How to write a CV that gets noticed in the trades
If you work in construction, industrial sector, telecoms or another skilled trade, your CV needs to make your experience clear quickly. You may have years of valuable site experience, the right qualifications and the tickets employers are looking for, but if that information is difficult to find, your CV may not get the attention it deserves.
At PPR Recruitment, we understand that tradespeople and skilled workers have different experience and requirements compared to candidates applying for office-based roles. A strong trades CV should make it easy for a recruiter or employer to understand what you do, where you have worked and what qualifications you hold.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to structure your CV, present your experience effectively and avoid some of the common mistakes that can cause applications to be overlooked.
Start with a clear personal statement
Your personal statement is one of the first things someone will read, so keep it short and focused.
Use three or four lines to explain your trade, experience and the type of work you are looking for. There is no need to fill the space with generic phrases such as “hard-working team player”. Instead, give the reader useful information straight away.
For example, you could mention:
- Your trade or main area of expertise
- How many years of experience you have
- The types of projects or sites you have worked on
- Your main qualifications or tickets
- The type of role you are looking for
If you are an experienced electrician, for example, your opening should tell the reader that quickly rather than making them work through several paragraphs before discovering what you actually do.
Put your qualifications and tickets near the top
For tradespeople, qualifications and certifications can be just as important as your employment history.
Don’t hide your qualifications at the bottom of your CV. Create a clearly labelled section near the beginning of the document so that recruiters can see your relevant qualifications, cards and tickets straight away.
Depending on your trade and the roles you are applying for, this could include:
- CSCS cards
- NVQ qualifications
- CPCS or NPORS
- IPAF
- PASMA
- ECS
- 18th Edition
- SMSTS or SSSTS
- First Aid
- Relevant health and safety training
Where a qualification or certification has an expiry date, include it. This makes it immediately clear whether it is current.
You should also give the full name of the qualification rather than relying on abbreviations that may not be obvious to everyone reading your CV.
The exact certifications you include should reflect your trade. An electrician’s CV will naturally look different from a groundworker’s or plant operator’s. The important thing is that the qualifications relevant to the job are easy to find.
Make your site experience specific
Your work history is where you can demonstrate what you have actually done rather than simply listing job titles.
Start with your most recent role and work backwards. For each position, include your job title, employer, dates and a short description of the work involved.
Rather than writing:
Labourer – ABC Construction – 2019–2021
give the reader more context.
For example:
General Operative – ABC Construction – 2019–2021
Worked on a large residential development, carrying out groundworks, drainage, concrete work and general site duties as part of a busy civils team.
The second example immediately tells the reader more about your experience.
Think about the projects you have worked on and the skills you used. Were you working on residential developments, commercial buildings, infrastructure projects or industrial sites? Were you working as part of a large team? Did you operate particular machinery or carry out specialist work?
These details can help an employer understand whether your previous experience matches what they need.
Use bullet points to make your experience easy to scan
Avoid filling your work history with large blocks of text. Recruiters need to be able to scan your CV and quickly identify your relevant experience.
Three to five bullet points for each important role can be enough.
Start each bullet with a clear action, such as:
- Installed
- Operated
- Maintained
- Inspected
- Supervised
- Managed
- Repaired
- Fitted
Focus on what you actually did and the environment you worked in.
If you have worked on several short-term contracts, don’t worry about having a long list of employers. Where appropriate, similar agency placements or projects can be grouped together, provided your dates, roles and experience remain clear.
Don’t leave unexplained gaps in your work history
Gaps in employment are not unusual in the trades. You may have worked on short-term contracts, moved between projects or spent time looking for your next opportunity.
You don’t need to write a long explanation. If there is a significant gap, a short and honest description is usually enough.
For example:
January 2024 – March 2024: Between contracts
Being clear is generally better than leaving the reader wondering what happened during a particular period.
Tailor your CV to the role
You don’t necessarily need a completely different CV for every job, but you should make sure the most relevant parts of your experience are easy to spot.
If you are applying for a construction role that requires experience in groundworks, make sure your groundworks experience is prominent.
If a position requires particular tickets, check that they are clearly listed.
If the role involves working on specific types of sites or projects and you have that experience, mention it in your personal statement or work history.
At PPR Recruitment, we work across a range of sectors, including construction, industrial and telecoms. The requirements can vary considerably between roles, so tailoring your CV can help us and potential employers quickly see where your experience fits.
What certifications should you include?
There is no universal list of tickets that every tradesperson needs. The right qualifications depend on your trade and the work you want to undertake.
For construction roles, you may need to highlight relevant CSCS qualifications and health and safety training.
Plant operators may need to show relevant CPCS or NPORS qualifications, while IPAF or PASMA may be important for certain roles.
Electrical and mechanical workers may need to highlight qualifications such as an NVQ, ECS card or 18th Edition.
The key is to include the qualifications that are relevant to the work you are applying for rather than creating a long list of unrelated certificates.
Keep the formatting simple
A trades CV doesn’t need complicated graphics or an elaborate design.
Your priority should be making the information easy to read.
Use:
- A clear, professional font
- Consistent headings
- Consistent dates
- Short paragraphs and bullet points
- Clear sections for qualifications and employment history
- Your phone number and email address at the top
Try to avoid excessive colours, large graphics or complicated layouts that make important information harder to find.
Your CV should look professional, but the content is what matters most.
Common CV mistakes to avoid
Even an experienced tradesperson can have their application weakened by a few simple mistakes.
Leaving out important qualifications
If you have a relevant qualification or ticket, don’t assume the recruiter will ask about it later. Put it on your CV.
Not including dates
Make sure your employment history shows when you worked somewhere. Month and year is usually a useful way to keep your work history clear.
Using vague job descriptions
“General site duties” doesn’t tell an employer very much. Explain what you actually did and the type of environment you worked in.
Making your CV too long
Your CV doesn’t need to document every job you’ve ever had in minute detail. Prioritise the experience that is most relevant to the roles you want.
Sending the same CV for every role
Small changes can make a big difference. Make sure your personal statement and most prominent experience reflect the type of work you are applying for.
Spelling mistakes
Always proofread your CV before sending it. Getting the names of your trade, qualifications or certifications wrong can make an otherwise professional application look rushed.
Don’t forget the basics
Before sending your CV, check that your contact details are correct.
Your name, phone number and email address should be easy to find. Make sure your email address is professional and that you are comfortable being contacted on the number you provide.
It’s also worth checking that your CV reflects your current situation. If you have recently gained a new qualification, changed roles or obtained a new ticket, update the document rather than relying on an old version.
A few minutes checking these details can prevent unnecessary problems later.
How PPR Recruitment can support you
Your CV is important, but it is only one part of finding your next role.
At PPR Recruitment, we work with candidates across construction, industrial, telecoms and other skilled sectors. Our role is to understand your experience and help connect you with opportunities that match your skills.
We can look at your qualifications, previous experience and the type of work you are looking for when considering you for suitable vacancies.
If you’re unsure how to present your experience, registering with a recruitment specialist can also give you another perspective on what employers are looking for.
We want candidates to feel supported throughout the recruitment process, rather than simply sending a CV and being left to work everything out themselves.
Your CV should show what you can offer
A good trades CV doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to make your skills, qualifications and experience clear.
Put your most important information near the top, describe your site experience with enough detail to demonstrate what you have actually done, and make sure your relevant tickets and certifications are easy to find.
Most importantly, remember that your CV is an opportunity to show an employer why your particular experience could be valuable to them.
At PPR Recruitment, we’re here to help you make that experience count. Whether you’re looking for your next contract, considering a permanent move or simply want to see what opportunities are available, our team can help you take the next step.
Ready to take a look at your next opportunity?
If you’re looking for work in the trades, construction or industrial sectors, you can upload your CV to PPR Recruitment and speak to our team about your experience and the opportunities available.
You can also browse our current vacancies to find roles that match your skills and qualifications.
Alternatively, you can call the PPR Recruitment team on 01895 80 81 88 to discuss your experience and the opportunities currently available.
