Get Hired Guide

Field & Trades

Two different doors into the trades, union and open shop, and a real checklist for walking through either one.

If you're aiming for a trade like carpentry, electrical, or running equipment, getting hired looks less like submitting an application and more like picking a door and walking through it. Here's what that actually looks like, step by step.

How hiring actually works

Hiring in the trades rarely starts with a resume posted online. There are two main ways in, and they work differently enough that it's worth deciding which one you're aiming for before you do anything else. A union apprenticeship is a structured, paid apprenticeship program run jointly by a union and its signatory contractors: you apply to a specific local, often test and interview for a spot, and if accepted you earn a wage from day one while training toward journey-level certification over several years. The open shop, or non-union, route means applying directly to contractors and subcontractors who hire independently, often through a staffing agency that places you on jobsites while you build a track record, with less formal structure and faster entry but no guaranteed training path. See Union vs. Open Shop for how the two models actually differ. Which one is realistic depends heavily on your trade and your region: electrical, plumbing, and elevator work skew heavily union in a lot of markets, while general labor, concrete, and residential framing have a lot of open shop hiring. Either way, what actually gets you hired first is availability, reliability, and a couple of basic credentials, not a polished application. And the timing actually favors you: skilled trades employment is projected to grow faster than the job market overall through 2034, electricians alone by nearly 10 percent, and the large majority of contractors say they can't find enough qualified workers right now. A tight white collar hiring market gets most of the headlines, but the trades are one of the genuine bright spots in it. Nobody expects you to already know the trade on day one. Foremen and training coordinators are looking for people who show up on time, listen, and want to learn, and the helpers who get kept on and referred to the next job are almost always the ones who treated the crew like people worth getting along with, not just a paycheck. Once you've picked a path, see the Field & Trades Resume Guide for exactly what to put on a certifications-first resume or application packet, and what to leave off.

The checklist

1. Decide union or open shop first
This one decision shapes everything else on this list, how you apply, what the pay and training path look like, and where you should actually be looking. See Union vs. Open Shop below before you do anything else.
2. Get your OSHA 10 card
It's inexpensive, takes about a day online, and a lot of general contractors require it for jobsite access even where it isn't legally mandated. Not having one puts you a step behind anyone who already does.
3. If going union, find your trade's local and its application window
Search your state or metro area's Building and Construction Trades Council for a directory of local unions, then check that specific local's apprenticeship application window directly. Many locals only accept applications once or twice a year, not on a rolling basis.
4. If going open shop, identify contractors and staffing agencies directly
Make a list of 5 to 10 local contractors or subcontractors in your trade plus a construction-focused staffing agency, and apply, call, or walk in directly. A staffing agency can place you on a jobsite fast while you build a real work history.
5. Line up your documents before you need them
A government-issued ID, proof you're eligible to work, and reliable transportation. Some union halls and larger contractors also run a background check or drug test as part of onboarding, worth knowing about upfront rather than being surprised.
6. Follow up in person or by phone, not just online
A lot of entry-level trade hiring still happens through a phone call or a face-to-face conversation with a foreman or hiring manager, not a submitted application sitting in a queue.

Where to actually look

Your state or metro area's Building and Construction Trades Council, which lists every union local in the region by trade
A specific union local's own apprenticeship page, for example IBEW for electrical, UBC for carpentry, the Operating Engineers for heavy equipment, or the Laborers for general labor
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) or a similar open shop trade association's local chapter job board
Construction-focused staffing agencies such as PeopleReady, Tradesmen International, or BTI, which place workers directly on jobsites
apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Job Finder, a federal directory of registered apprenticeship programs by trade and location
A local NCCER-accredited training center or community college construction program, often the fastest route into a pre-apprenticeship track

Credentials worth having ready

An OSHA 10 Construction card
A valid driver's license. Many jobsites are outside reliable public transit, and showing up on your own is often assumed
Government-issued ID and whatever documents you'll need to prove you're eligible to work
An NCCER Core Curriculum certificate, if you've completed any pre-apprenticeship training

Common mistakes

Thinking you need to already know the trade before you apply. Almost every entry point, apprenticeship or open shop, is built around training people who don't know it yet; a bad attitude on day one turns employers away far faster than inexperience does.
Waiting to build a polished resume before applying anywhere. Most entry-level trade hiring happens through a phone call, a walk-in, or a staffing agency placement, not a job board application.
Missing a union apprenticeship's application window. Many locals only accept applications once or twice a year on a fixed schedule, not on a rolling basis, so showing up a month late means waiting for the next cycle.
Treating union and open shop as interchangeable. They have different application processes, pay structures, and training paths, and picking one without understanding the difference wastes real time.
Skipping the OSHA 10 card because it isn't legally required everywhere. A lot of general contractors require it for site access regardless of what the law says, and not having one can get you turned away on day one.

Your first step today

Look up your trade's local union through your state's Building and Construction Trades Council, or if you're going open shop, find and call three local contractors or a construction staffing agency near you today.

Reviewed 2026-09. Hiring demand, wage, and labor-market figures shift over time and vary by region. Treat these as a general picture, not a guarantee.