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!