How to find & apply for carpentry jobs

This section is all about carpentry jobs, whether you need to find one or are considering going self-employed and working for yourself. If you are an out of work carpenter consider joining one of these recommended tradesmen services that can instantly put you in touch with local people in your area who need a carpenter right now.

Start by writing a good CV and building an impressive carpentry portfolio, to showcase your work to future employer/customers. If you decide to register as self employed to start building your own successful business from scratch there are lots of expenses that can be claimed for - you'll pay a lot less tax!

Good tradesmen are always in demand. Right now, i'm flat out with more work being offered than I can take on. Despite the credit crisis, I believe if you're hard working, reliable and competent a construction job is out there waiting for you. It's just a matter of knowing where to look!

There are more self-employed carpenters than any other trade and succeeding with your own business provides rewards that far outweigh the hard work it takes to get started. If you are currently unemployed, the world is coming out of recession and people are improving instead of moving so there's never been a better time to go it alone and start a business. Make it now and you are in a prime position to succeed as the economy starts to grow again.

How to find carpentry jobs

If you are looking to get a job as a carpenter there are loads of ways to go about finding carpenter jobs. The first thing to do though is to write a good CV/resume listing all your qualifications, past experiences and carpentry skills. A CV is your very own personal advert and can either end up in the bin or with a job interview. That's why it's important to use a computer program with spell check and keep the content brief and to the point. Once you have written a good carpenter CV you can submit it to several recruitment companies online, visit construction job agencies near where you live, hand it to site agents at building sites in your area and post it to local construction companies.

Once it has been circulated you can look forward to feedback. Feedback is either being offered interviews, or being turned down. Any rejection should be taken as an opportunity to get constructive criticism/feedback about your CV, so that any necessary improvements can be made.

How to become a self-employed carpenter

Going self-employed and starting a business is a little bit different. Apart from having all the skills you would need if you were an employee, a self employed carpenter also needs to know how to;

Advertise, market and sell themselves
Be organised
Calculate/arrange materials, and price up work
Liaise with architects and building inspectors
Manage accounts
Work within budgets and time frames
Invoice customers
Deal with non-payers

All of the above is achievable if you are willing to put in the effort. It's easy to register as self-employed, get business cards, find an accountant, set up a business bank account, get a CSCS (construction skills certification scheme) card and you can do all this while still in your current job and only hand in your notice when you have enough work to get started.

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