You’ve been working as an estimator for a while now, and you’re doing great. You know your business inside out, and you love the job that you do. But if there’s one thing that can hold you back from reaching your full potential, it’s not knowing how to get your dream job.
I’ve gone through this myself: after years of working in construction estimating for various companies around the world, I decided that it was time to move on.
I wanted more responsibility and challenges than my current role could provide – but how could I find them? After all, there are only so many jobs available at any given moment..
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Gain insights into the role of an estimator |
| Learn about the skills and qualifications required |
| Understand the steps to become an estimator |
| Discover tips for excelling in job interviews |
| Explore resources for further career development |
| Network with professionals in the field |
| Stay updated with industry trends |
| Enhance your estimating accuracy |
| Develop strong communication skills |
| Embrace continuous learning and professional growth |
Network Like A Pro
It’s not enough to know the right people. You also have to be in the right places, at the right time and say, do and ask the right things. Here are some tips on how you can do exactly that:
Know where your target audience hangs out—both online and offline. This will help you find more clients and get them interested in your services.
Get familiar with various social media platforms (like LinkedIn). Use these sites for networking purposes only! Don’t spam people with non-relevant advertisements or information about yourself it’s just annoying!
Be helpful instead! If someone posts something about their business needs or problems they’re having then offer up advice or solutions if possible (but don’t overdo it).
The key here is not self-promotion but rather contributing value through thoughtful contributions first which leads into…
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It’s All About Relationships
In order to get a job in your industry, it’s important that you build relationships with people who are already working in the field. The best way to do this is by using LinkedIn. Sign up for an account and connect with people who have jobs or mentors that interest you.
After connecting with them, start following their tweets and engage in conversation on social media. You’ll also want to reach out to your network of friends and family; they may be able to provide some leads on employers or opportunities for you!
Continue To Learn And Grow
As an estimator, you should be constantly learning new things. This is important for your career and for your company. The more you know about estimating, the more valuable you will become as an employee.
Take A Course
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the information that’s out there on the internet about estimating software programs, so it can be tough deciding which program is right for you.
If this sounds like something that may be helpful in making this decision, then consider taking a course or seminar on how to use different types of estimating software programs such as Estimates or Xactimate Pro.
These courses are typically taught by industry experts who can share their knowledge on how best utilize these systems within a construction environment while teaching potential students how they work as well! It may seem intimidating at first but trust me when I say…they’re worth every penny!
Update Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile
Keep it up-to-date and relevant. Make sure your resume is professionally formatted, easy to read, and includes all the most pertinent information about you.
This includes your contact information, education and experience in the field, skills that make you valuable to employers, a list of references who can vouch for your reliability as an estimator or project manager.
This also means updating your resume whenever necessary! Don’t let it sit around collecting dust at home update it from time to time so that when prospective employers are looking through their databases for potential hires later on (which happens often), they’ll see yours first!
Include achievements/awards/accomplishments. It’s always good practice to include any awards won or recognitions earned in previous positions; this shows that not only have other people recognized your hard work.
But also how much value those accomplishments have added towards growing both yourself as well as your company overall a win-win situation if there ever was one 🙂
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Get Your Social Media In Line
Social media is another way to promote yourself and make sure your work history is in line with your resume. It’s also useful for showing potential employers that you’re approachable, so they’ll know they can reach out if they have any questions about your application.
While LinkedIn is a great platform to showcase your professional side, it shouldn’t be the only site representing you online: make sure all of your social media accounts are up-to-date and consistent with each other.
Your Facebook profile should only show off high quality photos of the work that you’ve done, while Instagram could feature behind-the-scenes shots from construction sites or even just pictures of yourself having fun at work!
You can even use Twitter or Snapchat as an additional way to show appreciation for what you do by using hashtags like #constructionlife or #dreamjobfinallyrealized
Start A Blog & Build Your Brand
“You’re not the only one who’s looking for an estimator job. You have to stand out.”
A blog is a great tool to help you land your dream estimator job, build your personal brand, and establish yourself as an expert in your field. It can also be used to attract clients so you can work on projects even while you’re waiting for companies to hire you full-time. Here’s how:
Start a blog today, and start writing about whatever it is that interests you most about being an estimator or working with construction companies. Do what feels natural it doesn’t matter if it’s perfect yet because no one’s reading yet!
Just get started by writing down anything that comes into your mind about what it means for someone like me (a female) who likes numbers but isn’t really interested in math.
This will help me figure out what topics I should write about more often so people know they can trust me when they come looking for someone new like me…
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Create An Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a short, concise summary of who you are and what you do. It’s typically less than 30 seconds long the length of time it takes to ride an elevator.
But Why? Why Do You Need An Elevator Pitch?
Well, let me tell you: because there are plenty of people out there who have their own ideas about how things should be done, and they’re all trying to sell those ideas to anyone who will listen.
You want your idea to stand out from the crowd. An elevator pitch is a great way for potential employers or clients to quickly get an idea of why they should hire or work with you, even if they don’t have much time on their hands!
Create A Career Plan & Goals As Estimator
If you want to land your dream job as an estimator, it’s important to develop a career plan and set goals that will help guide you toward the position.
Use your career plan and goals as estimators to create a plan for how to achieve these goals. In this section, I’ll give an overview of how to create an effective career plan and set productive goals for yourself.
Learn How To Effectively Manage Your Time & Tasks As an Estimator
In order to succeed in any role at any level in your organization or industry, you need expert time management skills.
The ability to manage tasks effectively is equally important for projects and therefore companies to stay on schedule and keep moving forward efficiently toward completion.
In this section, I’ll share some helpful tips on how to make sure everything gets done when working as an estimator.* Learn How To Effectively Manage Your Priorities & Projects As an Estimator
Find A Mentor As Estimator
You need to find someone who has done what you want to do and then makes them your mentor. That person will be able to share with you how they got where they are, and how they learned everything that they needed or wanted to learn.
They may even be willing to invest some time in helping you get started on the right path toward your goals (if not money).
Also, this person could teach you some things about their job that maybe other people won’t teach because it is confidential information about their company or industry.
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Attend Job Fairs & Events
The first step in preparing for a job fair or event is to make sure that you have a resume and cover letter prepared. Job fairs are meant to be fast-paced, so it’s important that you have your materials ready to go.
Once you’ve made sure that those two things are in order, other things are worth considering when preparing for a job fair:
What should I wear? For example, if the event is being held indoors (as most of them are), then nothing too formal jeans and sneakers will probably suffice. But if it’s outdoors or on grassy areas where people might get dirty, then don’t forget to throw on some proper shoes!
Also, remember not everyone has access to showers at their apartments/dorms/etc., so having some cologne/perfume with you isn’t always necessary.
But could help set yourself apart from others who may smell badly after walking around all day especially if they’re sweaty from talking with employers all afternoon!
What should I bring? If possible try bringing these items along with . . .
Attend Trade Shows & Conferences As An Estimator
There are plenty of opportunities to attend trade shows and conferences as an estimator. These events can help you build your personal brand, learn about new technologies, and meet new people.
Trade shows open up opportunities for networking with other professionals in the industry who could become clients or provide referrals down the road.
In addition to helping you land your dream job as an estimator, attending trade shows will help you prepare for interviews by providing information about the company’s culture, mission statement, and overall goals.
Most trade show organizers offer discounted tickets if purchased early enough ahead of time; if not, check with local colleges or universities to see if they have student discounts available (they usually do).
Many also offer free admission during specified times before each conference so that attendees can preview all of their exhibitors’ products without having to pay anything out-of-pocket upfront!
Volunteer As Estimator
Volunteering can be a great way to get experience, and it’s the perfect way to find out whether or not you really want this job.
You can volunteer with friends and family, or even on your own. You don’t have to commit a ton of time just an hour every week or so will do. If you’re into construction work, try volunteering at Habitat for Humanity when they build homes for people in need.
If you like working with kids, sign up for a summer reading program at school and read aloud to elementary students.
If you’re more interested in helping people who are sick or injured, visit local hospitals’ patient lounges regularly and spend some time chatting with people who are spending their days there instead of working at their jobs.
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Join Industry Associations & Clubs As Estimator
Join industry organizations. The best way to start networking is by joining an organization that specializes in your industry. You can join these groups through your local chamber of commerce and by searching the internet for relevant groups in your area.
Join industry clubs. Another great way to network, especially if you’re looking for a job as estimator, is through local clubs that are dedicated to helping people who work in the same field as you or have similar interests or hobbies.
You might consider joining Toastmasters International if you’re interested in public speaking skills and want help improving them;
Or maybe there’s a local chapter of ACES (Association of Certified Energy Specialists) nearby where people from all over will be gathering together regularly at meetings held around the country every month?
You’ll never know unless you check out these options first!
Keep Up With Trends In The Industry As Estimator
In order to stay on top of your game, you need to keep up with the latest news in your industry. Read industry magazines, join industry associations and attend industry events.
If you can’t make it to an event, use social media or online resources such as blogs and forums where people are talking about what’s going on in their field of work. Also consider getting a mentor who will help guide you through any challenges that arise along the way.
Improve Your Communication Skills As Estimator
With the help of your estimator skills and communication skills, you will be able to impress your employer and make yourself stand out from other candidates. Communication is an important part of a job as an estimator.
As an estimator, you have to deal with a lot of people for various reasons customers, vendors and colleagues. It is very important that you are able to communicate effectively with these people so that they can understand what you mean without any problem or confusion.
Here’s how:
Read up on persuasion and influence. These two terms go hand in hand because the purpose of communication is always persuasion.
Persuasion means getting someone else to agree on something which will benefit both parties involved in the conversation while influence means trying to change their opinion through carefully selected words during conversations.
So it becomes easier for them to agree with whatever has been proposed by one side while maintaining their integrity within themselves at all times.
Practice active listening. Active listening involves focusing completely on what someone else says rather than thinking about what we want say next to ourselves; instead, we should try our best not just hear but understand exactly what others mean before replying.
Learn about workplace etiquette there’s no point being extremely well-versed in all matters related to work if we don’t know how things work ‘in real life!
Consider taking some time off from studying (which might help anyway) and visiting different offices where people do similar jobs as yours.
See if there are any commonalities between them regarding professionalism etcetera so everything becomes second nature when asked questions during interviews.”
Perfect Your Interviewing Skills As Estimator
If you’re interviewing for a job as an estimator, you should be prepared to answer questions about your strengths, weaknesses, and why you want the job.
You should also be prepared to answer questions about your career goals, salary expectations, work ethic and work habits. It’s important that you prepare well for these interviews because they can make or break your chances of landing the position.
In order to land an interview with Estimators International (EI), we suggest that you ask good questions of the hiring manager who is interviewing you.
The best way to do this is by sending them an email with several questions about their company or industry in general before your interview date.
This will help put them at ease and will also give them something positive upon which they can base their assessment when deciding whether or not they want to hire someone new like yourself into their company!
Be Authentic At All Times As Estimator
- Be Authentic at All Times as Estimator
- Don’t be afraid to show your human side, especially when it comes to showing how authentic you are.
You want the hiring manager or HR rep who is reading your resume or interviewing you in person to see that you’re not just another number (or estimate).
But a real person with real aspirations and goals, who is willing and ready to give their best effort toward achieving those goals.
It’s okay if what you have achieved so far isn’t perfect; it happens. The important thing is that now you’ve learned from the mistakes of the past, and now know what not to do again in the future and that’s an experience worth sharing!
Conclusion
So there you have it! The 5 steps to landing your dream job as an estimator. It may seem like a lot of work but we promise that once you start on your journey and follow these steps, things will start falling into place quickly.
And soon enough you will be where you want to be – working for yourself in the career field that made your heart soar when first entering (and perhaps even during) school.
You can do it! And remember: if at first you don’t succeed try again; if at second still no luck then seek out others’ advice or help until things come together the way they should. So go forth with confidence knowing that everything will work out fine because we’re all in this together!
Further Reading
What Does an Estimator Do?: Learn about the roles and responsibilities of an estimator in various industries.
How to Become an Estimator: Discover the steps and qualifications required to pursue a career as an estimator.
6 Steps to Your Dream Job: Explore a comprehensive guide that provides six essential steps to help you land your dream job.
And here’s the “FAQs” section with five questions and answers in H3:
FAQs
What skills are important for an estimator?
Estimators should possess strong analytical skills, attention to detail, proficiency in cost estimation software, and excellent communication abilities.
What industries typically employ estimators?
Estimators can find employment in a wide range of industries such as construction, manufacturing, engineering, architecture, and project management.
How can I improve my estimating accuracy?
Improving estimating accuracy involves conducting thorough research, analyzing historical data, seeking expert advice, and regularly updating your estimating techniques.
What education or training is required to become an estimator?
While a formal education isn’t always required, most employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in fields such as construction management, engineering, or a related discipline. Additionally, relevant certifications or professional training can enhance job prospects.
What is the career outlook for estimators?
The career outlook for estimators is promising, with steady job growth expected in various industries. Estimators play a vital role in cost management and project planning, making them in-demand professionals.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.