Let’s be frank: a dental practice with a highly-skilled dental assistant would be absolute chaos. While much of the glory in a dental practice goes to the dentists, it’s dental assistants who keep the whole office functioning smoothly. 

It’s no doubt a profession that requires wearing many hats. Whether they’re helping dentists to prep equipment for a consultation or surgery, replenishing supplies before they run low, or keeping customer satisfaction levels high, the work of a dental assistant is never done.

However, trying to convince a recruiter you’re an invaluable employee is an entirely different story. While you may know what an asset you are to any dental practice you work at, you need to make a recruiter understand this when you’re on the job hunt. 

The #1 way to do so is to create a dental assistant resume that blows all of the others out of the water. Your resume is your key to scoring your dream job - provided you know how to make one that reflects what recruiters are looking for. 

In fact, there’s never been a better time to get your resume in order, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that employment of dental assistants will grow by 11 percent from 2018 to 2028. 

If you’re ready to revolutionize your resume, but don’t know what steps to take, we have you covered. Our expert guide below outlines everything you need to know to create the perfect dental assistant resume.

After reading our dental assistant resume writing guide, you will understand:

• What essential sections you need to include and how to make them shine
• Whether it’s best to include a resume objective or resume summary
• How to make your dental assistant resume stand out
• How to cut the time you spend working on your resume by 90% 

1. Template Examples

2. How to Write an Eye-Catching Dental Assistant Resume

How to format your dental assistant resume

In order to write an eye-catching dental assistant resume, you will need to select the most appropriate format to use. The type of format you choose matters because it can impact how a recruiter reads your resume. While there are a handful of different formats you can choose from, the overwhelming majority of experts agree that reverse-chronological is the most ideal format for a dental assistant. 

The reason it’s strongly recommended you choose this type of format is because it shows recruiters what you’ve achieved during your career in a clear and logical manner. In this format, your professional experience is presented in reverse-chronological order, starting from details about your most recent job, followed by your next most recent job, and so forth.

It’s not only recruiters who will give this format the tick of approval, but also applicant tracking software (ATS), which is now estimated to be used by a whopping 40% of companies. ATS is basically a type of software that was developed to automate parts of the hiring process. It does this by scanning each resume for certain components and in turn approving and rejecting resumes based on whether these components are present. 

The fact of the matter is that if your resume is formatted in a way that the company’s ATS cannot process, your application won’t see the light of day. It may sound harsh, but this is simply how this software works. To avoid getting caught out, be sure to stick to a reverse-chronological format.

You will also need to ensure your resume complies with standard layout guidelines expected by recruiters. We’ve listed the most vital ones below that you should keep in mind:

• • Number of Pages: A maximum of 1 page.
  • Header size: 14-16 point size.
  • Text size: 11-12 point size.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

• Fonts to Use: Only use professional, standard fonts such as Georgia and Calibri.
• Fonts to Avoid: It will hinder your application if you use childlike fonts, such as Allspice and Chalkduster.

Pro tip: If you have significant gaps in your resume or you’re switching careers, it may be preferable to choose a functional resume format instead. You can learn more about different resume formats here.

What recruiters will look for

Recruiters are looking for dental assistants who not only show that they are dedicated to their profession, but also that they can offer the precise skills, education, and experiences needed to excel in the profession. Recruiters are primarily interested in tracking down a candidate who they believe will quickly adapt to the new role, without the need for hand-holding.

Your resume is the primary means of communicating these qualities to a recruiter. Think of your resume as your opportunity to showcase why you’re the perfect dental assistant for the job. Your skills, education, and experiences should simultaneously act as evidence of your suitability.

What skills to mention and how to do it correctly

There is one main rule you will need to remember when it comes to selecting which skills to feature in your resume: only highlight skills which are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Recruiters as well as ATS software will be looking to see if you can offer all, or many of the hard and soft skills that are required in a given job.

You can easily identify which skills are required by analyzing the job ad. Throughout the entire job ad you will see that certain skills are desired by the recruiter. These skills can be divided into two types: hard skills (technical skills) and soft skills (interpersonal and other intangible skills).

We scoured real dental assistant job ads to find some of the most common skills that recruiters are seeking. Take a look to see which ones you already have (and which ones you need to work on!):

Hard skills

• Prepares patients for examination and treatment.
• Assists dentists/ residents during dental procedures.
• Maintains supplies.
• Prepares cements, silicates, and other materials for use.
• Retrieves patient information using a computer.
• Checks for receipt/completion of requisitioned items.

Soft skills

• Communicates effectively in both oral and written English
• Greets and directs patients/family/visitors in a pleasant manner.
• Answers telephones in a timely and professional manner.
• Contributes to the team effort.
• Organizational skills.
• Time management.

Once you have identified which relevant skills you have, you should feature them in a  number of sections:

1. List them out in a dedicated skills section titled “Skills”.
2. Incorporate one or two into each of your job achievements.
3. Mention a few in your resume objective or resume summary.

How to highlight your achievements

In your career as a dental assistant, you’ve no doubt racked up a number of achievements to your name. While it would be great to feature all of them on your resume, you will need to be highly selective about which ones to focus on.

Just like the process of selecting which skills to feature in your resume, you should only highlight your most relevant achievements. Take a careful look at the “Responsibilities include” section in a job ad and notice which keywords are used. These are the responsibilities you should hone in on in your “Professional Experience” section.

While you may not have had precisely the same responsibilities in your previous roles as the job ad lists, the more connections you are able to make, the better. For example, if a job ad is looking for a dental assistant who, “Prepares restorative materials and dental cements” and you have only assisted the dental assistant lead to do so - state this. It’s always better to have some experience doing a task the job requires than to have none!

In order to effectively highlight your achievements, pay attention to these 3 simple tips:

• Focus on the result/s of each achievement: A recruiter wants to understand what type of impact you have as an employee. The best way to show that you consistently make a positive one is by describing your achievements in a results-driven way. Be sure to follow this simple formula:  

The achievement + the positive result it brought about

• Use numbers and percentages: An easy way to exemplify the results of your actions is to use numbers and percentages e.g. increased efficiency by 40%, decreased wastage by 12%, maintained a 99% positive rating from customers, etc.  

• Incorporate powerful action verbs: You can make your achievements sound even more engaging by replacing bland and uninspiring verbs with powerful action verbs. 

Why mentioning exact duties in your current and previous dental assistant jobs is important

As you may be well aware of, the work of a dental assistant is incredibly varied. While there are standard duties most dental assistants will be responsible for carrying out, many of the duties you undertake in one job will be completely different to the duties of another. For example, one job may require you to focus solely on administrative work, whereas another job will require you to balance administrative work with providing direct support to the dentist.

This is why it’s absolutely essential to mention the exact duties you perform in your current job or have performed in previous dental jobs. A recruiter will want to know if your previous skills and experiences are an ideal match for the job they’re hiring for.

It’s also important to mention the type of dental practices you have worked for, such as private, community, and corporate practices. After all, there is a world of difference between the duties, number of staff, and environments of different types of dental practices. Briefly noting this information for each job will help a recruiter determine if you’ll be able to smoothly transition into the specific role you’re applying for.

How to write a resume objective (including examples)

If you’re yet to begin your career as a dental assistant, or you only have minimal experience in the profession, it’s a wise idea to include a resume objective at the top of your resume. Including one is an effective way to set yourself apart from other applicants who haven’t bothered to do it.

Recruiters look favorably on entry-level resumes that feature a resume objective, because it shows them that you’re enthusiastic about the position. It also shows that you’re someone who’s always willing to go the extra mile. Needless to say, these are qualities in an employee any dental practice would benefit from!

Another major reason recruiters appreciate resume objectives is because it gives them the chance to quickly learn about who you are. This may not seem like a big deal, but considering that research has shown that recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds looking at each resume, putting your best foot forward from the very beginning is essential.

In order to write a winning resume objective, you will need to concisely convey why you’d make a valuable addition to the company. Highlight the key attributes you offer that are relevant to each specific job. If you don’t have any work experience, focus on what soft and hard skills you excel in, and what your career aspirations are.

Take a look at these examples of well-written dental assistant resume objectives:    

• Final year college student with a GPA of 3.5 wishes to secure a dental assistant internship at a community-based dental clinic in Arizona. Offers a genuine passion for helping underprivileged communities access dental care and strong organizational abilities.

• Graduated first in class from a 2-year dental assistant program, I am now seeking a full-time position where I can utilize my strong skills in either dental office administration or dental radiography. Brings strong enthusiasm, precision, and communication skills to every task.  

How to write a resume summary (including examples)

Also called a career summary, this section should be included at the top of your resume if you have already been working as a dental assistant for a few years or more. A resume summary is an easy way to catch a recruiter’s attention because it provides an overview about why you’re a suitable candidate for the job. 

Similar to a resume objective, a resume summary effectively demonstrates your enthusiasm for the position and gives a unique insight into why you think you’re an excellent dental assistant. The difference is that you’ll be able to pack in a lot more about your professional experiences in your resume summary.

To get this right, you’ll need to pinpoint which details about your work history are most worthwhile highlighting. Keep in mind that a recruiter isn’t primarily concerned about why you’re a great dental assistant in general. To the contrary, they are most concerned with why you’d make a great dental assistant at the particular practice they’re hiring for. This is why it’s pivotal to focus on the accomplishments that are most relevant to the job you’re applying to.

The following dental assistant resume summary examples show the high-standard you should aim for when you’re ready to write your own:

• Highly-organized dental assistant specializing in world-class customer service is seeking a full-time position at a private clinic in central Chicago. Consistently held a 96%+ satisfaction rate from customers over 3 years working at Glistening Teeth’s flagship office in Santa Monica.  
• DANB-certified dental assistant with 5 years of experience in large-scale dental practices is seeking a part-time position at a Smile Wide branch in Oregon. Known for having excellent inventory management skills, as exemplified by achieving a 40% reduction in inventory costs.  

How to list any additional details, like certifications, hobbies, interests, volunteer experience.

It’s a fantastic idea to list any additional details regarding your competencies as a professional that are directly relevant to the job. Arguably, the most important additional information you can provide on your resume is about any dental assistant certifications you hold.

The main certification, which is ideal to hold - the national certification provided by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association points out that in order to obtain it, dental assistants need to take the DANB’s Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination. Being certified provides an assurance to the public that “the dental assistant is prepared to assist competently in the provision of dental care.”

In order to feature this certification in your resume, you can list it in a section called “Certifications” using the following format:

Certified Dental Assistant

[The year of certification]

Dental Assisting National Board

Pro tip: You will be eligible to take the CDA examination if you have either completed a CDA-accredited dental assisting program, or after you have worked as a full-time dental dental assistant for at least two years.

Depending on the state you are applying in, you may also need to state that you are currently registered as a dental assistant in that state. You can mention this in your resume objective or resume summary, as necessary.

We advise you against including your hobbies and interests on your resume, except if you have been specifically asked to highlight them. The same goes for volunteering experience. Unless you worked as a dental assistant in a volunteer capacity or you have very limited experience and the role has applicability to the work a dental assistant undertakes, leave it off. In such cases, you can include it in a section called “Volunteer Experience”.

How to write a dental assistant resume when you have limited or no experience

Starting out as a dental assistant can be incredibly daunting. After all, how are you meant to gain experience in the first place when most jobs require you to already have some? It sounds like an impossible dilemma, but the good news is that your resume can be your secret weapon! That is, once you learn how to make the resume work for - rather than against - you. 

Here are our top expert suggestions for how to make a fantastic entry-level dental assistant resume:

• Include any relevant internships: If you’ve interned at a dental practice you should definitely feature this in your resume. You can also feature any other internships where you demonstrated your administration, computer, or communication skills. 

• Include a resume resume objective: As we explain more above, a resume objective is designed to capture a recruiter’s attention as an entry-level dental assistant. 

• Emphasize your skills: Just because you lack professional experience doesn’t mean you lack relevant skills. You’ll be surprised by how many crucial dental assistant skills you already possess, such as interpersonal, organizational, and word processing skills. 

• Use a functional resume format: It’s best to use a functional resume format (rather than a reverse-chronological format) as this format is designed to put a spotlight on your skills while downplaying your lack of experience.

• Highlight if you speak any other languages: Being able to speak a language other than English could give you an edge over other candidates, particularly if you are applying for a job in an area where many people speak that language.

Pro tip: If you’re serious about cementing yourself as a go-to dental assistant, we strongly suggest enrolling in a relevant academic program. As the American Dental Association explains, dental assistants may receive their formal education at one of a range of academic settings including community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, universities or dental schools. You can find a suitable Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited dental assisting education program here.

How to target your resume for each application, how to list only the relevant skills for that specific company & position

Perhaps one of the biggest traps people fall into when applying for a dental assistant job is submitting the same resume over and over again, then wondering why they’re getting repeatedly rejected. Just like the popular saying goes, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” You can’t expect your resume to finally catch a recruiter’s eye if you’re applying with the same generic one over and over again.

That’s why we can’t overemphasize how vital it is to target your resume for each specific company and position you apply for. You’ll be relieved to hear this isn’t nearly as complicated as it sounds. All you need to do is work out what the recruiter is looking for, and highlight these qualities on your resume.

You can obtain this knowledge by identifying the keywords the recruiter has included in the job ad, as we suggested before. Keywords simply describe the words a recruiter uses to represent the skills and experiences they are seeking from their ideal candidate.

To give you an idea of what we mean, we’ve bolded the keywords in the following examples taken from real job ads:

• Previous experience in dental assisting particularly in implant and surgical dentistry or orthodontics is preferred though not essential for the right candidate who has the right 'can-do' attitude.  
• Understands that exceptional customer service is our number one priority.
• Maintains supplies; reports potential shortages to the clinic manager.
• Documents patient records as dictated by the dentist.
• Assures patients comfort while waiting for the dentist.

In order to properly target your resume, you will need to incorporate as many of these exact keywords into your resume that match your own experiences and skills. You’re not limited to where you can mention them - in addition to your job achievements, you can also feature them in your resume objective or resume summary.

Pro tip: It is important that you use the keywords exactly as they appear, as much as is possible, so that applicant tracking system (ATS) software can register them correctly. For example, if the job ad says “Assures patients’ comfort,” don’t write “Makes patients feel comfortable”.

How to make your resume stand out

All of the tips and tricks we have outlined will help ensure that recruiters seriously consider your application. However, the truth of the matter is that a great resume isn’t going to cut it. You need to make sure your resume genuinely stands out. Take stock of the following expert tips to set your resume apart:

• Keep all fonts, heading sizes, and line spacing consistent: Keeping the stylistic and layout features of your resume consistent throughout will ensure your resume looks sleek and professional. 

• Replace number words with numerals: A recruiter’s eyes will naturally dart to any numbers in your resume, so swap out any written out numbers for their numerical equivalents. For example, instead of writing fifty-five percent write 55%.

• • Proofread and spell check: In order to impress, your resume needs to be completely free of typos and grammatical errors.  

• Get rid of “References available on request”: If a recruiter wants to contact your references, they will ask. Don’t waste precious space on your resume with this superfluous statement. 

3. How Resumebuild.com Resume Builder Tool Can be Utilized for an Easy Resume Setup

If you’re wondering how you’re going to find the time and energy to put all our tips into action, we don’t blame you. It is, without a doubt, a very involved process to piece together a solid dental assistant resume from scratch.

It’s a good thing then that you can make your resume using our easy-to-use, HR-approved resume builder. The resume builder we have designed at Resumebuild.com is the best one you can use for a number of reasons. Not only do we give you dozens of ATS-friendly resume templates to select from, we also guide you through every step of the resume-making process.

We have spent hours refining the entire process, so everything from inputting your personal information to selecting which skills to feature is quick and easy. The end result is a professional-looking dental assistant resume that includes all of the crucial components that recruiters will be expecting to see. If you want to make your resume in under 15 minutes, try using our impressive resume.

As a production worker, you’re the unsung hero of the products we use every day. You work with million dollar machines to help ensure hugely complex production systems work smoothly to provide the world with the things it needs. From cars to chickens, you’ll be expected to adapt to complex production practices.

All of this plays a big role in what recruiters will expect from your resume. You’ll need to demonstrate the qualities you’ll be expected to have in your role: great attention to detail, clear communication, and the dedication to take the time and do a job right. Fortunately for you, this guide breaks down how exactly you can do that. In the end, you’ll have the standout resume you need to succeed.

What you’ll learn in this guide:

• How to use resume examples to get started
• Why you should start by thinking about algorithms
• What recruiters look for in a production worker resume
• The best formatting rules to follow
• What to include about your education
• How you can make your achievements and skills stand out
• How to choose the best skills to include
• The best way to start a resume to make a strong first impression
• What to do if you have little or no experience
• How your resume can stand out

Production worker resume examples to get you started

A production line manager would never just throw a new production worker onto the floor without training and familiarity with the equipment and their role. So why would you start writing your resume without first getting an idea of what it should look like? If you’re relying on the resumes you’ve always created, it’s time to update the dull lists of jobs you’ve come to know.

These examples are here to show you what a modern production worker resume should look like. Pay attention to the design, formatting, and content. You can start your own resume by using them as inspiration and beginning to list the elements you’d like to incorporate. This will help you avoid the challenge of starting with a blank page.

[Examples]

What makes a great production worker resume?

As mentioned in the introduction, a production worker resume should demonstrate all the qualities you’ll be expected to have on the line. But in order to do that, your resume first needs to make it to a recruiter’s desk. Getting there requires overcoming the algorithms that stop many resumes from ever getting seen by a human at all.

Why you need to be thinking about ATS from the start

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are becoming ubiquitous. Whether you’re applying at a large or small company, there’s a good chance your resume will need to pass ATS. In short, ATS are computer algorithms which use artificial intelligence to scan your resume and decide whether a human recruiter should review it. The result is that around 70% of resumes never make it, even though many had the qualifications.

So how do you ensure your resume makes it past ATS? We’ve broken down what you need to do into 3 simple steps.

1. Only submit your resume as a .doc, .docx, or preferably a .pdf file. These are the three file types most ATS are designed to read. Submitting anything else will likely lead to automatic rejection.
2. Use a resume builder. Even when you’re submitting the right file type, often the way the data is structured within the file creates problems for ATS trying to read it. The best way to get around this potential problem is to only use a resume builder specifically designed to create ATS-optimized files.
3. Use the job description or ad as a guide. Because ATS work by being given a set of skills, experience, and qualifications to look for in a resume, your chances of getting accepted are better if you have those things. Luckily for you, the job description should list them, so make a list based on what you see there and try to ensure as many of those things are on your resume as possible.

How to write a production worker resume that will get you noticed by recruiters

Once your resume has sailed past ATS because you followed the steps above, you still need to convince a recruiter that you’re the right person for the job. Doing that starts with understanding the recruiter’s perspective.

Think about how frustrating it is to use a badly designed piece of equipment on a production line. Now think about how much more frustrating it is after a long shift. That’s about how recruiter’s feel when they’re reading piles of resumes and come to one which is too long, badly written, etc. Your resume needs to avoid these problems and make the recruiter’s job easy by being concise, well formatted, and written so it can be easily understood. If your resume is easy to read and understand, that recruiter will have a much more positive emotional response to it and will be less likely to want to reject it.

How should you format your resume?

One of the most important ways you can make sure your resume appeals to recruiters is to get the formatting right. The flow of information on your resume should be in a logical order, just like steps on an assembly line. Getting that order wrong creates confusion, questions, and a bad experience for recruiters.

Finding the right formatting comes down to following a few simple rules. The first is to put the more important information towards the top. A recruiter shouldn’t need to search through pages of text to find your standout skills or accomplishments. Importantly, getting your most compelling qualities out first helps recruiters form a positive first impression of you as a candidate and first impressions are incredibly powerful.

One element of determining what’s more important is recency. Your most recent work experience will be the most relevant, so put your work history in reverse chronological order, with your recent jobs at the top.

How long can a production worker resume be?

This is the top question production workers have about their resumes for good reason. You don’t want your resume to be too long and annoy or bore a recruiter, but you also don’t want it to seem short and light. Finding the right balance comes down to following a few simple steps. The first is to aim to have a resume that’s as short as possible. This comes back to recruiters, who have a lot of resumes to review and will appreciate you being brief.

That said, you still need to make sure your best information is on there. You can use this technique: for every section and piece of information on your resume, ask yourself whether it’s making your resume better. If it isn’t, you can safely remove it.

What should a production worker put on their resume?

While you shouldn’t automatically include all of these sections, these are the top ones you will want to consider.

• Resume objective or summary
• Work experience
• Achievements
• Education and certifications
• Hard skills
• Soft Skills

How to list your education, additional training and certifications

The biggest problem candidates make with their resume’s education section is that they create it on autopilot. 

The first thing to know is that you don’t necessarily need to talk about your education. If the job description doesn’t mention any specific requirements and you graduated high school or college more than a decade ago, your education isn’t going to be important enough to include. If the recruiter does want to know whether you’ve graduated, then they can always ask.

Eastside High School

2004-2008

-Varsity basketball

-3.4 GPA

Looking at this example, even if the job requires a high school diploma, it’s not likely to require basketball experience of a specific GPA. That’s why details like that can be left off. Compare that to the improved version below.

Eastside High School

Graduated 2008

Here, you only have the relevant details. All a recruiter needs to know is that you graduated and when. Even if you took classes relevant to your work, if it was more than 10 years ago then they’re aren’t worth bringing up. Instead, focus that valuable resume space on more impactful information.

One thing to consider is including trainings and certifications. These both demonstrate that you possess specific skills to recruiters and show that you’ve gone out of your way to obtain them. They’re one of the most effective ways to ensure your resume stands out.

Certifications and trainings to consider obtaining and including

• The American Welding Society’s (AWS) Certified Welder Certification
• The Associate for Supply Chain Management Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
• The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), Shingo Institute, and SME Lean Certification
• The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Certified Production Technician (CPT) ® 4.0
• MSSC Certified Logistics Technician (CLT)
• MSSC Certified Forklift Technician (CFT)
• The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA)’s Precision Sheet Metal Operator Certification (PSMO)
• The International Fluid Power Society (IFPS) set of certifications
• The International Society of Automation (ISA) Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) and Certified Automation Professional (CAP) certifications

How to make your skills more effective

Anyone can simply state that they’re “diligent” or “hard working” on their resume. Getting your skills to make an impression on a recruiter will require more than just listing them. What makes the difference is concrete examples which show that your skills go beyond simply saying what you can do. 

It’s not always possible to include these examples, but they’re powerful enough for the extra effort to be worth it. Let’s compare two examples to see this effect in action.

Attention to detail

Extremely important for anyone working on a production line, but listing the skill this way is hardly going to stand out to a recruiter.

Attention to detail

-Help reduce the error rate on assembly line electric motors by 4% in my sector.

By giving this example, a recruiter has something to attach this skill to in their mind and are far more likely to remember it and connect it with you as a candidate. It also shows that you pay attention to your numbers and strive for improvement, another important quality you want your resume to show.

Which hard skills should be mentioned on a production worker resume?

• Familiarity with OSHA safety standards and protocols
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• Expertise with specific manufacturing equipment or processes
• Familiarity with factory logistics
• Welding
• Soldering
• Lathe machines
• Preventative maintenance
• Sanitation practices
• PLC programming

Which soft skills should be mentioned on a production worker resume?

• Working well on a team
• Attention to detail
• Physical stamina
• Reliability
• Written and oral communication

How to highlight your most important achievements

The same techniques you just used to highlight your skills are just as important for your achievements. Being specific about what you did and what the result was will sound far more impressive to a recruiter than following the standard route of mentioning your responsibilities. These two examples will help illustrate the difference.

Responsible for final stage assembly at the BMW US Manufacturing Plant in Greer, SC

While this is an important area of responsibility, writing it this way doesn’t tell a recruiter much. After all, this person could have done a terrible job and been fired for incompetence and this statement would be just as true. That’s why phrasing your achievements this way doesn’t work.

Led a team of 18 responsible for quality control at final stage assembly of the Z4 at the BMW plant in Greer, SC resulting in a 9% decrease in defects after 1 year.

By phrasing the achievement this way we now know how many people this person managed and what they were able to achieve in the role. Even mentioning specific details like the car involved will help this example be more memorable for a recruiter. While you don’t always have access to information about the results of your work, it is important to mention it whenever possible.

What are the differences between resume objective and summary? Where do I use which?

Earlier we talked about the importance of putting the most impactful information on your resume at the top. The challenge is how to practically do that. That’s where resume objectives and summaries come in. These sections are ideal for giving you a flexible area to make a strong first impression by drawing a recruiter’s attention to your best attributes.

But which one should you use? The main difference between them is in length. A resume objective is a single sentence while a summary can be several sentences long. Choosing between them comes down to deciding how much you need to explain in this section. For example, if you’re also submitting a cover letter then an objective should be enough as you can explain anything else you need there.

How to write a resume objective

The primary aim of a resume objective is to fit a lot of useful information into a single sentence that’s still easily readable. It should explain who you are and what you aim to achieve with this resume. If a recruiter needs to re-read your objective (or summary for that matter) to understand what you meant, you’ve already made a bad first impression. The following two examples will show what this looks like in action.

Experienced welder hoping to work at your factory.

This resume objective falls flat. There’s no sense of what experience the candidate has and the vague “your factor” language makes it clear that they did not create a custom resume for this position (which is an important way to improve your chance of getting hired). What’s communicated here is that this candidate isn’t going to try very hard. Now let’s see an improved version for contrast.

AWS Certified welder looking to bring 7 years experience on automotive production lines to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi.

With this example, we learn a lot about the candidate in just a few words. Right away the recruiter knows they’re certified, experienced, that they customized their resume for this position, and that they took the time to do a good job. This candidate will stand out right away.

How to write a resume summary

Just because a resume summary can be a few sentences doesn’t mean it should ramble on. It should aim to be just as information dense as the resume objective example above. 

After 4 years working in the food service industry I’m looking to advance my career by working as a production worker at your facility. My experience working long hours under pressure to produce consistent results for customers will translate well into the factory setting. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about my application at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.

While explaining a career change is a good use for a resume summary, this one makes a few mistakes. First, it’s written in the first person. This makes it sound unprofessional, as resumes should be written in the third person. Explaining how the past experience will help them as a production worker is great, but it then wastes valuable space writing about availability to answer questions. Now let’s compare an improved version.

Food service worker looking to apply experience working long hours under high pressure to produce consistent results to a position as a production worker at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi. Currently pursuing a Lean Certification from AME.

Here, the relevance of the candidate’s past experience is still emphasized, but it’s framed more professionally. In addition, the candidate took the time to mention that they were actively pursuing a relevant certification, an indication that they take the career change seriously and are generally proactive.

How to write a production worker resume with little to no experience

If you’re trying to get your first job as a production worker, it may be hard to follow a lot of the advice about giving specific examples. After all, if you’ve never been a production worker before, what examples can you point to? But don’t worry, because you can prove you have critical skills without experience in the industry.

For example, you can demonstrate reliability by mentioning your attendance record at a previous job or your experience working on other types of teams to show you can do that well. Employers know that they can train you in the technical skills needed to be a production worker, but the soft skills required are harder to come by. So, by emphasizing those soft skills, you’re giving yourself a leg up against other candidates with more experience. The previous resume summary example shows one way to do this effectively.

How to make your resume stand out

If you’ve followed all of our guidance up to this point, you’re already set to have a resume recruiters will notice. But there’s one element of a standout resume we haven’t mentioned so far: design. Recruiters see a lot of resumes in a day, so if you can use great design to stand out from the crowd, you’ll really be improving your chances.

Design is also about making your resume easier to read. Huge blocks of text can strain a recruiter’s eyes, but well designed sections which break that text up makes reading your resume much easier (something a recruiter will greatly appreciate). But if you’re not a designer, how can you get access to design like this?

Why you need a resume builder to succeed

With so many elements you need to consider and get right, you need all the help you can get crafting the perfect production worker resume. That’s where a resume builder comes in. These programs have been specifically designed with people like you in mind. They give you access to top quality design templates, ensure your resume is ATS-optimized, and generally make the whole process simpler.

But choosing from all the options out there is hard. Fortunately, Resumebuild.com makes it easy. It’s been built from the ground up to give you access to all the powerful resume building tools you need to create a production worker resume that gets you hired. Check it out for yourself and see why resume builders have become standard tools in the job-seeker’s tool belt.

Any hotel hiring manager knows that good housekeeping is essential for success. Any mistake is sure to get noticed by guests, so your resume needs to be just as flawless as a freshly-made bed. In fact, your resume should be like a freshly dressed down room in more ways than one: clean, tidy, organized, and with everything in its place.

But knowing all this doesn’t make you an expert housekeeper, it takes skills and experience. When it comes to housekeeper resumes, we’ve got plenty of experience to share. That’s why we’ve created this guide to take you through every question you may have and help make sure your resume is absolutely immaculate.

This guide will show you:

• Helpful examples of what an excellent housekeeper resume looks like
• How to optimize your resume for ATS (and why it’s so important)
• How to put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager to target your resume perfectly
• How your housekeeper resume should be formatted
• The proper length of a housekeeper resume
• Which hard and soft skills belong on a housekeeper resume
• How to optimize your experience section with action verbs for maximum impact
• Which achievements you may want to include and how to write them
• Whether you should include a resume objective or summary with examples of how to write both
• How to create an effective housekeeper resume with little or no experience
• How to make your housekeeper resume stand out from the competition
• Why a resume builder is an essential tool

Obviously there’s a lot to cover, but we’ll make it simple as we go. Let’s start with some inspirational examples.

Housekeeper resume template examples:

As with most things, the hardest part about creating a housekeeper resume is usually getting started. You may have decades of experience working as a housekeeper, but will have rarely seen a resume that reflects all of that experience. That’s why we’ve chosen to start off with some useful template examples.

Below, you can find a few examples to get you inspired. But don’t forget to also take away some ideas. Start creating a list of what you think works and doesn’t work about these examples. That way, when you start, you’ll already have a nice list of ideas to get you going.

[Examples]

How to write a housekeeper resume that will get you hired

You’ve seen what a great housekeeper resume looks like, now it’s time to create your own. We’ve got a lot of tips for you below, but before you start writing down your experience, skills, etc. - you need to learn a few fundamentals about good resume-writing.

Start by considering who will be hiring you

The foundation of a great resume is understanding who it’s for. After all, you wouldn’t set up a room for a romantic honeymoon the same way you would for a big family getaway. So don’t make your resume one size-fits-all and ignore the person who’s going to be reading it.

Despite what you might think, in most cases your first audience will be a computer algorithm.

Why your housekeeper resume should be ATS optimized

If you’re applying for a housekeeper position at a large hotel chain, there’s an extremely good chance the first review of your resume will not be by a human. If you’re only applying to work with individual clients in their homes, this won’t apply. But for everyone else, making sure your resume is ATS-optimized will be essential.

But what exactly is ATS? It stands for Applicant Tracking System. It’s essentially a computer program that uses artificial intelligence to scan your resume for keywords and experience. Its goal is to weed out unqualified applicants so hiring managers aren’t overwhelmed. There are dozens of them out there and each one works a little differently. That said, there are things you should do to optimize for the most common types out there.

Ensuring your resume makes it past ATS to a hiring manager comes down to these tips:

1. Make absolutely sure your resume is in an ATS-friendly format. Generally PDFs and DOCs are the file types most ATS’ work best with. In other words, if your resume is in another file format, it probably won’t make it through.
2. Use a resume builder that’s ATS-optimized. Not all PDFs are created equally. The way the data is structured on them makes a big difference when ATS try to scan them. So work with a resume-building tool that’s designed to make their work easy.
3. Write your skills and experience to match those listed in the job description as closely as possible. These days the AI driving ATS is pretty smart but it’s still not perfect. If you phrase your skills in a way it doesn’t understand, your resume might still get rejected. So when the job ad asks for experience repairing torn linens, you should list “Experience repairing torn linens.”
4. Ensure you meet the minimum requirements. If the job requires a minimum of 5 years experience in housekeeping, then you won’t likely make it past ATS with 2. In those cases, it’s best to save yourself the time and apply somewhere else.

Put yourself in the recruiter or homeowner’s shoes

Once your resume makes it past ATS, it still needs a human to like it. That could be a hiring manager, recruiter at a major hotel chain or a homeowner. What you need to do is understand these people and their needs so your resume can match them perfectly.

The first step is to carefully study the job ad. What kind of housekeeper are they looking for? For example, if the ad is from a homeowner who mentions that the housekeeper they hire must be extremely careful, because they’ve had furniture damaged in the past, try to find ways to show how careful you are on your resume.

Think of it this way - your goal is to make it as easy as possible for them to say “yes, let’s hire this person.” If something is easier to do, a person is more likely to do it. This extends to making sure your resume is easy to read both in the font and size as well as how it's written. Just imagine you’re a busy homeowner or hotel hiring manager and you’ve been working all day and now you’re reviewing resumes. Your resume should be a breath of fresh air, not another grinding task.

If you’re wondering how it’s possible to do that, don’t worry! The rest of this guide will show you exactly what you need to do.

How should a housekeeper resume be formatted?

Getting the formatting right is more crucial than it seems. Poor formatting means information is in the wrong place (meaning you’re creating headaches for the person reading your resume). Your resume should be like an immaculately made up room: everything in the right place.

That means using reverse chronological order. In other words, put your most recent work experience at the top and your oldest at the bottom. This follows the general rule that you should put the most important information on your resume towards the top. That’s why we recommend starting with an objective or summary (more on how to write those below).

How long should a housekeeper resume be?

The first question most people have about their resumes is an easy one for housekeepers. A single page should be all you need. Even with decades of experience, you should try and boil all of your skills and work experience down to a single concise page. Remember that homeowner or hiring manager? They certainly don’t want to read through multiple pages to choose the right housekeeper.

Which sections should you include?

The rule of thumb for any information or section on your resume is asking yourself “does this make my resume better?” If the answer is “no” or “I’m not sure” then you should probably remove it. To get a well-crafted housekeeper resume that’s a single page, you need to choose just the right content to include. So consider which sections make sense, based on your experience. That said, these are the most common ones for housekeeper resumes:

• A resume summary or objective
• Work experience
• Hard skills
• Soft skills
• Certifications or training
• Education
• Languages
• Volunteering

Which skills should you include on your housekeeper resume?

Skills are critical for a housekeeper resume, particularly if you’re applying at a private home. Hotels will generally have the ability to train you for any skills you don’t have, but a homeowner is not going to be willing or able to do the same. That’s why it’s critical you clearly show that you have the specific skills requested in the job ad.

In other words, the best skills to include are the ones requested for the job. But that said, there are some general in-demand hard and soft skills for housekeepers. Let’s run through those lists:

The best hard skills to include

• Knowledge of OSHA safety guidelines
• Languages
• The ability to lift over 30 pounds
• Deep cleaning, carpet cleaning, spot cleaning
• Sewing and fabric repair
• Sanitization of surfaces
• Ordering and managing cleaning supply stocks
• Floor polishing

The best soft skills to include

• Customer service
• Communication
• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Reliability and punctuality

Why you should back up your skills with examples

Listing skills will certainly help get you past ATS and make it more likely you’ll get interviewed or hired, but examples take your skills to the next level. Whenever possible, try and include examples, which demonstrate that you really have these skills. This particularly applies to soft skills, which tend to be a bit more vague. For example:

“Punctual”

“No late arrivals in 3 years working as a Housekeeper for New Rochelle Hotels”

The latter example will make the person reading your resume feel they can be confident in you and your skills. Keep in mind, sometimes the best way to go about this is to list your skills in a short section and then provide examples in your work experience.

How to optimize your experience section

Your work experience is going to be the core of your housekeeper resume. It’s where you need to show that you did more than the bare minimum in your previous work. Again, focus on listing concrete accomplishments or responsibilities. The more specific you are, the better it will sound. For example, compare these two samples:

“Responsible for cleaning rooms.”

“Responsible for daily cleaning of 30 rooms”

The differences are subtle but important. By specifying “daily” and the number of rooms, what you did becomes more clear. But more importantly, it makes you sound detail oriented, which is a critical skill for a great housekeeper.

Action verbs to use

Besides being as specific as possible, utilizing action verbs also makes you sound more active in how you describe your work experience. So, instead of writing

“Required to arrange rooms to look presentable”

Try writing something more like

“Arranged rooms to look impeccable for guests”

Now it sounds less like “they made me do this” and more like “I did this well.” Here are some action verbs you should consider including:

• Cleaned, arranged, organized, collected, conducted, managed, operated, swept, waxed, mopped, reported, examined, disposed, tidied, monitored, documented, etc.

How to include achievements on your resume

Plenty of what we achieve in our lives has nothing to do with our jobs. But sometimes those achievements can demonstrate that we have job-relevant skills. That’s where an achievements section comes into play. It’s the ideal place to include highlights that help demonstrate who you are as a person and a housekeeper.

The rules for adding achievements on your resume are the same as those for describing your work experience: be specific and use action verbs. Let’s look at some examples to see what that looks like:

“Head cheerleader at Fremont High School”

This may show you have leadership, but ultimately an achievement from high school isn’t going to make you look very professional.

“Organized a charity fundraiser to help a colleague with medical expenses”

This example shows that you’re generous and get along well with your colleagues as well as highlighting the fact that you are organized.

Certifications to include on a housekeeper resume

An excellent way to show that you go above and beyond the basics as a housekeeper is to get certified. Much like the specificity mentioned above, certifications clearly demonstrate that you really possess a specific skill. If you’re applying for a position you might not have enough experience for, they can also even the playing field.

Here are some certifications you may want to consider including:

• Certified Guestroom Attendant
• Certified Environmental Services Executive
• Mold Awareness Specialist 

Should you include a resume objective or summary?

The purpose of a resume objective or summary is to start off with some context. But, each has a specific role to play in your resume. An objective is generally just a single sentence or so and focuses on explaining who you are and what you aim to achieve with this resume.

A resume summary, on the other hand, is a paragraph designed to provide more information and context, which wouldn’t fit easily elsewhere. Often, this kind of information will go onto a cover letter, but if you feel you need to explain more and don’t have the option of including a cover letter, a summary is ideal. In particular, resume summaries are good for explaining gaps in your working history or why some unconventional experience of yours might be relevant.

How to write a resume objective

A resume objective should get right to the point. It needs to be dense with information and without any mistakes. Here are some examples to illustrate this:

“I am a cleaner who would like to be hired as a hotel housekeeper.”

There are a few issues here. While the length is okay, there’s not a lot of useful information here. This example doesn’t really add anything substantial to the resume. In addition, it speaks in the first person, which is not how resume objectives should be written. Let’s look at another version of that objective.

“Certified house cleaner with 4 years experience looking to apply skills to a housekeeping position at the Brushstrokes Hotel.”

While this example is a bit longer, it makes up for that by being information dense. Right away it tells a reader that you are certified, experienced, changing from home to hotel housekeeping, and that you tailored your resume for this specific position (more on why that’s important later).

How to write a resume summary

A resume summary should follow many of the same rules as an objective. Despite being longer, it should be concise, packed with useful information, and well-written. Here are some examples to illustrate what that should look like:

“Based on my extensive housekeeping experience I believe I am an ideal candidate for this position. In particular, my work at the Miami Beach Resort and Imperial Hotel show that I am diligent, hardworking, and thorough. Thank you for considering me for the position.”

This example also makes the mistake of speaking in the first person. But worse, it rambles on with vague language about being an ideal candidate. Instead of providing the reader with new information, it points them to parts of the resume they were going to read anyways. Now let’s see a better version:

“A Mold Awareness and Guestroom Attendant Certified Housekeeper with previous experience at resort properties, looking to work in the luxury accommodation space at the Regent Hotel after a year absence from the workforce to care for a relative.”

Right away, this summary tells you that this candidate is serious about their work with their certifications. It then explains their work history gap and that they want to move into the luxury housekeeping field. Lastly, by mentioning the specific hotel where they’re applying, they make it clear that this isn’t a cookie-cutter resume they sent to a dozen places.

How to write a housekeeper resume when you have limited (or no) experience

Those resume objectives and summaries are compelling, but what about someone just entering the housekeeping field with little or no experience? In these cases, the key is to find ways to show you have the relevant skills. This could be through certifications (you can even just mention that you’re actively pursuing a certification) or through framing your past work experience around housekeeper-relevant skills.

Just remember that it’s easier to teach specific skills than it is to teach attitude. If you show that you’re hardworking, detail-oriented, and have great customer service skills, you might be a better candidate than someone with housekeeping experience, but lacking those skills.

How to target your education and professional experience for each application

As we’ve mentioned throughout this guide, one of the best ways to improve your chances of getting hired is to target your resume for each application. Mentioning where you’re applying and ensuring your resume precisely matches the requirements laid out in the job ad will make a hiring manager or recruiter’s job ten times easier. It’s a bit of extra work, but the benefits far outweigh the costs, so always be sure to target your resumes.

How to make a housekeeper resume stand out?

Of all the advice contained in this guide, the best way to make your housekeeper resume stand out is to use great design. Most of the resumes you will be competing with are dull Word documents. Handing in a resume with excellent design, that makes it easier to read will have hiring managers viewing your application as a relief from the rest of the pile. But to do that, you need the right resume builder.

How Resumebuild.com resume builder tool can be utilized for an easy resume setup

With so many elements you need to get right on your housekeeper resume, you need all the help you can get. One thing you shouldn’t be worrying about is getting the formatting just right, or making sure your resume can be read by ATS. That’s why you should be using a user-friendly resume builder like the one we’ve created at Resumebuild.com. 

By allowing you to choose between a huge selection of expert-curated resume templates, it’s easy to find a design that will make your resume stand out. Then, an easy-to-use resume manager makes it simple to keep track of tailored resumes for all the positions you’d like to apply for.

Now, the next time you need to apply, all of your previous work is ready for you to update. So instead of digging through your computer for that old resume file, sign up for Resumebuild and create a 21st century resume.

Where would we be without the invaluable work electricians do day in and day out? Electricians are responsible for installing and maintaining different types of electrical systems so that individuals, businesses, and public institutions can readily make use of electricity. Without the expertise electricians offer, we’d still be living in the dark ages (quite literally!). 

Given how important electricians are to the smooth running of society, it’s no wonder that job prospects for this profession are strong. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of electricians will increase by 10 percent from 2018 to 2028. That’s double the average projected growth for the average of all occupations!

This is no doubt exciting news for electricians - particularly if you’re looking to keep working your way up professionally. However, keep in mind that job growth doesn’t necessarily secure you a job in the future. You still need to show recruiters that you’re worth hiring.

The primary means you can demonstrate your value as an electrician is to wow recruiters with an eye-catching resume. In fact, once you know how to put together the perfect electrician resume, you’ll see that it’s the gateway to getting any job you desire.

Below, we’ve outlined our resume experts’ most useful tips and tricks that will help you grab the attention of any recruiter in 2020. In our guide, we’ll teach you a range of helpful things as:

• The best format and layout for your electrician resume
• How to correctly list your training and certifications
• The steps you can take to ensure your skills and achievements shine 
• Expert tips to strengthen your resume 

1. Multiple Template Examples

2. How to Write an Electrician Resume That Will Get You Hired?

How should you format your resume?

There are two main resume features a recruiter will expect your electrician resume to have: The right format and the right content. The format you select is critical, because it will influence not only which information a recruiter extracts from your resume, but also the order in which they do so.

Moreover, it will impact their overall impression of you. A poorly-formatted resume conveys that you don’t take your application seriously and that you’re disorganized (even if this isn’t true!). In contrast, an expertly-formatted resume conveys that you’re a consummate professional, who has high standards for themselves. Remember, first impressions are hard to shake. Make sure you make a positive one by choosing the right format.

A reverse-chronological format is hands-down the best format for an electrician resume. This format arranges your professional experiences from most to least recent. The logical order makes it far easier for recruiters to determine whether you have the appropriate level of knowledge and past work history to perform a given job with mastery.

You should also follow certain layout guidelines to ensure your resume looks professional. We have detailed the most notable ones below:

• • Number of Pages: You should keep your electrician resume to 1 page.
  • Fonts to Use: Standard fonts that make reading your resume a breeze, such as Corbel and Gill Sans.
  • Fonts to Avoid: Any fonts that the recruiter will struggle to read, such as Curlz MT and Courier New.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

• Header size: 14-16 point size.
• Text size: 11-12 point size.

What are the most important sections to include in your resume?

An electrician resume must include a number of fundamental sections in order to directly address what a recruiter is looking for. Failure to include these sections will immediately disqualify you from the running. So be sure to pay careful attention so that your resume contains all the important sections we’ve listed below:

• Contact Information: Your personal contact information that will allow a recruiter to reach out to you. That is, your name, home address, phone number, and email address. You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile.

• Resume Objective or Resume Summary: An outline of why you’re the most ideal electrician for the job.

• Professional Experiences: A selection of your most relevant professional experiences, complete with details about duties and achievements.

• Education: Key details about your relevant educational background. In most cases, your education section will feature the technical degree you got in the college or institution you attended.

• Training and Certifications: A list of any additional relevant training and certifications you have undertaken to advance your professional standing and skills. 

• Skills: A list of 6 to 8 of the most relevant hard and soft skills you offer as an electrician.

Pro tip: Wondering why we haven’t included a References section above? It is unnecessary to state that you have references or to provide their contact details as it is highly unlikely that a recruiter will want to contact them at the screening stage of the application. Recruiters will usually only want to contact references at the interview stage, so save space on your resume by omitting this section.

How to give recruiters what they’re looking for

In order to impress recruiters, you first need to understand what qualities they’re looking for from their ideal candidate. Generally speaking, a recruiter will endeavor to track down an electrician who has ticked all the boxes in terms of their training, professional experiences, and skills.

The criteria by which they’ll evaluate how well each candidate does this, will depend on the requirements of each unique job. Fortunately for you, recruiters will always freely share this information with potential hires. All you need to do to access it is know where to look!

In short, the answers you’re after are contained within each job ad. Recruiters write job ads to find their perfect hire, so it makes sense for them to be as transparent as possible with their expectations. Once you know what their expectations are, you’ll have the knowledge you need to tailor your resume so it aligns as closely as possible to them.

How to prepare for a job interview as an electrician

Preparing for a job interview as an electrician can be a nerve-wracking experience. You know you have a strong grasp of the practical skills needed to excel, but talking about why you’re a great electrician is a whole other story.

The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to thoroughly prepare so that you can, in turn, convince a recruiter that you’re the right electrician for the job. Here are our top 3 tips:

1. 1. Run through common interview questions: Practicing your answers to common questions recruiters and hiring managers ask in electrician interviews is one of the most effective ways to prepare for your big day. While you won’t be able to predict every question they’ll ask, there’s a good chance that the interview will consist primarily of standard interview questions. There are many resources online that will help you practice. We particularly recommend this handy video that simulates a real-life electrician interview.

• Practice out loud in front of a mirror: Knowing which questions will likely be asked in an interview and knowing how to answer them is one thing. Delivering your answers confidently and eloquently is another. We’ve all had the experience of stumbling over our words in an interview. The best way to prevent this from happening is to practice your answers out loud in front of a mirror.

1. Leave your uniform at home: An interview is an opportunity to show the hiring manager what a consummate professional you are in a more traditional context, so you’ll need to look the part. That means you’ll need to leave your uniform at home and dress to impress. While you won’t need to don full business attire, you should wear a business casual outfit. Don’t leave this task to the last minute; make sure you’ve decided your outfit as well as what shoes and accessories you’ll wear at least a few days in advance.

How to list additional training and certifications as an electrician

You’ve, no doubt, picked up plenty of skills on the job. That’s part of the joy of being an electrician; there’s always plenty to learn, and you don’t necessarily need to spend years in college to learn it.

This can lead many electricians to mistakenly believe that you don’t need to list your training and certifications on your resume. However, the truth is that failing to list them could cost you your next job.

Think about it: if it comes down to a candidate who can show they have plenty of training and certifications to their name, versus one who didn’t bother to mention theirs, a recruiter will, no doubt, choose the former candidate. After all, it’s a recruiter’s job to hire the most qualified person for the job! So remember to play it safe and always list all of your relevant training and certifications.

In order to list them correctly, make sure not to provide too many details or write in full sentences like this candidate did:

• After graduating from a vocational electrician program registered with the New York State Department of Labor, I now have a Master Electrician License that is valid in New York City.

Instead, only state key details about your training and certifications in a section titled “Training and Certifications”. Namely, you should list:

• The name of each training or certification you have undertaken
• The city or state it is valid in (if appropriate)
• The year you completed the training or certification 

To use the candidate’s example above, each of your training and certifications should look something like this:

• Master Electrician License, New York City, 2020

Which skills should you mention on your resume?

There is a stark difference between an electrician who has many skills to offer and one who’s lacking in them. The thing is, when it comes to electrician resumes, offering more skills isn’t necessarily going to get you the job. You need to highlight the skills you have, that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for.

For example, imagine that you’re applying for a job as a residential electrician, who will be in charge of installing lighting and wiring in apartment blocks. To impress the recruiter, you will need to showcase the skills that enable you to do this specific job. That means you should replace any skills that don’t have a direct connection with this particular job (such as installing solar panels) with skills that do (such as reading wiring plans).

Another important thing to keep in mind when deciding which skills to mention on your resume is to ensure you highlight both the technical skills (hard skills) and interpersonal as well as communicative skills (soft skills) you are known for. Here are some examples of hard and soft skills we found in real job ads for electricians:

Examples of hard skills for electricians

• Maintaining and repairing valves and pressure regulators

• Repairing and replacing outlets
• Installing GFCI receptacles
• Panel change-outs
• Adhering to all quality and safety codes
• Troubleshooting
• Performing routine maintenance on electrical wiring and systems
• Testing electrical and electronic equipment 
• Maintaining records of inspections and tasks
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics

Examples of soft skills for electricians

• Ability to work well with office staff and customer representatives
• Clear, concise, and accurate communication skills
• Team orientation skills
• Time management
• Negotiation
• Leadership
• Writing reports and proposals
• Listening skills
• Problem solving
• Work ethic

Recruiters will be checking to see that you offer both types of skills, so don’t underestimate the importance of soft skills. The job of an electrician is indeed very hands-on and requires a strong grasp of certain hard skills to see each job through to completion. However, a truly professional electrician will also need to apply numerous soft skills to take each project to the next level and ensure they are making positive contributions to their team. 

Keep in mind that no recruiter will want to hire an electrician, who demonstrates strong hard skills, but doesn’t know the first thing about the soft skill of communicating clearly and respectfully to their teammates!

Once you have worked out which skills will be most beneficial for you to include, you should list 6 to 8 of them in a “Skills” section. Additionally, you should strive to naturally add one skill per professional achievement.

Pro tip: If you can, it’s also a wise idea to mention one or two in your resume objective or summary.

How to highlight your most important achievements

The achievements you hold personally dear as an electrician and the ones that recruiters are genuinely interested in may not necessarily be the same. In order to highlight achievements that will impress recruiters, you need to:

• Naturally incorporate the keywords they have used throughout a job ad
• Use impactful action words
• Focus on writing about your achievements in a results-oriented way

For example, this is how an achievement looks when a candidate hasn’t followed our advice:

• Worked on fixing the electrical controls in a medical facility.

In contrast, this is how eye-catching that same achievement can look if the candidate applies our advice:

• Troubleshooted electrical controls in a client’s facility and successfully detected and fixed a misconfiguration that resulted in savings of $200,000 on client’s electrical bills.

How to write a resume objective or resume summary

Preparation goes a long way in both excelling at your job and writing an incredible electrician resume. Just like you wouldn’t dive into wiring a circuit without first working out the proper configurations, you shouldn’t launch into your resume without first properly introducing yourself to the recruiter.

That’s why it is vital to open your resume with either a resume objective or resume summary section that is around 2 to 3 sentences long. Both are designed to set the right tone for your resume from the very opening sentence. A well-written one will effectively communicate to the recruiter why you’re the electrician they have been searching for.

So which is the right one to include in your resume? It will depend on your experience level. Below, we’ll explain the differences between them as well as some important dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

Resume objective

What is a resume objective? A brief statement in which you share your career aspirations and relevant or exceptional training, skills, and professional experiences you have to date. 

Who should use it? An apprentice electrician with little to no experience.

What should you avoid? Emphasizing your lack of experience and skills. You should also avoid conveying a glass half full outlook. For example:

• I am an apprentice electrician who has hardly any experience and only minimal skills. I am worried about my employability so I really want this job.

What should you focus on instead? Highlighting useful attributes you offer as a budding electrician. You can highlight key details about your current training, the skills you have developed (or are in the midst of developing), and the professional experiences you’ve had so far. You should also make it clear to the recruiter that you’re excited about your future as an electrician and the opportunity to work for their company. For example:

• 2nd year apprentice electrician at Spark Electricians, who offers particularly strong skills in diagnosing and fixing problems in residential electrical systems and following directions. Aspires to transition to a part-time position at Lightning Home Electricians, where I endeavor to bring my passion for perfectly configuring home electrical components.

Resume summary

What is a resume summary? A summary of your most relevant training, skills, and professional experiences you offer as an electrician.

Who should use it: Any electrician with at least one year or more of full-time or part-time experience.

What should you avoid? Being vague when describing your training, skills and experiences. For example:

• A journeyman electrician with years of experience. I offer a great combination of training, skills, and experiences that make me the perfect hire for this job.

What should you focus on instead? Providing specific details about yourself as a professional. You should emphasize why you’re the right person for the particular job you’re applying for, based on the relevant training, skills, and experience you offer.

• A certified journeyman electrician with over 9 years of experience in commercial installation. I believe I would be an asset to Atom Electrical Contractors as in addition to my track record with efficiently reconfiguring electrical components in commercial buildings so they comply with Colorado building regulations, I offer strong teamwork and communication skills.

How to write an electrician resume when you have little or no experience

Are you looking to begin an apprenticeship as an electrician? Or perhaps you’re already an apprentice electrician, who’s looking to make some waves in the industry? In order to catch the attention of the very people who can launch your career, you’ll need to perfect your resume. Follow these simple tips to write an electrician resume when you have little or no experience:

• Use a functional resume format: This type of resume format draws attention to your skills and abilities over your limited professional experiences.

• Perfect your skills section: Your aim should be to show the recruiter that what you lack in experience, you make up for in soft and hard skills. Spend time pinpointing the most relevant skills you offer and work on developing frequently-requested ones you’re weak in.

• Write a resume objective: As we highlighted above, a resume objective will help to highlight your potential as a budding electrician. Writing a customized one for each job you apply for will give you the best chance of grabbing the recruiter’s attention.

• Include relevant volunteer experiences: Even if you lack professional experience, volunteer experiences can help make your resume shine. Hone in on the skills and duties you performed that have direct relevance to the job.

How to make your resume stand out

You should always strive to make your resume as impressive as possible. Keep in mind that you will be competing against hundreds or even thousands of other candidates who have also followed the resume standards we have outlined above. In order to exceed a recruiter’s expectations, you need to make your resume stand out. To put your best foot forward, follow our insider tips below:

Follow any specific instructions provided in the job ad

One mistake that has caused even the most talented electricians to slip up is to ignore the specific instructions a recruiter has provided in the job ad. For example, a recruiter may ask for all resumes to be sent in PDF form or that all applications must include a cover letter in addition to a resume.

There are even recruiters who will ask candidates to include a certain word somewhere in their applications or email subject line so that they can tell who really read the job ad - and who’s just sending generic applications to each company. The word may even be silly, like “waffles”! To avoid getting caught out, be sure to carefully read a job ad to ensure you’re fully aware of any specific instructions you’ll be expected to follow.

Customize your resume to the specialization the recruiter is after

As we already highlighted throughout this guide, it’s essential to customize your resume to address the specific criteria a recruiter is looking for. One of the most powerful customizations you can make is to focus your resume on the particular specialization the recruiter is interested in.

There are 3 main types of specializations in this line of work:

1. Commercial
2. Industrial
3. Residential

However, they can be further subdivided into even more specific specializations. In fact, over 20 major electrician specializations exist!

In order to tailor your resume to the particular one a recruiter is looking for, scan the job ad to identify which one they are hiring for. You can then use this information to highlight the most relevant training, experiences, and skills you can offer in that specialization.

For example, if a job ad states that a company is hiring an electrician for an automotive company, emphasize your achievements in this specialization over all the other ones.

Give yourself adequate time to prepare and review your resume

Recruiters are always looking for ways to weed out less impressive candidates. That’s why, in order to reduce thousands of resumes to just a handful, they need to be unforgiving when it comes to any typos, grammatical errors, and formatting irregularities they spot.

If you rush putting together your resume, you’ll be far more likely to make mistakes and far less likely to detect them. As such, you should start working on your resume as soon as you find a job you’d like to apply for. With time at your side, you’ll be able to proofread it more than once to ensure it’s completely error-free.

3. How Resumebuild.com Resume Builder Tool Can Be Utilized for an Easy Resume Setup

Now that you know about all the nuts and bolts of making the perfect electrician resume, you’re fully equipped to make one yourself. All you need to do is find the time and energy to do it. Needless to say, this is the hardest step of all in the resume making process! When you’ve just returned from a hard day’s work or the weekend rolls around, the absolute last thing you can think of doing is opening up your laptop and writing about your job.

So why not leverage one of the tools of the resume making trade and use a resume builder to handle this whole process for you? By using Resumebuild.com’s ingenious resume builder tool, you’ll be able to piece together an eye-catching electrician resume in less time than it takes for you to organize your toolbox. All you’ll need to do is punch in some key details about all of the sections we mentioned above, and the resume builder will take care of the rest.

If you’re curious about how exactly it works, we’ll give you a quick rundown. The first step is to pick out a well-designed resume template. As you can see, there are all types of templates to choose from to suit your particular needs and aesthetic. You really can’t go wrong, as all of them are designed to effectively organize the contents of your resume in an eye-catching and professional way.

Next, you’ll work your way through each resume section, personalizing any details as necessary. Don’t worry; you won’t be on your own doing so. The builder will give you the guidance you need to fill out each section correctly. In fact, you’ll find numerous pre-written examples made just for electricians that you can pick and choose from. Finally, you’ll review your new resume and make any final edits. Once you’re happy with it you can save and download it. It’s really as easy as that! Already excited to start? Go on, give it a go for yourself!

Introduction

You have loved working on cars since you were a kid.  You can fix anything that has four wheels and an engine.  You can make a VW bug purr like a kitten and go as fast as a Ferrari.  Now all you have to do is convince an employer of this so they will give you a job.

Most professionals are very good at what they do, but when it comes to convincing employers of this, they struggle.  This article will help you to create a resume that highlights your skills and experience and enables employers to understand your qualifications and the benefits you will bring to their organization.  It will show you how to format the resume to catch the employer’s attention, make you stand out from other applicants, and get you invited to an interview.  Specifically, it will show you how to:

• Demonstrate your technical skills as well as the soft skills required for the job
• Help you to get past the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) employers use to screen candidates
• Highlight your experience and show how this qualifies you for the job you are applying to
• Enable you to customize the resume for each job you apply to quickly
• Convince employers that you’re the right person for the job and encourage them to invite you for an interview

It will also walk you through essential concepts such as using keywords and phrases, organizing your resume to put the most critical information first, and creating a resume that is visually appealing and draws the reader’s attention to the key areas.  The article will provide you examples of resumes and introduce you to the Resumebuild tool, which you can use to quickly and easily create a customized resume that will help you get your dream job as a mechanic.

Resume templates

How to Write the Perfect Mechanic Resume

Creating the perfect resume is very similar to building the perfect car.  You start with a strong framework, add the necessary components, making sure the content you include matches the type of journey you will be taking, and dress it up to make it attractive.  If done correctly, your resume will catch an employer's attention, convince them to review your skills, talents, and experience, and motivate them to invite you in for an interview.

Formatting Your Resume

The format of the resume is probably the most critical part of the process of creating an effective resume.  The format helps you logically organize the information, enables the reader to find the specific information they’re interested in, and allows both ATS and human readers to identify your qualifications for the job quickly. Most importantly, it helps you stand out from the other applicants.  While there are many different formats you can choose for a resume, the most effective ones will accomplish these goals.  A proper format will also enable you to easily customize the document for each job you apply to.  This is important because it distinguishes you from other applicants who are submitting generic resumes.

Note that the layout is well organized, helps the reader move through the resume and a logical fashion, provides the vital information first followed by the details, and makes it easy for the employer to contact you to invite you to the interview.

Let’s walk through the resume, so you understand the format. 

The column on the left provides the reader with a quick summary of the information that is important to them.  First is your Name and Contact Information, so they will understand whose resume they are reading and can quickly contact you. Your contact information should include:

• Your Name
• Phone Number
• e-mail
• A link to your LinkedIn profile
• The area in which you live

The next section is a summary list of your Skills. Employers want to quickly establish that you have the skills and background required for the job they are trying to fill. Information provided in this section includes soft skills that contribute to your ability to do the job and be a good employee. The type of skills you should include are discussed in more detail later in this article.

You should also include some Personal Information the recruiter can relate to. Employers hire people, not resumes. They want to make sure that not only are you qualified for the job, but you will be a good fit for their organization and contribute to their culture. This information can include your hobbies, interests, and activities.

The balance of the page contains the Body of the resume. The body of the resume is designed to convince the employer that you have the right experience and are the type of person they would like to work with. This includes your experience, career accomplishments, education, and any recognition you have received.  If the interviewer is taking the time to review these sections, you are well on your way to convincing them to invite you for an interview.

The first section of the body of the resume is a brief statement about your Career Objective.  Employers are interested in learning about your career goals and how your next job will contribute to these.  Your objective should be stated clearly, demonstrate your ambition and willingness to grow, and should align with the position you are applying to.

An Objective statement may look like this:

Experienced Auto Mechanic with advanced skills in repairing contemporary and classic vehicles seeking an opportunity with a progressive service organization. The ideal situation will utilize my ASE certification and specialization with complex electrical systems while offering the opportunity for professional development and additional training.

The next section as a Professional Summary.  This should consist of 2 to 3 sentences that summarize your career history and highlight the contributions you made in your previous positions.  Think of this as your ‘brag’ statement.  It is your chance to quickly and concisely tell the employer why they should hire you.  Keep in mind that each section of your resume should address the job you’re applying to and the reason the employer should hire you.  Every statement you make and each piece of information you provide should demonstrate how you will help the employer achieve their business objectives. Make sure you use impactful keywords and phrases that align with the job you are applying for. 

Here is a sample Summary Statement for a Mechanic:

Automotive Mechanic with twelve years of experience repairing a wide variety of vehicles, including gas, diesel, and electric. Possess advanced skills working on electrical systems, fuel systems, and suspensions. Familiar with both domestic and imported automobiles. Adept at working directly with customers to diagnose, triage, and repair their vehicles and creating long-term relationships and repeat business. ASE Certified.

The next section in the body of the resume is your Employment History.  Since you have already summarized your skills and qualifications, it is now time to provide proof of your ability to do this.  The employment history section will detail the work you have done, which has enabled you to develop the experience, talent, and skills needed for the position you’re applying to.  This is the proof behind the claims you made in the previous sections of the resume.

The employment section should detail your previous positions going back no more than ten years.  Jobs are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job being first. The information for each position listing should include:

• Job Title
• Employer’s Name
• Location including, City and State
• Dates you were Employed with the Organization
• A Brief Description of the Duties you Performed  

The most important information you can convey in each of the job listings is your achievements and the contributions you made to the employer’s business objectives.  Avoid listing responsibilities and tasks.  Focus on your achievements and include specific metrics for each one of these.  Metrics are numbers that demonstrate what you achieved.  These can be in the form of dollars, percentages, and numbers. Metrics for a Mechanic’s resume may include the number of vehicles serviced per day, the amount of time saved while performing a specific service, the service revenues you generated for the company, or the number of different types of repairs you are qualified to perform.

This is a sample Employment Listing for a Mechanic’s resume:

Lead Mechanic

Westcoast Automotive - San Diego, CA  Jan 2008 - Present

Serviced a wide variety of vehicles, both new and used, from manufacturers including Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, and Mercedes. Acted as the team leader, mentoring junior mechanics and working with management to balance the workload.

• Serviced an average of six vehicles per shift

• Generated over $600K in service revenues for the dealership each year

• Trained 20 new junior mechanics, enabling to advance to more senior positions within the organization

• Helped design an updated workflow for the service department, resulting in a 20% cost savings

After you’ve completed the employment history, the next section you should turn your attention to is Education and Training.  Employers want to ensure that you have the necessary training to do the job and want to identify any training requirements you have.  The education section should start with the highest degree you have earned and the essential courses you took while in school.  Once you’ve documented your formal education, you should move on to any specialized training you have received.  This can include specific courses about individual systems within an automobile, and the certifications you received as a Mechanic. 

The Education and Training section in a Mechanic’s resume may look like this:

Associates of Science, AS - Automotive Repair

Palomar Community College 2000

ASE - Series A 1-8 Certifications

The final selection in the body of a resume is any Honors and Awards you are received or other recognition from your employers.  This enables a recruiter to understand that other people have recognized your achievements and qualifications.

What Recruiters Look For

As mentioned earlier, recruiters look for specific items when reviewing a resume.  It is commonly believed that recruiters will spend only 7 to 10 seconds scanning your resume for the first time. (Source) This means that you have to quickly capture their attention so that they will take the time to review your entire resume in more detail to learn more about your qualifications.  Formatting your resume correctly will enable you to do this.  However, the content is also important because it keeps the recruiter’s attention and motivates them to continue reading each section of the resume.

Some of the things recruiters look for in a resume and which they believe is essential are:

• Abilities and skills that match the requirements of the job
• Experience in similar positions and with related organizations
• The appropriate training and education required for the position
• Accomplishments you’ve achieved and the contributions you’ve made in your previous jobs
• Interests, hobbies, and volunteer work performed outside of work which demonstrate your personality
• A direct, concise, and professional writing style which communicates your qualifications clearly
• An attractive format that is easy to read and draws attention to the vital sections of the resume

Following the correct format and including the right content will help you stand out from other applicants and will result in more invitations to job interviews.

What Skills to Mention

People often struggle when determining what skills they should include in their resume.  As a mechanic, you have a great many skills.  These include technical skills directly related to how you perform your job and impact your ability to repair vehicles.  You also have soft skills such as your ability to communicate, documenting the work you do, and interacting with customers, coworkers, and the management team.  Listing all of these is not practical, so you want to make sure you only list the most important ones.

The easiest way to determine what skills you should list in your resume is to review the job posting and identify what skills the employer is interested in.  If you’re qualified for the position, you should have these same skills and can include them in the resume.  Again, only include skills that the employer is interested in, and that will help them to accomplish their organizational objectives.

Some skills you can include in a resume for a Mechanic’s position are:

• Troubleshooting and diagnostics
• CODA engine analysis
• System repairs, including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic and others
• Use of a wide range of tools and equipment
• Ability to use both online and hard copy repair manuals
• Ability to document the repairs and complete timesheets
• Time management
• Organization and attention to detail
• Customer service
• Mentoring and training skills

These are just a few of the skills you should consider including.  Note that there are both hard skills and soft skills included in the list.

Highlighting your Career Progression

As pointed out earlier, the primary purpose of the employment history section is to detail your previous job experience and to highlight your accomplishments, and the contributions you’ve made to other employers.  However, another essential purpose of this section is to demonstrate continuous progress in your career.  The employment history is written in reverse chronological order with your most recent position at the top, followed by the previous positions.  There should be a steady progression of responsibilities, duties, and expertise for each of your jobs.  This will demonstrate how you learned something in each job and applied it to the subsequent role.  It communicates your desire to advance your career and that the position you are currently applying to will help you do this.  Employers want to see personal development because they’re hoping that this will continue within their organization once they hire you.  It is easier for an employer to promote from within than to recruit talent from outside of the organization.

The Resume Objective

The Objective is the first section on the main body of your resume. It tells the employer what your career objectives are and why you are applying for this specific position.  The trap most people fall into is making this objective about themselves.  As mentioned earlier, every section of the resume should resonate with the employer and help them understand how you will help them attain their business objectives.  Even though you may feel strongly about your career objective, make sure that you state this in the context of what the employer is looking for. This will help set the tone of the resume and will enable the employer to picture you in the role for which they are hiring.

The Resume Summary

If you have some experience in the industry and the position you are applying for, you will use a Summary in place of the Objective at the top of your resume. The purpose of this section is to provide a summary of your qualifications for the position.  This will convince the recruiter to continue exploring the rest of the resume to learn more about you and to confirm that they should invite you in for an interview.  Again, the summary should be written to address the employer’s requirements rather than your career history.  It is easy to fall into the trap of describing how great you are based on your previous experience, talents, and skills.  However, if none of these are relevant to the job the employer is trying to fill, it will fall on deaf ears.  Before writing the summary section, you should complete the bulk of the resume and use the information provided in these sections as the basis for your summary.  You may also want to re-read the job posting so that the employer’s requirements are fresh in your mind.  The summary section should only be 2 to 3 concise sentences that highlight the essential skills, talents, and experience you have related to the job you’re applying to.

Why are Customer Service Skills Important for a Mechanic?

As previously discussed, you should include both hard skills and soft skills in your resume.  Hard skills are the technical skills you need to accomplish your job.  Soft skills are not specific to the job you’re applying for but will help you perform the work and to function within the organization.  The most important soft skill you can include in your resume as a Mechanic is customer service skills.  These are the qualities that help you to interact with the public as well as your coworkers and the management team.  Customer service skills include empathy, communication, and negotiation.  They help you understand the issues customers are having with their vehicle, determine what repairs are needed, and communicate the amount of time and money required to complete them. Customer service skills also enable you to deal with customers who may be upset or frustrated because of the issues they are having with their vehicle.  No matter how good of a Mechanic you may be, having excellent customer service skills is vital to the employer and will help distinguish you from the other applicants.

What if I Have Limited Experience as a Mechanic?

Many people with limited experience in their field or industry struggle when writing resumes.  This is because they are concerned about their lack of experience and work history.  If this sounds familiar and you share these concerns, then you’re in luck.  There are ways you can create a resume that emphasizes your skills and talents, and minimizes the importance of your work experience.

The format and content of a resume for somebody with limited work experience is a little different than a typical chronological resume.  The objective and summary sections are the same, but the skills and experience sections change.  You list more skills and even organize them into separate categories to demonstrate your competencies and qualifications for the job.  The skills section may even include short narratives about each skill or examples of how you applied these skills.  Here is an example of this:

Skills & Competencies

Automotive Repairs

• Engine Repair.

• Automatic Transmission/Transaxle

• Manual Drive Train and Axles

• Suspension and Steering

• Brakes

• Electrical/Electronic Systems

• Heating and Air Conditioning

• Engine Performance

Customer Service

• Vehicle Intake and Triage

• Customer Communications

• Vehicle Delivery

• Documentation

• Customer Follow-up

The experience section of the resume still lists each job you had but only provides the title, employer's name, and the dates you were employed.  There may be a single statement about your role or responsibilities, but there is no mention of your achievements or duties.  This places emphasis on the skills rather than the direct work experience.

Junior Mechanic

Westcoast Automotive - San Diego, CA  Jan 2018 - Present

Serviced a wide variety of vehicles, both new and used.

Targeting Your Resume for Each Job You Apply To

Many career coaches and resume experts recommend that you customize your resume for each job you apply to. This may sound overwhelming, especially if you’re applying to multiple jobs in a short period. However, note that you will only be customizing a few sections of your resume. These include the Objective, Summary, Skills sections, and perhaps the most recent job listing.

A central theme you have noticed throughout this article is that you write your resume with the employer and the job in mind.  This is especially true when customizing your resume for a specific job application.  You want to  make sure that the skills, experience, and other items you discuss align with those which the employer has identified as important to them in the job posting.  Therefore, each time you apply for a job, review the job posting and then customize these sections to match the description of the situation in the posting.  

Customizing your resume doesn’t mean copying and pasting the exact words from the job posting into your resume. Instead, you should use the same terminology, phrasing, and descriptions that the employer uses in the job posting.  Doing this will enable the employer to quickly realize that you’re qualified for the job they are trying to fill and will get you invited to the interview.  Once you become accustomed to updating your resume, it will only take a few minutes to accomplish.

What Else to Include

As mentioned earlier, the final sections of your resume should include items that are not directly related to the job, but which attest to both your past performance and provide some additional details about you as a person.

Make sure you include any honors, awards, or recognition you have received either in your work or your personal life.  This tells employers that other people have recognized your talents, skills, and contributions and have taken the time to acknowledge this in a public manner.  The recognition you mentioned in the resume should be career-related or demonstrate contributions to your community and special interest groups.  Do not include any credit received during your childhood or which might be deemed controversial.

Employers like to hire employees who not only have the skills and qualifications to do the job but who will also fit in well with the organization and contribute to the company culture. Providing information about your interests, hobbies, and activities outside of work presents a complete picture of you as a person.  Some of the things you list may also spark the recruiter's curiosity if they participate in similar activities or have interests similar to yours. This is just one more reason the recruiter will invite you in for an interview as opposed to somebody else who doesn’t provide this information.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out

In addition to having compelling content that is well-aligned with the job posting and the position the employer is trying to fill, there are other ways you can make your resume stand out.  Employers often receive hundreds of resumes in response to a job posting. While the content is an essential part of distinguishing yourself from other applicants, there are some other things you can do to catch the attention of the recruiter and get them to read your resume. These include the following:

• Have an attractive format that is easy to read, and which enables the recruiter to locate the information they are interested in

• Use design elements including different font sizes, bold, italic, and underlines
• Adding color
• Including boxes, lines, and unique bullets
• Adding appropriate graphic images
• Including a border
• Using a unique header or footer

Each of these will help increase the resume’s impact and make it stand out from the other resumes in a pile on the recruiter's desk. It may also help the recruiter recall your resume once they move on to the step of selecting which applicants they will be contacting for an interview.

A word of caution: Items you don’t want to put in a resume include your picture, company logos, or other graphic elements not related to the content or which the recruiters may find offensive. Also, don’t use colored backgrounds, watermarks, or other ‘gimmicks’ to try to stand out. 

Using Resumebuild to Create a Resume

Now that you know how to build a resume and the best practice associated with this, it’s time to discuss building a resume the easy way. The best way to accomplish this is with a tool like the one provided by Resumebuild. This online tool enables you to quickly create a well-formatted, easy to read, and content-rich resume by merely providing information about your career, experience, talents, and skills. The tool takes this information and creates a perfectly formatted resume with the correct structure, layout, content, and graphic elements.  

Resumebuild prompts you for the information needed and provides you examples you can use to help create the content specific to your background.  Within minutes you can download a professional resume that will grab the recruiter's attention and get you invited to interviews.

Resumebuild provides you a selection of over 20 templates to choose from when creating your resume.  Thousands of people have used this tool successfully.  You can learn more about Resumebulid and the services provided at https://resumebuild.com/resume-builder/

As a security guard, you have a lot on your shoulders. You’ve got extensive training on how to do everything from work with the police when crimes are committed to everyday interactions with your employers. So how are you supposed to show everything you know on a resume?

It takes careful planning. Luckily, as a security guard, you’ve already been trained in how to be diligent, have great attention to detail, and communicate both verbally and orally. Now, it’s time to put those skills to the test alongside our tips and examples.

What you’ll learn in this guide:

• How to analyze security guard resume examples for ideas and inspiration
• Why you need to be thinking about ATS from the start
• How to appeal to recruiters
• The best formatting rules to follow
• How to make your achievements more effective
• The best security guard job qualification to include
• What makes your skills stand out and which ones to include
• Why starting with an objective or summary makes your resume better
• How to target your resume for a specific role
• How to prepare for a job interview
• Why using a resume builder makes such a difference

Security guard resume template examples to get you started

Besides simply listing your certification and job history, it’s not always clear what should even go on a security guard resume. But considering how varied the role can be based on employer needs and expectations, you need to be ready to craft your resume to meet them.

To give you an idea of what a top quality security guard resume can look like, take some time to look over these examples. Take notes about what stands out about them and write down what you’d like to emulate on your own resume.

[Examples]

How to write a security guard resume that will get your phone ringing

Before you begin writing your resume, the first thing you need to understand is its audience. Who is your resume actually for? What are their expectations from it? You wouldn’t take an identical approach to every security role and you can’t take an identical approach to every resume you submit.

Why you need to consider ATS

In most cases, the first hurdle your resume needs to overcome isn’t a person, it’s an algorithm. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by over half of all companies, especially larger ones, to sort resumes. They work by using artificial intelligence to read over resumes and determine whether the candidate meets the basic skills, experience, and other requirements. This saves recruiters a lot of time.

However, the problem is that ATS are far from perfect. They reject many qualified candidates simply because of an error like not being able to read a chart or the resume being the wrong file type. But before you start worrying about this, let’s break down the 3 simple steps you can follow to improve your chances of making it past ATS.

1. Only submit your resume as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf as these are the filetypes most ATS are optimized to read.
2. Use a resume builder to make sure your file is easy for ATS to understand. Elements like images, columns, and others can confuse ATS and lead to automatic rejection. A good resume builder structures the data in your resume just right so ATS can easily read it.
3. Get smart about keywords. Remember, ATS start with a set of requirements they’re looking for in your resume. The best way to make sure they see what they’re looking for is to scan the job description and make a list of the requirements it mentions. Then, try and get as many of them in your resume as you can. When possible, use the same wording to be extra sure the ATS isn’t confused by what you’ve included.

How to give recruiters what they’re looking for

Once your resume sails past the ATS, it still needs to impress a human recruiter. So what is this person looking for? Fortunately, that keyword optimization you just did for ATS will also make your resume more effective to a recruiter. This is because they too will have a set of requirements they have for you as a candidate. Your mission is to make it as easy as possible for them to hire you by making it clear that you meet their requirements.

Throughout the process of creating your resume, try and put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. How can you appeal to them? Great design, clear and easy to understand writing, reasonable length, etc. are all key elements which will make your resume stand out to recruiters. We’ll discuss all of these in more detail throughout this guide.

How to format your resume

Bad resume formatting is a common complaint amongst recruiters. Imagine you’re given a guide for a new security guard role and it’s 200 pages long with extremely critical pieces of information hidden in odd places. It would drive you nuts, so imagine how recruiters feel when they get long, poorly structured resumes.

To avoid this, you only need to follow a few key rules. The first is to put more important information towards the top of your resume. This ensures it’s also the first information a recruiter reads. This is why your experience should be in reverse chronological order, meaning your most recent jobs at the top.

Then, be sure to regularly review your resume from a recruiter’s perspective. Imagine what questions they might have as they read some section and see if you can get ahead of those questions. Remember, you want that recruiter to think “this person is an easy yes.”

How long should a security guard resume be?

This is one of the most common resume questions out there. The good news is that the rule to follow is pretty simple: as short as possible. Recruiters are busy people and you should only make them read through information that’s relevant and tells them something they need to know. So go through your resume and get rid of any fluff or unnecessary information. Overall, you should aim to get it down to 1-2 pages.

Which sections should a security guard resume include?

• Resume objective or summary
• Relevant work experience
• Any noteworthy achievements
• Education
• Certifications
• Hard skills
• Soft Skills

How to highlight your most important achievements

If you’ve successfully coordinated with local law enforcement to help bring a suspect to justice or reduced the number of security incidents at a facility, you want to show them off. But how you frame your achievements has a substantial effect on how they’ll impact a recruiter. Let’s run through a few examples to see how you can more effectively list your achievements.

I successfully reduced the number of incidents through my determination and hard work.

There are a few issues with the wording here. The first and most glaring is that this achievement is written in the first person. Everything on your resume should be written in the third person. Just as important, this kind of vague achievement doesn’t really tell a recruiter anything worthwhile. Because they have no idea what you actually did or specifically achieved, they’re more likely to ignore this.

Reduced safety incidents by 30% by increasing patrol frequency and routes.

This example is shorter but packs far more information. Here we know precisely what was accomplished and what the candidate did to achieve it. Beyond the accomplishment itself, examples like this communicate things like the tendency to be proactive and find ways to improve. This is an example of saying more with fewer words, something that will make your resume stand out to recruiters.

What are ideal security guard job qualifications?

A big part of what most employers are looking for in a security guard is someone who is diligent about following procedures. It’s a complex role and every job will have its own way of doing things, which is why being reliable enough to study and follow those rules is the single most important qualification an employer will likely look for.

Many states also require some kind of security guard license or certification. Otherwise, you may also be required to have a firearm permit if carrying one is a part of your duties.

how to list them correctly

If there are some specific concrete requirements like licenses and permits, these should be clearly listed at or towards the top of your resume so they are noticed immediately. One approach is to list them in your resume objective or summary (more on how to write both below). Otherwise, a simple list will work well. Just be sure to include the year you obtained any qualification or license next to it.

How to list your skills

Just about any security guard resume you look at will have a simple list of skills. While this is easy for a recruiter to read and works well for getting past ATS, you can do better. By applying the same techniques we did for your achievements and providing examples of your skills, you can make them far more impactful. This is particularly important for soft skills, which are otherwise more vague and difficult to concretely prove.

After all, anyone can simply state that they’re diligent, have great attention to detail, or are an excellent listener. Simply reading that won’t convince a recruiter you truly have that skill. If you’re wondering what you can do to improve your skills, these two examples will show you.

Conflict resolution

Again, simply stating you’re good at this doesn’t mean much for a recruiter. Let’s see what this skill looks like with an example.

Conflict Resolution

-Completed UC Irvine’s online Conflict Management Specialization course in 2018

In this case, because the candidate didn’t have an example of when they had to resolve a conflict, they took an online course to show their skills. This shows not just that you possess that specific skill but that you were proactive enough to go out and take the course on your own. That’s a quality any employer will be looking for in a security guard.

The best soft skills to include

• Conflict resolution
• Attention to detail
• Ability to follow rules and regulations
• Problem solving
• Listening
• Memory
• Customer service

The best hard skills to include

• Writing reports
• First aid
• Drivers license
• Firearms safety
• Physical fitness
• Familiarity with relevant equipment like cameras and recording systems
• Criminal justice and experiencing coordinating with police

How to start off your resume more effectively

We’ve mentioned how important it is to put the most relevant information towards the top of your resume. The most effective way to do this is with a resume objective or summary. These sections are more flexible than others, allowing you to choose what to emphasize.

The goal is to create a strong first impression and communicate the most important information about you as a candidate right from the start. This is also an excellent place to get ahead of answering questions which might arise elsewhere in your resume like why you changed careers to become a security guard or why there’s a gap in your work history.

How to write a resume objective

A resume objective will be only a single sentence, so it needs to be concise and information dense. It should focus on explaining who you are and what you aim to achieve. This should be something beyond “getting hired” and focus on ways your work will provide value for the employer. Let’s look at some examples to see this in action.

Experienced security professional looking to use my skills to improve security at your workplace.

This example makes the mistake of being vague and clearly communicating that this candidate didn’t spend the time to do the job right. For a role where the details are incredibly important, that kind of vague language can be disqualifying. Your resume needs to read as detailed and precise as a security guard report.

CA BSIS Certified security guard with 4 years experience looking to help reduce security issues at Acme Corp’s warehouses.

Instead of vaguely boasting about experience and skills, this resume objective, this candidate showed they’re certified, experienced, and are focused on a specific goal. It communicates professionalism and attention to detail right from the start, making a strong first impression.

How to write a resume summary

A resume summary has the same goal as an objective but can be a few sentences long. That’s why it’s ideal if you need more space or flexibility to communicate critical information about yourself as a candidate. Just note that if you’re asked to submit a cover letter, you can put this information there and stick to a shorter resume objective.

After working in law enforcement for 14 years I’ve decided to retire and work fewer hours as a security guard. I know my law enforcement experience will make me an excellent candidate and I look forward to discussing the role further.

This candidate is writing as if they’ve already been hired. Besides the mistake of writing in the first person, this summary communicates that they think being a security guard is an easy job. Law enforcement experience may be a plus, but companies do not want to hire security guards who won’t take the job seriously, particularly when there are so many critical differences between security work and law enforcement.

Law enforcement professional with 14 years experience looking to use experience in de-escalation, detailed report writing, and professionalism to enhance the security and safety of the film lots at Horizon Studios. Currently taking a special course designed for aiding law enforcement professionals transitioning into the security guard industry.

By focusing on how this candidate’s law enforcement experience will benefit them in a new security guard role and making it clear they’re treating it as a new job with its own required expertise, this summary makes a powerful first impression. Also, by mentioning the employer by name, this person is telling the recruiter that they took the time to customize this resume just for that specific role.

How to target your resume for each application

Why is customizing a resume for each specific role so important to begin with? Firstly, it says that you took the time to do the job right, one of the most important qualities a security guard can have, But considering the variation between security guard roles, a single resume can’t possibly work well for them all. One security guard might be more of a customer service position while another could be far more focused on crime prevention.

To customize your resume, start with the keyword targeting techniques mentioned earlier in this guide. Carefully study the job description and ensure your resume addresses as many of the requirements as clearly as possible. By doing this, you’ll maximize your chances of getting past ATS and making a good impression on the recruiter. Applying for any job with a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to be very effective, least of all for a security guard position.

How to prepare for a job interview as a security guard

Because interpersonal skills are so critical for being a great security guard, you’ll be expected to demonstrate these in an interview. Focus on being composed, professional, and detailed in your answers.

One of the best ways to further prepare yourself is to look at the job description and your resume to brainstorm likely questions you might face. Then, you can practice your answers to both be ready for those specific questions and to get more comfortable with the process as a whole.

Which questions are likely to be asked during the interview process?

• Why did you decide to become a security guard?
• Describe an instance when you had to deal with a violent or aggressive person, what did you do?
• How would you describe the role of a security guard to a friend?
• What do you do when you have no pressing duties but are still on the clock?
• What would you say is the most challenging part of being a security guard?
• Do you have any experience with weapons?
• Are you familiar with computers and other relevant equipment?
• How do you work on a team? Can you provide any examples of when you’ve worked well on a team?

You may also be asked to perform tasks designed to test your ability to quickly notice details or make difficult decisions under pressure.

What makes a great security guard resume?

Ultimately, all of the advice in this guide will add up to an excellent security guard resume. Again, because you’ll be expected to consistently notice small details about your environment and communicate them in detailed reports, your resume should be immaculate to demonstrate you have the qualities to do that.

But beyond all the written details, the design of your resume is another way to tell a recruiter that you go above and beyond in your work. A modern and clean design is ideal for making your resume stand out visually, be easy to read, and simple to navigate. But if you’re not a designer, how can you get access to a modern design template?

Why you need a resume builder

The right resume builder makes just about every aspect of the resume creation process easier. From giving you a wide selection of modern security guard resume templates to making it easier to create many custom variations for different positions, you’ll save time and improve your chances of getting hired.

However, perhaps the most important benefit of using a resume builder is increasing your chances of making it past ATS. As mentioned in the beginning of this guide, it’s vital to ensure the file you submit is ATS-optimized, so using a resume builder which has been designed from the ground up to do just that is your best bet. Resumebuild.com offers all of this and more, from security guard resume examples and templates to the ATS optimization you need.