CV for skilled trades workers (electricians, plumbers, mechanics, tailors, builders, repairers): write it so recruiters call you
A skilled-trades CV needs just 1 page: one main trade line (trade + strongest job + area you take work in), 3–5 jobs you can do, one line each, with tools or certificates to match, then the area and time you can take work. Recruiters look for 4 answers in about 30 seconds: which jobs you can do, whether you have the tools or certificate, whether you can take the job right away, and whether you can work in the area needed. State clearly the jobs you cannot do too — taking work beyond your skill and getting it wrong loses the customer and future work.
Free for job seekersCreate a professional CV for freeFive layouts, portrait photo, save to your profile, and print. No fee for job seekers.Create a professional CV for free →How recruiters read CVs for skilled trades
Unlike office CVs, these are read in about 30 seconds, and recruiters look for 4 answers: which jobs you can do, whether you have the tools or certificate for them, whether you can take the job right away, and whether you can work in the area needed. Missing any one of the four usually means the CV is skipped, even if you can do the job. So this CV is structured the opposite way round from an office CV: the jobs you can do and the tools or certificates go first, work experience right after, and qualifications (if any) are just one line at the end. The faster you answer the four questions, the more likely you get the call.
One main trade line: trade + strongest job + area you take work in
Open the CV with exactly one line: your main trade + your strongest job + the area you take work in. Example: “Residential electrician, specialising in wiring and installing home electrical systems, taking work in the Tan Binh and Tan Phu areas.” One such line tells the recruiter at once whether you fit the job at hand, instead of making them read the whole CV only to find you do a different trade or live far away. The most common mistake is writing it too generally (“take any repair work”) or naming the trade without the strongest job. Both force the recruiter to ask — and when a tradesperson is needed urgently, people who need asking are usually skipped first.
List the jobs you can do, one job per line — with tools or certificates
The most important part is the list of jobs you can do, one line each, written with concrete action verbs, plus tools or certificates if the job requires them. For electricians: wire and install home electrical systems; repair and replace household electrical devices; install lights, sockets and breaker boards. For plumbers: install and repair water supply and drainage systems; unblock drains and replace sanitary fixtures; install water heaters and pumps. For mechanics: weld, cut and assemble steel structures; repair machines and mechanical equipment; read basic mechanical drawings. For tailors: make and alter clothes to pattern; use industrial sewing machines and overlockers; read patterns and cut fabric to order. For builders and repairers: build, plaster and tile; paint and repair homes; install doors and basic fittings. Right after the list, state the tools or certificates: electricians state an electrical safety certificate if any; mechanics state the welding machines used; tailors state the machines run; builders state the jobs actually completed. Listing a job you never did to “make the CV look good” shows up at the first site and costs you the opportunity.
Experience: site or workplace + dates + main job, no long descriptions
For each past workplace, three facts are enough: the name of the site, workshop or company (no detailed address), the dates (month/year from–to), and one or two main jobs done there. No long description of the site, no list of every small task. Recruiters in this group care whether you really did that job — one line stating the main job answers that. If you worked many short stints, do not hide them: list them all, one main job per place. Short stints are not automatically a weakness when the jobs are clear; hiding them and being found out is.
Area and time you take work: state them, do not make recruiters ask
The area and time you take work are hard filters for this group — especially for same-day repair work. State them right after the main trade line, for example: “Taking work in the Tan Binh and Tan Phu areas; same-day start for small repair jobs.” If you only take work by appointment, write exactly that — accepting urgent work and arriving late wastes everyone's time. For tradespeople on long projects, add when you are free to start a new project, since that is a practical condition of the job.
Contact details and next step
At the end, only three things are needed: full name, phone number, and the area you live in. No detailed home address, no hobbies, no elaborate portrait photo. Recruiters in this group mostly call — the phone number must be one you actually use and answer during office hours. Next, create an account and upload your CV so recruiters can find it: register as a candidate on timviecde.vn (/register). Note: with an unverified email you cannot upload a CV or receive selection emails — verify your email right after registering, before uploading.
Do this next
- Recruiters for skilled trades shortlist on 3 things: which jobs you can do, whether you have the relevant tools or trade certificate, and whether you can take the job right away — not a long list of qualifications.
- A good CV for this group needs just 1 page: one main trade line, 3–5 jobs you can do, tools or certificates to match, the area you take work in and when you can start.
- State clearly the jobs you have really done and the ones you have not — taking work beyond your skill and getting it wrong loses the customer and future work.
Common questions
- No skilled-trades experience yet — how do I write the CV?
- List jobs you can do from helping a tradesperson, learning the trade or working on your own home (helping with electrical or plumbing work, labouring, helping with sewing) and state the area and time you take work plus the tools you have. Do not leave the jobs-you-can-do section blank — recruiters need to see what you can do right away.
- No trade certificate yet — should I still apply?
- State clearly the jobs you have really done and the tools you have used; do not claim a certificate you do not have. Recruiters need to know exactly which jobs you can do to assign work; a false certificate claim gets you rejected on checking.
- How long should a skilled-trades CV be?
- One page is enough. Recruiters read it in about 30 seconds; pages two and three of a CV for a trades role are usually skipped.
- Should I state my price in the CV?
- No. The CV states only the jobs you can do and the area you take work in; price is agreed directly per job after the recruiter contacts you. A price in the CV can cost you the job if it does not yet match the actual workload.
- I do several trades (electrical + plumbing, building + painting) — how do I write the CV?
- Pick your single strongest trade for the main trade line, and list the other trades as separate one-line jobs. Do not write “can do everything” — recruiters need specific jobs to assign work.
Create yours now
Five layouts, portrait photo, save to your profile, and print. No fee for job seekers.
Create a professional CV for free →