Moving from the field to the office: How to grow in your construction career

Looking to advance in your construction career? We’re glad to hear it because there are many benefits in doing so.

Whether you want an increase in pay or you’ve realized that your body isn’t holding up the same as it was in your youth, there are many career development opportunities within the construction industry.

If you’ve been working in the field, you know the ins and outs of your trade better than anyone. This insider knowledge can easily transfer to the business side of the company and put you in a good spot to secure an office position.

If you’ve seen the show “Undercover Boss,” you know the best way for leaders to grow their companies is to learn from those at the front line. By disguising themselves and visiting their version of “the field,” these undercover CEOs walked away with revelations about their businesses and made improvements based on experiencing things firsthand.

You’ve been working in the field, and already have this knowledge – so use it to your advantage.

Now that you’ve decided you want career growth, how do you make it happen? Here are some helpful tips you can use to grow in your construction career as you move from the field to the office.

Ask for the opportunity

The easiest way to get started is by moving up within your current company. Express interest in career growth opportunities to your boss by asking:

1. Can I sit in on business meetings?

Start by being a fly on the wall, but eventually start to ask questions, contribute to the conversation and offer feedback. This shows the owner of the business your understanding and willingness to be involved.

2. Can I help with business tasks?

Ask to watch a team member write up an estimate, or offer to help with a social media marketing campaign. Find a way to get involved and shadow others in your company.

3. Can I attend a construction conference?

There’s no shortage of construction conferences around the country. Find one that seems relevant and ask to go. Good leaders will want to invest in you personally because they know when their employees learn and grow, the company stands to benefit.

The important thing is you make it known you want to advance in your construction career path. If you never ask or show interest, your manager will assume you’re happy where you are.

Invest in your own growth

Even if your company won’t or can’t invest in you right now, you can still do it on your own. Here are a few career growth tips to help get you that job promotion in construction you’ve been wanting.

Listen to podcasts

Podcasts are a free and easy way to learn from business and industry experts. While driving from job site to job site, you have plenty of listening time. A few recommendations are:

• “The Tim Ferriss Show”: He interviews successful entrepreneurs, and they cover a wide range of topics such as productivity, personal development, marketing and business strategy.
• “The Modern Craftsman”: This podcast is a hub for those in the construction industry to promote excellence, education, knowledge and respect.
• “The Building Code”: A podcast by Buildertrend that explores people, technology and innovation in construction. You’ll learn tips and tricks from some of the industry’s most successful teams.

Read books

Reading books is a great way to improve your knowledge of the industry and accelerate your career. Pick some up at a bookstore, go to your local library or download the free library reading app Libby.

• “The Ideal Team Player”: Learn how to develop yourself as an indispensable member of your company. Told as a fable, this book describes the ideal team player as someone who is humble, hungry and smart.
• “The E-Myth”: This book outlines why most small businesses fail and what you can do to beat the odds. The information is insightful and could give you great material to bring to your team meetings.
• “Good to Great”: Another classic business book that looks closely at great companies and the factors that drove them there. One big takeaway from this book is about getting the “right” people on the bus and removing the “wrong” ones.

This is not an exhaustive list as there are many great books and podcasts that will help you grow your construction career. It’s important to understand that the more you increase your knowledge of the business, the more opportunities you’ll create for yourself.

Moving from the field to the office

While you may miss the benefits of field work, like staying in shape and working outside, moving to the office is a great way to improve your construction career path.

“Be a lifelong student. The more you learn, the more you earn and the more self-confidence you will have.” – Brian Tracy, motivational speaker and author

If your company uses Buildertrend, we have a great opportunity to help you stand out from your team: Attend Buildertrend University.

You’ll experience two days of in-person software training, one-on-one coaching sessions and networking opportunities with other construction pros. What better way to invest in yourself than to level up your tech knowledge and learn from the best?