Plumber Resume Example

We're all humans. Therefore, we all have the same... necessities. Thankfully, we're living in a day and age where we have plumbings, and luckily, we have plumbers, too.

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair piping fixtures and systems. It is their job to fix an overflowing toilet or sink if you don't know how.

Now, if you're a plumber looking to improve your resume, you've come to the right place.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, plumbing positions are at a 4% growth rate and there are more than 490,200 jobs available in the United States.

This means that your resume needs to be in top shape in order for you to get that job.

In this article, we are going to go over 6 steps that will help your resume shine:

1. Formatting your resume
2. Writing a resume summary
3. Describing your work experience
4. List your key skills
5. Include your license
6. Add your education

1. Format your resume like a professional

A hiring manager is not going to hire you if your resume is sloppy and poorly formatted. When it comes to your resume, you want to present the best version of yourself you can.

Here are some details you should always include in your resume:

• Contact information
• Work experience
• Skills
• Licenses
• Education

Tip: Feel free to include other details, like languages and organizations or associations to your resume, too.

When it comes to formatting your resume, there are three ways you can do so:

1. Reverse-chronological, which emphasizes your previous work experience
2. Functional, which highlights your key skills
3. Hybrid, which combines the previous formats

As a plumber, selecting the reverse-chronological format would be to your best advantage as you can showcase to hiring managers that you have experience in the field. No company or customer would want a plumber in their house who doesn't really know what to do.

Tip: If you're just beginning to be a plumber, using the functional format might be a better option as you can highlight your key skills since you don't have much work experience. If you've completed any apprenticeships, be sure to include that in your work experience.

Take a look at our guide on how to format your resume if you want to learn more.

2. Impress hiring managers with a resume summary

A resume summary is a 1-2 sentence blurb that summarizes everything your resume consists of. It's a quick and easy way to show hiring managers that you appreciate their time, which can help your resume stand out from the pile since not everyone writes one.

You can also think of it as your elevator pitch.

Here are some elements you should always include in your resume summary:

• Years of experience
• Kinds of works done
• Some achievements

Tip: Sometimes, it's easier to write your resume summary after you have already written your resume. That way, it's easier to pick and choose what characteristics to include.

If you're still stuck on how to write your resume summary, here's a good and simple example:

Efficient and personable plumber with 8+ years of experience working in PEX and copper installation, repair, and maintenance. Skilled in customer service with 95% customer satisfaction ratings and 10% fewer errors than other plumbers in Houston, TX.

Want to write the perfect resume summary? Our guide on writing resume summaries has tons of examples.

3. Describe your  work experience

Being a plumber is not an easy feat. Some people have tried to do their own plumbing only to need to hire a plumber when they fail to do it right. Here is where you come in. Therefore, it's important to show hiring managers that you already have previous experience in the field so you can get hired and sent out on the job.

Tip: When listing your work experience, it's important to highlight the specifics you did on the job, and do so using good verbs.

Your work experience should include the following:

• Company name
• Job title
• Years worked
• Location
• Job description

Here are some examples of job descriptions you may be able to include in your plumber resume:

• Analyzed, diagnosed, and resolved customer problems in a courteous, professional, timely, and accurate manner.
• Identified potential problems to prevent premature and unexpected breakdowns or callbacks.
• Maintained and repaired plumbing systems carrying water, steam, chemicals and fuel in heating, cooling, lubricating and other process piping systems by replacing defective washers, replacing or mending broken pipes, or opening clogged drains.
• Repaired or replaced plumbing fixtures; tested joints and pipe systems for leaks, opened clogged drains, measured, cut, threaded, bent, reamed and installed pipe and pipe fittings.
• Inspected high pressure, air, steam, water and gas systems to ascertain malfunctions.
• Assembled pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
• Welded small pipes or special piping, using specialized techniques, equipment, or materials, such as computer-assisted welding or microchip fabrication.
• Located and marked the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels, and cuts openings
• Installed pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers or water heaters, or fixtures such as sinks or toilets, using hand or power tools.
• Measured, cut, threaded, or bent pipe to required angle, using hand or power tools or machines such as pipe cutters, pipe-threading machines, or pipe-bending machines.

If you're looking to get into your first job as a plumber, be sure to do an apprenticeship and include it in your work experience.

Here's what you can write in the job description for a plumber apprentice:

• Asked questions, observed, and emulated the values adhered at the company.
• Got out in the field with experienced plumbing technicians.
• Was mentored and trained on everything from servicing plumbing systems to how to professionally interact with clients.

Want more tips and tricks on how to write your work experience description? Check out our guide on describing your work experience.

4. List your key skills

Whether you've got the experience or not, it's important to highlight your key skills.

Tip: Listing impressive and relevant skills gives hiring managers more reasons to hire you.

Here are some examples of key skills you can include in your resume as a plumber:

• Sewage lines
• Installation
• Repairs
• PEX
• PVC
• Venting
• Communication
• Organization
• Time management
• Problem Solving
• Work Ethic
• Customer service

Tip: You can even categorize your skills into hard skills and soft skills. You can even include skills such as being multilingual to impress hiring managers.

Having trouble identifying your skills? We have a guide with 100+ key skills you can include in your resume.

5. Include your license

To become a plumber, you need a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. However, a lot of places do require you to get a plumber license. Therefore, be sure to have a certifications section in your resume.

Tip: Many states do have the ability to give you a plumbing license, so be sure to look into it for your state.

Here's what your license could look like:

Journeyman License

Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners

If you're looking for more certifications to include in your resume or want to know how to correctly list them, check out our guide.

6. Add your education

Just because it is at the bottom of our list, doesn't mean it is not important. While plumber positions only require a high school diploma or equivalent, it is still crucial for you to have an education section in your resume.

When including your education, be sure to mention the following when listing your education:

• School name and location
• Years in school
• Degree

Here's what adding your education to your resume can look like:

Pipe Fitters Apprentice School

Deer Park, TX • 2013 — 2014

Plumbing Training and Apprenticeship

Carnegie Vanguard High School

Houston, TX • 2005 — 2009

‍Tip: If you attended a technical school that focused on plumbing or relevant subjects, be sure to include that in the education section of your resume.

Need more helping listing your education? We have a guide that will help you list your education in 2021 with examples and tips.

Key Takeaways

Following our guide, you're well on your way to showcasing your excellence on paper as a plumber.

Here's a summary of everything we've covered:

1. Formatting your resume
2. Writing a resume summary
3. Describing your work experience
4. List your key skills
5. Include your license
6. Add your education

Good luck!