There’s no ‘fast tracking’ your career in construction. It doesn’t matter what field you’re in. You can be in sitework, mining, or home building – whatever you’re doing, success means hard work and dedication are in your future.
And while you can’t skip the work, there are things that you can do to stand out from the crowd as you start a career in construction. At places like J.H. Hiers, the little things that show you going above and beyond the minimum get noticed. When that happens, you’ll find yourself at the top of lists for promotion, recognition, and reward.
If you’re just starting out in the industry, here are a few of the things that might get you noticed.
Be Excited
Be energetic and excited about your job. Come to work every day ready to tackle any challenge that might be waiting. A lot of times you will get on site with a whole bunch of responsibilities you know about – but then something new comes up. Be ready for that and even eager to take it on.
Being excited about your work doesn’t mean you’re just energized. It’s about style and presentation. Someone who’s excited about their work is going to remember their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). They’re also going to be on time to work, ask questions, and follow instructions closely. They don’t just have to do the work – they want to do it.
No matter what your job is, take pride in how you do it. People are going to see that.
Take Responsibility
Taking responsibility for the work you do isn’t just good for the team or the company. It’s good for you.
When you take responsibility for your actions, it sets you apart from others and helps you learn and work as a professional.
Someone who takes responsibility is also in the right mindset to learn from their mistakes. When your supervisor sees you owning your actions, they’ll also see someone who is a flexible team player willing to improve themselves.
Be a Team Player
Being a part of a team doesn’t just mean you work around other people. Someone who is a team player has a certain kind of work ethic.
To be a team player, you have to be willing to pull your own weight. And, more importantly, you recognize the ways in which your actions affect the group as a whole.
Frequently calling out of work, slow and inattentive labor, or simply refusing to help out will get you noticed, but not in the way you want. Supervisors in any industry are trying to get a job done, and they’ll notice people who aren’t helping just as well as they will notice people who are.
At the heart of being a team player is being helpful, not just to the boss but to your coworkers, too.
Never Stop Training
Many people think of training as something that ends, but this isn’t the case if your goal is to make a career out of construction. If you’re playing the long game with your work, you’re going to want to keep in the mindset of someone who’s trying to grow, learn, and become better than they were yesterday.
The training you get on the first few days of a job is structured. But continuing on with a training mindset means that you have to look for things to learn. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help or direction, though. In fact, you SHOULD ask for help or direction.
At the core of self-training is, believe it or not, good communication. Tell your supervisors what your goals are and ask what you can do to get there. Communicating your goals will not only show others you care about what you’re doing, but it will let them know how they can help you achieve them.
Remember to ask questions, use online resources that can answer questions like “what is sitework“, and seek help from veteran coworkers in the industry.
Know (and Grow) Your Motivation
Motivation is the fuel that keeps your energy up, your mind engaged, and your work well done. It’s infectious and will keep the rest of your team inspired, too. It’s what makes you stand out.
For a career, you need to plan for the future, but you should also know why you want to get there. Your motivation is going to help you get through the day-to-day grind. When things get tough, you’ll still have a reason to get going.
But it’s not enough to just have motivation. You need to grow it. Motivation is like a muscle and needs to be exercised. If it isn’t, it’ll weaken over time.
One way to keep your motivation fresh is to set smaller goals to help you reach the larger ones. This can be completing a successful training task or simply helping out someone on your crew. Whatever the case, the small victories lead to bigger ones.
Surround yourself with people who have similar motivation – they’ll keep you focused. Also look for people who have been where you are and have achieved what you’re going for. This kind of positive social environment is going to help keep your spirits up and keep your eye on the prize.
Stay the Course
There’s no shortcut to the finish line, but there are things that you can do to help yourself. If you work hard, take responsibility, learn all that you can and stay motivated, you’re going to stand out.
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