As an electrician, you’d never dream of trying to do your job without the necessary tools and equipment. Creating a resume when you’re looking for work in a skilled trade might seem like a formality, but employers and hiring managers increasingly use a quick skim of a jobseeker’s resume to determine which documents get passed over immediately and which get read more carefully. There are established guidelines and professional best practices for resume writing just as there are for wiring repair and installation.

Our writing tips and this electrician resume sample will give you the tools you need to measure the effectiveness of your own professional document. Compare your resume’s sections to our example to ensure you have included critical key qualifications and content. If you need additional guidance, you can also take advantage of our resume builder.

Why Is This a Good Electrician Resume Sample?

Many jobseekers neglect or skip over the professional summary section, but it’s a critical element of an effective resume. It gives readers a quick overview of your professional brand or identity so they know whether they want to keep reading. Notice how this writer mentions specific proficiencies up front. When you use details such as residential and commercial experience or familiarity with “multi-voltage lighting,” you paint a much more vivid picture than if you just label yourself an “experienced electrician.”

Note also how the author of this electrician resume sample demonstrates increasing responsibility and progress over time in the work experience section. For instance, the writer mentions being trusted to “train apprentices” in the currently held job. This leadership role demonstrates the increased competence and abilities gained with experience.

The jobseeker also uses action-oriented bullet points to show positive outcomes. For instance, this section backs up the writer’s claim to have “proven ability to complete tasks with great accuracy” by showing that this ability resulted in his or her being trusted to “work with minimal supervision.” Similarly, the writer mentions “rewiring of a 50-year-old home,” providing specific numbers that paint a more vivid picture of his or her previous accomplishments.

The example education section of this electrician resume sample is succinct, clear, and avoids unnecessary details. It gives the necessary information of the course of study, location, year, and certificate earned, but it does not waste space by listing every course ever taken, for example. Since electrician jobs usually require licensing and certification, you should follow suit and include any relevant vocational or technical studies, even if they aren’t part of a traditional degree program. Note that since the writer has completed coursework at a vocational or technical school, he or she did not clutter up the education section with details about high school. You don’t need to mention high school if you have college or vocational school coursework.

Why You Need a Strong Electrician Resume

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 14 percent job growth for electricians by 2024, which is higher than average. While this is good news for those searching for electrician jobs, average wages for electricians vary widely depending on level of certification, experience, and geographical location.

In addition, studies have shown that busy readers spend only about five to seven seconds skimming a resume before deciding whether to simply move on to the next candidate. That’s why you still need to take special care with your resume so that you present your qualifications, education, and experience in a clear, easy-to-skim professional document.

Use our electrician resume sample and writing tips to showcase your industry-specific background and key qualifications, so you can beat the competition and get your next electrician job.

Costly Electrician Resume Mistakes To Avoid

When crafting your resume, you know to avoid common mistakes like typos and outright fabrications. In addition to these obvious errors, though, there are a number of more subtle mistakes that can be just as damaging to your prospects.

One common mistake is to present your prior work experience as a simple laundry list of responsibilities. As you can see in this electrician resume sample, the writer mentions desirable results, showing his or her ability to “reduce energy consumption” rather than just stating that the job requires “recommending fixtures” to customers. If you neglect to mention specific achievements, you can hurt your chances of getting an interview.

You should also take care to avoid confusing your reader with your verb tenses when creating your work experience section. If you have a current job, describe your accomplishments in the present tense. For previous work history, use past tense for your experience.

Conclusion

While it takes time and effort to craft a strong professional document, these details can help you beat the competition and get the attention of hiring managers. Follow these best practices from our electrician resume sample to effectively convey your core qualifications, show your relevant experience, and demonstrate that you have the training and certifications necessary to do the job.