Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
What do your home, workplace, stores, schools, and other structures have in common? They all have plumbing systems. Those systems must be kept in good repair. When they aren’t things turn bad quickly. That’s why the work of a plumber is so important.
As a trained plumber you deserve the best possible job with a decent salary and benefits. To get that, you need to stand out in your field. That begins with a great resume and that’s probably the reason why you’re here.
Without further ado, here’s a sample plumber resume you can use as a working reference, followed by some extra writing tips.
Plumber Resume Example (Word)
Plumber Resume (plain text)
Professional Summary
Journeyman plumber with more than a decade of experience in all aspects of residential plumbing and pipefitting seeks a position in a union shop. Excellent industry reputation and consistent producer of quality work.
Skills
- ANSI PFI & ASME Code Mastery
- Blueprint Reading & Interpretation
- Math Aptitude And Proficiency
- Gas Water & Steam Applications
- Appliance installation
- Sewage & drain system repair/replacement
- Problem Solving
- Shop Steward
- OSHA Safety Certified
Work History
Lyon’s Plumbing
Journeyman Plumber – New Construction Division
April 2019 – Present
Senior journeyman in the new construction division of the region’s largest plumbing and pipefitting service provider, servicing multi-family, commercial, and government projects.
- Contributed to multiple blueprint designs, including a large-scale drain system for a new commercial center in a valley location.
- Conducted 20+ installations of water and sewer lines with subsequent quality assurance.
- Supervisor for a team of 5 apprentice plumbers. Provide theoretical lectures on safety and construction best practices. Supervise filed work.
- Perform regular inventory on tools and materials; create reports on material usage and costs for budgeting.
The Service Professionals
Plumber
June 2013 – March 2019
Served a four-year apprenticeship and training program for licensing and certification in both plumbing and pipefitting with a union home and commercial service company. Successfully transitioned to a full-time plumber. My responsibilities included working in maintenance and repair on both residential and commercial jobs, plus performing scheduled maintenance services.
Jefferson Construction
Manual Laborer / Carpenter
November 2011 – June 2013
Employed as a laborer and carpenter’s helper during summers as a high school and community college student. Responsible for ensuring carpenters had access to tools and materials as needed. Cleaned and prepared job sites. Completed other duties as required.
Education
Local 665 Plumbing & Pipefitters Union
Apprentice Program
March 2019
Successfully completed a union apprenticeship program involving six years of on-the-job training and 3000 hours of classroom instruction. Passed state licensing examination. Earned the designation of Journeyman Plumber And Pipefitter
Everest Community College
Certificate of Completion – Building Trades (Mechanical)
May 2012
An honors graduate of a year-long certification program that included classroom and hands-on training in plumbing, HVAC, and commercial building maintenance.
Memberships and Associations
- Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 665 – Shop Steward And Retirement Committee Chair
- Missouri Association of Women in Construction & Contracting
- 100% Osha Safety Club
How to Write a Plumber Resume
The two key elements of a winning resume are the correct format and optimal length.
The go-to resume format for plumbers is a chronological resume, where you list your employment history from the most recent role to the former positions. Then add all your educational history.
Length-wise, your resume needs to fit into one page. Resumes that are longer than that are often ignored entirely. Once you have a solid first draft, trim any excess content, and focus on getting your point across with a lot of brevity.
Below are several more tips to help you create a stellar plumber resume.
Use the BLUF Principle
BLUF, short for “bottom line up front”, is a military communication principle, which says that the most important details should always come first. It was designed to promote speed and clarity in reports, but you can (and should!) also apply it to your resume.
Place the key information in your resume header. Include a professional summary of your qualifications, followed by a summary of your skills. This way you can instantly showcase what you bring to the table.
Integrate Keywords Into Your Resume
ATS (applicant tracking system) is a relatively new technology that is used to screen resumes and applications before they are reviewed by a human being. This software scans for keywords to determine whether you meet basic qualifications for further consideration. So you must pack the right wording in your resume.
For example, the plumber’s resume example above uses words and phrases that indicate the applicant has commercial and residential experience, and that they are OSHA certified. You can identify keywords to include in your resume by reviewing the job listing and adding words and phrases that are relevant to your background.
Demonstrate Progression
Employers want to see well-rounded and motivated candidates. You have two ways of showing your professional growth:
- By highlighting training and upskilling programs
- By drawing attention to your career progression
In the sample above, you can see how the applicant came into the profession, what sort of training they’ve completed over the past several years, and which certifications they hold. Such information clearly communicates that they’re eager to learn and can adopt more responsibilities as needed.
Final Tip: Use the Correct Format
This is more technical than the other tips. Your resume should be saved in an easy-to-open format. PDF files work well for this. Many job listings will include instructions on the file format you should use, and how to save or upload your resume.
If you don’t want to bother with file conversions, try our free resume builder. With it, you’ll get a PDF resume generated in several easy steps!
