How to Prepare for a Career in Construction: Tips from an Expert

The construction industry is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing industries in the market right now. The large flow of investments into the real estate market, new projects being introduced in different areas, and the increasing demand for warehouses and commercial buildings all lead to the rapid growth of the construction industry.

As the industry grows, new career opportunities are being created. There are more jobs in construction, including jobs at every level and new opportunities to explore. When you take into account the international demand for specialists and construction experts, a career in this field is very lucrative indeed.

So, how can you prepare for a long and fruitful career in construction? We spoke to some experts in this industry, and here are the tips and tricks we received from them.

Get on the Job Trainings

Aside from formal courses and programmes designed to certify you as a specialist, there are also ways to improve your skills. On-the-job training is something you can truly benefit from, especially if you are just getting started with a career in construction. There is something about learning while working on actual projects that makes the experience valuable.

For starters, you are learning from those who have been in the industry for longer. Not only will you be able to learn about the best ways of performing your tasks, but you can also pick up skills, secret tips and tricks, and more resources from the on-the-job training.

The experience is also a nice addition to your CV as a specialist. In the construction industry, experience is a valuable commodity. The more projects you have worked on in the past, the higher your chances of landing a better job and pushing your career forward. After all, this industry is very hands-on and requires specialists to perform well in the field.

Certifications Are Valuable

Whether you are just entering the industry, or you want to push your construction career forward, pursuing industry-related certifications is one of the best investments you can make today. By becoming a certified expert in a particular field or skillset, you are boosting your value as a construction professional. The rest is easy from there; the high demand for specialists will give you the edge.

Some certifications are for general construction skills, while others are designed to be very specific. TheIPAFtrainings and certifications listed on findcourses.co.ukare a good example.

Some certifications are for general construction skills, while others are designed to be very specific. TheIPAFtrainings and certifications listed on findcourses.co.ukare a good example.

IPAF trainings are specifically for those who want to operate machineries that provide elevated work platforms. The trainings are also meant for those who spend a lot of time working on elevated platforms. There are several categories of MEWP (Mobile Elevated Working Platform) and each category has a training program for you to take.

Master the Soft Skills

Next, you need to develop some soft skills to support your career in construction. Technical know-how and certifications will only get you so far. To really break into the industry, you also need to know how to communicate and coordinate. Communication skills become a crucial part of your work as you go further in your career and start assuming mid- to top-level management roles.

Change, in the construction industry is an ongoing process. New technologies are being introduced to the market, which the industry absorbs quickly. The only way you can stay ahead is by continuously learning and improving your skills.

Good reasoning skills and critical thinking are also skills that help you in the field of construction, even when they don’t seem important at first. There will be times when you see mistakes being made. Having good reasoning skills and the ability to think critically allows you to know when something is wrong; these skills also give you the ability to speak up when necessary.

Plot Your Career Path

As with a career in other industries, you have to understand the career path you can take in order to formulate a suitable career plan. There are a lot of opportunities to explore in the construction industry. You can start as a supervisor or an assistant architect, but that is only the beginning. The steps you take after entering the industry will dictate how far you can go in this field.

As mentioned before, the industry is changing rapidly. Don’t be surprised to find that you can get to a mid-level management position in as little as one or two years. It is a matter of choosing the right career path to take.

The simplest path begins with a role of lead hand or foreman. You can then pursue a promotion to a position as supervisor, followed by one that makes you a superintendent. Continue doing a great job and you will land your first managerial position in less than two years; you can become a project manager for small-scale construction projects.

Know the Rules

While the industry is one of the fastest-growing on the market, it is also one of the most regulated. There are codes and laws to follow, regardless of the construction project you are involved in. Taking the steps to understand building codes, electrical codes, and environmental codes is another thing you can do to set yourself apart from the competition.

Health and safety are also important in this industry. In fact, you can pursue a career as an HSE specialist. The role lets you work on multiple construction projects and pursue a career as a health and safety specialist.

Knowing the building codes and other regulations that apply to the project helps you with tasks such as setting safety policies for the project and reviewing the work of your workers in the field. Once again, these are skills you need to have in order to advance in your career, particularly if you want to reach managerial level quickly.

Be a Leader

Take a look at leaders in today’s construction companies and you will see that over 80% of them are engineers and they usually started their careers as foremen. In a way, that’s the beauty of the construction industry; anyone has the opportunity to climb up the corporate ladder and become a successful specialist.

Leadership is a skill that can be mastered. There are plenty of courses – online and offline – that can help you sharpen your ability to lead others. Tools like Findcourses.co.uk certainly make finding leadership courses easy; you only need to search for courses and training programs near you to get started.

Leadership is also forged by experience. That brings us back to the first tip in this article: learn by doing real construction work. Learning by doing is still the best way to master the required skills and acquire sufficient experience in construction. This amalgamation lets you take your career to new heights.

As you can see, the growing industry is presenting you with a wealth of opportunities to succeed. It is a lucrative field to get into indeed. Now that you have these tips and tricks from experts who have been in the construction industry for years, you know exactly how to pursue a bright career in construction. All there is left to do is make that first step and enrol in your first training; the IPAF Single Mobile Vertical (3a) Operator training we mentioned earlier is a great place to start.