we’re helping our qualified members demonstrate to their clients that the future is here.”

And demonstrating that you are up to par with green practices is something that is sure to help your resume in 2008.  With demand for green homes, products and services increasing exponentially, a tangible, ‘green’ certification on your resume makes you a more attractive candidate, no matter which part of the industry you specialize in.

Special pre-conference education sessions are available even now for those looking to get certified as soon as possible.  According to NAHB, the first class of Certified Green Professionals will receive their designations at the 10th annual NAHB National Green Building Conference, May 11-13, 2008 in New Orleans.

Get official NAHB Certified Green Professional information here.

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