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Table of contents

Popular skilled trades resumes
How to write a skilled trades resume
Skilled trades resume examples by experience level
Add a cover letter
Facts about the skilled trades industry
Key takeaways for your skilled trades resume
Frequently asked questions from job seekers

From electricians to plumbers to HVAC technicians and chefs, skilled trades workers are professionals who perform a vital function using technical skills that they’ve honed through on-the-job experience or vocational training.

Mastering your trade is hard work and takes both dedication and patience. That’s the hard part. Writing a resume for a skilled trades career should be the easy part! We’ll help make sure that’s the case.

This guide will show you:

Examples of standout skilled trades resumes.
How to build a compelling skilled trades resume in 2024.
Resumes for skilled trades workers of various experience tiers.
Why you need a cover letter and how to get started with one.
Key insights to empower your job hunt.

If you’re ready to build a resume quickly, head straight to our Resume Maker. There, you can choose a design that fits your career journey and allow our AI resume tool to help you find the right words to tell your story.

Popular skilled trades resumes

You’ve already got the skills to write an impressive resume. You just need some inspiration!

Are you looking for a specific job title? Check out our library of resume examples or find a specific skilled trades job below:

Browse other popular samples

Handyman Resumes

Skilled Trades Cover Letters

How to write a skilled trades resume

Now that you have an idea of what your resume should look like, it’s time to write a resume that shows off your training, experience and skills.

Start by building a resume outline. Your outline should include:

Your contact info, prominently placed at the top.
A resume profile that introduces the employer to your career.
A powerful skills section jam-packed with impressive examples of your expertise.
Your work history, starting with your latest role.
Training or certifications in your education section.
Additional sections to highlight other accomplishments or qualifications.

Now that you know what to expect on your skilled trades resume, let’s put our noses to the grindstone and get it done!

Step 1

Share your contact info

Your resume’s most important job is to get you a call back from the hiring department. Your qualifications are what makes them want to call you, but in order to do that you need to have accurate contact information clearly displayed on your resume’s header.

Here’s what your header should include:

Your name
Your phone number
Email address — keep it professional
Your city and state

If you have a LinkedIn profile, personal website or online portfolio, you can add links to those in your header too.

Lots of applicants add graphics to the header for visual interest. This is okay, but make sure your header is easy to read and not cluttered. Its entire purpose is to cleanly display your contact information.

The most important thing to remember for this section is accuracy. Typos on your resume are unprofessional to begin with, but in the header they can lead to missed opportunities. Read and reread your header to ensure this doesn’t happen

Next, let’s focus on your professional summary or career objective.

Step 2

Summarize your skilled trades career

If the resume header is like the address on the envelope of a letter, the resume profile is like the greeting. Your resume profile is your chance to make a good impression at the start of your resume. Typically, a resume profile acts as an introduction to your career via a brief overview of your work history and major accomplishments.

Depending on your experience, you have a couple of profile styles to choose from:

Seasoned workers should use a professional summary. This is a short paragraph outlining the basic information that employers need to understand your career history.
If you’re just starting out, a resume objective might be more suitable. Resume objectives focus more on your goals for the future and your interest in contributing to and learning from the role.

Both resume profiles serve roughly the same purpose, so go ahead and choose whichever one you think will best play to your strengths.

Writing tip

A great resume is custom-made to align with the specific job you’re seeking. Scan the job listing for keywords used to describe the ideal candidate. Incorporating these keywords into your resume will make you a stronger candidate, especially when it comes to passing the applicant tracking system (ATS) screening.

Professional summary for a skilled trades resume:

Experienced HVAC technician with a strong track record spanning over five years in dynamic heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) settings. Proficient in efficient equipment management and committed to delivering exceptional customer service. Adept at upholding system integrity, strict compliance with industry standards and adapting to evolving HVAC technologies. Familiar with HVAC control systems and maintenance software. Proven expertise in collaborating with colleagues, achieving performance goals and staying attuned to changing client needs.

Sample objective for skilled trades resume:

As a recently certified journeyman electrician, I am eager to apply my extensive knowledge and hands-on experience to contribute to a dynamic electrical team. My dedication to safety, commitment to quality workmanship and proficiency in electrical systems make me a valuable asset in providing reliable and efficient electrical solutions. I am excited to continue advancing my skills and expertise while delivering exceptional service to clients and achieving project excellence.

Step 3

Showcase your skilled trades expertise

Skills are the backbone of any skilled trades career. It’s right there in the name! To build an effective resume you need a skills section that proves you know what you’re doing.

A well-rounded resume should include both hard skills like equipment handling, technical precision or another specific expertise, and soft skills like communication, customer service, time management and thinking on your feet.

It isn’t about hard skills vs soft skills per se. A really strong resume acknowledges that both are important and includes a blend of both.

Writing tip

Not all skilled trades are public-facing, but every single one requires a little bit of “people skills.” Whether you’re working with clients, customers, teammates or supervisors, your ability to communicate clearly is essential, so be sure to highlight it on your resume.

Hard and soft skills for a skilled trades resume

Hard Skills

HVAC system installation and maintenance
Refrigerant handling and EPA certification
Electrical wiring and troubleshooting
Thermostat and control systems expertise

Soft Skills

Effective problem-solving
Strong attention to safety protocols
Clear and concise communication
Client-focused service delivery

Step 4

Elaborate on your work experience

Your experience section is the heart of your resume. This is where you get to show that you know how to apply all of the skills that you’ve described in real world situations. Write out your experience in reverse-chronological order and thoughtfully showcase the results that you’ve earned in each role.

The aim is to make your work experience on your resume demonstrate your ability to contribute.

Consider these strategies to accentuate your work history:

Show off measurable results. It’s one thing to say you’ve achieved something, but when you back up your accomplishments with numbers, that’s when your abilities really shine. Data allows the hiring department to see the concrete impact of your previous roles.
Showcase career growth. Present your past roles in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent. This allows the reader to see your career progression beginning with the most recent and relevant entries.
Employ action words. Elevate your experience with words like “assessed,” “mentored” and “installed” instead of boring resume cliches like “responsible for.” This takes your resume from a laundry list to an energetic summary of your roles. In general, your resume should convey a bit of enthusiasm. Action words help demonstrate that you not only know what you’re doing, but you bring a certain amount of energy and excitement to your responsibilities.

Writing tip

Take care to highlight your technical skills. Even if a lot of your duties are straightforward, your more niche skills are the ones that will help you stand out. If you use a particular scheduling software with clients, for example, include that alongside the boots-on-the-ground work that you do.

Skilled trades experience example:

Certified Welder, Welding Pro Inc.
Lodi, CA
March 2019 – November 2022

Collaborated with a skilled welding team of five to efficiently complete welding projects, ensuring high-quality welds and safety compliance.
Played a key role in optimizing welding processes, resulting in a 15% improvement in productivity and reduced project completion times.
Implemented and upheld strict adherence to safety protocols, contributing to a zero-incident record and a safe working environment.

Step 5

Highlight your educational background

As a skilled trades worker, education and training are important. Use your education section to highlight the vocational training that has prepared you for the role, whether this means listing a degree, a diploma or on-the-job training. If your career requires you to be licensed, you can put your license here or in its own section.

Plumbing education entry example:

Education

Apprenticeship in Plumbing,
Donaldson Plumbing and Trade Institute, Tracy, CA | 2020

Certifications

Licensed Plumber,
Plumbing Board Certification
Issue Date: July, 2021

Step 6

Add additional sections to your resume

When it comes to writing a killer resume, there are no strict rules about what you can and cannot include. If you have other qualifications, awards or experience that you think employers should hear about, include them in optional sections! Just be sure to vet anything you add and make sure that it’s truly relevant to the role. Here are some typical optional sections that you might find on a skilled trades resume:

Volunteer work: Maybe you’ve volunteered in your community. Bonus points if you’ve volunteered services that are relevant to your trade. Either way, this shows your personal values and commitment to serving your community.
Foreign languages: In a world as diverse as ours, the ability to communicate in multiple languages gives you a huge heads up. You never know what languages clients will speak. If you speak more than one language, include them on your resume to highlight your communication prowess!
Hobbies and interests: If you have hobbies or interests that are relevant to your trade and appropriate for your resume, include them here to present a well-rounded view of who you are as a professional and as a person.

Writing tip

If you’ve taken extra courses or attended workshops designed to elevate your career or skills, don’t forget to include them! You can put any certifications you’ve earned in the certifications section, you can put courses and workshops under education, and anything that doesn’ fit elsewhere can always go in its own section.

To ensure that the content that you’ve written really shines, you’ll need to choose the right resume template. Try to pick a design that fits with the role you’re seeking as well as your personal brand.

Diverse templates range from simple resume designs to more eccentric and stylized creative resumes. For most skilled trades, it’s a good idea to stick to the basics.

If you don’t see a template you like from our collection, there’s an abundance of free templates for Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Just be sure to choose something that doesn’t distract from your credentials.

Skilled trades resume examples by experience level

The layout of your resume is really important because it impacts the way your information is read and perceived. Your experience level is the biggest clue you have when it comes to deciding which resume format is most likely to play to your strengths.

Beginner tradespeople might find the functional resume format most beneficial.
Midcareer trades workers with some years under their belt could opt for a combination resume format.
Seasoned veterans of their trade should consider the chronological resume format.

Let’s check out visual examples for each.

Functional resume format: Entry-level skilled trades example

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What makes this a great entry-level skilled trades resume?

Straightforward layout
This example resume for a skilled trades worker is simple with a basic layout that makes it easy to read and understand the candidate’s qualifications at a glance.
Emphasizes skills
This candidate has relatively little work experience, so she uses a functional format that centers around her skills instead of her work history.
Includes certifications
With little on the job experience, this candidate’s certification and license both help bridge the experience gap by demonstrating her competence.

Combination resume format: Midcareer skilled trades resume example

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Why is this a standout midcareer skilled trades resume?

Balanced skills and experience
As a midcareer candidate, this applicant strikes the right balance between showcasing skills and experience.
Includes soft skills
Technical skills and training are essential for an auto mechanic, but this candidate knows that hard skills must be backed up with soft skills that demonstrate your personality as a worker. This resume highlights flexibility and customer service alongside technical knowledge.
Brief and to the point
Resume real estate is a valuable and limited resource since most resumes, especially in early and midcareer, are just one page. This candidate is brief and concise with each section, only saying what he needs to to demonstrate his value as a candidate and make the most out of one page.

Chronological resume format: Experienced skilled trades resume example

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What sets this experienced skilled trades resume apart?

Focuses on work history
This candidate has over 15 years of experience as a handyman and carpenter. Because of this, presenting his work history in reverse-chronological order is the most effective way for him to show off his merits as a candidate.
Uses numerical data
This skilled trades resume sample uses numerical data to showcase the scope and concrete impact of the candidate’s work. The result is that his accomplishments feel more tangible and persuasive.
Strong professional summary
Just as his work experience section emphasizes his years of experience, this candidate’s professional summary is strong, confident and succinct. It introduces his career and describes his commitment to customer service.

Add a cover letter

Create your cover letter

A fantastic cover letter is the final piece of the puzzle that seals the deal for a job-winning skilled trades resume.

Your cover letter is your chance to add context to your resume, explain any career gaps or unconventional career steps, express your enthusiasm for the role and draw extra attention to the accomplishments that you most want to highlight.

If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Our guide on how to write a cover letter will walk you through how to get started.

For some cover letter inspiration, check out our cover letter examples and our comprehensive guide on cover letter formatting.

For a professional cover letter written in just a few minutes, try our Cover Letter Generator. It generates a fully customizable cover letter based on your input and the role you’re targeting.

Facts about the skilled trades industry

Curious about the potential pathways in your career?

Here are some insights into the current state of various skilled trades and their projected futures:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1.5 million Americans were employed as carpenters, construction laborers and supervisors, plumbers and electricians in 2022. Not to mention other trades, like the nearly 432,000 Americans employed as certified welders.
Median salaries for various skilled trades:
- Carpenters earn a median salary of $51,630 per year.
- Welders earn a median salary of $47,540 per year.
- Forklift operators earn a median salary of $41,730 per year.
Overall employment in skilled trades is growing.

Key takeaways for your skilled trades resume

Detail your experience
Your work history should be the backbone of your resume. Outline your past roles and the results you’ve accomplished using active language and data to back up your achievements.
Check and double check the small details
A resume rife with typos doesn’t convey professionalism. Have a friend read your resume if you need help catching the small mistakes.
Stress soft skills
Your hard skills allow you to do your job, but you need strong soft skills to be great at it. Make sure to highlight communication, adaptability and teamwork on your resume.
Include relevant certifications
Many skilled trades require a license of some kind. Even if that isn’t the case for you, include any certifications you’ve earned to demonstrate your expertise.
Showcase your enthusiasm
Nobody wants to work with someone who has a bad attitude. Try to demonstrate your energy and enthusiasm alongside your professionalism, for a resume that stands out from the crowd.
Choose the right style
A great resume is formatted to show off your strengths and styled to match your personal brand and the role. Take a look at some skilled trades resume templates for inspiration.
Complement with a cover letter
Don’t pass up on the opportunity to communicate your candidacy with a convincing cover letter.