What Does It Take To Become A Construction Supervisor?
Not every business offers the exact same perks or benefits, but one very important one that any ambitious employee should look for is the opportunity for advancement. While some jobs out there are pretty much dead end occupations (for lack of a better term), most offer the opportunity to at least advance a pay grade or two, perhaps even get a new title and new responsibilities.
But one promotion that every ambitious worker should set their sights on is becoming a supervisor. A supervisory position brings better benefits, some authority, more visibility, and hopefully a bit more in the old paycheck.
We’re going to focus here on how to become a supervisor in the world of construction. What does it take to become a supervisor?
Both military and civilian construction experience can count towards construction supervisor license requirements
Not Every State Has The Same Criteria
Before launching into the how’s and why’s, it’s important to understand that different states have different qualifications and requirements. For illustrative purposes in this article, we’re turning to the state of Massachusetts’ requirements for a Construction Supervisor License as a way of showing how involved the process can be.
Some states have reciprocal agreements, where a contractor with a license in good standing in their home state is recognized by the respective agency in the reciprocating state. For instance, Alabama has reciprocating agreements with Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Make sure to check your particular state for unique requirements and reciprocity agreements.
The Basics
In order to become a supervisor, some states require classroom time, coursework needed in order to gain supervisor certification. But before that classroom time, there are certain basic requirements that need to be met, namely completing a high school level vocational program, and getting a college degree (four years) in engineering or something similar.
Experience Is A Big Plus
If your college experience is a bit on the light side, Massachusetts takes into account four years of practical work or military construction experience towards meeting preliminary qualifications. Other states may have different standards. But no matter what the actual numbers turn out to be, sometimes hands-on experience is better than getting book knowledge on a particular subject!
Taking Classes
Attending classes for the purposes of certification is nothing new; many fields have a classroom time requirement. There are a number of learning institutions out there that offer the right courses for preparing you to take a certification test. In many of these cases, these courses are presented online, which means that you can continue working while you take virtual classes that will move you closer to certification.
There’s No “One Size Fits All”
As anyone in construction can attest to, there are many different kinds of construction, and certification in supervising one kind of construction doesn’t equal certification across the entire spectrum. While there are general supervisor certifications, they impose limits on building size and what you can supervise.
Of course, there are also specialty supervisory certifications, for things like windows, roofing, and siding, to name a few and you want to hire companies like Precision Roofing Inc who are certified in that. Each specialty has its own classroom time and qualification tests. Make sure that you’re taking the right courses.
Do Your Research
In closing, it bears repeating that you should check out the specific requirements of the state where you’re working. One thing to bear in mind in the above example is that Massachusetts is rather bureaucratic, and may represent the more heavily-regulated end of the spectrum. Other states may not be as strict.
In any event, gain experience on the job, do your homework (figuratively and literally), and before you know it, you’ll be able to add “Supervisor” to your job description!
