A CV can be jobseekers’ first point of contact with their potential new employer. Structure is everything when it comes to a successful CV, a well planned and thought-out CV makes it easier for the hiring manager to read and get an understanding of your experience.
In this blog we will run through how we would structure a CV when looking for a job in the Construction Industry.
-
Personal Information
In this section you should include the basic personal and contact information such as your name, phone number, email address and current location. It’s also important to include your job title and a link to your LinkedIn profile or professional portfolio – this may only be applicable to those working in professional construction roles such as Site Manager, Quantity Surveyor or Civil Engineer.
-
Professional Summary
This is a short summary of your experience and goals in the construction industry. It should be approximately 2-3 sentences, and the professional summary should outline your skills, experience and key accomplishments in the construction industry. Tailoring your professional summary to match the role which you are applying for could be beneficial.
-
Key Skills and Competencies
There are three groups of skills that can be included in any construction CV, they are: Technical skills such as woodwork and electrical work. Soft Skills like teamwork, problem-solving and communication. Health and Safety competencies such as risk assessment could also go in this section to show that you are competent from an H&S point of view.
-
Work Experience
In this section a candidate should outline their previous job titles, company names and employment dates. Hiring managers in construction looks out for what projects you have worked on too so it could be a good idea to also include the project names and dates in this section too. Once you have outlined those you will need to highlight your tasks and responsibilities of those projects.
-
Education & Certifications
An education section for a CV should include relevant degrees to whichever job you are applying for. This may only be applicable to professional construction roles (site manager engineer etc.) whilst listing certificates such as Safe Pass, Manual Handling and any relevant CSCS ticket could be seen as more relevant for labouring and trades jobs.
-
References
Construction recruiters will prefer if you list your references as a way you can prove your experience and competencies listed in your CV but if you are not comfortable with listing your references you can simply put “Available upon request”.
Conclusion
There you have it, a CV outline that you can use for your next job-hunting journey. Remember to tailor your CV for each job that you are applying for as no two jobs are the same. No matter the job your CV should be clear, professional and include relevant skills.
