You excel at developing construction sites, but your resume construction fails. Wonder why? Check this step-by-step guide to building an outstanding construction worker resume.
You excel at preparing construction sites and developing new structures seems as easy as a basic Lego set. You can work it out in no time. But your resume construction collapses. Your phone hasn’t rung for weeks. And you need instructions like a glass of water on a muggy day on site.
Learn how to build a solid construction worker resume from scratch so that it leads you toward a new, promising career.
In this guide:
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Need a resume for construction-related jobs? Study these resume samples:
Matthew B. Clark
Construction Worker
971-544-2732
matthewclark@yahoo.com
linkedin.com/in/matthew.clark
Summary
Skilled construction worker with 5+ years of experience. Seeking to join HITT Contracting Inc. to leverage technical knowledge and communication skills, and serve as a leader for on-site safety. At Constrain, supervised safety and maintained the stable 0.9 EMR score for 2 years. At Carver, kept a monthly productivity rate above 85% during the entire contract.
Experience
Construction Worker
Constrain, Greenville, NC
February 2021–February 2023
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievement:
Construction Laborer
Carver, Charlotte, NC
September 2019–January 2021
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievement:
Street Construction Laborer
TECTON, High Point, NC
January 2018–August 2019
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Key Achievement:
Education
Business Administration
Guttman Community College
September 2016–August 2017
Skills
Licensing
Courses
Languages
Construction workers perform a whole spectrum of physical labor at construction sites. They operate hand and power tools such as jackhammers, earth tampers, or cement mixers. And construction laborer resumes must show you know how to prepare sites, dig trenches, erect scaffolding, and more.
Now that you’ve checked the above sample and know what it has to include, let’s create your resume starting from the very foundation:
You don’t want your resume to land among The 100 Funniest Things in the History of Internet.
That’s why you need to avoid typical mistakes that candidates make. Number one—poor resume formatting. If it’s mayhem and chaos, how would a sane man believe you have some sense of structure?
Lay a solid foundation for your construction worker resume, and pick a proper resume format. The three most common resume formats are reverse-chronological, functional, and hybrid.
The reverse-chronological resume format favors work history and education, presenting your most recent occupations first. The functional resume format suits those who want to underscore their skill set. The third one, the chrono-functional resume, incorporates features from both mentioned above.
For starters, here’s how to format your construction worker resume:
Once you’re all done with formatting, think about the resume sections you want to include. As a construction worker, you need these few blocks:
Bear in mind, it is better to save your resume in PDF rather than DOC. You don’t want your resume to break apart.
Remember the GMC Sierra jaw-dropping TV spot? Basically, you want your employer to do the same when seeing your resume summary.
Why? Because your resume summary holds an opportunity for you to be noticed. And for an employer to find a matching candidate.
Here’s how to start a resume with a well-crafted summary:
Brilliant! Let’s take a look at the below resume examples for a construction worker to get the hang of it:
Summary
Skilled construction worker with 5+ years of experience. Seeking to join HITT Contracting Inc. to leverage technical knowledge and communication skills, and serve as a leader for on-site safety. At Constrain, supervised safety and maintained the stable 0.9 EMR score for 2 years. At Carver, kept a monthly productivity rate above 85% during the entire contract.
Summary
Great construction laborer who worked previously on numerous sites. Experienced in operating power tools such as jackhammers, earth tampers, and machines like skid steers. Responsible for preparing sites, digging trenches, erecting scaffolding, and cleaning up the space. Assisted other workers as a reliable teammate.
Can you spot the difference between these two? First thing first, the good example gives a concrete number of years worked. Numerous isn’t a solid piece of information.
Next, it clearly specifies the intent and shows the skills that are likely valuable for the company. Finally, it pinpoints relevant achievements proved with numbers.
If you’re an entry-level candidate with demanded skills and a goal-oriented approach, use a resume objective.
Objective
Reliable construction worker skilled in operating various hand and power tools and impeccable site maintenance. Seeking to join CDM Smith as a Commercial Construction Worker to utilize both extensive technical knowledge and exceptional communication skills. Built the first construction worker experience at Ref Bluff, receiving management commendation for exceptional efficiency and focus.
Objective
I have little experience as a construction worker, but I am a keen learner and can work under any conditions. Seeking to join CDM Smith as a Commercial Construction Worker to expand my career profile and bring benefits to the company. I pay a lot of attention to safety and work ethic.
What speaks for the first example? It starts with a strong trait and presents two key skills. Then, it states the position, the company's name, and the goal for potential employment. It’s all clear.
Now, what’s wrong with the second one? For once, it’s written in the first person. Secondly, it emphasizes the little experience, which is a shot in the foot. Thirdly, it’s misty. Instead of promising benefits, it’s better to say precisely what skills you’ll utilize if working for the company.
Your work history might be as stately as the Empire State Building. You might have worked for Turner Construction. And that’s awesome.
But if you don’t know how to showcase your vast experience, you can ruin your work experience section in seconds. The secret is this: the job description for your construction worker resume should match the job posting. Like a wrench matches a nut.
Follow these rules to create a perfectly matched job description:
Experience
Construction Laborer
Carver, Charlotte, NC
September 2019–January 2021
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Experience
Construction Laborer
Carver, 2021–2022
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
The first one gets an immediate YES. It lists key job responsibilities and professional achievements, and serves numbers as proof.
The second one? It’s a NO–NO. Although it provides a reader with some valuable responsibilities, they’re inaccurate. Plus, this example has bad formatting. The company's name and work dates should be shown on separate lines.
If you don’t want your hopes to get crushed, pay attention to the details and avoid common resume mistakes. Believe it or not, they matter a lot for the whole.
Well, construction workers aren’t really poets, although you can find poems about them. What we want to say instead, they’re accounted for their work rather than words.
Once done with your error-free job descriptions, focus on your top-notch construction skills to create another solid block of your resume. Besides vast technical knowledge and manual dexterity, employers expect you to possess soft skills like decent communication, critical thinking, and more.
See the list below to understand this complexity better:
Got it? Now, pick the ones that match your experience and create a robust skill set.
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You don’t get hired for a shiny smile and a good joke. Unless you’re Tim The Toolman.
If you’re expecting to be invited for an interview, you need a strong resume—don’t just build castles in the air. This includes the education section—and no excuses. Reports prove the significance of education in the construction industry.
Here’s how to showcase your education:
Education
Business Administration
Guttman Community College
September 2016–August 2017
You can add a few bullets to summarize key activities during your studies. Show that it’s not just a title—it’s where you developed your interest in technical fields.
A house without an elevation will still be a house. But it won’t look nice. Your resume can stay unfinished, too. But it won’t impress a boss.
Now that your resume has a solid construction, it’s time for the finishing touches. Think about a few added sections that might be a great trim to what you’ve already created.
Take advantage of the below examples to brush up on your resume:
See the example:
Licensing
Courses
Languages
Expert Hint: You might think a construction worker doesn’t need a cover letter. In fact, if a recruiter is on the fence about a candidate, they’ll likely read it. Check how to write cover letters to strengthen your position.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
For a strong construction worker resume that gets interviews:
Got questions about the construction worker resume? Struggle to decide what to include in your application? Leave us a comment. We’re here to answer.
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Marta Bongilaj is a career expert and a Certified Professional Résumé Writer. She's a member of the National Career Development Association and the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. She has a vast marketing background, which helps her give relevant advice on bringing out candidates’ strongest points and making their resumes a compelling read. In her articles, she underlines the importance of showcasing the most prominent skills, experiences, and qualifications in a resume to stand out in increasingly competitive job markets. Marta provides on-point tips on how to promote one’s candidature efficaciously at every career stage. Holding a philology degree, she believes that concise, persuasive language lies at the core of a successful resume. If you seek advice on marketing yourself to employers, no matter your recruitment stage, you’ve come to the right place.
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