Resume for Construction Manager

But how about trying to showcase your skills, qualifications, and job experience on a resume? If you're trying to get work as a construction manager, your cover letter must be solid and effective.

Resume writing may not be your strongest skill. That's why we're here to help you write the most successful resume for a construction manager possible with the help of our construction manager resume examples and resume templates.

How to Write the Best Resume for Construction Manager

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of construction managers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Indeed, the demand for construction managers has increased due to the ever-increasing frequency of construction projects. However, the rise of construction manager jobs means that competition will also increase.

This is why your construction manager's resume has to stand out from the candidate pool.

There will be many contractors trying to get the construction project management position that you're going after. To be the new member the hiring manager calls for an interview, you must write a strong cover letter.

Here's a list of all the essential aspects and sections you need to include to make your construction manager resume stand out during your job search:

The Format
The Professional Summary
The Education Section
The Job Description
The Skills Section

On top of our resume samples and templates, we'll also be going through all the bullet points in much more depth to guarantee your success in getting a construction management position.

What is the Best Format for Construction Manager Resume Example

A resume can have all the jaw-dropping content in the world, but it will not matter if the hiring manager doesn't look at it. For a resume to be successful, the content inside needs to be successfully formatted.

Nowadays, most recruiters don't read through every resume that the hiring company receives. It would simply take too much time. Hiring managers will usually only skim through the cover letters that they deem interesting.

Before the recruiters even start picking out interesting resume samples, they filter out the applications that don't have the position-appropriate wording and format.

Be sure to create a healthy balance between regular and business-specific wording in your resume. Don't overload your job description and professional summary with industry jargon.

You can mention skills like team building, time management, and quality control, among others, to get the attention of ATS.

There are also other essential factors you need to keep in mind while formatting your resume. Here's the list of rules for an effective project construction manager resume format:

Place your name at the top of your resume and write the physical and email address exactly below.
Divide the parts of your resume into sections, with more prominent, bolded names for different parts of the application.
When writing your job description, use the Chronological Format . Write about your work history from oldest to newest. Start with the company name

Professional Summary of the Construction Manager Resume

Before you start writing your work history section, a meaningful way to gain a recruiter's interest and attention is by dedicating a small part of your resume to introducing yourself.

Indeed, since hiring managers don't usually read through every candidate's resume, you need to be able to describe yourself in a short preface paragraph.

Your professional summary should only be a few sentences in length. You must be brief when talking about your key construction skills, qualifications, and past accomplishments.

The professional summary is usually added when the person has had some job experience in the field. It's a summary of your past construction job experience. However, if you're just starting, then that's okay too!

Entry-level project construction managers that want to increase their chances of employment can write a resume objective into their resume. The resume objective is a short statement about your career goals, accomplishments, and skills to benefit the company.

Professional Summary Example

Below we can see an effective professional summary resume example.

This summary perfectly encompasses the strengths and qualifications of the candidate. The summary includes technical skills as well as traits that are needed for the line of work. Additionally, the professional summary gives examples of the projects the candidate has worked on.

Being specific is a big plus when writing a professional summary. Every statement needs to be precise and packed with related information. For example, the summary states that the candidate is proficient in building codes and team building. All of these skills are highly valued in project management.

Below we can see a weak professional summary resume example.

This summary is too dry and doesn't show the candidate's qualifications that well. This is simply a statement about some of the responsibilities this person had as a construction manager. The aspects are vague and unclear, this creates problems for this resume's readability. Simply talking about quality control doesn’t tell the reader much.

How to Write a Perfect Education Section for Your Resume

Back in the day, not as many construction companies cared about the educational background of their project manager, but times have changed. Today, most companies require their candidates to have a bachelor's degree in management or another related field.

Adding an education section to your construction manager's resume will undoubtedly help your resume shine.

Not only does this section show the hiring manager that you have the necessary educational background, but it can also build interest in the reader by giving more information about yourself.

To write the education part of your resume effectively, you need to consider what you're going to include in this part of your resume. Below you will find some of the key items to consider while writing an education section. :

• Put your highest education achievements first . Always start with your highest education achievements in forms of education. Put your most recent education first followed chronologically by past education qualifications. No need to go into detail about your high school if you have a degree.

List the name, university address, years attended and the degree name.

• Include relevant coursework . Write down the classes that you feel are related to the job you're applying for. This will show the recruiter that you have many additional skills that you can use in the job.

  Write your high school qualifications if you don't have a degree.

• Add certifications . Adding certification into this section will undoubtedly increase the strength and legibility of your resume.

How to Write Job Description and Duties for Construction Manager Resume

Now that we've taken care of the professional summary and education sections, it is time to get on with the most important part of your resume - the job description section.

This section serves the purpose of describing your past relevant work history to the recruiter. You have to describe your work in a way where you showcase your value as a construction manager.

Work Experience Examples

Below, we can see an effective job description resume example.

This is a strong job description because it gives a lot of details about the construction manager's job while showcasing the knowledge and skills of the candidate. Additionally, the job description includes numeric information as well as the names and locations of construction sites.

Below, we can see a weak job description resume example.

The job description here is poorly written. It simply doesn't say enough and doesn't provide any details about the job. It is too ambiguous and short.

Always Highlight Your Skills

A good way to get the recruiter's attention is by including a skills section in your construction manager's resume. Including this section will raise the reader's interest and show legibility for the position and satisfy the ATS scans.

Putting relevant skills is a good way of giving additional information and credibility to your resume. Try to include technical and management skills in this section. This way, you'll show that you know the technical side of the business and the interpersonal, management side of things.

Here are some examples of keywords and important skills to include in your construction managers resume:

Low-Bid Selection
Best-Value Selection
Qualifications-Based Selection
Project Scope & Budget
Payment Contracts
Capital Projects
Conceptual Planning
Schematic Design
Programming and Feasibility
Blueprints & Working Drawings
Mathematics (Calculus, Geometry, etc.)
Environmental Performance Measures
Quality Management
Public Safety
Cost Management
Communication Skills
Physical Fitness
Quick-Thinking
Decision-Making Skills
Change orders
Attention to Detail
Risk Assessment
Management Skills
Leadership Skills
Project Management
Effective Communication
Problem-Solving Skills
Teamwork & Collaboration
Time Management
Leadership
Accountability
Analytical Skills
Technical Skills
Business Administration
Organizational Skills
Adaptability

You can also specify the types of construction you are familiar with, such as:

Residential Construction:
Homes, apartment buildings, etc.

Commercial Construction:
Office buildings, stores, retail establishments, etc.

Industrial Construction:
Oil refineries, chemical plants, etc.

Institutional Construction:
Municipal and government buildings, such as schools and police stations.

Heavy Civil Construction:
Roads, bridges, airports, etc.

Agricultural Construction:
Barns, animal fencing, storage silos, grain elevators, etc.

Environmental Construction:
Waste treatment plants, wind power turbines, materials management, etc.

Key Takeaways

The key points for creating an effective Construction Manager resume are the following:

Design your resume specifically for the job you're applying for.
Your professional summary should showcase your qualifications and job-related skills concisely.
A good way to show your worth is by mentioning your key achievements from previous jobs. The inclusion of metrics is also recommended.
Write your work experiences in a Chronological format order.
Present your skills and experiences in a job-appropriate way.
Use certificates to increase the effectiveness of your application.

FAQs

What is the average salary of a construction manager?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a construction manager is $97,180 per year.

The average salary as well as the popularity of the Construction Manager Construction Manager position is projected to only increase in the following years.

What kind of skills do you need to be a construction manager?

As we mentioned in the skills section of our article. You need to possess skills that are applicable and/or related to the job posting.

Try to include both technical and management skills in your skill section. Also, specify the type of construction work you're familiar with. See more with our construction manager resume example by visiting our website. All rights reserved.

How long should a construction manager resume be?

An effective resume will be no longer than one page. Make sure to fit all the sections on one page. For more examples that include a construction manager resume sample and resume builder guide, visit our website.

Do you need certifications to become a construction manager?

You aren't required to have certifications. But certifications in construction project management are heavily recommended and very useful to have. They will increase your chances of employment consideration.

Here's a list of appropriate certifications for a construction manager:

Coating Inspector
Concrete Transportation Construction
Lead Abatement
LEED AP
Mobile Crane Operator
OSHA
Rigger and Signal Person
Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
Safety Manager/Trainer