Craftsmen News - Madden Craftsmen

Great Podcasts to Help Your Construction Career

Here at Madden Staffing, we’re always looking for great resources to pass onto our craftsmen who want to elevate their career and learn about the latest trends in their craft. Podcasts are an easy way to learn on the go! Listen from your phone or tablet on the way to and from a jobsite or … Continue reading

Create Job Opportunity With One Of These Construction Certifications

While there is already a high demand for talented craftsmen due to the labor gap, there’s always room to find more lucrative opportunities. If you want a boost to your construction career, getting a certification can help add to your skills, demand, AND paycheck! Whether you’re just starting out or further along in your career … Continue reading

5 Tools You Need In The Back of Your Truck

Tools don’t just get a job done, they solve problems! We craftsmen know how they enable us to get ourselves out of sticky situations and help other people you meet on the journey. As you’re traveling down the road, here are our five must-have tools to keep in your truck tool box: Multitool Don’t buy … Continue reading

Best New Year’s Resolutions For Your Craftsmen Career

It’s almost the new year, and if you’re like most people, you’re going to set a few resolutions or goals for yourself. But unlike the masses, we Craftsmen value our excellence and artistry in our work, and that includes new year’s resolutions. We never stop striving to be better at our craft, and take pride … Continue reading

5 Classic Gifts For Craftsmen

Looking for a good gift for the craftsman in your life? New gadgets and tools are always fun gifts to open! Trust us though, when choosing the right one, you should know that they’d rather have a high end classic that they can use again and again. Their talent makes them passionate about what they … Continue reading

Scholarships Available in the Trades

Most of us craftsmen know how Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe has been raising concerns about how much money is spent in a traditional 4-year college degree. The US Student Loan Debt has been climbing to new heights, now over 1.5 trillion dollars, which will likely take decades to pay off. This is especially concerning … Continue reading

How Craftsmen Use Their Tools on Thanksgiving

Tools aren’t just good on a job site – they’re super handy in the kitchen too. But not just for kitchen remodels – you can use them to prepare your meals. There’s no better day for this than on Thanksgiving! Here are some ways that we’ve seen craftsmen using their power tools for turkey time: … Continue reading

Military-Friendly Craftsmen Careers

If you’re a vet, you’ll make a great craftsman! And with the labor gap, you’re more likely to get hired. You’re used to working with your hands in the military, and may have already had experience in many of the tasks that these jobs require. Organizations like Helmets to Hardhats connects veterans to construction apprenticeships. … Continue reading

Technology Is Making Construction Sites Safer

Many things have contributed to the recent decline in the amount of US Labor reported employer-reported workplace injuries and illnesses, including better equipment, training, and safer cultures. A big factor to all of those is the vast amount of technological innovations available to us in recent years and even just months! Here’s some of the … Continue reading

Resources For Women Interested In The Trades

There’s such an urgent need for skilled workers in the trades, this is a great time for women to enter the field. In fact, a career in the trades will often pay more than most office jobs that women traditionally have been hired for, and the pay gap is much more narrow than most industries!. … Continue reading

Screws 101

In the past, nails were used more often as fasteners, but screws – along with drivers and drills – have improved so much in the last few decades. There is such a wide variety of applications and finishes, they can now can be used for almost any application. We all know the miracle of a … Continue reading

Great YouTube Channels for Craftsmen

There are some really fantastic YouTube videos online that give incredibly useful building project examples and tips from talented craftsmen. Whether you’re searching for some guidance, or just want to be entertained, these are some channels to peek at: The Essential Craftsman Scott Wadsworth from Roseburg Oregon hosts videos related to blacksmithing, general construction, … Continue reading

How to Negotiate a Better Job Offer in the Trades

Negotiating a better offer in the trades can be tricky, especially if it’s a union job. The key is to really understand why you’re going back to renegotiate. Just because you know that trade labor is in high demand, doesn’t mean that they’ll pay you more just because you want more money. They have their … Continue reading

5 Great Summer Tool Hacks

There’s a ton of great ways to use your tools creatively! Thank goodness, because sometimes you need to modify a tool or use it in the way it wasn’t exactly intended in order to get the job done. Here’s some of our favorite ways to cleverly use your tools this summer: Hole in the Ground … Continue reading

Why Style Matters

The first impression you make is almost 100% based on your appearance. It’s not because people are shallow, but simply because they don’t know you yet! They can’t judge you on character until they’ve had a chance to interact with you and get to know you more. Until then, style is how you communicate with … Continue reading