With demand for janitors and custodians rising faster than the job market average, there’s more reasons than ever to look at moving up or finding a better role. The challenge is finding a way to translate all of your skills and experience into an effective resume. It’s not exactly something you learn on the job, but that’s why we’re here to help.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, including:

• Showing you janitor resume examples to get you inspired
• The ideal way to format your resume
• How long your resume should be
• How to optimize your resume for ATS
• What recruiters look for in a janitor resume
• Which skills to include and how to phrase them perfectly
• How to include your education
• Whether you should add an objective or summary and how to write both
• What other things you can include on your resume
• How to target a specific job
• And much more!

It may seem like a lot now, but take it step by step and before you know it you’ll be ready to apply for that position you’ve had your eye on. To get you over that first hurdle, we’ll begin with some useful template examples.

Janitor resume template examples

The worst part about creating a resume is staring at a blank page wondering where to start. So, we find it helpful to begin with some examples to give you a mental picture of what your janitor resume should look like when you're done.

As you look through them, try taking notes about what stands out or what you’d like to use on your resume. That way, you can begin with some ideas and inspiration.

[Examples]

How to write a janitor resume that will get you the job

Before you write a single word, you need to know exactly who is going to see your resume. After all, you’re not writing it for just anyone. You need to be thinking about who you need to make an impression on and just how you’re going to do that. So, let’s begin by understanding your two audiences.

Why your janitor resume needs to be ATS optimized

First, let’s answer the question I’m sure you have: what on earth is ATS? It stands for Applicant Tracking System. Essentially, it’s a computer program, usually driven by artificial intelligence, that scans your resume to determine whether or not a human should review it. 

It’s mostly used by larger companies but is increasingly becoming an industry standard. Not all janitor jobs you apply to will use it, but because you can’t know for sure, you need to make sure you’ve prepared.

It’s a frustrating reality but many of the dozens of resumes that will come in for a janitor position never even make it to a human. They get rejected by ATS. We’re here to help ensure your resume isn’t one of them.

How to get past ATS

The good news is, it’s pretty simple to get past that initial ATS scan of your resume. You just need to know how they work. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Get the format right. Every ATS is a bit different and there are dozens of them out there. But, your best bet to ensure your resume can be easily read is to use a universal format like .doc or .pdf. Sending your resume in another format might mean that an ATS can’t read it and it will go straight into the digital trash can.
2. Check the job requirements. You’d be amazed at how often jobs which clearly state that a specific certification of number of years of experience is required get flooded with applications that don’t meet those requirements. That’s one of the big reasons employers turn to ATS, they don’t want to waste their time with those resumes. So, before you apply, double check you meet the must-have requirements.
3. Remember that the main function of ATS is to scan for keywords. So, you need to make sure they’re in there and worded correctly. For example, if the job ad mentions that you must have HVAC experience, don’t write "helped maintain home ventilation systems.” because the ATS might not realize that you’re talking about the same thing.

Fortunately, many of the things you need to do to optimize your resume for ATS also help set it up for your other main audience.

Why you need to be thinking about the recruiter or hiring manager from the start

The person reading your resume is a person. They probably have to read a pile of resumes and want the process to be as easy as possible. If your resume makes their job harder, they’re less likely to hire you. If your resume makes their job easy, you’ve already earned points in their eyes.

For example, if your skills are worded exactly the way they are in the job ad (to optimize for ATS), that also makes it easy for a recruiter to see that you’re a great candidate. If the design and format of your resume is clean, making the information easy to read and digest, their job is easier. Just imagine how many dull .doc files those recruiters have to look through and you’ll understand why something pleasing to the eye is a welcome change.

Lastly, be sure to double check how things are written on your resume and cover letter. The last thing you want is a hiring manager being forced to read a sentence three times to make sure they understood what you were trying to say. It’s best to have a friend help with this because something you wrote will usually make perfect sense to you even when someone else has no idea what you meant.

How to analyze a janitor job ad

Everything we just mentioned about optimizing your resume for recruiters and ATS comes down to reading the job ad carefully. This is why creating one resume and sending it everywhere isn’t very effective. You need to tailor your resume for individual positions to have the greatest chance of success.

For example, one janitorial position might involve helping take care of plants in an office, while another might require you to help maintain HVAC systems. One might have you interacting with kids in a school while another will require you to be extra professional to work in an office setting. You might have the skills for any of those positions, but creating a resume that emphasizes the specific skills for those roles will land you the job you want.

The practical side of analyzing a job ad comes down to reading it carefully and making a list of all the skills and other requirements it mentions. Then, as you create your own resume, include those skills as close to exactly as they appear in the job ad as possible. Now, when a recruiter reads your resume, you’re an easy “yes.”

How to format a janitor resume

Good news is, the answer here is pretty simple. To start, your resume should be reverse-chronological. That means your most recent job goes at the top and your oldest one goes at the bottom. The reason gets back to the idea of making a recruiter or hiring manager’s job as easy as possible. Putting the most relevant information up at the top makes evaluating your resume faster and easier.

That same logic applies to other sections as well. The most important information should go up and to the left. So if you’ve got your full address or something similar taking up a large portion of your resume’s header, switch that out for some more useful info. For example, a resume objective would work great there (more on how to write one below).

How long should your janitor resume be?

Your next question after wondering about the right format is probably about length. Deciding how long your janitor resume should be should come down to thinking about your audience (not the ATS, it doesn’t care). Ask yourself “is a hiring manager going to want to look through a page and a half of my resume?” The answer is probably no.

For janitor and custodian positions, a single page is going to be enough in most cases. The exception would be if a role asks for expertise in a wide range of areas so it takes more space to discuss your experience in them. After all, it might be tricky to demonstrate competence in grounds maintenance, engine repair, HVAC maintenance, driving larger vehicles, team management, and customer service in a single page.

The rule of thumb is to look at everything on your resume and ask yourself if it adds value or information. If it’s not making your resume better, it’s making it worse. This is another case where having a friend review it for you can be helpful to get some outside perspective and decide what to cut and what to keep.

What janitorial skills to mention and how to do it correctly

The specific requirements for a janitorial position can vary widely. You might be largely doing work outside or be entirely inside. You might be focused just on cleaning or help do more complex electrical or plumbing work. For that reason, your skills need to reflect the job you’re applying for.

That said, here are two general lists of the most in-demand skills for janitors today:

Top hard skills to mention on a janitor resume

• Electrical skills
• Plumbing
• Speaking multiple languages (especially Spanish)
• HVAC maintenance
• General cleaning
• Grounds maintenance
• Equipment maintenance and repair (cars, mowers, etc.)

Top soft skills to mention on a janitor resume

• Self-motivated
• Diligent
• Independent
• Friendly
• Organized

How to enhance your skills

The key way to make your soft or hard skills more effective is to back them up. For hard skills, mentioning certifications or previous cases when you demonstrated these skills will leave a greater impact. These examples could even be from outside work. For example, if you helped your kids build a go-cart or volunteer to help maintain a community garden, these demonstrate skills (and make you seem like a nice person to work with!)

The same goes for soft skills. They can seem especially vague and can therefore be easy to ignore. Giving examples when you showed how independent, organized, or friendly you are will make the recruiter or hiring manager more certain that you’re the right candidate.

How to list your education

It’s easy to discount education for a janitor position, but there are cases where including it can improve your resume. Simply stating that you graduated high school isn’t worth much and shouldn’t be included. However, if you were a part of any relevant activities like shop, automotive repair, etc. then you should mention them.

If you attended a technical school related to your janitorial work, that’s also something you should absolutely include. But overall, if educational information doesn’t help show that you’re qualified for the position, you can leave it off.

How to highlight your job experience

If the description of your past jobs simply says “Responsible for cleaning” or “Did an excellent job maintaining the grounds” a hiring manager reading your resume will probably ignore it. To really have an impact when describing your job experience you need to be specific.

Instead, mention that you “managed a team of 6 responsible for cleaning and maintaining 67 classrooms and 12 acres of grounds for a high school.” or “repaired a broken floor buffer after the engine burned out.” These small details not only make your experience stand out, but show an attention to detail that is welcome in any janitorial position.

Use the same technique for achievements outside of work

What if you accomplished something relevant to the job you want outside of your job? An achievements section is perfect for listing experiences like this. For example, if you learned basic plumbing and electrical work so you could help improve your grandfather’s hunting cabin, that’s a great achievement to mention. It shows self-motivation and makes you a more memorable candidate.

How to choose between writing a resume objective and summary

Most resumes begin with either an objective or summary. An objective is shorter and simply states who you are and what you aim to do. If your resume and qualifications for the job you want are fairly straightforward, this is the way to go.

On the other hand, if something about your resume requires more explanation, like a gap in your work history, a resume summary is the best place to offer an explanation (though a cover letter can also do this). Below you can find examples of how to write both and, importantly, how not to write them as well.

How to write a resume objective with examples

Remember, the last thing you want to do is waste the time of the person reading your resume. So, keep your objective to the point.

“Bilingual office janitor with 12 years of experience looking to manage the Janitorial team at ACME Corp.”

Right there you have a short sentence that tells you a lot of valuable information. It tells the reader who you are and that the resume they’re about to read was customized for this exact role (more on why that’s important later). Compare that to this example:

“Experienced janitor with the skills and qualifications needed to excel as the head janitor at ACME Corp.”

Somehow this objective is the same length as the previous example but tells you far less. Instead it’s full of vague references to “skills and qualifications”. If a hiring manager reads this, they already feel like your resume is going to waste their time. That’s not the first impression you want to make.

How to write a resume summary with examples

Just because a resume summary is generally longer is no excuse to ramble on. Here are some examples to show you what makes a summary effective:

“After taking 2 years off to help care for my elderly mother I’m looking to return to the workforce and apply my 7 years of janitorial and 4 years of grounds maintenance work towards helping H. Smith High maintain its reputation as a quality school with well maintained facilities.”

That summary humanizes you, explains why there’s a 2 year gap in your work history, and explains your motives for applying to the position. It’s not too long but still provides invaluable context for the rest of the resume.

“I haven’t been able to find a good job for a few years but I still have what it takes to succeed here. I’m hard-working and have all the skills needed. If you give me a change in this role, I’m sure you won’t regret it.”

This example sounds desperate and spends a suspiciously large amount of time reassuring the reader that they can do the job. This kind of wording is more likely to make a hiring manager think “if I hire this person, I’m going to be hearing a lot of excuses” instead of “they seem confident and well suited for the role.”

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

These additional sections can add a lot to a janitor resume. Certifications in particular are critical for demonstrating your ability to work on critical systems. Some top certifications to include are:

• HVAC certifications
• Bloodborne Certification (BPC)
• Medical Cleaning Certification (MCC)
• Biohazard Cleaning Certification (BCC)
• Mold Inspection & Remediation Services (MIRS)
• Green Cleaning Certification (GCC)
• Carpet Cleaning Certification (CCC)

You can find more information about these and other janitorial certifications at the IJCSA website. Overall, certifications like this show a level of professionalism that goes above and beyond what most other applicants will have. It can also show that you’re self-motivated enough to obtain them.

Hobbies or interests can also be added in the right circumstances. If a hobby or interest isn’t appropriate or doesn’t add any real value to your resume, leave it off. But, if the position you’re applying for involves grounds maintenance, then mentioning that you love gardening is a nice addition.

Lastly, volunteer experience is nearly always a welcome addition. Showing that you’re engaged in the community and enjoy giving back will help recruiters or hiring managers form a positive opinion of you. It also makes you look more reliable and pleasant to work with.

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

As should be clear by now, your best chance of landing the janitorial position you want comes from targeting your resume. This starts with a careful reading of the job ad and making sure your resume answers its requirements as closely as possible.

However, there are other ways to go above and beyond. If you’re applying for a position at a school, using the school colors in your resume can add a subtle but meaningful touch. As the examples above demonstrate, mentioning the employer by name in an objective or summary also makes it clear that you’re not sending an identical resume out to every position.

How to make your resume stand out

Lots of people ask how their resume can stand out and the best advice is to do so in subtle but powerful ways. Avoid loud designs, as they’ll have you standing out for the wrong reasons. A resume that stands out is precisely tailored for the job, well written, and has a clean and easy-to-understand design and layout. 

A hiring manager reading your resume doesn’t want fireworks, they want a well-written resume that makes their job (hiring the right candidate) as easy as possible. Do that, and you’re sure to stand above the competition.

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

Obviously you’ve got a lot on your plate when it comes to creating the perfect janitor resume. Using the right tool can make it all much easier by ensuring you have great design, an ideal layout, and an easy way to edit multiple versions. Resumebuild.com builder offers all of that and more. Try it for yourself and see the difference!