Carpenter Resume Examples To Help Write Yours

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What Should I Highlight on a Carpenter Resume?

To be a great carpenter, it’s important that you have a strong skill set. Specific skills like jobsite coordination and knowledge of specific skills are always important to consider as a professional carpenter. You should also focus on experiences and activities that prove your competence with general carpentry work, as well as specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to stand out.

The Structure of a Carpenter Resume

Your structure will partially depend on what resume format you choose: chronological resume, which emphasizes work history, functional resume, which emphasizes skills, and combination resume, which emphasizes both. However, your headings will still usually be the same, just with different setups. Here’s what a carpenter resume sample might look like.

Header

First is your resume header. This will give your basic information, including your full name, phone number, and professional portfolio links, which could include your LinkedIn profile or your own professional website. Recruiters see this before anything else on your resume.

Resume summary or objective

The next section is your resume summary or resume objective. This two to three-sentence paragraph sums up your absolute best skills, completed projects, and key achievements. Essentially, if you only had one paragraph to sell your skills, this would be the one.

Skills

Next is your skills section. A carpenter job will draw on a huge variety of skills – gear yours towards the needs of the specific job you’re applying to. Here are a few skills to consider for your resume that many carpenter jobs often look for:

• Ability to read blueprints and building plans
• Skill with circular saws
• Knowledge of both power tools and hand tools
• Woodworking knowledge
• Drywall
• Frameworks
• Knowledge of building codes, safety regulations and OSHA
• Ability to do renovations
• Talent for door frames, cabinetry, paneling and other building elements
• Setting up job sites and a work environment
• Residential construction and commercial construction
• Dexterity
• Problem-solving
• Project management

Note that this list has both hard skills (technical skills and knowledge learned through training) and soft skills (interpersonal and intangible abilities that speak to how you approach work). The perfect resume will usually include both; after all, recruiters want job candidates who know how to handle a power saw and talk to a client.

Work history

Your work experience section should include all professional experience that you have within the world of carpentry. That may job titles such as:

• Lead carpenter
• Carpenter apprentice
• Construction company worker
• Carpentry journeyman
• Master carpenter
• Carpenter subcontractors

Generally, if your work environment was centered around any kind of construction, it counts as relevant work experience. List your years of experience in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job first.

Education

Carpentry is a trade, which means you may or may not have a college education before you start your apprenticeship program. If you don’t have a college education, feature your high school diploma. More importantly, include your carpentry certification in this section if you have one, as well as any related apprenticeships or training courses.

Do's and Don’ts for a Carpenter Resume

Do:

• Include specific projects on your resume. These projects are actual things recruiters can look at to see whether you’re qualified for a job.
• For each job description, provide bullet points that single out notable achievements rather than laundry-list standard duties. The ResumeHelp resume builder can help you create these job descriptions.
• Have a trusted colleague or knowledgeable professional in the same field or read through your resume before you submit it. It’s a good way to ensure you’ve written the most professional resume.

Don’t:

• Try to apply for a job you’re not qualified to do. If you’ve just finished an apprenticeship, you probably don’t qualify to be a master carpenter.
• Include huge lists of skills. There’s no need to include more than a dozen skills at most.

Write your resume without reading a carpenter resume example. Examples are a great way to learn more about what your field currently values, and how to best organize your own resume.