Looking to show off your woodwork and impress hiring managers and contractors? We've got a carpenter resume guide that's sure to help you land any carpentry job.
Carpenters are individuals who construct, repair and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials. Moreover, they also work indoors and outdoors on many types of construction projects, from installing kitchen cabinets to building highways and bridges.
Now, to become a carpenter, you typically go through on-the-job training or complete an apprenticeship. Furthermore, you only require a minimum of a high school diploma to become a carpenter.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the carpentry industry has been stable and currently has over 1,024,100 job opportunities.
If you're looking to be hired for any of those opportunities and want to show off your skill with a well-written carpenter resume, then you've come to the right place.
In this article, we're going to go over the following 6 steps to get your resume ready for any carpentry job:
Regardless of your profession, it's important to make sure your resume looks professional because the hiring manager is not going to hire you if your resume is sloppy and poorly formatted. Moreover, if you're trying to work with a contractor as a carpenter and your resume looks sloppy, you're not going to be hired for the job.
So, how do you format your resume like a professional? Well, like the woodwork you do, it's all in the details.
Here are some details you should always include in your resume:
Tip: Feel free to include other details, like languages and organizations or associations to your resume, too.
When it comes to formatting your resume, there are three ways you can do so:
As a carpenter, selecting the hybrid format would be to your best advantage as you can showcase to hiring managers that you have experience in the field and you have a dense skill set.
Take a look at our guide on how to format your resume if you want to learn more.
A resume summary is a 1-2 sentence blurb that summarizes everything your resume consists of. It's a quick and easy way to show hiring managers that you appreciate their time, which can help your resume stand out from the pile since not everyone writes one.
You can also think of it as your elevator pitch.
Here are some elements you should always include in your resume summary:
Tip: Feel free to include personal characteristics and even certifications on your resume summary, too.
If you're still stuck on how to write your resume summary, here's a good and simple example:
Dedicated and conscientious carpenter with 8+ years experience and OSHA 30 certified. Experienced in creating woodwork for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Skilled in handling siding, trim, doors, windows, framing, and molding.
Tip: Sometimes, it's easier to write your resume summary after you have already written your resume. That way, it's easier to pick and choose what characteristics to include.
Want to write the perfect resume summary? Our guide on writing resume summaries has tons of examples.
Being a carpenter is not an easy feat. It's a job that requires a lot of concentration and knowledge. Therefore, it's important to show hiring managers that you already have previous experience in the field so you can get hired and sent out on the job.
Tip: When listing your work experience, it's important to highlight the specifics you did on the job, and do so using good verbs.
Your work experience should include the following:
Here are some examples of job descriptions you may be able to include in your resume as a carpenter:
Tip: If you're looking to get into your first job as a carpenter, be sure to do an apprenticeship and include it in your work experience.
Want more tips and tricks on how to write your work experience description? Check out our guide on describing your work experience.
Highlighting your key skills is a crucial component of your resume because it lets hiring managers know what you can bring to the table.
Tip: Listing impressive and relevant skills gives hiring managers more reasons to hire you.
Here are some examples of key skills you can include in your resume as a carpenter:
Tip: You can even categorize your skills into hard skills and soft skills. You can even include skills such as multilingual and CPR certified to impress hiring managers.
Having trouble identifying your skills? We have a guide with 100+ key skills you can include in your resume.
To become a carpenter, you need a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. However, a lot of places do require you to be certified.
Therefore, be sure to have a certifications section in your resume.
Here are some examples of certifications you can get as a carpenter that would look good on your resume
Tip: Feel free to include some of these certifications in your resume summary if you have them. It'd be a quick way for hiring managers or contractors to know if you have the necessary certifications for the job.
If you're looking for more certifications to include in your resume or want to know how to correctly list them, check out our guide.
Just because it is at the bottom of our list, doesn't mean it is not important. While electrician positions only require a high school diploma or equivalent, it is still crucial for you to have an education section in your resume.
When including your education, be sure to mention the following when listing your education:
Here's what adding your education to your resume can look like:
G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School
Miami, FL
2010 — 2014
GPA: 3.4/4.0
Tip: If you attended a technical school that focused on woodworking or took classes, be sure to include that in the education section of your resume.
Need more helping listing your education? Not sure if to list your GPA? We have a guide that will help you list your education in 2021 with examples and tips.
Now that you know the details you should include in your resume, it's time to put our tips and tricks to practice.
Here's a summary of everything we've covered:
Good luck!
Don't know whether you should write a one-page or two-page resume? Find out when it is appropriate to write a two-page resume and learn how to write it correctly.
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