Got my results? Now what?
Regardless of what results you achieved, there will be an excellent opportunity in construction waiting for you.
An estimated 45,000 people will join the construction industry each year between now and 2027. You could be one of those people, so start your search for an opportunity now with Go Construct. Below are some ideas to get you started:
1. Personality Quiz
If you don’t know what you want to do next, don’t panic – you are in the same boat as lots of people your age.
What I love about construction is that there are roles and careers to suit everyone’s skills and interests – from Bricklaying to Architecture!
The Personality Quiz can help define what is right for you. It will show you the different parts of the industry and jobs that suit you best. Once you get your quiz results, you can look at each role in more detail.
2. Career Explorer
There’s a whole world of things you can do in the construction industry depending on what your qualifications are.
For example, you achieved great results in science, you could think about civil engineering (building roads, bridges and large buildings like the Shard ), even environmental work. Maths might take you down the quantity surveying route. If you enjoyed business studies, then maybe a career in project management or planning could be for you.
Those different routes, and plenty of others, open up depending on your qualifications. The Career Explorer tool will look at your results and match them with some of the fantastic careers available in construction.
3. Sponsorship
If you are interested in a career in construction but want to go on and get a degree, then sponsorship could be for you.
Instead of going to university off your own back, you could find an employer who will pay for your fees and books while paying you a good wage and giving you the work experience you need.
Construction companies will want to hear from you. They want to train and work with you through your degree and there are lots of sponsorship and graduate schemes to explore.
Take a look at this example from Laura, who combined a degree with a job at Seddon.
4. Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are still one of the best ways to get your foot in the door and you will find many people in the industry that started this way.
Use the Personality Test and Careers Explorer to see what sort of apprenticeship might be right for you. Our ‘day in the life’ case studies and YouTube channel also feature apprentices talking about their jobs.
The National Apprenticeship Service has construction vacancies on their website. You should also check local colleges, job centres, Prince’s Trust, big construction companies and smaller local firms to see if they have vacancies.
Contact JTL, BEST or Summit Skills if you are looking for electrical or plumbing apprenticeships.
5. Get prepared
Once you have decided what you want to do in construction, start contacting companies and let them know where you are, what you want to do and how great an employee you would be.
You can quickly get a list of employers near you by using Google, but have your CV ready in case they do have a vacancy! You don’t want to keep your potential new boss waiting while you write one up.
Don’t be afraid to drop off your CV in person if the company are near you. Employers will want to meet the person behind the CV. They will be thinking, “Can I work with this person? Can I trust you and can I train you?”
Take a look at these tips on how to write CVs, filling out application forms and how to impress people in a job interview.
Prepare yourself, be ready and you’ll stand a much better chance of getting what you want.