If you have great listening skills, a methodical and accurate approach to work, and the ability to follow precise instructions (and you are looking for a physical, rather than a desk job), then the role of construction worker might be your ideal starting point.

With increasing populations and infrastructure demands across the globe, there is never likely to be a shortage of great opportunities for someone with ambition, and this is a great way to learn specialist skills and pick up some industry-specific qualifications.

It is varied, too – so it is a great choice if you know you would like to work in construction but have not decided on your specialty. You could find yourself working on residential buildings, roads, tunnel excavations or industrial building sites.

You may have opportunities to learn skills such as bricklaying, plastering, carpentry and even demolition, so if you like to be out and about, you do not mind a spot of bad weather and would like a job that has the potential to be different every day, then what are you waiting for?

The sky is the limit for those who start out as construction workers – your next step could be a skilled tradesman, a sub-contractor, a self-employed builder or a foreman. The only limits are your own tenacity, drive and ambition!

To apply for a position as a construction laborer, at entry level, your resume will need to demonstrate that you are a good team player, that you are safety conscious and commercially aware, that you are methodical, reliable, physically fit and do not mind getting your hands dirty! Look out for apprenticeship opportunities as they are a great way to get started.

Median Pay

Going to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,  the 2019 median pay for construction workers and laborers was $36,530 dollars per year. Likewise, pay scale.com puts the average construction worker salary in United States between $22,000 and $55,000 dollars per year.

It should be noted, though, that often times construction workers and laborers work on an hourly basis and not an annual salary because work is per project not continual throughout the entire year.

Also, it should be noted that the hourly pay can vary greatly depending on the specific type of construction work being done and the location of the work.

Construction Worker Salary Statistics 2019

Industry Forecast

The construction industry is highly volatile, and connected directly to the economy, as a whole. This means if the economy is growing, new building projects will be commissioned.

However, if the economy takes a downturn, as it did in 2007 and 2008, then construction will dry out as fewer companies  will be investing in new construction works.

Still, the economy is booming, and according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for construction workers is pretty peachy.

It is projected that between 2014 and 2024, the construction industry will grow around 13%, which is nearly double the national average for all industries combined.

It is pretty safe to say that as long as the economy is growing and the population is growing, there will be construction work and companies will need laborers to help complete projects.

The only things a construction worker might worry about is economic downturns, which are pretty rare, and the potential lack of steady work, that is finding enough projects to fill the year to earn a solid annual salary.

Classifications of Construction Worker

Construction work is a pretty general term, as it applies to industries ranging from Arctic drilling for oil, to building mega skyscrapers in exotic locations like Dubai.

Likewise, construction worker titles can vary greatly depending on their individual specialities and previous work experiences.

It is common for construction laborers to generally start from the worker/labor position and then they can advance to higher level positions such as construction project manager, construction foreman, or even something like maintenance and repair worker for completed construction projects.

Similarly, workers can advance up through a company’s ranks in titles like General Construction Manager, Senior Project Manager of Construction, Construction Superintendent, or Operations Manager for a construction company.

Construction laborers can also specialize by industry, for example your resume may be targeted by sub industry like “steel construction worker”, or “electrical construction worker”.

If you specialize in a particular industry then make sure to state so on your resume as it’ll help make it more topically relevant when applying for jobs in your industry.

It’s always better to be more specific in terms of your specialities and unique skill sets and avoid vague titles when applying for work.

Sample Resume Download (MS Word Format)

Below is a professionally written construction helper Resume and that can be used for all construction labor type positions.

It must be noted though that this is a resume written for the purpose of providing an example, and should be copied directly as it won’t reflect your individual work experiences, certifications,And professional background.

How To Write Your Own

Writing a resume is much like working on a construction site, the similarities in terms of planning in carrying out the processes section by section until the entire project is complete are numerous.

Let’s dive into your resume writing process starting from the very beginning!

You might think that construction workers don’t need to focus so much on writing a professional quality resume is other types of white-collar industries, But you be wrong.

In today’s world were so many job applications occur online, in were so many jobs are held and created by large companies with professional HR staff, it’s more important than ever to have a very well written and professionally formatted resumeEven when applying construction work.

Download the sample above or download one of our templates to use as a starting point so that you can be sure that all of your formatting requirements are correct.

This means having standardized borders, professional fonts and industry-approved professional spacing.

Once you have a starting point in terms of the formatting which can be the hardest part sometimes in Dylan’s Microsoft word, then you’re ready to start filling filling in your resume with the meat, or the hear, Mainly your previous experiences, Your educational background, job training, and skill sets.

Before you actually start typing your experiences into your resume first have another plate document or a blank sheet of paper where you can write down all the responsibilities and duties you had at your previous positions, and then take that list narrow it down to just for five of the most impressive bullet points to actually put on your final resume.

When writing your bullet points make sure to communicate your responsibilities and achievements clearly and as directly as possible, air to quantifying everything such as this number of people on the team he manage, or the jet size you had for a project in dollar terms.

Quantifying your work as a way to directly communicate to the reader of your resume exactly what you did previous in your previous work experiences.

You also make sure you include proactive action verbs such as engineered, developed, orchestrated, trained, collaborated, as these are the types of verbs that indicates to employers a worker who cannot only do what he’s told but can also think for himself and solve problems on-site, which makes them very valuable higher.

Sample Bullet Points

Below are a’s selection of professional bullet points that you can use for inspiration on your ownConstruction resume these ballpoints are selected because they represent a wide variety of responsibilities and duties that are highly sought after within industry, and will help building your resume regardless of experience level.

Sample Construction Worker Bullet Points

Career Objective Writing

The career objective is pretty much like the introduction of your resume, it’s where youSay who you are and why you should get the job in just a couple sentences.

Think of the current objective as an elevator pitch, meaning you step in the elevator and you only have a minute or two to communicate your message which in this instance is why you should be hired.

Don’t just say because you need were, or you like working in ex-industry, you have to be more specific and mission not just why you want a job but also why do employers want to hire you over other applicants.

This always has to be done by highlighting what makes you unique, which could be anything from very specific skill sets such as underwater welding abilities if applying for a oceanic pipe line construction job, or specific safety training if applying for job with high risk work.

Don’t worry about not being able to fit in some of what makes you unique in your current objective as the idea of the crib jacked if it simply to peak interest of the reader and get them to read the rest of your resume where you back up your claims about why she hired solid work experiences, training, and skill sets.

Additional Skills & Certifications to Include

The Additional skills section section and certification sec. of the construction resume probably more important for this industry that almost any other.

Construction workers value very much depends on his or her specific skill sets and certifications, as a construction project conclude many unique particular jobs that require workers with very unique and particular skill sets.

You want to include any specific expertise you have in terms of materials that you work with such as brick-and-mortar, plumbing work, electrical work, concrete work, and woodwork for example.

Likewise you want to include other more professional expertise such as blueprint print reading plan greeting scale reading specification reading and scheduling abilities these are something that anyone who is managing the team and overseeing work should have.

You also want to include specific tool knowledge you have in terms of every operating heavy equipment operating cutting tools and drilling tools boring tools in other types of equipment that require specific training to operate.

Additionally you want to emphasize safety throughout your estimate has its a very very important factor in terms of hiringAnd maintaining productive construction site.

Even the most skilled worker, if he has a lot of safety relations and infractions in his history have a hard time finding work with the company because they don’t want to take on that kind of liability.

Emphasize your own personal safety record, mention any praise you received on sites from foreman or managers about you. Highlight your knowledge of OSHA standards and industry-specific safety training.

Finally, make sure you emphasize skills that an employer can see as potential assets in the future meaning skills that Will enable you to perhaps move from just being a worker to a foreman or other type of management position.

This means including things like team building skills communication skills management skills and even language abilities as being bilingual in English and Spanish are a very valuable asset for any managerial position in the construction industry in the United States.

Useful Hard Skills to Include

In addition to the above mentioned type of skills you want to include, below our selection of skills selected specifically for construction type work, And can be use for inspiration when writing your own resume.

Useful Construction Worker Skills

Additional Resources