Candidate Newsletter - April 2007

In this Issue:

• Topic of the Month: "10 Seconds...and Counting"
• Article: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• Article: How to Ask for a Raise - and Get It!
• This Issue's Cartoon!

10 Seconds ... and Counting

You know who you are and what makes you a valuable contender for top positions with the premier employers. But … are you getting the point across with your primary means of getting the word out?

In other words, is your resume doing its job at telling people how good you are at doing your job? Is your resume doing a sufficient job in trumpeting your successes, strengths, and experience?

For each position available, we have hundreds of potential Project Managers, Superintendents, Engineers, Carpenters, etc who are looking at the same opportunity you are. What makes you the one who gets the call? Our clients, the construction companies which can offer unique career challenges to you, want to know details ... What have you built? How have you made your company money or saved them time? How have you decreased injuries or turnover? What challenges have you overcome? What do you have to offer that makes you better than the next man or woman?

What impression does your resume leave in 10 seconds or less?

That’s all it takes before a potential employer decides what you are worth to them. We at ConstructionJobs.com suggest you go back and take a look at your resume after you upload it to our site. Make sure it leaps off the page and creates a strong and immediate first impression. What’s the first line? Has it been used a thousand times? Is it interesting or arresting? Be accurate and honest. Did you build a Wal-Mart or a High Rise? Did you make an extra $1M profit or beat the deadline by 2 months? If you can win those first ten seconds the client gives you, you will earn another ten seconds... and so on.

Make sure the resume looks proper on the page (for example, sometimes the bullets and spacing change depending on what program you are using). Fix those errors. You want to seem sharp, precise, and on top of every detail, including those that chart out your professional experience. If you don’t know how to fix them, just ask someone for help.

Versatility is important but the truth is that our clients want to see consistency in the projects a candidate builds; make sure the clients knows you have built ten mixed use high-rises or five schools or eight healthcare facilities. If you are a Project Manager looking to build Waste Water treatment plants, don’t highlight kitchen renovations on your resume.

If you catch the right company’s eye for a few seconds, you might have them for good!

See the following article, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”, to see two resumes which approach the job search process differently. One makes the candidate’s talents leap out with specific dollar figures, dates, and accomplishments, and makes for easy reading, as well. The second is difficult to follow and discourages even the most diligent HR person from reading on beyond the first sentence or so.

Article by:
Emily Cross
Rocky Mountain Region Representative
Construction Jobs, Inc.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

There is very little we here at Construction Jobs, Inc. haven’t seen when it comes to resumes and the way in which clients respond to them. As the article above mentions, there is a science to attracting companies who offer the challenging positions you want to tackle. That science involves presenting oneself in a clear, attractive, easy-to-follow format that lists job specifics and accomplishments and shows pride in one’s ability to get a job done well and on time. Candidates who present themselves in such a way are irresistible to strong companies.

Following are two actual resumes which candidates have posted at Construction Jobs.com over the years. Of course we’ve changed names, places, dates, etc., but we think the documents are representative, in the first case, of the kind of clear, specific resume that attracts attention and commands respect and, in the second case, of the kind that discourage investigation and make the client assume that a candidate who doesn’t take pride in how he presents himself won’t take enough pride in the work he does. »Read full article

How to Ask for a Raise - and Get It!

When was the last time you asked for a raise? If you are like most people, you waited until you were frustrated, angry, and resentful. Not the best frame of mind for trying to make a positive change. You probably made some critical mistakes. You may have:

• Made your appeal based on emotion
• Given your boss an ultimatum
• Failed to plan ahead what to say figuring you could just “wing it”

And how did that strategy work for you? Did you get everything you hoped for? Probably not. » Read full article

ConstructionJobs has helped thousands of job seekers all across America find employment. Our award-winning job board and resume database is endorsed by various top national associations (see Partners) as their preferred partner of online recruiting representing over 50,000 contractors and design firms. For more information or assistance with your account, please email us at: info@constructionjobs.com.

Happy Searching,
The ConstructionJobs Team