The construction industry remains a lucrative one from an employment perspective, being a skilled industry with many opportunities to progress and specialise. There are somewhere in the region of 2.7 million workers employed in the industry, from technical office roles to boots on the ground. But what do you need to possess skills-wise to start a career in construction?
Communication
Communication is a fundamental skill, that improves performance, safety and morale in just about every industry. In construction, communication is a necessary part of ensuring a safe working environment. Worksites are hazardous places, and knowing where everyone is on-site can help with the management of accidents or drills. Communication is also a vital part of teamwork – another skill crucial to construction.
Teamwork
Whether you are working on a small domestic project or a large-scale construction, nothing gets done without teamwork. From simply moving materials from A to B to co-ordinating significant construction tasks, working well with your fellow workers is nothing short of mandatory; poor skills in this regard can lead to the increased likelihood of accidents, and also decrease the productivity of the worksite. The less able you are to work together, the longer it will take to pull a project together.
Focus
Focus is a particularly important quality to possess in the construction industry; without a focused attitude to work, the result of your contributions can suffer. With poor focus, good teamwork and communication can also fail, resulting in injuries to colleagues or even to yourself.
Many construction tasks revolve around the use of dangerous machinery, whether power tools or larger industrial vehicles. You must remain focused on the task at hand when using handheld power tools like cordless angle grinders, to ensure the safe usage of said tools and adequate completion of the project. For both smaller tools and larger pieces of equipment, situational awareness is a must to prevent damage to structures or endangerment of colleagues.
Initiative
While less important from a safety perspective, showing initiative as a worker is essential in other ways. By going above and beyond during a job, you are demonstrating your commitment to a job well done, and also guaranteeing the safe and proficient completion of work. You can show initiative by cleaning up the worksite, from scrap materials to putting away tools after other workers are done.
Conviction
Lastly, conviction is a key attitude to bring to the worksite. Conviction, essentially, translates to confidence. If you can approach a task with confidence in your ability to complete it to a high standard, you are more likely to do so – and less likely to impact the progression of the project. Conviction indicates a deep understanding of your skill-set; those with conviction still know to ask questions regarding jobs they are ill-experienced in.
