Construction CV Sample

Construction jobs in the UK are on the rise, especially for private commercial and housing work.

But to get hired for your dream role in the construction industry, you’ll need to market yourself the same way you’d promote your portfolio to your clients.

Here are four essential tips to give your construction CV a perfect finish:

1. Showcase your construction CV skills

Employers prioritise extraordinary construction results, and they know you’ll need hard and soft skills to do the job well. So include relevant construction-specific skills on your CV to show employers you’ve got the abilities they’re looking for.

Your hard skills are the technical abilities you’ve learnt through your education and on-the-job training. This technical knowledge is vital for construction workers because it ensures your projects are completed successfully — on schedule, on budget, and without any safety or legal issues.

Here are hard skills to include on your construction CV:

• Industry knowledge
• Flexible planning
• Construction estimation software such as Procore, Estimate Rocket, and STACK
• Negotiation
• Financial management
• Risk management
• Project management software such as Contractor Foreman, PlanSwift, CoConstruct, and Trimble Viewpoint

Soft skills show how you go about working with clients, colleagues, and site staff. For instance, you’ll need soft skills when you recommend a change of plans to your clients, instruct your site staff on where and how to perform a task, and overcome unpredictable issues. Your hard skills might be top-notch, but you also need soft skills so that your project isn’t compromised by miscommunication and other errors.

Here are some examples of soft skills for your construction CV:

• Communication
• Adaptability
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem solving
• Teamwork
• Leadership

In addition to your skills section, explaining how you used your soft skills in your work experience bullet points is a great way of showing your future employer how you’d work within their team. For instance, maybe you’ve got the knack for anticipating issues and finding solutions.

Here are examples of how a construction manager could showcase their organisational skills in their construction CV’s work experience section:

2. Use strategic construction CV keywords

When employers are faced with a pool of applications, they’ll be on the lookout for job-specific keywords. These keywords are specific to the construction industry, and may relate to the aspects of construction that you’re experienced in (e.g., carpentry, concrete, demolition, and excavation).

Another reason to use construction keywords in your CV is that many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help them filter job applicants. ATS finds key terms on your construction CV and compares them to the keywords in the job advert posted by the company.

Good keywords to add to your construction CV include:

3. Present a powerful construction CV personal statement

Your construction CV should open with a powerful CV personal statement — a concise section persuading employers to keep reading the rest of your application. Your personal statement is one of the first things the recruiter will read about you, so ensure it demonstrates all of your strengths.

In your personal statement, explain:

• who you are
• what experience or qualifications you have
• what you’ve achieved in previous positions
• your career aspirations in relation to this new role

Remember to emphasise your accomplishments rather than your daily tasks. After all, the employer already knows what duties they expect from the role — your aim is to persuade them you’d get the best results. So include some facts and figures from your work experience CV section to further demonstrate your expertise.

Here’s an example of a well-built construction personal statement:

4. Plan out a clear format for your construction CV

Planning and layout are just as important in your construction CV as they are in your clients’ projects. Make sure your CV format is visually appealing, with a bold title, clear headings, and good use of white space to lead employers easily through your statements.

Typically, CVs are written in a reverse chronological structure, which means you talk about your most recent experience first. If you already have experience working in the construction industry, put your work experience section after your personal statement.

You can list your relevant construction job experience starting with your current or most recent role and then working your way backwards. After that, write down your education, including any certificates you hold related to the construction industry. List your skills, and round off with your hobbies and interests to showcase more of your personality.