A common issue many contractors have when applying for positions is not having a stellar resume. You do not have to have the best of the best, but a resume that is organized and stands out from the rest is always the best route to take. Since we have seen so many job applicants, we wanted to give you some tips and tricks when it comes to creating your resume. Keep reading to check out how your resume should look for a home improvement company.
Header
Your resume needs to start with a header. This header will have your name, phone number, email address and location. You do not need to place your address, but you can. You can just put the city or town’s name of where you reside. This is where a recruiter or employer will pull your contact information.
Objective
The objective in a resume is that one sentence that quickly describes why you are a good fit and what you are looking for in companies. You want this statement to match the language of what the job description says. For example, if we say we are looking for a finished carpenter with a can-do attitude. We recommend following that verbatim. Your objective sentence should vary between each company and position.
Experience
Since contractor jobs for home improvement companies are mainly about the amount of experience you have, we recommend starting with your experience. If you have more schooling or certificates, we recommend starting with that. Your experience section needs to have the company’s name, the duration you were there (Month, Year – Month, Year), your job title and job duties or description. While you can have an infinite amount of experience, we suggest only adding the ones relevant to the position you are applying for. In your experience section, you can also add a portfolio link to show off past project photos.
School
If you do not necessarily have the most experience but went to school for some trade like carpentry or plumbing, we recommend starting with that. If you have enough experience, you can add your school after the experience. In the school section, you will want to add the school you went to, the duration you were there (Month, Year – Month, Year), the degree or certificate you graduated with and any courses or classes relevant to the job description.
Training & Certificates
A section that you cannot forget is your training and certificates. Many companies look for job applicants that have these training or certificates already completed. You may have a higher chance if these are up to date. When writing out these training and certificates, you will add the name of the training/certificate, where you got it from and the expiration date. In this section, you can also create an Awards or Achievement section if you have any outstanding awards.
Skills
Since you are applying for a home improvement company, they are going to want to see what skills you have. Therefore, it is ideal to have a separate section where you can list your skills. In this industry, common skills include carpentry, tile setting/laying, flooring installation and more. Only highlight the skills that you are best at or what the company is looking for. All other skills should be listed under each job in the experience section.
References
Here’s a tip from contractor to contractor, you need to provide references! Many home improvement companies will call previous employers to ensure that the applicant correctly described their experience as well as to see how well they work in a team environment. We recommend including at least three references. You should have at least one reference in the home improvement industry, and the other two can be outside of the industry. When including references in resumes, you need to add their name, contact information (phone number or email address), their job position and the company.
When working on your resume, you can adjust depending on the company or job you are applying for. Depending on the employer, they may also ask for a cover letter or past project photos. All resumes should be two pages or less. Follow everything the employer lists, so you have a higher chance of getting an interview or being hired. If you are looking for work in the home improvement industry, you do not have to look far! Valor Home Services is expanding its team. We have multiple full-time, part-time and contract positions. For information or to apply, visit our Join the Team page or our Facebook page, Valor Careers, today.
