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Contractor Resume Examples [+ Templates & Formats]
You'll learn:
As a contractor, you are hired for a predetermined amount of time and money to complete a specific task; or considered self-employed in some cases.
Contractors usually get paid on an hourly, daily, weekly or project basis, after submitting an invoice for services rendered. Contract jobs can encompass a wide range of areas, such as general contractor, construction contractor, IT contractor, etc.
Note that this article will cover all kinds of contract jobs in general. Your contractor resume should showcase all of the key skills and work experience related to the profession along with needed qualifications for a contractor worker.
5 steps to write a professional contractor resume
🖋 Step 1: Label yourself with a catchy contractor resume headline.
A resume headline can be a resume title or a short statement that introduces yourself. When well-written, it can tell the hiring manager who and where you are in the field, encouraging them to read on your contractor resume.
As recommended, the headline for your contractor resume should consist of such elements as your major profession/role and core competencies. No need to be a complete sentence - keep it brief and attractive.
Examples of a well-phrased headline for a contractor resume:
- General contractor resume:
Productive Contractor with 15 years of providing quality leadership and construction work. - Independent contractor resume:
Independent Contractor specializing in industrial and commercial painting. - Government contractor resume:
Government Contractor with demonstrated success in providing ground maintenance for disaster recovery operations.
Further reading: 10 tips for writing a professional resume headline
🖋 Step 2: Boost your contractor resume with a great summary statement.
The resume summary has been gradually replacing the out-of-date resume objective as it can summarize key qualifications about you and your contractor resume.
What to mention in a contractor resume summary statement:
- Career summary, including years of experience and expertise
- Core competencies
- Accomplishments in the field
- Relevant skills and personality traits
Examples of resume summary for a contractor resume:
Self-employed home renovation resume:
Customer-focused Carpenter with extensive experience in home construction, remodels, and renovations. Highly specialized in customized furniture design and fabrication with exceptional finish carpentry skills as well as familiarity with hand and power tools. Committed to completing projects on time and adhering to safety guidelines.
Electrical contractor resume:
Meticulous Electrical Contractor possessing 10+ years of experience in commercial, residential, and aviation airfield installation, repair, and maintenance. Key skills include electrical troubleshooting, control wiring, welding, and power distribution. Holding the California Electrical Contractor License (C-10).
IT contractor resume:
Detail-orientated and IT-certified Technology Contractor with 5 years of experience in application support and security services. Greatly recognized for providing thorough support of complex systems and technical solutions for hospitals and medical centers in Dallas. Familiar with budgetary preparations and cost estimation.
Reminder: Remember that resume summary should consist of pithy sentence fragments and should not exceed 4 sentences.
🖋 Step 3: Include key skills in your contractor resume.
It may sound simple but not everyone knows how to structure the skills section effectively to win the competition. Here’s how:
- Go through the job description and pick out the skills you possess required for the job.
- List both hard and soft skills, so the hiring manager knows you can do a great job as well as be a good team member.
- Highlight at least 5 skills in total.
- Format the skills section properly.
Check this resume skills guide out for more information on formatting!
Example of general contractor skills for a resume:
| Hard skills | Soft skills |
| Adobe Photoshop Inventory Logistics management Relationship building Construction | Analytical skills Teamwork Communication Decision-making Responding to emergencies |
🖋 Step 4: Tailor the contractor resume to the specific job.
As mentioned earlier, contract work encompasses a wide range of jobs. Thus, make sure your contractor resume will be sent to the right employer and fit the position they're hiring.
Golden tricks to impress the recruiter with a unique contractor resume:
- Research the employer and review the job description carefully.
- Pick keywords and match them with resume content in terms of resume summary, skills, and work experience.
- Showcase supporting information (e.g., certifications and/or accomplishments in the career history).
🖋 Step 5: Proofread your contractor resume.
Hiring managers can be very picky during the hiring process. Even minor typos might prevent you from getting an interview. Hence, don't forget to proofread your contractor resume to make sure it’s flawless and error-free.
Adopt the right contractor resume format
The choice of resume format mostly depends on your professional level. Take a look at the table below to select the format that fits your contractor resume.
Chronological resume format
- Work experience and achievements are listed in a reversed order, with the latest updates placed at the top.
- Easy to review and follow.
✅ Job seekers with prior work history
Functional resume format
- Also known as a skill-based resume.
- Ideal for demonstrating skills and personal traits instead of employment history.
✅ Career changers
✅ Fresh graduates
Hybrid resume format
- Present both relevant skills and work experience.
- Provide a lot of information.
✅ Professionals with work experience who want to highlight core skills
Targeted resume format
- Target a particular job opening.
- Help demonstrate your qualifications in the most tailored way.
✅ All job seekers
📝 Pro tip: Whichever contractor resume format you choose, keep your resume within 1 page and stick to standard section headers.
Create your own contractor resume template
Before starting to write a contractor CV or contractor resume, check out great contractor resume examples online. With clear ideas in mind, now you can create one on your own by using either Microsoft Word or online resume builders like Cake.
The process is as easy as a piece of cake!
Microsoft Word
- In the “templates" tab at the right corner, search for “resume".
- Select a contractor resume template and simply fill in the text.
- Use standard fonts such as Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Times New Roman, etc.
- Use readable font sizes, usually within 11-16 pt.
Online Resume Builder
- Create a Cake account for free.
- Among hundreds of built-in resume templates, pick one for your own contractor resume template.
- Freely customize the layout and text.
- Export it into a pdf file and download.
Cake provides the right contractor resume templates & formats for contractor to showcase their skills and experiences. Sign up to create the best contractor resume and download it for free, Now!
Dos and Don’ts for a Contractor Resume
✅ Dos:
- Tailor the resume and include relevant information only. This way you can show the hiring manager that you're well-rounded for the position.
- Quantify your accomplishments to make your contractor resume more professional, compelling, and convincing. Here’s an example for a general contractor resume:
“Supervised a residential $35 million project to develop 85 high-end units.” - Optimize the contractor resume for ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to make sure it reaches the hiring manager effectively. Use keywords from the job post and avoid graphs and charts.
- Keep the formatting consistent. Ensuring the consistency of presenting elements such as color, font, size, etc. will make your contractor resume professional and easy to read.
- Adopt action verbs, especially keywords from the job description, to give your contractor resume a boost. Example of action/power verbs in the construction contractor resume:
collaborate, manage, develop, build, supervise, resolve, plan, design
❌ Don’ts:
- Don't mix up a contractor resume with a CV. They are different in length, purpose, content, and layout. Find more details here: What Is the Difference Between CV and Resume?
- Don't use an outdated objective statement. Instead, a statement with clear career goals can be more compelling to the employer. Here is an intriguing objective statement from a construction contractor resume example:
“Seeking a contract job that provides appropriate assistance on the job site with Uhil Construction.” - Don’t mention confidential information about previous employers in your contractor resume, including client names, confidentiality agreements, business financial reports, etc.
- Don't include unnecessary personal details in your contractor resume that might lead to discrimination such as identifying information (weight, height), race, marital status, religion, political affiliation, etc.
- Don't send your contractor resume as a Word doc due to common formatting errors. Go for a contractor resume pdf instead!
Contractor Resume Examples
Dave M. Bond
General Contractor versed in commercial and residential on-site construction.
Bloomington, MN
(506)-123-8816
[email protected]
Professional Summary
Performance-driven General Contractor with 10 years of experience in managing properties, construction sites, and logistics. Strong interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and a solid background in business development, relationship building, inventory management, safety management to deliver all projects on time and under budget.
Work Experience
General Contractor
Stone Construction, MN
Feb. 2015 - Present
- Remodel the properties in need of renovation, including replacing flooring, roofs, structural interiors, and in-house rooms.
- Perform contracting tasks for both commercial and residential projects with set timeframes and budget.
- Collaborate with the engineering team to maintain a safe work environment and efficient workflow.
Construction Engineer
PowerX, MN
Oct. 2010 - Dec. 2015
- Routinely worked with architects and builders to install drywall and ceilings; trim and fabricate replacement trim and moldings.
- Provided proper suggestions to clients’ remodeling needs within their budget; obtaining 95% customer satisfaction for all custom work.
- Collected and analyzed construction documents to determine project directives and identify necessary equipment, tools, and required assistance in a timely manner.
Education
Southwest Minnesota State University, MN
B.S. in Construction Management
Year of graduation: 2010
Skills
Hard Skills:
- AutoCAD
- Maintenance Planning
- Safety Management
- Production Scheduling
- Project Coordination
Soft Skills:
- Interpersonal Skills
- Communication Skills
- Critical Thinking
- Detail-Thinking
- Problem-Solving
--- Originally written by May Luong ---
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