Topic of the Month: Pick Me! Pick Me!
Remember standing in front of a wall next to your classmates, straightening your back to make yourself taller, flexing your chest to appear stronger, saying “pick me! pick me!” with your raised eyebrows, and waving your hand frantically so you’d get chosen to play kickball during recess in elementary school? Well, believe it or not, the same approach can help you advance your career. Granted, the methods are different, but the principle is the same.
Traditionally, hiring managers would muddle through stacks of resumes, pick out those that looked promising, and pursue those candidates. ConstructionJobs.com offers powerful, easy-to-use tools that take the selection process to a whole new level. But they’re only as effective as the way you use them.
Here are a few tips to optimize how you’re perceived, increase your chance of getting “picked,” and help you find the right opportunity.
First impressions are very important, so the content and format of your resume need to make clear and professional statements about your qualifications, character, and attention to detail. Carefully check the spelling and grammar of your profile. Running a spell checker isn’t enough: you’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen "Project Manger" listed as a career objective.
Make sure your resume is truthful and accurate. There’s a big difference between presenting yourself in a positive light and embellishing your profile so much that it becomes fiction. Assume potential employers will verify all the information you present. It’s not worth disqualifying yourself from a great career opportunity by fabricating even one item in your background.
ConstructionJobs.com offers many fields (e.g. Position, Category, Subcontractor Type, Industry, Project Experience, Skills, Education, Certifications) so you can classify yourself and help the hiring companies that search our resume database find you. These are especially important for the more specialized positions. In addition to these defined fields, be sure to include this information in the body of your resume. For terms that are commonly abbreviated, it’s a good idea to include the acronym and the term completely spelled out. For example, if you only include PE and the hiring manager does a keyword search for “engineer,” you won’t be found.
If it’s appropriate for you to register on ConstructionJobs.com in private mode, make sure you “sanitize” your resume. Remove all your contact information and anything else that will reveal your identity. You’d be surprised how many candidates forget to do this.
Some of the jobs posted on ConstructionJobs.com don’t get filled immediately because they require candidates with very specific experience and specialized skills. When you’re doing your initial job search, we suggest you search for “All Jobs.” If you limit your search to jobs posted in the last seven or 14 days, you may miss some great opportunities.
Construction Jobs is pleased to offer you the premier industry-specific resource so you can effectively present yourself to companies that want you to join their team. We hope, by optimizing your use of our website, you advance your career and get “picked!”
Ed Hazarabedian
Regional Account Executive
Construction Jobs, Inc.
New Year’s Resolutions
We associate January 1 with many things, from Dick Clark to
college football bowl games to the Rose Parade to the determination
to get into the gym and lose that extra weight we gained over the
holidays. And that magical date when we open a new calendar
also leads us to make our New Year’s Resolutions.
The symbolism of a new year inspires us to improve ourselves;
resolutions usually center on self-improvement: better health and
fitness, more time with family, and a more dynamic career. Of course,
people want to be healthy and spend time with their kids, but why
does someone’s current job suddenly seem to lose its luster
just because January 1st rolls around?
In other words, why are resolutions about one’s career
always so high on the list?
New Year’s Resolutions regarding one’s career rank
high on the list every year because our job affects all the other
items on the list. A stressful job affects one’s health … poorly
managed jobs can take unnecessary time away from family … jobs
with unfair compensation hinder one’s growth and plans for
the future. We chart our position in life in part by how we are
progressing in our careers.
So if a career change is high on your list this year - now is
a great time to check out the jobs posted on ConstructionJobs.com
and to post your latest resume on the site.
Companies look hard for individuals around the first of the year
for a variety of reasons, ranging from new projects that will be
starting to new budgets in place. Apparently the hiring authorities
we know in construction have the same determination to hit the
ground running every January 1, too!
As a result, our website lists hundreds of job options in all
parts of the country - and international options, too – and
a real sense of urgency behind those postings.
You control your future and your future happiness. Take charge
now and make the steps necessary to make 2008 a happy and more
prosperous year.
The ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship, Year Two
One year ago, ConstructionJobs, Inc. announced the creation of the ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction, a $1,000 scholarship offered to students from across the country who are attending school (community colleges or 4-year universities) and are simultaneously involved in the construction industry, with a particular emphasis on professionals working in trades. We were excited about this opportunity to encourage young men and women to pursue a career in a proud and important industry.
During 2007, we awarded $1,000 to 10 students from across the country. The recipients for the Spring 2008 semester have already been chosen and represent that high standard of student/worker that we have enjoyed meeting since we started receiving applications. Those five recipients who were chosen to receive the award will have a prize of $1,000 deposited into their accounts at the college where they are enrolled for this coming semester. The Spring 2008 scholarship recipients are as follows:
- Ryan Hollister of Illinois
- Terrance J. McAuliffe of Connecticut
- Jessica Helene Curran of South Carolina
- Jeffrey O'Bannon of Missouri
- Martin Christopher Taylor of Idaho
Students eligible for the scholarship will be enrolled in school for the semester in which they apply for the ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction. They will be majoring in a course of studies related to construction - construction management or civil engineering, for example - or a course specific to their trade – electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and so forth. If you feel you would be a worthy applicant for this scholarship, or if you know of someone who would benefit from learning about this opportunity, please visit ConstructionJobs.com and find our online application.
Therefore, we encourage you or someone you think would be a strong candidate to apply for the Fall 2008 ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction. We look forward to meeting another group of bright and talented professionals.
We will award the Scholarship to students who have shown – through their work history and academic program – a commitment to construction. If you have questions, please contact us at scholarships@constructionjobs.com or give us a call at 828-251-1344.
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.
