Careers in construction offer incredible opportunities. A long-term career provides the perfect balance of the skilled trades you enjoy doing with the security of a salaried position. If you have a vision for something more than contractual work, a full-time career in construction is possible. In fact, it can provide independence unlike any other. Individuals who work from the ground-up see unparalleled success with years of hands-on experience and rewarding paychecks.
When you choose a career in construction, you choose financial independence and endless opportunity. But this freedom isn’t free. At each stage of your career, from the very first apprenticeship to high-level leadership roles, there are important steps that must be taken. A great career requires hands-on learning, diligent effort, and purposeful action to see lasting success.
If you have dreams of becoming a supervisor or holding any other type of leadership position, keep reading. Today, we share helpful hints on how you can be the best leader for a career that lasts.
As a supervisor, it’s up to you to:
Monitor the safety of all.
As you know by now, safety is a top priority to all of us at I Build America – Ohio and in every construction firm across the state. We firmly believe that every individual must help maintain safety for all on the jobsite. It’s a team effort. But, it’s up to leaders to keep safety in check and in mind. Proper safety training and continuous care helps keep job-sites accident-free, clear from falls, electrocution, and striking, all of which OSHA says are preventable with the proper precautions.
When holding a leadership position, set the standards and lead by example. Create the processes that will keep your people safe, then empower each team member to take safety into their own hands, and always display the safety steps you want everyone to take with your own action.
Make the change you want to see.
Change is critical in any business, but even more so in construction. New technologies, ever-changing practices and more keeps our communities progressing forward. This requires constant change from an internal perspective.
Before making any changes, it’s important to earn your team’s trust. Get everyone on board before making any change, which should be done one at a time. When enacting change, it’s important to keep current processes in mind. Too much change will only lead to mistakes as individuals learn new protocols and, at the very worst, total team retaliation.
Manage time.
Anyone who works in the industry knows the importance of keeping a tight schedule on the construction site. Time management is critical to completing projects on time. Even outsiders can understand the detail that must be taken to orchestrate complex build-outs.
When people are promoted to a leadership role in the construction industry, they enjoy the freedom of creating their teams’ schedules, rather than being directed by someone else.With that freedom comes added responsibility. But, we don’t recommend being a drill sergeant. It’s important to inspire your workers to be self-motivated, rather than slack off. And, at the same time, build in time for delays that come with on-the-job distraction and unexpected emergencies.
When you make the decision to create a career in construction, you’re choosing opportunity. Opportunity to grow, to thrive, and to earn. In fact, the median salary for construction managers in Ohio is over $100,000 while top construction executives in our state can expect to earn more than $250,000.
This week, as you celebrate the Fourth of July alongside your fellow Americans with backyard barbecues and firework displays, remember the freedom that can come with a career in construction.
Interested in making construction your career? Contact us here.
