The Ultimate Apprentice Guide

Starting out as an apprentice can be pretty intimidating. Not only are you learning a whole range of new skills, but you’re also joining a new workplace and there’s also a high chance this is your first experience with full-time work.  

So to help make the transition into apprentice life as smooth as concrete, here’s our ultimate guide.  
 

Be reliable 

You want to make a good impression and show your boss that you’re someone they can rely on. The last thing you want is to become the person on the worksite who’s known for always showing up late. So, make sure you’re always out of bed when you need to be and at the worksite on time, ready to work. There’s no quicker way to win over your co-workers than to roll up your sleeves and get some work done! 
 

Prioritise safety 

Staying safe on a work site is crucial every single day you work in construction. Take every precaution that you can, because I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from tradies about when they would have lost an eye or a finger if they hadn’t taken the right precautions that day. So make sure your stories end with relief rather than you holding up your four-fingered hand.  
 

Develop a great work ethic 

For business owners, there’s nothing worse than hiring someone only to find out that they complain every time they’re told to do anything, or just sit around doing nothing at any chance they get. So don’t be like that. Instead, find things to do whenever it’s quiet and go into every job with a positive attitude – even if it’s something you don’t particularly want to do.  
 

Spend your time well outside of work 

To make your time at work as enjoyable as possible, you have to make sure you’re spending your time off well. Make sure you spend plenty of time doing things you love, no matter what that is. If you start at 7:00 am most days, head to bed early the night before to set yourself up for a much nicer morning. But the biggest tip I have is to prepare everything for the day the night before work. Make sure you have clothes washed and ready to go and pack your bag (you don’t want to be the apprentice who forgets their lunch). You’ll be thanking yourself big time when you wake up the next morning and all you have to do is get dressed and walk out the door.  
 

Be respectful (but know your worth) 

When you’re starting any new job, showing respect to your boss and your coworkers is possibly the most important thing to remember. I mean, you should show anyone respect unless they give you a reason not to. That said, if you’re in a workplace that isn’t showing you the respect you deserve, then you need to consider whether that’s the right place for you to be working. Of course, your boss is going to tell you what to do and as long as they’re fair requests you should also listen. You should also be ready to be on the receiving end of a bit of banter, but if it crosses the line of banter and starts making you uncomfortable, chat with someone outside of the business about it. 

The earlier you prove to your boss that you’re reliable, respectful and happy to roll up your sleeves and work, the better. You’ll be right in their good books and make your apprenticeship as enjoyable as possible. And to make things easier for yourself, get into a manageable routine outside of work hours and always always always follow every safety precaution on the worksite.   

If you’re not sure where to get started, check out our new academy, Tools for the Trades to learn more about construction and see if it's the right career for you!

If you want to know more about the pathways into a construction career, CSQ Construction Pathways has a heap of resources to help out, whether you’re still in school or are looking to get started on your own.