How to Network for Career Progression—A Guide for Roofers
Networking has huge benefits any stage of your roofing career, and often leads to valuable relationships and opportunities for individuals and businesses.
Strong networks can help you:
- Hear about new contracts or roles early
- Access training or accreditation opportunities
- Learn from other specialists (heritage, flat roofing, solar, etc.)
- Gain recognition and referrals
- Build your reputation as a reliable, skilled professional
Start Where You Already Are
You don’t have to start from scratch — networking starts on site and in your local area.
On-site:
- Ask suppliers, site managers, and other trades what projects or training they’re involved in.
- Show curiosity about how other roles work — it builds respect and opens doors.
- Offer help or advice when appropriate — reliability builds trust fast.
Within your company:
- Let your supervisor or contracts manager know you’re keen to progress.
- Ask about shadowing or mentoring opportunities.
- Join toolbox talks or training sessions and speak up about what you’re learning.
Through your suppliers:
- Merchants and manufacturers often know which firms are growing or recruiting.
- Ask about demo days or training events — great low-pressure networking environments.
Grow Your Professional Presence
- You don’t need to be a social media expert — but a little online presence goes a long way.
- Set up or update your LinkedIn profile
- Include your trade area (e.g. Flat Roofing Specialist or Leadwork Supervisor).
- Add photos of quality work, training courses completed, or awards achieved.
- Follow: NFRC, Suppliers, CITB, RoofCERT, Competent Roofer, and key manufacturers.
- Comment on posts — share what you’ve learned or achieved; it builds visibility.
- Join roofing and construction groups online
- Engage respectfully — ask questions, share advice, and celebrate others’ successes.
- Be consistent: small, regular interactions are better than big, rare bursts.
Get Involved in Industry Events
- Attend events and trade shows. This include RCI show, UK Construction Week and the Installer Show. These are excellent for meeting contractors, suppliers, and trainers.
- Introduce yourself to training providers, manufacturers, and NFRC staff — they often know of upcoming projects and training routes.
Local networking sessions
- Join your Local NFRC Member Group activities if available.
- Chambers of Commerce or local business networking events can also connect you to construction clients and sub-contracting opportunities.
Give Before You Get
Networking works best when it’s a two-way street.
- Offer to share your experience with apprentices or learners.
- Recommend someone for a job or subcontract when you can.
- Comment positively on others’ achievements — it often gets remembered.
Turn Connections Into Opportunities
Once you’ve met people:
- Follow up — drop a quick message: “Great to meet you at the NFRC event — would love to stay in touch.”
- Stay visible — share updates like “Just finished my **** training” or “Looking for next step into site management.”
- Ask for advice, not just jobs — people are more likely to respond if you’re curious rather than asking for immediate help.
- Join mentorship or ambassador schemes — NFRC and CITB initiatives often welcome experienced roofers who want to grow.
Keep Building Momentum
- Aim to connect with at least one new person per month in your trade or region.
- Keep learning — every new course, event, or certification is a networking opportunity.
- Track who you’ve met and what you’ve discussed — simple notes help keep relationships active.
In Summary
Networking for roofers is about visibility, reputation, and relationships:
- Be present and professional — on site and online.
- Attend events, join groups, and follow up.
- Focus on learning and giving as much as asking and progressing.
Over time, these small, consistent actions lead to career progression, recognition, and opportunity — whether you want to move into supervision, estimating, training, or even start your own firm.