Construction Manager Resume: Examples and Tips
A construction manager oversees and leads a range of building projects from beginning to end. They are responsible for setting and keeping schedules, monitoring finances, and ensuring that everybody is doing their assigned tasks correctly. A construction manager also provides that the construction site is free of safety hazards. This job typically requires a few years of experience, along with solid communication and leadership skills.
Follow our tips and resume examples to craft a stellar resume for a construction manager job.
Table of Contents
Featured Resume Example: Construction Manager
Name: RAMIRO PORTER
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Productive Construction Manager with an optimized track record of providing quality leadership and construction work. Expertise in equipment operation, construction management, reading and interpreting blueprints, and heavy labor. Excellent knowledge of operation and safety protocols for diverse industrial equipment.
SKILLS
- Reading blueprints
- Best building practices
- Interior and exterior renovation
- Estimating
- Inspection principles
- OSHA compliance
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Communication
- Trained construction teams on site-specific requirements, techniques, and procedures.
- Eliminated project lags by organizing works-in-progress and delegating tasks.
- Managed projects to develop and launch new services for internal and external customers, planned and executed events, and created and implemented new policies at the company
Teamwork
- Created project plans with established timelines for critical phases, assigned to appropriate teams, managed workflow, and achieved RFP submissions and completion deadlines on or before schedule.
- Dictated the roles and responsibilities for each member of the 12 person team
Site Expertise
- Created project plans with established timelines for critical phases, assigned to appropriate groups, managed workflow, and achieved REP submissions and completion deadlines on or before schedule
- Monitored design processes from conceptual stage through construction.
- Implemented quality assurance and safety standards and maintained compliance with construction contract documents and contractor safety programs
WORK HISTORY
Construction Manager
JULY 2019-CURRENT
Company Name, City, State
Site Foreman
MARCH 2013-JULY 2016
Company Name, City, State
Construction Laborer
AUGUST 2008-JANUARY 2012
Company Name, City, State
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science: Construction Management
City, State
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Construction Manager Resume
- Summary Your resume summary can leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager if you do it right. Highlight your top and most relevant professional skills and career achievements in three to four concise sentences. For example: “Results-driven and hands-on Construction Manager with over 10 years of experience. Completed over eight multi-million dollar projects through coordinating trades, developing partnerships, and building positive relationships with architects, engineers and vendors. Proficient in contract negotiations, document preparation, and building codes and regulations.”
- Skills Read the job description well to know the required skills needed for the job and include 8-10 soft and hard skills that directly relate to it. Skills like construction planning, scheduling, and budget analysis fall under the hard skills category. At the same time, leadership, organization, and time management are intangible traits (soft skills) that show the hiring manager how you approach your work.
- Work History As a construction manager, your work history will be the centerpiece of your resume. Instead of listing daily tasks, focus on your work achievements and use quantifiable metrics when possible to better portray them. For example, instead of writing “Completed estimates for jobs,” consider the more impressive, “Completed accurate material and labor estimates for jobs with $200,000+ budgets.”
- EducationWrite your top education credential, along with the university’s name and location. If you graduated more than ten years ago, it’s not necessary to include the graduation date. You can also use this section to mention any relevant certifications or training you completed.
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Find the Right Template for Your Resume
Use these professional templates for a resume that not just looks right but reads right.
Pacific
Straightforward and professional, this template features a simple header for your name and contact information. It’s ideal for candidates in a more traditional field or company.
Managerial
This two-column layout neatly organizes your information and makes it easy for hiring managers to locate everything. Your name will stick out quickly with a vibrant and customizable header.
Centered
Keep it classy with this simple but effective design. Subtle dotted lines and colorful titles separate each section, making organization a breeze.
For a complete selection of templates you can use, visit our templates page.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO prioritize content over aesthetics. While it might be tempting to include graphics and have a resume with a more elaborate design, it’s best to choose a resume design that correctly highlights and organizes your information. Not only will the hiring managers appreciate being able to read your resume, but it will likely pass ATS scans.
- DO demonstrate your accomplishments with action verbs. Make sure to use strong action verbs while describing your professional experience. Beginning your bullet points with words like supervised, conducted, led, oversaw, performed, monitored, or developed helps the hiring manager see a clearer picture of your abilities as a construction manager. Our article How to Maximize Action Verbs provides more tips.
- DO take time to create and polish your resume. Dedicate a couple of minutes to writing and putting together a professional resume. Read the job description well, organize your information before writing your resume, and proofread your document to ensure everything is correct.
- DON’T write a resume objective. A resume objective states the job seeker’s career goal, which isn’t necessary for someone in a senior-level position. Resume objectives are used by young professionals with little or no experience who want to communicate their career goals.
- DON’T use personal pronouns on your resume. Avoid using personal pronouns (like “I,” “me,” and “my”) as they project an impression of a self-seeking applicant and aren’t considered professional. They make your statements sound informal and deliver less impact.
- DON’T use the same resume for every job application.Different jobs have different needs. Make sure to tailor your resume to serve the employer’s needs best. Before applying for a job, update your resume and make it relevant to the position you want. For example, suppose the employer is looking for someone skilled in capital budget management, knowledgeable in electrical and mechanical systems and contract negotiations. In that case, you want to include skills and feature work achievements that show you’re capable of doing this. For more on tailoring your resume, read our article How to Create a Targeted Resume.
Construction Manager Resume FAQs
- 1. Why do you need a strong resume for a construction manager’s position?
- 2. What are the construction manager’s job responsibilities and duties?
- 3. What skills should I feature in a construction manager’s resume?
- 4. Should you include references in your resume?
- 5. What format should I use for a construction manager’s resume?
1. Why do you need a strong resume for a construction manager’s position?
Recruiters often look through hundreds if not thousands of resumes while filling these positions; it is imperative to make your resume stand out. Your professional experience and skills make you a qualified candidate, but that information only matters if you’re able to convey it properly on your resume. Including relevant information and structuring your resume will help you introduce yourself as a strong and reliable candidate.
2. What are the construction manager’s job responsibilities and duties?
The specific duties and responsibilities of a construction manager will depend on the job, but they can typically include:
- Preparing and negotiating cost estimates, budgets, and work timetables
- Scheduling and coordinating all design and construction processes
- Interpreting and explaining contracts and technical information to workers
- Collaborating with architects and engineers
- Instructing and supervising construction personnel and activities onsite
- Preparing reports on work progress and budgeting matters to clients
- Responding to work emergencies
- Making sure jobs are completed on time and within the budget
- Complying with legal requirements, building and safety codes, and other regulations
3. What skills should I feature in a construction manager’s resume?
| Hard skills: | Soft skills: |
| Budget and time estimation | Excellent verbal and written communication |
| Interior and exterior renovation | Leadership |
| Design and planning building systems and services | Time management |
| Inspection principles | Organization |
| Knowledge of OSHA safety regulations | Detail-oriented |
| Reading blueprints | Team player |
| Building | Mentoring |
| Demolition | Self-started |
| Renovation | Self-motivated |
| Scheduling | Determined |
| Microsoft Office | Results-driven |
| Construction management software | |
| Quality assurance |
| Hard skills: |
| Budget and time estimation |
| Interior and exterior renovation |
| Design and planning building systems and services |
| Inspection principles |
| Knowledge of OSHA safety regulations |
| Reading blueprints |
| Building |
| Demolition |
| Renovation |
| Scheduling |
| Microsoft Office |
| Construction management software |
| Quality assurance |
| Soft skills: |
| Excellent verbal and written communication |
| Leadership |
| Time management |
| Organization |
| Detail-oriented |
| Team player |
| Mentoring |
| Self-started |
| Self-motivated |
| Determined |
| Results-driven |
4. Should you include references in your resume?
What once was an accepted practice no longer is. Don’t take up valuable space in your document on references – focus on your work achievements and skills. When the employer is interested in extending an offer, they will ask you to submit a separate document with your references. Learn more about handling references in our article References on Your Resume 101.
5. What format should I use for a construction manager’s resume?
The best resume format for you will expand on the strength of your skills and experiences. Consider using the chronological format if you have plenty of work experience as a construction manager and show your career progression in the work history section. If you have only a few years of experience in the construction industry or are changing careers, consider the combination format, emphasizing skills and work history. On the other hand, if you lack professional experience, then the functional format is your best ally as it centers your resume on your job-specific skills, education, and training.
Pair Your Resume with a Matching Cover Letter
