I see a lot of individuals struggling to land a position in the market and I am here to be truthful with you, it is not the market. It’s more than likely to be yourself and how you are presenting in the interview.

And when I say being prepared, I’m not talking about being flashy. I’m talking about being prepared.

These are the 3 biggest mistakes I see construction and infrastructure professionals make in interviews and in my opinion, how to fix them.

1. You prioritise tasks over results

Saying “I ran a crew” or “I installed cable and switchboards” is fine but that’s surface-level. That’s just the task.

What I would say instead is to talk about the outcomes.

“I led a 5-man crew on a commercial fit-out project worth $2M. We finished two weeks early and under budget with zero safety incidents.”

That shows value and companies spend money on value when they can see it. It also gives measurables and sets expectations.

2. You didn’t research the company

We’re all busy but showing up without knowing who you’re meeting, what projects they’ve delivered (if publicly known), or what they specialise in? It shows laziness off the get-go. And trust me, they notice.

Instead, spend 10 minutes on LinkedIn or their website. Bring recent wins or delivered projects to the table.

Be curious about the information.

“I noticed you’ve just won a subdivision project with Stockland, congratulations. Do you do a lot of work with that client?”

Instant credibility with the hiring manager.

3. Experience trumps attitude

The market has changed. Experience is not everything, even if it’s 30 or 40 years.

“I’ve been doing this 20 years.” Fantastic but if you show up with a closed mindset, poor attitude, or like you’re doing them a favour… you’re not getting the job.

Talk about how you actually work with others. How you communicate. How you solve problems when they pop up.

“If the apprentice is green, I’m always there to support them and take the time needed to bring them up to speed.”

Attitude and culture fit now trump your experience.

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If you're prepping for an interview and want a quick gut-check on how you're coming across, send me a message.

Happy to give you 5 minutes of honest, no-BS feedback.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be sharp.