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Progression of skills and expectations from beginner to contractor

  • Show up on time / do what you say you will do
  • Learn not to “scare the clients”
  • Learn what it means to be safe on the job
  • Teach more experienced guys – you will do this just by being a beginner and asking questions
  • Do as told (this will include cleaning up, moving materials, fetching things and demolition) while paying attention to what else in going on around you
  • Get to know more experienced guys
  • Learn flow of job and how to move around on a construction site
  • Begin to look for things that you think you might be able to do
  • Ask to try things or ask if there is anything that you could try
  • Begin to do simple carpentry tasks (cutting, framing simple walls, shoe mold, baseboard)
  • Start collecting and learning how to use tools
  • Listen to or pay attention to conversations involving planning, problem solving and plan reading
  • Start to pay attention to the next few days plan and the order in which things happen
  • Begin teaching new guys
  • Add more complicated carpentry skills (roof and stair framing, hanging doors, hardware)
  • Pay attention to and start learning about other trades
  • Layout framing
  • Plan reading
  • Begin learning how long tasks take
  • Learn all the facets of carpentry
  • Begin thinking one week ahead
  • Begin ordering materials
  • Conversations and decision making with clients
  • Communicating with other tradesmen
  • Coordinating with subcontractors / other trades (how a house goes together)
  • Begin taking responsibility for the job – start with the jobsite at the end of the day
  • Continue learning from and teaching younger guys
  • Learn scheduling – trades and plans – and how much time to allow
  • Phone calls to schedule subs
  • Begin thinking one month ahead
  • Communicate with clients, subcontractors, architects, project manager, and crew
  • Manage construction documents, information and bookkeeping
  • Gather information ahead of needs – decisions, selections, drawings
  • Begin negotiating with clients – schedule, planning
  • Refine skills of “don’t scare the client”
  • Full responsibility for the job
  • Help project manager with estimating
  • Learn regulations – inspections and install requirements
  • Estimating
  • Information from outside the job
  • Think one year ahead
  • Working and thinking away from the job
  • Team development – employees, subs, clients, design team
  • Billing / bookkeeping / invoices
  • Taxes / insurance
  • Contract negotiations
  • Compliance – permits, HOA, etc.
  • Hiring
  • Development – future work, new relationships
  • Professional team development
  • Time horizon of one to three years

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