Winter is often considered downtime in the construction industry. Depending on your location, projects can either slow, or completely come to a halt starting in December.

However, that does not mean that your options are completely closed off. There are plenty of ways for construction professionals to find work during this season.

Use Your Trade Skills

Often, those who work in construction have a plethora of skills. If you also have a knack for carpentry, welding, electrical work, or plumbing, you can use this time to take advantage of those talents.

You can find work doing many of these trades on a freelance or temporary basis, typically indoors if the weather outside is indeed frightful. This can help to fill those gaps when construction work is scarce.

If you do not consider yourself adept in this kind of work, use the winter to hone those skills. Take a couple of courses or do a short apprenticeship. That way, you’ll be in a better position to take advantage of this time next year. In fact, you may even become more marketable when the construction season does pick up again in the spring.

Keep in Touch

It’s important to stay top of mind, especially for contractors. Use the holidays and the new year as an excuse to reach out to some of your best contacts.

Send an email or letter to those clients, management, or fellow contractors, wishing them well during the holiday season. Then, later in the season, you can follow up asking if they know of any opportunities. Even if they don’t have something for you immediately, maintaining this positive contact can lead to a job in the future.

Work with Michael Page

Across North America, Michael Page is always in contact with construction firms who are looking for talent. Even during this slow season, we’ll be working with our networks to find firms professionals for their next project.

You can reach out to one of our expert recruiters to find out more about how we can help. You can also submit a resume and project list or browse any of our open jobs.