It used to be that applying for work on a construction site meant just showing up and telling the foreman that you were interested in working and hopefully walking away with a job. Those days, however, are long gone. Nowadays, applying for a job working in construction is just like any other job, where you need to submit a proper resume with a cover letter and then, if selected from the pack, you will show up for a job interview. Here are some interview tips to help you be successful in landing a construction job.

Research the construction company you are about to interview for. Companies will notice if you know a lot about their business or if it's obvious you have never heard of them before. Use your research to come up with some questions to ask during the interview.

Dress in business casual clothing for your interview. A pair of dress pants and nice shirt should be sufficient. You won’t be expected to show up in a business suit, but that also doesn’t mean you should come in wearing torn jeans and an offensive t-shirt either. Remember, a first impression is everything.

Speak positively about your previous foreman/employer. Bad mouthing people, especially behind their backs, will cause the person interviewing you to think that you might bad mouth her company as well.

Turn off any cell phones, mobile devices or anything else that might cause you to become distracted or might cause an interruption during the interview. This is proper etiquette when being interviewed for any type of job and interviewing for a construction job is no different. If potential employers see you continually messing around with your phone, they will no doubt think this is how you will behave on a job site as well.

Prepare to answer questions about your previous accomplishments, especially when interviewing for a management position such as foreman or project manager. For example, you will likely be asked about your role and contribution to a previous project that you worked on. Be sure to mention if you worked on the project from the very beginning to completion.

Pay close attention to the exact questions being asked during an interview. The employer will want to know about your previous accomplishments and your previous work experience. If asked about your own personal accomplishments, don't start listing things that were a team effort. You can tell them about things that you were personally responsible for within that team.