Components of a Great
Résumé for the Electrical Industry
The résumé you develop should be broken down into five basic components as outlined below. The
résumé worksheet is designed specifically for electricians and apprentices working in the electrical contracting industry.
The résumé worksheet on the next page will prompt you through entering the raw data for each one of these sections. When
you have completed the form you can use it to format your own professional
résumé. The critical résumé components are:
1. Contact Information:
This will be prominently displayed at the very top of the résumé. Make it easy to contact you in whichever way the potential employer feels comfortable whether it is by fax, phone, e-mail or regular mail.
2. Areas Of Expertise:
This is a quick summary of your skills in a list format organized so that a potential employer can quickly see where your skills and experiences are. Are you good with motor controls? Can you use a computer? How about PLC programming? These are also good search keywords if you submit this résumé to some of the electronic job boards like Monster or send it to a recruiter who will scan it into their database.
3. Standout Accomplishments: Directly following the quick list of your areas of expertise will be 3-5 key accomplishments with a couple of sentences describing the situation and the results. Have you worked on a fast-track project and because of a time saving idea you had the job came in under budget and early? Contractors have a job to do for their clients. They need people on their team that can produce results. This is the section where you showcase the results you have produced. This is very important because no matter what certifications you have or how long you have been in the trade you will not advance your career very quickly if you cannot show your current or potential employers how you have improved quality & safety and saved time & money.
4. Education & Certification:
This is a quick list of your educational history including any trade classes, seminars, code updates, state certifications, etc.
5. Employment History: This is a brief section listing out the employers you have worked for throughout your career. In this document they can be edited if there are too many. It is more important to showcase your skills and accomplishments than it is to showcase how many contractors you have worked for. Notable exceptions: If you have worked for only one or two contractors it shows that you are obviously very skilled and loyal - this is a definite plus. Also notable is if you worked for an employer that is highly regarded in the industry. If you were off work for a few weeks and roped some houses for your buddy that owns a company it's probably not crucial to put them down.
Please think though each of these sections and make sure you have the raw material available before moving to the
résumé builder worksheet.
Remember that you are creating the centerpiece of your personal marketing material. You will be judged based on how this looks, what content it has in it and how it is distributed. Take the time to do this right. It should take you about an hour to fill out the form on the next page.
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