How to Get a Construction Job With No Experience?

Do you like working with your hands? Whether it be building a deck in your brother’s backyard, or fixing your nephew’s motorcycle. If so, then you should consider getting into the construction sector.

Because:

It allows you to work outside of a typical office environment and provides for an alternate work scenario than the typical office 9-to-5.

But, you might be thinking How do I get a construction job with no experience?

Don’t worry, here’s good news for you!

Most of the construction jobs are entry-level, meaning that they require none too little experience. So It doesn’t matter whether you’ve worked in construction before or not, you can still make a successful career out of it.

5 Steps to Get a Construction Job With No Experience

Follow these 5 steps to get a construction job with no experience:

1. Create a Strength-Based Resume
2. Look for manual labor jobs
3. Use Your Network
4. Try Temporary Help Agencies
5. Apply for an Apprenticeship

1. Create a Strength-Based Resume

Create a resume that highlights your relevant skills and strengths. Since you don’t have formal construction experience, be sure to mention other skills you have that may appeal to and benefit the employer.

For example, use phrases that describe your work abilities such as “fast learner” or “pays attention to details.” In addition, you can mention your work ethic and overall reliability, which greatly helps in construction.

These types of skills can help compensate for your lack of actual construction experience.

2. Look for manual labor jobs

When searching for entry level construction jobs on the internet, use specific keywords like “general laborer job” or “construction laborer job” as they indicate that an employer is looking for workers with little or no experience.

Employers also use these terms when looking for unskilled workers. These types of entry-level jobs typically include cleaning jobs or jobs involving simple manual labor, such as unloading work trucks.

However, these jobs allow you to work in the construction field and gain the experience and knowledge you need to advance in your career.

3. Use Your Network

Recommendations will always be a great way to find even the highest paid job in Canada. Reach out to anyone in the construction field or a friend of a friend that can help you get a foot in the door.

Talk to them, and you will be surprised with the results, as someone in your network may introduce you to someone looking for help with carpentry, sheet metal work, or building, and construction inspection.

4. Try Temporary Help Agencies

Consider applying for construction work through a temporary-help employment agency.

But, a question arises here:

“Why you should use a staffing agency for doing temporary work?”

The answer is simple:

Staffing agencies connect companies with people looking for work opportunities on a temporary basis.

It means:

You will be able to gain a ton of valuable construction experience by working under the supervision of an experienced professional in the industry.

5. Apply for an Apprenticeship

Consider applying for a formal apprenticeship program. These programs typically take two to four years and teach basic construction skills.

A couple of the benefits of starting an apprenticeship is you can earn money while learning and gaining hands-on experience. This means there are no student loans to pay off.

What Are The Main Types Of Construction Jobs?

Following are the 13 main types of jobs in the construction sector you should know:

1. Construction Laboring

Construction laboring is the most popular role related to construction. Construction workers or laborers are the backbones of building projects. Rather than having formal training or specialized skills, this role offers on-the-job training opportunities.

This role includes duties like loading and unloading materials, digging trenches, clearing and preparing a site before and after the construction, and so on.

2. Construction Management

Construction management essentially entails supervising and directing operations within a construction project. A construction manager is required to ensure that the project at hand is completed safely within the planned timeframe and allocated budget.

The types of construction projects a construction manager works on range from minor renovations to entirely new constructions of structures like tall buildings, hospitals, shopping malls, etc.

3. Civil Engineering

There are two aspects of civil engineering:

• Consulting engineering
• Contracting engineering

Consulting engineering involves planning and designing a construction project.

Whereas:

Contracting engineering has to do with engineering associated with physical construction and translation of the proposed design into architecture.

The civil engineer is responsible to monitor the on-site staff. Scheduling tasks, hiring skilled workers, and ensuring the availability of other resources like raw materials are other main duties of a civil engineer.

4. Electrician Job

The critical aspects of the electrician’s role include the installation of wires in buildings and managing their functionality. Much of the role has to do with identifying and resolving issues, therefore, a fine electrician would certainly be a troubleshooting expert.

An electrician is responsible for installing electrical connections or systems in the building.

5. Plumbing

Plumbing involves a construction site’s pipework.

A plumber is responsible for the installation of hot and cold-water systems, sanitation, central heating systems, rainwater harvesters, and sheet lead systems. Installation of fuel-burning appliances such as those for oil or gas may also be handled by plumbers.

6. Masonry

Block or brick masonry involves constructing and polishing commercial and residential walls, interior structures, patios, and decorative trim work.

Specific duties in masonry include breaking or cutting stone and bricks into specified sizes, mixing and applying grout and mortar, and finishing the construction.

7. Glazing

Glazing job involves the installation of glass in windows, storefronts, skylights, and display cases. A glazier uses project specifications to cut the glass to the required size, shape, and thickness.

Glaziers also remove the old or broken glass before installing the new glass and add a weather seal around the edges of the glass after installation.

8. Operating Construction Equipment

Construction equipment operators are responsible to operate heavy construction equipment and machinery at construction sites.

Some of the common equipment that they handle includes bulldozers, trench excavators, and road graders.

9. Carpentry

Carpentry involves constructing and repairing building structures and frameworks such as doorframes, stairways, rafters, and partitions made of wood and other materials.

Because of their versatility, carpentry professionals perform a variety of tasks. Some of their duties include constructing walls, installing structures, and following both blueprints and building plans.

10. Painting

A construction painting role generally entails the painting of walls, buildings, equipment, bridges, and other structural surfaces.

A construction painter may have to prepare the surface by removing old paint before applying a new coat of paint. The job also involves the application of primers or sealers on bare wood and metals for finishing.

11. Ironwork

Ironwork includes the installation of iron elements into structures. This role requires ironworkers to erect steel frameworks for bridges, buildings, and other structural constructions.

Ironworkers often read blueprints to determine where a structural piece of iron would fit in an edifice under construction.

12. Elevator Installation

Elevator installation entails installing and repairing elevators, moving walkways, escalators, and other types of lifts. Elevator installers install and repair elevator cables, control systems, doors, and motors.

They link the wiring to motors and control panels as well as identify and fix any malfunctioning switches, brake motors, and control systems.

13. Solar Photovoltaic Installation

The solar photovoltaic installation role is associated with solar energy. The installers assemble, maintain, and manage solar panels placed on commercial and residential rooftops for solar energy creation.

They also determine whether any additional equipment or support structures are required for the proper installation of panels.

The Primus Workforce team is proudly built on hands-on industry knowledge and experience.