Wanted: graduates with construction work experience

Work experience shows evidence of initiative, commitment and enthusiasm; all attributes that make you very attractive to a construction recruiter. Whether you spend time working on a building site, on an industrial placement or volunteering at head office, you’ll gain a valuable insight into the reality of the construction industry and boost your employer appeal. TARGETjobs reveals the top ways to gain relevant work experience.

1. Take a working holiday

Your first move could be to look for a summer placement in a construction company. Summer placements can last from two weeks to two months and usually involve structured training. Finding a placement can be tricky but it pays to start looking early. One of the best tactics is to make speculative applications – this usually involves writing to construction employers or giving their HR departments a call. If you take the initiative in arranging a placement, recruiters will be impressed. ‘Research the companies you are applying to and think about why you want to work for them,’ suggests Stephen Reilly, recruitment manager at Rider Levitt Bucknall. ‘If you get this right, your application will sound honest and you’ll be able to show enthusiasm in the interview.’

Whether you spend time working on a building site or volunteering at head office, you’ll boost your employer appeal.

2. Think short term

You could also consider looking for a short-term construction job during the holidays. Even if you don’t find the structured training offered by an official placement, you’ll still get valuable hands-on experience. Contact employers directly to see if they have any vacancies and sign up with temporary agencies that have construction divisions. Stephen Reilly advises, ‘Just get out there, make contacts and enjoy yourself. But try to avoid working for a friend’s company as the training will lack structure and you may be asked to do menial work.’

3. Make time for a sandwich

Many degrees can be taken as a sandwich course, where you’ll spend a year in industry. This is a great chance to gain experience working on big projects, take on responsibility and develop your skills. If you are already studying and have your industrial placement year coming up make sure you discuss with your tutors the sort of organisation you would like to work for. Do your research and establish whether you’d prefer to spend time with a contractor or a consultant, at a small regional employer or a large multinational. When you begin your placement make sure that you talk to your mentor about what you hope to get out of the experience.

4. Every little helps

If you struggle to get work experience in the construction industry, don’t panic, as all experience is useful. Stephen says, ‘I rate students who have worked at one company for a while as it shows that they are obviously hardworking, methodical, dedicated, trustworthy, customer-focused and ultimately someone who will do what is needed to achieve a goal.’

Try before you buy

It’s not just a question of appealing to recruiters: work experience is useful for you too. ‘It gives you a chance to try out a company that you may ultimately work for,’ explains Stephen. Applying for work experience is also good practice for when you come to look for a job. ‘Get someone to look over your application – spelling and grammar mistakes show a lack of professionalism and attention to detail. Ask any contacts you have to give you advice and ask friends’ parents who work in the industry what it’s like and how they got interested in the built environment.’ The key to work experience is to get as much out of it as you can. Whatever form your experience takes, highlight it on your CV by describing what you did, what you learned and the skills you developed.