Blog Article

With the speed at which technology changes and progresses these days, it’s wise to take a long-term look at any career possibilities before you pick one. It would be a huge of waste of time and energy to train for a job that will no longer exist in a decade or two thanks to technological or other advances. But one industry is already incorporating new technology and now more than ever needs smart, tech savvy, and dedicated workers to join the team. Which industry, you ask? Construction.

Construction has been around since the first humans crafted a cover of leaves and sticks to protect themselves from the elements. Wouldn’t they be amazed at what we can construct today? Our buildings rise thousands of feet high; we build tunnels through mountains; our bridges span enormous bodies of water. Construction is a marvel of mankind’s ability, imagination, and intelligence.

The perceptions of construction

Construction is a team sport. Each person is skilled at their job, and each job represents an essential piece in the puzzle that will one day be a perfectly orchestrated structure. The problem, even as the industry expands to accommodate a growing global population, is that too few people realize what great opportunities construction holds.

Perhaps this is because construction has been stereotyped as a job for the unskilled and undereducated. But think of it this way: Can you imagine untrained, unskilled workers constructing a building soaring more than 2,700 feet (over a half mile) into the air? Impossible. Instead, construction workers are people who took the path less traveled, becoming apprentices, often journeymen, and ultimately, highly skilled professionals.

Another stereotype is that the nature of construction makes it inherently dirty. Yes, it is; it has to be. Construction typically begins at ground level, where dirt is born. First, we dig into the dirt and build a foundation, then we build on the dirt and construct the bridge or house or road and so on. Until structures can levitate above the ground, construction will be dirty. Luckily, some people enjoy getting “down to Earth” and are proud and happy to be a part of an industry that knows a little dirt under the nails means a job well done.

The reality of construction

Despite the stereotypes and stigmas, construction is an industry with so many different opportunities, it’s hard to believe more people, men and women alike, aren’t lining up for jobs. On any given structure, dozens of different skilled trades employed work together toward the goal, from heavy equipment operators to carpenters to ironworkers to electricians. And within each trade are people who specialize in specific aspects of that trade and who are the best at what they do. The choices are plenty and the opportunities are great. There’s never been a better time to join the construction industry.

If personal accomplishment and gratification are not enough, consider pay. Let’s take a look at what a few different construction occupations pay versus jobs in retail and food service. It’s a game changer!

For people just graduating from high school, retail and food service are often the first jobs they seek. But after a few years of going nowhere with repetitive day-to-day actions, it’s easy to see that construction has so much more to offer as a career, not just a job.

If you want to learn a trade, build a career and have a great life rebuilding Michigan, Michigan Paving & Materials Company is hiring! Check out our job listings and apply today!