The construction industry is a very lucrative field because there is always a demand for credible and reliable builders. Since there is still a lot of land to develop, buildings that can be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up, or fixer-uppers that can be rehabilitated, the industry will remain sought-after.
But unlike other careers, there are plenty of ways to start a career in construction. All you have to do is know where to find the right opportunities for you because although there may be a lot, they’re not always the right ones. Here are three of the most common ways to begin your career in the construction industry:
Look Into Apprenticeships
If you don’t have the experience to back up your desire to prosper in the construction industry, you can always start by looking into apprenticeship opportunities. This will allow you to gain the right skills and earn valuable experiences that you can leverage when it’s time for you to apply for full-time employment.
Of course, the key here is finding the right apprenticeship. After all, you can only be as good as your teacher. So, you can find a mentor that you want to learn from and apply to be their apprentice, or you can find apprenticeship programs that will allow you to grow your skills from within the organization.
When you’re an apprentice, you can meet and work with many people who can join your network. This can come in handy when you need to utilize your network to find a job or projects to earn additional income. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with growing your network little by little throughout your apprenticeship.
By learning from experience and directly applying what you learned to your tasks, you’ll be able to develop your skills much faster than if you were only to learn the theoretical knowledge. This can also be a good chance to earn some money while you’re still making a name for yourself in the industry.
Earn Certifications
Even if you already have the skills and the knowledge to enter the industry, you could better your chances of succeeding if you have the documents to back you up. This will come in the form of certifications and licenses that you can earn through continuing education courses or seminars.
For instance, if you want to enter to work at any construction site in the country, you’ll have to earn your CSCS blue card, which you can only get once you pass the CITB Health, Safety, and Environment test. But after you do, it will be easier to establish your credibility because you have the certifications to prove your expertise.
These certifications can also work as your competitive advantage over other professionals in the construction industry because not everyone devotes their time to getting extra credits. Although it’s not mandatory to get certifications beyond the initial license, it could be a great way for you to continuously upskill and learn valuable techniques that other people don’t have.
Attend Trade School
If you’re not keen on earning a bachelor’s degree through a college or university but still want to receive a formal education, you can enter a trade school. However, the biggest difference here will be that instead of learning complex concepts and theories, you’ll be learning valuable hands-on skills that will be relevant to your future career.
This can be a good career move for those who want to become electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics, carpenters, and other skilled trades. By attending trade school, you can learn how to become a highly-skilled craftsman who can earn a living from your skills alone. So, this could be better if you want to improve your hands-on skills instead of honing your wits.
Plus, most trade schools are less expensive than earning a college degree, which is why it could be the right career move if you’re planning to start a long career in construction. So, if you want to do what you love the most in the world—building everything out of nothing—then trade school may just be what you need to start your career.
There’s no right or wrong way to enter the industry. If you start any of these methods and realize later on that you’ll prefer a four-year college instead, then no one will take it against you. But these alternative options are here to show you that not everyone likes to follow the traditional career path, so at least you have the freedom to pave your own.
