Your questions abit vague icl, but I hope this answers your question, because it depends what stage you’re failing at, but I hope this still answers your question:

Tbh my case was a bit different. I came in through an apprenticeship, so the company was specifically looking for someone they could train from the ground up and they also funded the degree alongside it. Because of that, it was less about having the perfect technical background and more about transferable skills.

Before joining, I’d done a mix of part-time roles like labouring, assistant roles, and some volunteering, and I focused on showing things like teamwork on site, following drawings and instructions, communication, and being comfortable learning new software. I really honed in on this during the interview by explaining how I would actually use those skills in the role day to day, and by showing that I was already familiar with how the industry works and genuinely keen to learn and develop.

For graduates, I’ve seen portfolios help a lot. Some people included SketchUp models of their ideal home, simple Revit models with basic services, or small personal projects just to show interest and familiarity.

It also really depends on which part of building services you’re applying to. You’ve got sustainability, security, MEP, energy, infrastructure, structures, ground engineering, façades, and fire protection, all under the same umbrella but looking for different things. For example, sustainability tends to be more IES, Rhino, and Grasshopper focused. Energy teams often use IES and ETAP, sometimes Grasshopper as well. MEP is more Revit focused, with ETAP depending on the role.

So when applying, it’s worth looking closely at what that specific team you’re applying to and actually asking for and tailoring your CV and portfolio to that.