Building Your Future: Essential Steps to a Winning Resume and Interview

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Ready to unlock the keys to a thriving career in construction? This episode of the Construction Veteran Podcast is a must-listen if you're gearing up to enter the construction industry. Join me, Scott Friend, as I guide you through every essential step—from crafting a killer resume to nailing your first interview. Learn how to effectively list your contact information, write a compelling objective statement, and summarize your professional skills and experience. I'll share tips on highlighting your education, detailing your work history, showcasing your certifications, and emphasizing significant projects and technical proficiencies. Consider this your ultimate guide to making a strong first impression and standing out from the competition.

But that's not all. After you've submitted your resume, what's next? Tune in as we discuss how to prepare for interviews and secure your first position. Discover the importance of researching the company, knowing your resume inside and out, and preparing for common interview questions. I'll break down the STAR method for answering behavioral questions, tackle the types of technical questions you might encounter, and underscore the significance of asking thoughtful questions during your interview. Plus, learn the proper etiquette for following up and the best timing for sending thank you emails. If you're serious about launching a successful career in construction, you won't want to miss this episode!

If you're a military veteran in the construction industry, or you're in the construction industry and support our military vets, and you'd like to be a guest on the podcast you can find me at [e-mail] , or send me a message on LinkedIn. You can find me there at Scott Friend. Let's share the stories and motivate others!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Construction Veteran Podcast.
I'm Scott Friend and todaywe're going to make a video
that's really geared towardspeople that want to get into the
industry.
So if that's you, please likeand subscribe to the channel.
It really helps out.
Now let's dig into it.
So I really want to give youguys some advice on how to get

(00:32):
into the industry.
If you've been following thechannel or the podcast for any
time, you'll understand I'mtrying to coach you guys on how
to get into the industry and howto get better.
So let's talk about how to landyour first construction job.
First things first.
Let's craft your resume.
Crafting a strong resume,preparing for interviews and
securing a position in theconstruction industry requires
careful attention to detail anda focus on showcasing your

(00:53):
relevant skills and experience.
Here's some guidelines to helpyou through each step.
Number one contact information.
Include your full name, phonenumber, email address and your
LinkedIn profile, if you haveone.
If you don't have a LinkedInprofile yet, I highly suggest
creating one.
Number two objective statement.
Write a concise objectivestatement highlighting your

(01:15):
career goals and what you bringto the construction industry.
Number three professionalsummary.
Provide a brief overview ofyour skills, experience and key
achievements in the constructionfield.
I've said before, as atransitioning veteran, I really
downplayed the skills that I hadlearned.
However, there's an easy way toput these into your resume.
Did you lead people?

(01:35):
Did you have any metrics thatyou can share?
What you built, what you did?
People like quantities.
Number four education List youreducational background,
including the name of theinstitution, degree earned and
graduation date.
Now, I've said before, youdon't have to be a college
graduate to get into theindustry.
It all just depends on whatrole you're looking for.
Number five relevant skills.

(01:57):
Highlight key skills relevantto construction, such as project
management, reading, safetyprotocols, equipment operation,
etc.
Number six work experience.
Detail your work history with afocus on achievements,
responsibilities and the impactyou made in each role.
Emphasize construction relatedprojects.

(02:17):
Number seven certifications andtraining.
List any relevantcertifications example would be
osha, construction management,etc.
And the training programsyou've completed.
Like I've said in previousvideos, it would really be
beneficial to get basics likefirst aid, cpr, maybe an OSHA 10
or OSHA 30.
Number eight projects.
If applicable, include asection on significant

(02:41):
construction projects you'veworked on, outlining your role
and contributions.
Number nine technicalproficiency.
Specify software tools andequipment you're proficient in,
such as AutoCAD, procore orspecific construction machinery.
Number 10, your referencesOptionally include references or
indicate that they areavailable upon request.

(03:04):
Okay, so you've submitted yourresume.
A company is excited to talk toyou and they've invited you in
for an interview.
Let's talk about preparing forthat.
Number one research the company.
Understand the company'sprojects, values and recent
achievements.
This knowledge will demonstrateyour genuine interest during
the interview.
Number two that resume you justwrote and submitted.
Make sure you know it.

(03:24):
Be prepared to discuss yourexperiences, skills and
achievements in detail.
Relate them to the specificrequirements of the position.
Number three some commoninterview questions.
Anticipate common interviewquestions in the construction
industry, such as those relatedto safety, teamwork, problem
solving and project management.
You can easily google what aresome common interview questions

(03:46):
and make sure that you have ananswer prepared for those.
Number four behavioral examples.
Use the STAR method orsituation task action result to
provide specific examples fromyour past experiences that
showcase your abilities.
Number five technical questions.
Be ready to answer technicalquestions related to
construction processes,materials and your familiarity

(04:09):
with industry-specific tools andsoftware.
Number six ask questions.
Prepare questions to ask theinterviewer about the company
culture, ongoing projects andopportunities for professional
development.
Last step securing the position.
First step is to follow up Senda thank you email after the
interview expressing yourappreciation and reiterating
your interest in the position.
Now there's some guidelinesabout how long you should wait

(04:31):
to follow up.
My suggestion send a thank youemail the same day that you had
the interview or latest the dayafter.
I would give it a week at theearliest, two weeks at the
latest, to make sure you reachout and follow up with the
company.
Look, I'm telling you fromexperience we get busy.
This industry is go, go, go, sosometimes no offense, it's just
not the first thing that's onour mind, so make sure you

(04:52):
follow up.
Number two additional materials.
If applicable, provide anyadditional materials requested
by the employer, such asportfolio or references.
Number three professionalism.
Maintain professionalism in allinteractions, whether via email
, phone or in person.
Clear and concise communicationis key.
Number four network.

(05:13):
Attend industry events, joinprofessional associations and
network with professionals inthe construction industry to
expand your connections.
Remember what I said aboutLinkedIn it's a great tool.
Number five continued learning.
Demonstrate your commitment toongoing learning by staying
updated on industry trends,technologies and best practices.
You can Google anythingnowadays.

(05:36):
There's lots of free classesout there.
There's magazines that you guyscan subscribe to for free.
There's resources like this,youtube or our podcast.
The world is just limitlesswith the possibilities of growth
in the industry.
Remember to showcase yourenthusiasm for the industry.
Your positive and proactiveattitude are gonna be something
that people want in theircompany.

(05:56):
We can teach people the skillsin the industry.
What we can't teach are thingslike integrity, the hunger to
want to learn more or theexcitement that people have.
So good luck to you guys.
If you have any questions orneed any pointers, always feel
free to reach out.
Thanks,