Top 5 Things For A Good Clerk of Works CV

Recently, I have had joy recruiting and finding great jobs for numerous Clerk of Works in the construction sector, mainly around South East England and the London area.  There seems to be a great demand for such construction professionals, and the number of Clerk of Works Jobs that are available appear to be increasing.

A Clerk of Works inspects the workmanship, quality, and safety of work on construction sites, making sure that building plans and specifications are being followed correctly. Their function is vital to the successful completion of a project, as they represent clients’ best interests to achieve value for money, highest quality, and adherence to building regulation statutory compliance.

If you are a Clerk of Works, considering a job move, taking time to prepare a good CV is the best way to optimise your chances of getting a job interview. Here I have prepared some key things which I think employers look out for when reviewing Clerk of Works CVs:

Good Punctuation and Grammar

Proofreading your CV to check for any typing or spelling errors is essential. If an applicant can’t be bothered to check their own CV over and submits a CV which is full of typos and bad grammar, it is an indication that most likely that they are not very good or serious Clerk of Works candidate.

Furthermore, the a Clerk of Works job itself requires writing reports to a high standard, as well as great attention to detail. This means that well-presented and spell-checked CV will give the right first impression and bring clients a sense of your commitment and professionalism.

A Well-Presented Employment History

A Professionally summarised CV with relevant information about your previous employers will give recruiters and hiring managers a good understanding of your experience as a Clerk of Works.  This is beneficial if you want to get matched up with a role which is best suited for you. Best practice is presenting adequate level of detail in concise and engaging way. It is important to include duties and responsibilities, benefits of the experience and any transferrable skills gained which would show that you would be a good Clerk of Works.

Project Details

Missing out project information is a general mistake lots of candidates make when writing their construction CVs. But, for Clerk of Works including details of the projects that you worked on, and their values is a as crucial as a good employment history section. Including this, will allow to whoever is reading your CV make direct comparisons whether you have relevant experience that they are looking for and can bring value to their organisation.

Keep it Short and Sweet

The point of a CV is to make a reader interested enough, so that they will want to find out more about you in the interview. To present the recruiter with the best possible first impression, and not to lose their attention. It is therefore best if your CV is to 2-3 pages and no more than 4 pages long. If your previous employment history is not relevant to the Clerk of Works position that you are trying to secure, remove it or at least summarise briefly. A short, but strong CV is better than a long, wishy-washy one.

Professional Memberships

Being a member of The Institute of Clerk of Works and Construction Inspectorate (ICWCI) is highly desirable for all the Clerk of Works Jobs that I have been recruiting for. This accreditation nationally and internationally recognised professional body, which is seen as a sign of higher regulated professional and ethical principles.

Employers will favour Clerks of Works which are members of ICWCI, as it demonstrates that they possess a certain level of professional standards, quality, and competence in all areas of work in construction industry. Clerk of Works hiring employers will also consider other professional designations such as CIOB, CABE, RICS, IFE.

In summary, with increased demand for Clerk of Works, a well presented, checked over CV which sells your capabilities to the full will optimise your chances to secure best suited job, hopefully to the benefit of your career and the wider construction industry.

If you are ready to start your new job as a Clerk of Works in the construction sector, please review and apply to our latest Clerk of Works vacancies.

Daria Tkach
Graduate Recruitment Consultant
Maxim Recruitment
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daria-tkach-129362214/