Resources

Mon premier chantier

A new graduate in a construction trade who does not yet have an active competency certificate in this trade may apply for a job to employers who want to hire, by using the free referral service Monpremierchantier.com.

Carnet référence construction

For construction workers with a valid competency certificate, their professional profile enables them to highlight their experience and skills to employers who use the Carnet référence construction. At the same time, they can update their referral status in the “Statuts d’emploi et de référence” service.

Learn more about the Carnet référence construction

Update your professional profile

Tips

Even for workers who use our tools and hold a diploma of vocational studies (DEP, or diplôme d’études professionnelles) in a construction trade or occupation, finding a job may be difficult, especially if they have no connections, family, or friends to recommend them. Here is some useful advice for people who find themselves in that situation.

Put yourself out there

Promoting your training and your motivation is your first real job. It is important to remember that beyond the tools made available to you to help you with the steps to take, you have to sell yourself.

Almost two thirds of workers find work through connections and their personal approaches to contractors. A good CV is a help, but human contact, a chat, and a good handshake can make all the difference. The construction industry is an environment composed of 25,000 employers many of whom have neither a human resources department nor the time to conduct multiple interviews.

Did you know that 83% of construction employers hire five employees or fewer? Sometimes they’re looking for someone quickly. If they have met a candidate and that person has made a good impression, they will remember him or her when the time comes.

Be proactive

You should never hesitate to recontact a potential employer; your persistence will be seen as motivation to work and this may convince the employer to give you your first job. You have to go to job sites and make yourself known! Employers won’t come to see you.

Talk to your teachers

They know employers, so it is important to stay in contact with them after your courses end. You should check whether they know an employer looking for a good worker. Teachers are journeymen who come from the industry and many are or have been contractors.

Find out which companies work in your sector

While you are looking for work, you should take the time to ask yourself what kind of company you want to work for. It is best to target companies that share your values so that you will flourish. To reach this goal, here are some suggestions:

• Consult the list of members of employer and sector-based associations on their website
• Consult the Registre des détenteurs de licence, the register of licence holders, at the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ)
• Keep an eye out for construction sites underway, through:
  • The Portail Constructo website – announces projects and directory of contractors in the “BâtiGuide” section
  • The list of major sites, in the “Publications” section of the CCQ website
  • Newspapers and other media outlets
• Consult the various job-search websites

Go to the offices of construction companies

You must meet with a manager and tell him or her why he or she should hire you.

Go to construction sites that you pass

You should try to speak to a manager on the site or to representatives of the subcontractor companies that work there.

You should also check whether the stage of progress on the site involves work related to your trade.

Stay in contact with your classmates

They may be able to introduce you to their employer and give you a hand.

Finally…

You should check the job offers on the various job-search websites and meet a counsellor at the centre local d’emploi (CLE) in your region.

You should also tell everyone you know that you are trained in your trade, available, and motivated to work on construction sites.

And above all, don’t get discouraged!

There is great need for new workers, especially people who have received vocational training!

Don’t forget:

Aside from the knowledge acquired during training, construction employers are looking for people who:

• Are motivated
• Are on time
• Want to learn
• Are concerned about on-the-job safety