When looking for construction jobs, a good resume is one of the best tools to have in your belt. An effective resume showcases your skills, experience, and unique qualifications in a compact package. If you’re struggling to start your resume, you’re in luck. Here, we offer some top tips for creating an effective resume for all your construction applications.
Not all resumes are created equal, and when you’re applying for a job that you really want, it’s important to stand out. Construction jobs can be competitive, especially when recruiters are hiring for management and foreman positions.
A good resume should follow professional formatting requirements and remain concise. This allows recruiters to skim your resume quickly, especially when they have many to review. It should also provide a thorough overview of your past work experience, a list of your qualifications and certifications, and a list of your key skills.
In this guide, we’ll give you a quick rundown of the steps required to write a good resume. We’ll also provide a resume example that you can reference when writing your own.
Start your resume by placing a heading at the top of your document. This should include your name and any relevant contact details, including your phone number and email address. Use a larger font for your name so that it stands out to recruiters.
Under your heading, write a short resume summary that emphasizes your most notable achievements and qualifications. Keep this section short and leave the granular details for the main body of the resume.
Once the header and summary are complete, you can list your previous jobs, starting with your most recent position or the job you currently have. In each section, give a brief overview of the job and include a bulleted list describing your key responsibilities.
After your professional experience section, create a separate section for your education and another for your professional licenses and certifications. You can complete your resume by listing your most relevant skills and competencies under a new heading.
Construction professionals have a unique set of skills not required in other fields. If you want to create the best resume possible, it’s essential to list your key skills in an easy-to-read list that recruiters can skim. Here are some of the most important skills and competencies that you can list on your resume:
Cost-estimation and control
Project planning and management
Physical stamina
Skill with hand and power tools
Expertise with blueprints and plans
Environmental and social impact analysis and management
Regulatory and safety compliance
Demolition
Constructability analysis
Resource management
Hiring and training
Project scheduling
Quality control
Summary example
Expert in assessing client requirements, producing detailed cost estimates and bid packages, and creating and executing master project schedules. Respected industry leader with trusted network of the most skilled subcontractors. Proven success directing the work of designers, architects, engineers, inspectors, and project managers while meeting strict timeline, cost, and quality goals. Strong relationships with city governing bodies and officials and ease of navigating approvals and permitting. Firm quality and customer commitment, keen attention to detail throughout all construction phases, polished communication skills, and strong professionalism and integrity.
Employment history example
Construction Manager at BRYGGE Construction Management, Los Angeles, CA
2018 - Present
Full-service construction management company specializing in the strategic planning, project management, and value engineering of large-scale public works and school building construction projects.
Provide customers with exceptional service in the design, planning, and concept-to-completion management of million-dollar construction projects. Meet with clients to outline project goals, make recommendations, develop schedules, and understand budgetary requirements. Perform feasibility analyses. Produce thorough, line-by-line estimates and bid packages. Develop master construction plans and schedules. Negotiate and administer contracts. Assemble subcontractor teams. Coordinate tasks and schedules of designers, architects, owners, engineers, contractors, and project managers. Direct all phases of construction, manage ongoing changes and scope addendums. Review and address asbestos, soil, and other issues outlined in environmental reports. Collect progress payments. Model and enforce safety protocols.
Consistently excel at planning, organizing, and directing the activities of contractors across multiple sites for multiple simultaneous and concurrent projects.
Successfully managed construction, renovation, and upgrading of wastewater treatment plants; industrial process systems; institutional, industrial, and commercial boiler systems; cooling towers; and industrial process structures and systems for food and beverage companies.
Maintain outstanding record of zero claims and 100% on-time, on-budget completion of deliverables.
Construction Manager at PPG Construction Management / TMI Construction Management, Los Angeles, CA
2013 - 2018
Industry-leading provider of comprehensive construction management services. PPG acquired TMI in 2010.
Directed the design, engineering, pre-construction, construction, startup, closeout, and ongoing maintenance of multimillion dollar institutional, industrial, commercial projects for this full-service construction company. Excelled in duties related to client engagement, project planning, scheduling, management, cost estimation, quality control, constructability analysis, contract development and administration, and construction and project management. Reviewed and analyzed constructability plans. Managed bid package, bid evaluation and bid award recommendations. Produced geological engineering and soils reports; and structural, civil and MEP engineering task orders. Provided strong leadership of internal and subcontractor teams throughout the duration of each project. Participated in design reviews. Held regular progress meetings with architects, contractors, and inspectors. Carefully reviewed and address environmental reports, including documentation on asbestos levels and presence of lead-based materials. Negotiated contractor change orders; developed and rebutted claims in support of contractors.
Collaborated with state and city agencies to obtain approvals for streets, sidewalks, and traffic signals; and with utility companies for utility removals, relocations, and addition of new services.
Skillfully coordinated the ordering, delivery, installation, and inspection of low voltage and control systems (LAN, CCTV, MATV, CATV, PA, APA, FA and Security).
In all projects, ensured demolition contractors complied with California South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) standards and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).
Owner Authorized Representative in construction of full-day kindergarten classrooms across 18 elementary schools (a $12M project).
Project Manager in the replacement and energy-efficient upgrade of 3 centrifugal chillers for the Los Angeles County of Education ($1.2M project). Coordinated backup HVAC pre-testing and multiple direct cutovers to ensure there was no downtime in the county’s 24/7 Data Center operation.
Procurement Engineer / Subcontractor Administrator / Superintendent at Kiewit Industrial Co, High Desert, CA
2009 - 2013
Provided exceptional leadership of diverse public works construction projects. Developed bid packages; performed scope, schedule, and cost negotiations; assembled subcontractor teams; and ensured availability of all needed resources, tools, and equipment for each project.
Project Manager for a $200M 800-megawatt combined cycle co-generation power plant and High Desert power project for Constellation Energy Group. Collaborated with joint venture A/E firm to write specifications for many mechanical, electrical, plumbing, controls, insulation, chemical, paint, and non-destructive testing and start-up service packages
Project Manager for upgrades to a 5,800 GPM water treatment plant (a $50M project). Managed all plant painting and special coating systems, all pipe and vessel insulation systems, construction of a one-million-gallon auxiliary water tank, and start-up of an 8 million-gallon-per-day Vivendi water treatment plant.
Key contributor in Kiewit being awarded the high industry honor of “Power Plant of the Year.”
Education example
Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Accounting at University of Phoenix, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Science in Information Systems at University of Redlands, Los Angeles, CA
Skills example
Master Project Planning & Scheduling
Subcontractor Team Building
Detailed Cost Estimation
Constructability Analyses
Value Engineering / Cost Containment
Structure Demolitions & Utility Removals