You’ve put in a lot of hard work, received the best training from some of the best instructors in the heavy equipment industry, and now you’re ready to look for your first job. What do you do?

First, don’t panic. It’s a scary thing for a young person to be looking for his or her first job. If you are making a career change from one career to another and are beginning your job search in the heavy equipment field, relax. Job hunting takes time. It’s not going to fall together in one day.

Nevertheless, you don’t have to let the fear of looking for work pin you down. There are jobs available and you can land one.

Use ATS’s Free Employment Assistance

Graduates of the ATS Heavy Equipment School receive free job assistance after graduation. In fact, we start working on finding your first job long before graduation.

We want all our graduates to be gainfully employed. That’s why we provide soft skills training, resume preparation, personal career counseling, an employment search website, and free job leads. Employers will be looking for you before you have your certificate in your hand. We do all the legwork up front so you don’t have to do it after graduation.

It’s great that your well-trained and ready for work, but until you land your first job, you aren’t a heavy equipment operator. Take advantage of our career services and land your first heavy equipment job today.

I was speaking to a young man who recently accquired more training and hired at a company that has three branches of operations. I asked him what he’d be doing, and he told me he’d be working in the construction branch. I asked what he was certified in, and he said something interesting:

“I plan on getting as many certifications as I can because it will increase my usability. I want to be able to switch to other jobs in the company, even into one of the other branches when work is slow. I figure if I am able to receive more training any type of their heavy equipment, they will see me as essential and I won’t get laid off.”

I said that sounded like a good idea, and he modestly admitted it was advice from his brother-in-law. It is sound advice, too, because the more usable an employee is, particular in heavy equipment operating jobs, the easier it is to keep them around because they are able to fill so many positions when needed.

Associated Training Services provides the type of training that young man is interested in, because you learn to operate all kinds of heavy equipment when enrolled in the Heavy Equipment Operations Programs. You get a real grounding in the essentials of the industry and a clear understanding of the differences in the types of heavy equipment used today. The skills are carefully taught and you get practice in seat-of-the-pants operating so you are graduating as that “usable” type of employee who is seen as essential.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook for the US Department of Labor, construction equipment operators have a good chance to stay employed. They project a 19% increase in construction equipment operator jobs from 2012 to 2022, and that is faster than other categories. Of course, they hedge their statement by saying it all depends on the economy, but everything depends on stuff like that.

The thing is, there are a lot of types of work in this industry. Roads, bridges, water & sewer systems, power grids, and such, all are part of the mix. People always need a place to live, too. But I like this quote:

Workers with the ability to operate multiple types of equipment should have the best job opportunities.

This is exactly why it’s a good idea to get certified with ATS. You don’t just learn one kind of machine, you get in-the-seat training on all kinds. Multiple types of equipment, with a real understanding of what each one can or can not do. Our graduates have the best job opportunities because we think that quote is obvious. We have been training students to operate multiple types of equipment for years.

Backhoe? Check. Scraper? Check. Forklift? Check. Dozer, grader, loaders, rock trucks, excavators? Check, check, check, check, check. Anything else? Yep, we stay on top of the industry so the training is current. There’s also training in skills like grade reading, soil identification, laser levels, safety, maintenance, and more.

Associated Training Services works hard to keep the Heavy Equipment Operation Programs relevant to the job search our graduates will be facing. The need for highly trained operators will always be here, no matter what.

Crane operators are some of the most important employees on a construction site. If you are a certified crane operator, you can expect to get some of the best and most sought-after assignments, even ones that are high-paid even by construction industry standards.

Here is a simple three-step process for becoming a paid crane operator in today’s heavy equipment industry:

1. Enroll in a heavy equipment or crane operator course – The first step to becoming a well-paid crane operator is to get trained. Enrolling in a certified crane operator’s school is the best and most sure way to get trained for operating the latest types of cranes used on the work site today.
2. Get your certification – After training, you’ll have to pass the certification exam. Associated Training Services prepares you for the exam, and students take the crane certification exam before they graduate.
3. Start interviewing – After getting trained and certified in crane operation, you can confidently start looking for your first job. Associated Training Services has a job placement department whose mission it is to assist graduating students with getting their first job assignment.

You can start your journey toward becoming a certified crane operator right now. Enroll in crane training and you can be employed as a crane operator in just a few short weeks.

The best way to get started in the heavy equipment industry is to attend a training school and get trained and certified. There are specific types of equipment that require specific types of certifications, such as the crane. And then there is specialized training like rigging/signalperson training. And you can get a commercial drivers license, which will put you at the forefront of the construction work site.

One thing is for sure: Heavy equipment operators who are trained and certified are much more valuable than those who aren’t.

If you’ve dreamed of operating a crane, a bulldozer, or a dump truck on the construction site, then now is your chance. Sign up for heavy equipment training and after the first of the year you’ll be set and ready to go. Four weeks of training is all you need to be ready to start your career.

So what types of heavy equipment can you train on? Here’s a short list:

• All types of cranes
• Dump trucks and other commercial trucks
• Bulldozers
• Backhoes
• Skid steer loaders
• Front end loaders
• Graders and scrapers
• Excavators
• Wheel loaders
• All-terrain forklifts
• And many more

Virtually any type of heavy equipment you’ll find on a construction site can be operated by new and veteran equipment operators. If there’s a need for it, you can be trained on it. Once fully trained and certified, you can start looking for a job.

Operating a backhoe is one of the most rewarding of heavy equipment jobs. Backhoe operators enjoy the machinery they’ve been trained to operate and are a very important part of any job site. They are often paid well and enjoy job security. But the first step to becoming a backhoe operator is to get trained as one.

Getting trained as a backhoe operator is as easy as enrolling in a suitable training course. It can be an online course or it can be a course that requires a physical presence.

There are different types of training and different training environments. The best backhoe training is one that offers a certain level of classroom training time before allowing novice operators an opportunity to get in the operator’s seat, but if your training consists entirely of classroom training, then you won’t get any practical experience before hitting the job site. That is unsafe.

For that reason, Associated Training Services recommends a backhoe training environment that offers practical in-the-seat experience with a qualified instructor.

ATS instructors are backhoe operators with years of experience. In many cases, they were safety or quality managers on the job site before coming to work as instructors. They are certified as heavy equipment operators and qualified as backhoe operators. Their first concern is to ensure you learn the skills in a safe environment.

After getting your backhoe training from ATS, you’ll be well-qualified to work on any job site in the country.

Heavy equipment careers are some of the most rewarding blue-collar careers today. If you are trained on one or more types of heavy equipment, you’ll have job security – and you could get paid an above-average salary for your expertise. Do you need training?

Here are 5 reasons why you should look into heavy equipment training today.

1. Heavy equipment jobs aren’t going away. There will always be a need for heavy machine operators. Federal, state, and local governments are always hiring heavy equipment operators for road and bridge projects while private and public companies need operators for their building projects.
2. Fully trained, you can expect a high paying career. You may have to start out on the bottom rung, but after a couple of years you can command top pay for your heavy equipment skills.
3. Crane operators are top dogs. You can get a heavy equipment certification that will qualify you to work anywhere in the states, but if you have a crane operator’s certification, then you’ll get paid more and you have more employment opportunities.
4. CDL operators get paid more. Just think, if you were certified as a heavy equipment operator, a crane operator, and had your CDL certification, you’d be set for life. CDL operators are in high demand.
5. Any job certification you get is a feather in your cap. It proves that you are willing to do what it takes to succeed. If you get your heavy equipment certification, you’ll be qualified to work anywhere.

Find out more about getting trained as a heavy equipment operator today.

Last weekend, Associated Training Services (ATS) posted a pretty good listing of heavy equipment jobs and trucking jobs from around the country. Of course, we posted some on the previous weekend and the weekend before that too.

You can try to keep up with these job listings on a weekly basis, but if you put all your eggs in one basket, you are not likely to get a job at all.

The best approach to finding a job in trucking is to get the necessary training, such as a course in truck driving that prepares you for your CDL testing, and follow that up by circulating your resume to employers looking for truck drivers.

The same goes for heavy equipment jobs. If you want a job as a rigger or signalperson, as a crane operator, or as a heavy equipment operator, then you should get trained and qualified. After you’ve achieved a basic level of education in the proper skills, then you can start circulating your resume. ATS has a job bank, a list of employers looking for qualified personnel. Our career services department will help you find employment after you graduate from one of our classes.

Getting a job in trucking or heavy equipment operations is not difficult for workers who are qualified and certified. You can start that journey today.

One of the best benefits to getting your career training through a company like Associated Training Services (ATS) is you’ll gain access to thousands of employers who are hiring right now through the career services department. This isn’t just some formality. ATS really wants you to succeed in finding your first job.

Why enroll in career training if you don’t have a reasonable chance of receiving employment when you graduate? ATS sees itself as an advocate for truckers and heavy equipment operators.

In other words, we don’t just train you and throw you to the wolves. We train you and work with you until you are employed. That means we want you to get your first job because it’s a feather in our cap as much as it is income in your pocket. When you’re successful, we’re successful.

So what do you get through the ATS career services department? Here’s how we support you:

• Personal career counseling – We work with you from your first week of training by assigning you a career services counselor. You’ll get a list of employers in your geographical area who are hiring and some tips on landing your first job.
• Soft skills training – These are job search and interviewing skills. We don’t just train you to handle heavy equipment. We also train you in the competitive art of searching for work and landing your job – and that includes what to say in your interview, how to present yourself confidently, and even how to prepare a resume.
• Job leads – Yes, we’ll tell who is hiring and where.
• Career services website – Our career services website lists all the best heavy equipment and truck driving jobs nationwide. If you can’t find a job on our website, then you’re not employable. Our success rate, however, testifies to how well we train our students to find work after they graduate.

Your heavy equipment career starts the day you start training. We don’t give up on you and we won’t let you give up on yourself.

The last ten years have been tough for many employment sectors as one financial crisis after another struck the world. Our own economy suffered, and for a long time, private sector investment in new buildings came to a virtual standstill. If it wasn’t for the huge investment in public infrastructure by state and federal governments, the construction industry would also have ground to a halt. That investment could prove to be a wise one in the long run – for one thing, it kept construction industry workers employed and in the industry.

As summer rolls in, the national economy looks to be strengthening to the point that private sector investment in now starting to find its way into construction. The construction industry workforce has remained strong although there are still shortages in many areas, one being heavy equipment operators. This is good news for those looking to undertake heavy equipment operator training and looking for work. With both public and private dollars being spent on construction, the demand will continue to grow, at least until the government funded projects come to an end.

It won’t just be for this summer either. Long term job prospects are even stronger with demand for new workers increasing due to the age of many of our current operators – in short, they are baby boomers who are ready to enter retirement. As the economy grows, private sector investment in new shopping malls, new factories and new office complexes will increase, and this too will create a demand for more heavy equipment operators.

Now is a good time to consider a career as a heavy equipment operator. Three weeks of training will have you work ready, just in time for the summer. Finding your first job won’t be that difficult, especially if you have the assistance of our career services personnel – they know who’s looking to hire, and more importantly, they know how to prepare you for the application and interview processes. Heavy equipment operators are well paid and work in situations that can be challenging yet at the same time enjoyable.