Debt Consolidation for Workers in the Construction Industry
Some workers are more likely to need debt consolidation than others. If you are a construction worker, you might already know this. And you might have already looked for a company to help you out with your debts. If that’s the case, then check out our guide to the top firms.
But aren’t professionals in the construction industry paid well? Generally, yes. But the younger workers that are just starting out aren’t paid that well and they are more likely to need some form of debt consolidation.
This blog post will show any construction worker how to go about consolidating debt and what they need to do to stay out of debt for good.
But first, for anyone looking to get into the industry, here are some tips.
Skills Needed to Be a Construction Worker
Do you love working with your hands and dread the idea of having to spend your whole day at a desk?
If this is you, then a career as a construction worker may be the perfect fit for you.
This guide will help you in knowing more about a career in Construction work and the type of skills needed to succeed. Construction workers have received training on performing a number of functions from working on highways to tunnel digging or even tearing down buildings.
Many of the construction workers out there are generalists, meaning they can work in several areas of a construction project.
However, you can decide to specialize in a specific area such as building homes, digging tunnels, and hazardous materials, etc. The work is physically demanding and a lot of safety precautions must be taken to prevent any injury.
What Does a Construction Worker Do?
The simple answer to this question is any work that needs to be done on a project that is not done by a tradesman.
Electricians have been trained to wire a building, but construction workers are responsible for the tasks that need to be done to prepare the room ready for wiring.
There was a time in the past when construction workers used to be called “unskilled” labor, but this is far from the truth because they have a wide range of skills.
You need to be good at working with your hands if you want a career as a construction worker. You will be working with many different people, which means you should be able to have a great deal of teamwork.
The number of people working on the project can range from a couple to hundreds. Here are some typical responsibilities;
- Physical task like transportation and lifting of materials
- Heavy equipment tasks like operation of the forklift and any other construction vehicles
- Sweeping the site when carpentry work is done
- Roadwork task like paving roads and filling potholes
Construction Worker Skills
The misconception that was used to refer to construction workers as “unskilled labor” was because they did not have a specific trade. They are not plumbers or carpenter, but at the same time possess similar skills.
They have a vast array of technical skills and soft skills needed for most of the projects. Construction workers need excellent verbal communication skills because it is important for both the safety of the people working on the project and the completion of the project.
You need to be able to work in a fast-paced environment. Nearly all of the projects you will be working on are under a strict timeline, so you can expect the site to get very hectic as the deadline approaches.
Education and Training
One of the biggest advantages of becoming a construction worker is the fact you don’t have to amass a lot of student loan debt in order to get a degree which gets you an entry-level position in your field.
Entry level construction worker job will require a high school diploma or G.E.D, meaning it has a low barrier to entry when compared to many other jobs out there. This is what has resulted in the misconception that Construction Work is just a “dead end job”.
There are a number of avenues to build your skills portfolio.
You can learn the trade through apprenticeship programs, which involves two to four years of both technical instruction and on-the-job-training. The program is usually divided into three main focuses; building construction, environmental remediation, and heavy and highway construction. Apprentices get to learn the basics such as equipment use, safety, and communication.
License and Certification
There are some jobs that will require you to be certified or licensed, an example being the hazmat license that is needed to remove hazardous materials from an area. You can obtain optional certifications because it will help in advancing your usefulness on job sites.
There are many certification options in many areas, including welding, signaling, pipeline operation, radiological work, and asbestos removal.
As they gain more experience, construction workers are able to take on more complex responsibilities and transitioning into craft jobs.
There is also an increased demand in this field, making it one of the best career options.
How Construction Workers Can Qualify for Debt Consolidation
If you’re a construction worker and your credit isn’t that bad, then you can simply apply to a lender that offers debt consolidation loans. Just make sure you’ll be paying less every month on your debt than you are paying now.
Without that, then it wouldn’t make much sense to get this kind of loan. What happens if your credit is bad? You still have a few options to choose from. Other forms of consolidating debt can be had in the form of a debt relief company.
This is where you hire a company to negotiate with your creditors to trim your overall debt down to a level that you can manage. Debt relief companies could be a viable option if you don’t qualify for the others listed above.
No matter which avenue you decide to go down, you’ll still need to practice good money habits. That’s the only way to not only get out of debt, but to also stay out of it. While you may not be earning much now in your construction job, eventually you will.
You simply need to stick with it. And when you do start earning more, you can use that extra cash to propel yourself out of debt and start living a smarter financial life.