“Protect and Serve” is the guiding mission that all police officers must continuously abide by in their line of work. It embodies the fundamental role these law enforcement officials play in our society: To protect the people and serve the public.

In order to do so, police officers are responsible for a range of important tasks that support the smooth functioning of society including: enforcing the law, investigating possible criminal activity, responding to emergency situations, and arresting suspected criminals.

It’s, no doubt, a challenging job to do - let alone get in the first place. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that from 2018 to 2028, employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 5 percent, which is the same percentage growth as the average for all occupations. Notably, they also state that, “Job applicants may face competition because of relatively low rates of turnover.”

With only moderate growth, low rates of turnover, and high competition, it is crucial that you make each job application as strong as possible. The only way to do this is to create a captivating police resume that ticks all the right boxes for recruiters.

If your current resume for police officer positions keeps getting rejected or you’re getting ready to apply for new jobs, this comprehensive, but straightforward resume writing guide is a must-read. We’ll equip you with the insider knowledge you need to piece together a police officer resume that will land you the next job.

This guide will cover a variety of important topics including:

• The best format for a police officer resume
• Which sections your resume needs to include and how to write them
• How to select which achievements and skills to feature
• Expert tips on how to make your resume stand out

1. Multiple Template Examples

2. How to Write a Police Officer Resume That Tells a Compelling Story

How should you format your resume?

Ensuring that the contents of your resume is well-written, relevant, and engaging will get you halfway to making a stunning police office resume. To get the whole way there, you also need to choose the most effective format to make your accomplishments shine.

In line with other resume experts, we recommend that police officers use a reverse-chronological format. 

This format is revered for helping focus attention on your most relevant accomplishments, as it introduces your most recent work experience first. This is notable, because it aligns with recruiters’ expectations to see your current or very last job at the very top of your resume (and not the first job you had back in 2007!).

Another crucial consideration that you will need to keep in mind when creating your resume is to make stylistic elements, such as your resume’s font, margins, and line spacing, just right. Below, we’ve shared standard layout guidelines that we advise you to follow to the letter: 

• • Number of Pages: You should only submit one page resumes.
  • Fonts to Use: Select a font that recruiters will be familiar with, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
  • Fonts to Avoid: Don’t use a font that will distract the recruiter from reading the contents of your resume, such as Alex Brush or Mistral. 
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

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

Pro tip: Unless you’re specifically asked to send your resume as a Microsoft Word file, we strongly recommend that you send it as a PDF file. A PDF file will retain all of the stylistic elements you originally had in your resume, no matter who you send it to.

In contrast, the stylistic elements in an MS Word file can easily shift around depending on which version of MS Word the receiver opens it in. Moreover, some elements may appear to be missing to the recruiter if you imported them from a source outside of MS Word. For example, a recruiter may not be able to see any text written in a font you downloaded from a third party, unless their version of MS Word also has that font.

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

Your resume is made up of a number of sections that work together to sell your best attributes as a police officer. The most important sections you should include in your resume are:

• Personal Information: At the very top of your resume, state your name and contact information including your home address, email address, and phone number.

• Resume Objective or Resume Summary: A 2-3 sentence overview about your career goals or why you are an ideal candidate for the job.

• Experience (Achievements) Section: An overview of your most relevant and impressive work experiences across various positions.

• Education Section: Details of your educational background.

• Skills Section: A list of 6-8 of the most relevant skills you can offer.

• Training and certifications: A list of the most relevant training and certifications you have to your name.

How can you give recruiters what they’re looking for?

As you’re writing your resume, there’s one type of person you should constantly keep in mind. Yes - we’re talking about recruiters. Your resume should be tailored to address the specific criteria they’re looking for from their perfect candidate. 

So what are recruiters looking for? Recruiters for police officer positions want to hire police officers who have shown an unwavering commitment to their duties as well as to their own professional growth. After all, being an upstanding police officer requires a combination of useful skills, relevant training, and proven experience in law enforcement. It also requires passion for the job and a strong sense of ethical conduct.

You can give recruiters what they’re looking for by using your resume as a vehicle to communicate that you offer all of these attributes and more. Don’t assume that a recruiter will know what you do as a police officer - you need to provide enough details, so they can paint a clear picture.

Think of your resume as a chance to form a connection with someone who has the means to get you the job you want. Your one job is to convince them, via your resume, that you aren’t just like every other police man or woman out there; in actual fact, you offer the precise skills, training, and experience they’re after and then some.

How to list additional training and certifications as a police officer

Listing relevant training and certifications you have undergone as a police officer on your resume is non-negotiable. They can show that you have the proper qualifications to be in the police force in the first place and that you take your career progression seriously.

When it comes time to adding your training and certifications to your resume, don’t write about them in proper sentence form like this candidate did:

Completed a Crime Scene Crime Scene Technician program at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) which taught me a lot about how to properly accurately collect evidence and present my findings.

If the recruiter wants to learn more about your training and certifications, they will ask you in the interview stage. On your resume, you should only note the most important details about each one in a section called “Training and Certifications”, as the following example shows:

Training and Certifications

Crime Scene Crime Scene Technician training, Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC), GA, 2018

Here’s a simple format that you can use to list each one:

[Name of the training or certification], [Name of the institution (if relevant)], [The state it was completed in], [Year completed]   

So what type of training and certifications should you even include in your Training and Certifications section? Let’s start with the most important one: your police academy training. As you’ll be well aware, every police officer needs to graduate from a policy academy in order to work as an officer. If you’ve already been in the police force for many years, it may seem redundant to include the fact that you’re a fully trained police officer in your resume. 

However, as this is a mandatory requirement for all police officer jobs, you need to make your training crystal clear in your resume. It is also important to do so in order to pass ATS. Police departments may utilize a special kind of HR software called ATS in order to save time during the hiring process. ATS works by fielding applicants based on certain requirements and keywords. If a police department has specified that their ATS must detect the words “police academy” in resumes in order to pass them, your resume will be instantly rejected when it doesn’t include them.

In addition to police academy training, you may have enrolled in additional training and certifications. For example:

• Crime scene technician training/certification
• Arson investigator training/certification
• Traffic Accident Reconstruction Specialist training/certification
• Crime & Intelligence Analyst training/certification

Be sure to include the most relevant ones to the job you’re applying for by using the format we shared above.

Pro tip: To really draw attention to one type of training or certification you’re especially proud of, highlight it in your resume objective or resume summary. 

Which skills should you mention on a resume?

Police officers need to draw on innumerable skills in the course of their career - let alone in a single day! So we don’t blame you for thinking that it would be preferable to mention as many skills as possible on your resume. 

However, a resume is only meant to serve as a snapshot of your entire skill set. After all,  you only have one page to work within, so it’s not practical to include them all. 

For this reason, you should focus on the skills that a recruiter is specifically searching for, when selecting their ideal candidate.

So how on earth do you figure out what these skills are? Take a careful look at the job ad. You will see that it’s jam-packed with references to which skills are highly-valued by the recruiter. Try to categorize them into two types of skills:

1. Hard skills

Describes technical, profession-specific skills. For example:

• Investigating crimes
• Taking fingerprints
• Tracking down leads
• Questioning suspects
• Enforcing traffic laws
• Efficiently resolving disputes
• Creating crime-reducing programs
• Supervising squads
• Preventing antisocial behavior
• Giving evidence in court

1. Soft skills

Describes interpersonal, communications, and emotion-focused skills. For example:
 

• Negotiation skills
• Assertiveness
• Problem solving skills
• Communication skills
• Teamwork skills
• Maturity
• Resilience
• Time management
• Meticulousness
• Ability to remain calm in challenging circumstances

After you’ve made a list of the hard and soft skills in a job ad, you’ll be able to work out which of them you can most confidently offer. Try to choose a balance of both types of skills. Then, it’s time to incorporate them throughout your resume as seamlessly as possible. We recommend that you include your skills in the following sections:

• • “Skills” section: Include around 6 to 8 skills listed one after the other.

• Resume objective or resume summary: Mention one or two.

• Work experiences section: Try to include one skill per achievement.

How to highlight your most important achievements

Every police officer has a number of moments throughout their career that they’re particularly proud of. It’s always a good reminder that your job is well worth the gruelling hours and stress when you reflect on them.

However, it’s not necessarily these types of achievements that you should highlight in your resume. While they may mean a lot to you, they may not leave the same impression on a recruiter.

The achievements you should be focusing on in your resume need to be the same ones a recruiter is looking for. You can discover which achievements will impress them by analyzing the job ad for clues. You can use the same method we described above in the skills section.

There is a certain art to effectively highlighting your achievements on your resume. You need to not only make it clear to the recruiter what your achievement was, but also the significance of it. That is, you must clearly highlight the positive effect your achievement had on your department, the police force in general, the community - or all three! 

This means your achievement should not look completely uninspiring like this one does:

• Led a long investigation that had a positive impact on the community.

Instead, it should be written in a way that makes it clear to the recruiter how noteworthy it is. We’ve rewritten the above achievement to show the difference that careful wording can make:

• Led an extensive 8 month investigation that resulted in the seizure of $3 million dollars worth of methamphetamines that were planned for sale to local youths. 

As you can see for yourself, the rewritten achievement is far more effective in capturing a recruiter’s attention, because it provides specific, eye-catching, and relevant details. It also quantifies the achievement by using numbers and a tangible example that explains the result their achievement led to.

How to write a resume objective or summary that hooks recruiters

Resume objectives and resume summaries are often classed as optional sections to include in your police officer resume. Some resume experts even advise applicants to exclude them altogether.

We believe that including one or the other is essential as they give a recruiter yet another reason to pay attention to your resume. Both are designed to help them determine whether you’re the police officer they’ve been looking for all along by providing a useful overview of your career goals and/or professional background.

So which one should you include? 

Resume objective 

A resume objective should be used by entry-level candidates with little or no experience. You should aim to show a recruiter that you’re an asset to the police force even without much experience and fit all that into 2-4 sentences. You can do this by explaining your motivations for entering the police force or continuing to serve in it. You should emphasize what experience, training, or certifications you have (if any), as well as the relevant skills you can offer.

If you are applying for an internship, be sure to state the name of the internship, as well as your GPA and any other relevant information about your studies. 

Now for some resume objective dos and don’ts:

Don’t emphasize what you’re lacking or try to gain sympathy from the recruiter, like this candidate:

• I have wanted to be a police officer since I was a young kid. I don’t have any experience because I have had to juggle many responsibilities. I just need a chance to get my start.

But do remain positive and put your best foot forward, like these candidates have done:

• Second year Bachelor of Criminal Justice student at Washburn University (GPA 3.5) who wishes to apply to the esteemed Chicago Police Department’s Student Worker Program. I bring my passion for the criminal justice system and my strong knowledge of criminology and police administration to each task.

• New graduate of the Illinois State Police Academy training program is seeking to join the Batavia Police Department. I aim to utilize the drug identification and toxicology skills, as well as the analytical and interpretative skills I developed during my Master’s of Science in Forensic Science from the University of Illinois. Graduated top of my class.

Resume summary

In contrast, a resume summary should be used by police officers with two or more years in the police force. You should aim to show a recruiter that you are the right person for the job within 2 to 4 sentences. To do this, put a spotlight on your attributes that best reflect what the recruiter is looking for. You can mention your relevant soft and hard skills, experiences, and training. Here are some examples of well-written resume summaries:

• Community-focused police officer with 5 years of experience working for the California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Division. Aspiring to transfer to the Arizona Division of the Department, where I can offer my sharp investigative skills and strong interpersonal skills.

• Resilient police officer in the Maryland State Police Department for 9 years who specializes in crime scene investigation. Endeavoring to fulfill the police corporal position within the Department. Completed the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)'s Law Enforcement Supervisors Leadership Training Program in 2020.

How to write a police officer resume when you have limited (or no) experience?

Working your way up in the police force with limited experience or getting your first job as a police officer can both be challenging. After all, it’s a profession that values experience, but at the same time is difficult to get your foot in the door.

So what are you meant to do if you’ve always dreamed of becoming a police officer? You need to work on your resume so that each section sells the most enticing and relevant attributes you plan to bring to the police force. Here are some tips that will have recruiters rushing to contact you:

• Don’t emphasize your inexperience: A common mistake entry level candidates make is directly referencing their inexperience. For example, they write something like, “Aspiring police officer with no experience…” in their resume objective. A recruiter will already be able to see just how much (or little!) experience you have, so there’s no need to rehash that fact. Focus on your positives rather than your negatives.

• Use a functional resume format: One smart way to divert attention away from your lack of experience is to focus on your skills instead. A functional resume format will help you do this, as it presents your skills over your experience in your resume. Remember to match your skills to what a recruiter is looking for as much as possible!

• Be sure to include relevant internships or focus on the most relevant parts of your internships: Ideally, you’ll be able to include an internship that has some connection to law enforcement. But don’t fret if you don’t have one to your name! You can also be strategic about how you represent your internship experiences. Shine a light on the responsibilities and skills police officers also engage in. For example, staying calm under pressure, report writing, and communicating clearly with others.

• Set yourself up for success: Contrary to what many people think, you can’t “just become” a police officer. There are, in fact, a number of requirements you need to fulfill in order to enter the police force. You need to be fully aware of what these are so that you can start working towards them. It’s important to note that requirements may differ from state to state, so be sure to check what your state’s are. Generally speaking, you’ll need to:

• Be a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old.
• Have a high school diploma or GED certificate.
• Not be a convicted felon.
• Pass a law enforcement entrance exam.
• Graduate from a police training academy.
• Pass a physical test and background check.

Pro tip: If you aim to work in certain specialized departments, such as the FBI, you may also need to have a bachelor degree and other intensive training.

How to make your resume stand out?

As we mentioned in the very beginning of this guide, the police force is a highly-competitive industry, particularly as you rise up the ranks. There are only so many roles going at one time, so you need to put in the effort to get hired. If you want to succeed in your job search, take stock of our top tips for making your police officer resume stand out:

• Be as specific as possible: General statements on your resume, that could be written by anyone, won’t help you stand out. Be specific when talking about yourself and your experiences by avoiding generalizations. Using concrete examples will help you personalize the resume.

• Highlight it if you can speak another language: Police officers need to be able to communicate with all different types of people in the community - including those who speak English as a second language. That’s why it’s worth noting if you can speak and/or write in a non-English language. You’ll score bonus points if it’s heavily spoken in the area that particular police department you’re applying for is based in.

• Avoid waffling in your resume: Police officers are known for being straight to the point. It makes sense, given that they always have a lot to do, but not enough time to do it! This means they won’t want to waste time trying to decipher your resume. Stick to the point and avoid waffling at all costs. Remember, there’s a big difference between providing vital details about yourself and overloading your resume with unnecessary information and words. Brevity is definitely valued in police officer resumes, so don’t miss out on a job due to being too wordy! 

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

If you’ve already started the process of tweaking your resume, you’ll know that it isn’t a process that takes a mere matter of minutes. Even just reading the guide above will give you a taste of just how much work is involved in making an eye-catching resume. It can take anywhere from hours to days to refine your resume.

Fortunately, there’s no need to put yourself through the pain of creating the perfect resume all by yourself. One of the best tricks of the trade that countless job applicants have taken advantage of is to use a resume builder instead.

A resume builder does exactly what it says on the tin; it builds your resume from scratch. The thing is, resume builders don’t have the best reputation because most of them make bogus claims about their quality. The resumes will not only be poorly-formatted, but also lack the essential components a recruiter is looking for.

Don’t take the risk with subpar resume builders - instead, choose one that has been designed in consultation with HR professionals, namely, Resumebuild.com’s professional resume builder. Our easy-to-use, HR-friendly resume builder has helped thousands of jobseekers land their dream job.

Instead of wasting hours trying to make your resume look just right, simply choose from one of the many stylish resume templates available. You’ll also be able to access our pre-written, editable example - simply click and add them to your new resume.

But don’t just take our word for it! Give the ResumeBuild resume builder a go for yourself. You’ll discover that it’s your secret weapon for simultaneously saving time and impressing recruiters.

You’re an unsung hero of everyday life. 

But one thing you don’t want is for your resume to be unsung. 

So, how do you write a resume that’s guaranteed to get you noticed by the chief?

How do you sell your skills as a firefighter, without sounding like every other person applying for the job?

Being a firefighter is a pretty good gig. After all, check out the latest pay-by-state data for the average firefighter in 2019:

And that’s not to mention all the other benefits.

But being a firefighter also requires a lot of additional training and you need to keep your mind and body in good shape.

In the guide below, we’ll show you how to put all that together into an attractive resume that shows the chief you’ve got what it takes to join the team.

This guide is for you if:

• You’re a veteran firefighter who wants to know the best way to sell your accolades, results, and certifications
• You’re an experienced firefighter who doesn’t have a laundry list of accolades, but a few good sparks that you want to make sure the chief notices
• Or an aspiring firefighter who wants to land your first job at a local fire department

If any of those apply to you - fighting fires is your job.

We’ll show you how to fight– and win– the job so you can get to doing what you do best. 

What this guide will cover

In the guide below, we’ll cover everything you need to know to format and write a blow-out firefighter resume.

Including:

• What the most important sections to include in your resume are
• How to write your resume in a way that gives recruiters exactly what they’re looking for
• Using your training and certifications to help you stand out above the rest
• How to write a firefighter resume with little or no experience
• And how to prepare for a job interview as a firefighter
• Plus much more

Writing a killer resume takes work, but designing a template that impresses the chief doesn’t have to. Save hours of time and the hassle of designing your template by checking out Resumebuild’s full library of ready-made templates here. 

Resume examples

How to write a firefighter resume that makes the cut

Writing a great resume isn’t art - it’s science.

And I’ve got just the formula to help you get noticed like a fire truck blazing down Hollywood Blvd. 

It’s easy to find information on crafting a great resume, but some of that doesn’t apply to firefighters.

Plus, there are other points that are important to keep in mind for you as a firefighter that other industries don’t need to include. 

So, let’s start first with how to format your resume, which can be pretty simple.

However, if you’re willing to take it a step further, you can adjust your formatting slightly to give you the advantage, whether you’re a seasoned vet or aspiring recruit.

1. How should you format your resume? 

It’s easy to overlook the importance of formatting your resume and go straight into writing.

That’s a big mistake.

Why?

How you format your resume tells the recruiter what you want them to see and in what order.

If you put your experience at the top, right after your objective or summary?

They’ll focus more on your experience than your skills, accolades, and any certifications you have.

But what if you have an impressive list of training certifications?

Put that at the top and you’ll immediately give a great impression.

Here’s a quick guide to help you decide how to format your resume:

• Have a ton of certifications, training, or accolades? Put that section you have at the top of your resume.
• Don’t have much of the above, but you do have some decent experience? Go with a basic chronological structure.
• And if you have little to no experience? If you’ve picked up a good range of skills from previous work, volunteer time, or college/high school, put your skills section up top or go with a chronological structure, depending on how good your experience section looks (more on that later).

You could go with a basic chronological order no matter what, but in some cases, you’d be doing yourself a disservice. 

We’ll talk about how your resume should look if you have some impressive certifications, training, or accolades you want to show off later.

For now, let’s look at another example.

Let’s say you have very little experience as a firefighter, but you’ve had a few jobs, and a good college and high school experience. 

Collectively, you have a number of relevant skills you could mention on your resume that would set you apart.

Instead of this typical chronological structure:

WRONG

OBJECTIVE

[...]

EXPERIENCE

Fedman’s Hardware / Nov 2018 - Aug 2020

Supervisor - Portland, OR

• Lead a small team of clerks and salespeople
• Helped resolve conflicts between employees
• Managed state compliance for store policies and guidelines

That’s okay.

The experience you mention is relevant to being a firefighter and written in a way that the chief will identify with it.

It is a little lonely though and will have a hard time standing out. 

Instead, let’s say you’ve also done some volunteering, you were in the scouts, and you ran track in high school.

You could move your skills section up above your experience section like this and make it even better:

RIGHT

OBJECTIVE

[...]

SKILLS

• Lead team of employees by managing daily responsibilities and resolving internal and customer-related conflicts
• Managed compliance and protocol for medium-sized business 
• Knowledge of basic emergency response procedures from time in the Scouts
• 3-Year member of Orpen High track team and maintain a high level of fitness
• Volunteered at Portland City Hospital administering basic medical supplies for use by nurses

EXPERIENCE

Fedman’s Hardware / Nov 2018 - Aug 2020

Supervisor - Portland, OR

• Lead a small team of clerks and salespeople
• Helped resolve conflicts between employees
• Managed state compliance for store policies and guidelines
• Patched up wound waiting for paramedics when an employee cut their hand open with a table saw

Think about how that changes the reading experience.

In the first example, the chief sees a sparse resume without much to write home about.

In the second, they see not only that you have a number of relevant skills that make you a great fit for the job, but also that:

• You want it: If you took the time to organize your skills section like that, your ambition will bleed through the paper.
• You understand a bit about what it takes to be a good firefighter: Even if you don’t have any direct experience.

The truth is, you might be mentioning some pieces from your experience again or pulling relevant skills from irrelevant experience– that’s fine.

In the end, you’re organizing your best selling points and putting them where it’s impossible for the recruiter to miss them (as opposed to spreading them out through, or at the end of, your resume).

As you format your resume, be mindful of both your strong points and how you can best sell them to recruiters.

Where will they look first? Next? And after that? If you were to skim through your own resume, what jumps out at you?

Structuring your resume so that your best points stand out, as well as using bold and italics to help draw additional attention, can help guide the chief to where you want them to look, instead of hoping and praying they see your good stuff.

2. How to give recruiters exactly what they’re looking for

Want to know the #1 mistake that people make when writing their resume?

Not thinking about what the recruiter is looking for.

Imagine the next seasoned fire chief who will read your resume.

Let’s call him Tom.

Tom doesn’t have a lot of time.

In fact, he thinks it’s a pain in the butt just to have to spend all this time looking at resumes when he’s got a million other things to do that involve actually getting work done. 

Without even reviewing his job post, he already knows what he’s looking for. After all, he’s the one that wrote it. 

If he sees one of those things on your resume, it will immediately let off a spark and catch his attention.

Line up a few of those in a row? 

He’ll have to spray your resume down because it’ll be on fire. 

So, how do you do that?

Simple– go look at his job post.

This is taken directly from a post looking for a new part-time fire captain:

• “Responds to events including rescues, explosions, and medical emergencies within the area of responsibility and assumes command on the fire ground until relieved by a superior officer.

• Plan, coordinate, assign, direct, and participate in emergency and non-emergency response operations and activities of an assigned shift.

• Organizes and directs all training at the fire department, including apparatus and equipment and emergency medical care.

• Organizes and coordinates all fire station operations which may include fire apparatus, public safety vehicles and fire equipment maintenance.

• Direct and participate in equipment and station maintenance, fire prevention, and inspection, and other operational and administrative assignments.

• Investigates all fires to determine cause and origin.”

That’s a list of duties for the role, but it also doubles as relevant skills and experience you can mention.

What do you do with the information?

This is the cool part.

Let’s take that job post and apply it to a resume for a seasoned firefighter with similar experience, looking to become a fire captain.

Instead of taking that list of duties as a cue and writing it your own way, we’re literally going to write out the relevant experience in a way that the wording matches how they wrote it.

This is called “mimicking” and it’s a super-effective communication trick that helps get your point across.

In this case, “I’m the person for the job.” 

Let’s take a look at that example now:

RIGHT

WORK EXPERIENCE

Firefighter / Oct 2015 - Feb 2019

McAlester Fire Department Central Fire Station - Pittsburgh, IL

• Mobilized crew to respond to rescues and medical emergencies and assumed command on the fire ground.
• Planned, coordinated, assigned, directed, and participated in emergency and non-emergency response operations.
• Directed and participated in equipment and station maintenance and other operational and administrative work. 
• Trained seven recruiters in all areas including department rules, protocol, and policies
• Acted as a reliable leader to my crew, often resolving conflicts and making important decisions that affected the team.

Now that would jump out at the chief and make him sit up.

Notice how close those first 3 points are to the original job post.

The lines we referred to in the job post:

• “Responds to events including rescues, explosions, and medical emergencies within the area of responsibility and assumes command on the fire ground until relieved by a superior officer.

• Plan, coordinate, assign, direct, and participate in emergency and non-emergency response operations and activities of an assigned shift.

• Direct and participate in equipment and station maintenance, fire prevention, and inspection, and other operational and administrative assignments.”

And our version:

• Mobilized crew to respond to rescues and medical emergencies and assumed command on the fire ground.

• Planned, coordinated, assigned, directed, and participated in emergency and non-emergency response operations.

• Directed and participated in equipment and station maintenance and other operational and administrative work. 

You don’t want it to be word-for-word, but with a few small tweaks, using virtually the same language they used creates a clear pathway to communicating that you have the right skills for the job.

Of course, you only want to do this for the experience you have that matches what they mention in the job description.

However, whatever you have that fits the bill should be written this way to make the most of it.

As opposed to this generic version of the same list of duties:

WRONG

WORK EXPERIENCE

Firefighter / Oct 2015 - Feb 2019

McAlester Fire Department Central Fire Station - Pittsburgh, IL

• Responded to various emergencies and led the team on the fire ground.
• Coordinated response for emergencies and other operations.
• Performed station maintenance and administrative work. 
• Trained seven recruiters in all areas including department rules, protocol, and policies
• Acted as a reliable leader to my crew, often resolving conflicts and making important decisions that affected the team.

It might be describing the same experience, but I’ll tell you right now that the chief won’t respond to that even half as favorably as the first example.

It’s just not speakin’ his language. 

3. How to write an eye-catching resume objective or summary 

Now that you know how to format your resume to get your best selling points out front and the most effective way to frame the writing of your resume to elicit a response, it’s time to start writing this bad boy.

A great firefighter resume always starts with your objective or summary.  

Why?

An objective or summary is important for the same reason that formatting your resume effectively is important:

With a good objective or summary, you can immediately draw the recruiter to your most attractive qualities. 

In fact, it’s often the very first thing that recruiters look at when they start skimming your resume (and they’ll do it fast– 7 seconds on average, in fact).

That means your objective needs to have the stuff that will really wow the recruiter.

What that is, depends mostly on your experience.

The more experience, certifications, and accolades the better, obviously, as you’ll have more to choose from.

However, there’s a way to write a great opening profile that doesn’t absolutely require that.

What is the difference between a summary and objective?

First, you might be wondering: what is the difference between a summary and an objective?

They’re similar, with one leaning more on experience and accolades and the other leaning more on communicating interest through an objective statement. 

When would you use one versus the other? Here’s a basic breakdown:

1. Use a summary when: You have a ton of experience and accolades or a key certification, such as paramedic or EMT that sells itself. 
2. Use an objective when: You have little to no experience and you need to use other means to convince the chief you’re the best person for the job.

Let’s look at two examples.

First, let’s say you’re an EMT who has completed your local firefighter certification.

Both paramedics and EMT are highly sought after by stations, especially with many taking over EMS duties.

So, if you’re an EMT and you’ve completed your basic firefighting training, together those are good selling points.

You could go with an objective such as:

RIGHT

OBJECTIVE

Aspiring firefighter who has completed fire training I and II and is EMT certified. Possesses a calm mind under pressure and quick, decisive thinking in difficult situations. Looking to secure a position as a member of your team at the San Antonio Fire Department, where I can apply my training and medical knowledge. 

No experience, but you’d blow it out with that one.

Or, if you have real on-the-job experience, you could go with a summary like this:

RIGHT

SUMMARY

Seasoned firefighter with 4 years of experience handling emergency care and firefighting duties. Proven track record of quick, efficient performance and effective teamwork in a variety of stressful situations. EMT certified. 

Both of those are a gigaton better than this simple blurb that doesn’t sell anything in particular aside from your EMT certification:

WRONG

SUMMARY

Experienced firefighter handling a variety of duties. Quick thinker and good under stress. EMT certified. Knowledgeable in both administrative processes and medical equipment maintenance. 

First, it’s a little lacking.

You don’t need a bunch of lines of text, but if your summary is too short it will give a bad impression.

Second, the EMT certification gets lost in the middle.

Either put something that important at the beginning or at the very end. 

No matter which way you do it, don’t let those key selling points just disappear into the text. Make them memorable, make them count. 

Finally, the above summary is far too vague.

Specifics help give context and make what you’re saying more believable.

When you say things like, “variety of duties,” it sounds like you’re making it up.

So, take the time necessary to craft a great resume objective or summary to not only rise above the draft of other resumes, but get them to start thinking - “they could be the one, let me read more…”

4. How to list training, certifications, and achievements as a firefighter

Special training, certifications, and achievements are the secret weapon of firefighter resumes.

Whatever you have, make sure to draw special attention to it, especially if it’s a paramedic or EMT certification.

That’s done in 3 different ways:

• In your objective or summary
• In your skills section
• And in a separate “Certifications” “Achievements” or other details section

Don’t worry about mentioning the same thing multiple times.

All you’re doing by mentioning things several times throughout your resume is guaranteeing that they’ll see it.

Remember: they will skim and therefore are likely to miss one or more mentions of said certification or achievement. 

First, here’s a list of potential things you can mention under a special “Certification”, “Special Training”, or “Achievements” section:

Medical

• Paramedic certified
• EMT certified

Firefighting

• Basic firefighting training (typically several levels, list all relevant)
• Fire prevention
• Fire investigation
• Fire behavior and combustion
• Fire services administration
• Fire services
• Fire tactics and strategies
• Fire officer

Safety

• Rescue technician
• Hazardous materials

Leadership/management

• Conflict resolution
• General psychology (relevant if you’re certified in fire investigation)

How to list your certifications

If you have a good list of certifications, you can list them out in a separate certifications section:

CERTIFICATIONS

• Paramedic Certified (EMS1)
• State of California Firefighter Certification (I & II)
• Hazardous Materials Training Certified

If you have an attractive list of certifications (this works exactly the same for achievements), don’t stash this at the bottom of your resume.

Instead, consider placing this above your experience section (again, especially if you’re a paramedic).

Remember, certifications and additional training like this are your secret weapon.

If you’ve got them, don’t hide them.

Put them somewhere the chief won’t be able to miss them– several somewheres. 

5. How to write the experience section in a firefighter resume

Now that you’ve got a great objective or summary and you know how to sell your certifications and accomplishments, it’s time to move on to the biggy: your work experience section.

Earlier, we talked about how to give the chief what he wants by studying the job description.

That’s critical here as it’s the main place you’ll be applying that lesson.

Also, any accomplishments you had at a previous department or other employers should be listed at the top of your bullet points for that section of experience (consider bolding it to help the line stand out further).

With everything taken into account, here’s what your experience section might look like:

RIGHT

WORK EXPERIENCE

Firefighter / June 2016 - May 2020

Tampa Fire Station #1 - Tampa, FL

• Updated fire apparatus and restructured equipment maintenance processes to cut down on maintenance and upkeep time by 30%. 

• Executed equipment and vehicle maintenance and managed other technical duties to make sure everything was working properly at all times.
• Trained 15 recruits to adopt department policies and learn how to execute basic and emergency operations, eight who went on to become fully-fledged members of the crew.
• Led a small crew of eight in responding to various emergency and non-emergency operations.
• Organized several community fire prevention events

Volunteer Firefighter / Nov 2014 - Mar 2016

Tampa Fire Rescue Station #5 - Tampa, FL

• Participated in emergency and non-emergency response operations.
• Trained 4 recruits in department protocol and showed them the ropes.
• Worked closely as a team with a crew of nine applying conflict resolution skills to maintain a tight working group.

That’s a whole lot better than the typical resume, which often looks something like this:

WRONG

WORK EXPERIENCE

Firefighter / June 2016 - May 2020

Tampa Fire Station #1 - Tampa, FL

• Led a crew in emergency and non-emergency operations
• Equipment and vehicle maintenance and other technical duties
• Updated processes to cut down on maintenance time
• In charge of training recruits to adopt department policies and protocol

Volunteer Firefighter / Nov 2014 - Mar 2016

Tampa Fire Rescue Station #5 - Tampa, FL

• Took place in emergency and non-emergency response operations
• Trained several recruits
• Part of a close-knit team 

What exactly is wrong with that?

It doesn’t look so bad... if you don’t mind getting thrown into the fire that most generic resumes get tossed into, you’re good to go.

First, that example has way fewer verbs.

Strong action verbs are important because they communicate that you’re action-oriented. 

You’re the kind of person that gets stuff done. 

Notice how the first example is filled with action:

• Updated...

• Executed...

• Trained...

• Led...

• Participated…

• Organized...

The second example has some strong verbs, but much fewer:

• Led...

• Equipment...

• Updated...

• In charge...

• Took...

• Trained...

• Part...

The changes might seem small, but it makes a big difference in how the recruiter is going to see you as a person after reading through your resume.

Second, the first example takes this gem, brings it to the top, and bolds it:

• Updated fire apparatus and restructured equipment maintenance processes to cut down on maintenance and upkeep time by 30%.

Any concrete results you can cite in your experience are just like certifications and accolades: they prove you know what you’re doing, as opposed to just listing out a bunch of skills (which everyone else does).

Third, there’s way more context placed around how you used said skills.

That has a similar effect: it’s more believable that you really have said skill (something we’ll talk more about in the next section).

How do you write a firefighter resume with little to no experience?

“These are all great tips… but I have literally 0 experience as a firefighter.”

The truth is, you don’t need anything to become a firefighter.

Even a high school diploma is listed as “preferable” in most job applications.

That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that you won’t have much chance of getting a nice paid gig until you build up some experience.

But that takes us to the really good news: 

It’s perfectly acceptable, and in fact very common, to start as a (paid) volunteer firefighter to build up experience.

Jump on any job board and you’ll typically see several paid volunteer firefighter opportunities, requiring no special experience whatsoever.

So, while the reality is you probably won’t get that nice firefighter gig with full pay and benefits like you want if you don’t have any experience yet, getting started– and getting paid a bit while you get that experience– is easily doable and, in fact, the norm.

Once you’ve got that experience in hand (even a few months is fine), citing it is easy.

Take our previous example, their first line of experience was:

Volunteer Firefighter / Nov 2014 - Mar 2016

Tampa Fire Rescue Station #5 - Tampa, FL

• Participated in emergency and non-emergency response operations.
• Trained 4 recruits in department protocol and showed them the ropes.
• Worked closely as a team with a crew of nine applying conflict resolution skills to maintain a tight working group.

Perfect.

The truth is, when it comes to being a firefighter, volunteer experience is the same thing as beginner, entry-level experience.

If you’ve got some volunteer experience, you’re good to go. 

Just make sure you use the tips we talked about to write that experience effectively to catch the chief’s eye.

6. Skills to include in a firefighter resume

So far, we’ve talked about why you should consider using your skills section at the top of your resume (directly after your objective) if you don’t have much experience.

Whether that’s the case for you or not, your skills section is still important and shouldn’t be wasted. 

There are a ton of different skills you can mention, and you can and should mention skills and certifications you might have mentioned earlier in your resume to hammer home your strongest selling points.

Here’s a list of examples:

SOFT SKILLS

• Strong work ethic
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Trustworthy
• Hardworking
• Disciplined
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Conflict resolution
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Adapt well to change

HARD SKILLS

• Paramedic certified
• EMT certified
• CPR Certified
• Knowledgeable in emergency response
• Vehicle maintenance
• Custodial skills
• Computer skills
• Electrical work
• Supplies ordering
• Experience working with medical teams
• Experience with fire-prevention community programs

Having said that, the last thing you should do is vomit a huge list of skills and call it a day like most jobseekers do.

Add context to your skills

It’s important that for many of the skills on your list (this won’t apply to all), you add context.

Let’s say the job description lists these skills:

• Ability to assume command of a crew responding to emergencies and rescues

• Knowledge of fire equipment and vehicle maintenance

• Ability to manage administrative work for a small fire department

This is what most resumes look like:

WRONG

SKILLS

• Leadership skills
• Vehicle maintenance
• Administrative skills

Sure, they wrote to the points the recruiter stated they were looking for, but they didn’t sell it very well.

Instead, write it like this:

RIGHT

SKILLS

• Used leadership skills to assume command of a crew while responding to various emergency and rescue operations.
• Applied vehicle and other maintenance knowledge to maintain fire apparatus for all crews.
• Used administrative skills to manage department duties for a small fire department.

What exactly did I do?

Notice how I took each of the skills:

• Leadership skills

• Vehicle maintenance

• Administrative skills

And put them in context to real situations, where you applied your skills.

You don’t just have nebulous “leadership skills”, you used those leadership skills “to assume command of a crew while responding to various emergency and rescue operations.”

Not only is this more powerful, because it paints a picture of you and how you actually applied your skills, it’s also more believable.

Everyone puts “leadership skills”, “problem solver”, and “communication skills” on their resume.

In fact, the chief has probably seen those phrases so many times, he’s started to gloss over them on autopilot.

But when you add context to each of your skills, particularly your soft and fire-relevant technical skills, you create a story that’s both compelling, and convincing.

7. How do you prepare for a job interview as a firefighter?

So, your new awesome resume blazed a trail through the competition and landed you the interview.

Now, it’s time to prepare and execute.

Let’s talk about the four main steps you need to take to prepare for and execute a great interview as a firefighter.

1. Double-check your resume

There’s still a chance at this point that there could be something on your resume, which you’d like to change (or a typo you hadn’t noticed before).

Now is the time to handle it.

The last thing you want to do is come into your interview with a typo somewhere, messed-up formatting, an oddly written sentence, or anything else that can make you look bad.

You can expect the chief, captain, or whoever the recruiter is to ask to go over your resume in more detail during the interview, so be sure you’re ready.

2. Review fire codes

There’s a good chance that the department that interviews you will want, or even expect, you to have some knowledge of basic fire codes.

Brush up on your basic training knowledge and the relevant codes to make sure you’re not caught off guard.

It might sound like a small detail, but everything that happens in an interview can swing the emotional current one way or another.

Reviewing your fire codes helps you ensure that, at no point, will you miss a beat and throw off your good impression. 

3. Practice answering relevant questions

What questions do you think the interviewer will ask you?

Have you thought about it?

If you haven’t yet, take a few minutes to jot down any questions you think you might be asked during the interview and practice your answers.

The last thing you want is to be asked a question you don’t have an immediate answer to and begin to fumble right in front of the chief.

Here are some basic questions you should be prepared to answer: 

• What made you want to become a firefighter?

• What do you like most about firefighting?

• Why are you interested in working with us as opposed to another department?

• What can you bring to the team?

• What are your long-term goals?

• Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

• What would you consider your relevant strengths and weaknesses?

• How effectively do you work in a team?

• Do you have experience responding to emergencies or in any similar situation?

• Give me an example of a time when you resolved a conflict?

• What leadership experience do you have and how do you think that’s relevant to leading a fire crew?

• What is your main focus when you’re sent out on a call?

• What experience do you have handling hazmat?

This is just a taste, but if you practice enough, it will make you far more prepared and confident to step into the interview.

4. Follow up: Thank them for the opportunity

Lastly, after the interview, take a few minutes to call and thank them for the opportunity to interview.

How long should you wait?

Call the first time within days of the interview. Two to three days is a safe bet. 

Then, consider calling once more about a week-and-a-half later.

Why follow up at all?

It does a few things:

• It proves you’re serious about getting the job
• And it shows them you’re professional and considerate

Use these tips together to make the most of your next, or first, firefighter job interview.

Design an eye-catching resume in under 5 minutes

It took work and dedication, but now you’ve got a killer resume that will help you stand apart from your fellow applicants.

In this guide, we covered:

• How to format your resume based on your level of experience to help your strong points rise to the surface
• Writing your resume so that you speak directly to them and the qualities they’re looking for
• Tips for writing an eye-catching objective or summary that acts as a hook to reel the chief in and get them reading more
• How to use your certifications and accomplishments as prominent selling points
• Tips to prepare for an interview as a firefighter
• And more

Writing a firefighter resume takes knowing where you’re at in your firefighting career and positioning your resume to sell your best qualities.

But it’s hard for those qualities to stand out when your resume design is lacking… or altogether ineffective.

Save time and energy formatting and designing your resume with Resumebuild’s resume template collection and builder. 

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