Create an Engineering or Trade CV that works

The current job market is highly competitive and candidates need to make sure they stand out in the crowd. This is especially relevant in the engineering, trade, manufacturing or technical sectors where it’s vital you put your best foot forward with a great CV.  A CV that is well formatted, detailed and easy to read will help you get the role you want, as often:

• There are an extremely high number of candidates for every role.
• Recruiters or employers that have to wade through high numbers of applications – which results in CV’s being assessed within seconds.
• Companies use automated systems to load CVs electronically, without a human eyeball on them. If your CV is not well written or well structured  these electronic systems can lose or distort information, which puts you at a real disadvantage.

There is a very brief opportunity for job seekers to make an impact and create a great first impression with a stand-out CV.  In this blog we’ll tell you what stands out to us, what we look for and how to ensure you put your best foot forward.  By applying a few of these helpful tips you can create a CV that is clear, concise and well structured – and it just might get you past the first cut!

Some Helpful Tips

It’s a good time to review and refresh your current CV with these helpful tips.

• Avoid fancy formatting or writing text in boxes. Keep it simple and follow the structure below.
• Make sure you use the same font throughout – one that is non-script, clear and easy to read. Suggested fonts are Arial, Calibri or Verdana.
• Send your CV in word format or as a PDF.
• Use bullet points and short sentences.
• Include ALL your contact details as well as where you live.
• Bring to the forefront your core skills, be specific and succinct about you skills – use bullet points and avoid large paragraphs of text.
• Include details of your  Degree, Trade Qualification and other Certificates, Licences or Tickets.
• Always put the bulk of your work experience within the Employment History section.
• Include your work history, starting with your most recent role first. Provide more detail in your last few roles and summarise your older roles.
• Avoid long paragraphs explaining your skills and work history, keep it succinct and to the suggested format below.
• If you have a work visa, include the type of visa and any relevant dates.

Your Engineering/Trade CV

Personal Details

• Full Name
• Contact Phone number(s)
• Email address
• Street address (including suburb)
• Visa details (visa type and relevant dates)

Skills Summary

• Use bullet points to list your main hard/technical skills (ie; mechanical fitting, machine building, heavy fabrication, industrial electrical) – keep it to around 5 of your core hard skills.
• Use bullet points to list your relevant soft skills (ie; excellent organisational skills, problem solving ability, attention to detail, ability to lead a team, read blueprints) – keep it to 5 soft skills.

Employment History

The important thing to remember is that your Employment History will often be the first section a prospective employer or recruiter will jump straight to in order to make a quick assessment of your suitability for the role. Ensure you summarise each role succinctly, starting with you current or most recent work first.

For each job, include the following:

• Position
• Company  (There is no need to include the companies address unless you were working outside NZ, in that case, add the country you were working in)
• Dates of employment
• Duties & responsibilities (Use bullet points rather than sentences in a paragraph – be short and succinct). Make sure you provide enough detail about what your duties were for someone to quickly ascertain your level of skill and experience. For example, if you are a welder, make sure you list the method of welding used, the materials you worked with (eg; mild steel, plate, pipes, structural, tanks, dairy tube) as well as any specific projects you worked on.

Qualifications, Education & Training

In this section you should list ALL your qualifications. Even if you did your Trade Certificate or Engineering Degree several years ago it is still relevant, as many clients will only consider candidates with Degrees or Trade Qualifications.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

• Include your Qualifications – Diploma, Degree or Trade Qualification, which should include:
• Qualification Name
• Course provider/institution
• Date completed

HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION

• Include your highest qualification and educational achievements, but keep it simple or delete entirely if you think it will not add any value.

You should be prepared to provide a copy of your qualifications if requested.

Other Licences/Safety Qualifications & Tickets

List any current tickets or safety licences you hold and their expiry dates (ie; Welding Tickets, Confined Space, EWP, First Aid, Site Safe)

• Qualification Name
• Course provider/institution
• Date completed and expiry date

Hobbies/Interest

Let us know what you like to get up to in your spare time! Just a few bullet points, don’t go overboard!

References

This is optional – add details for two referees or if you prefer not to, simply put “References supplied on request”.

Looking for an engineering or trade job?

Techtrade specialises in both temporary and permanent engineering and trade jobs so once your CV is completed and ready to submit, head over to our website www.techtrade.co.nz to check out what’s available and apply!

Home