Finish Carpenter Resume Examples & Templates

Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW
By Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW, Career Advice Expert Last Updated: August 25, 2022
  • 30% higher chance of getting a job‡
  • 42% higher response rate from recruiters‡

Due to a shrinking labor force and booming need for housing, finish carpenters are in high demand all over the country. Skilled with both hand and power tools, finish carpenters trim houses, install staircases and doors, and are expert problem solvers. If this sounds like you, read on! Despite the large number of available positions for carpenters, you’ll absolutely need to invest time to custom write a resume for each job to which you apply.

Finish carpenters are almost always part of larger teams. Describe all your team experiences in your work history and highlights section. Be sure to emphasize the different roles you’ve played: apprentice, team leader, or master craftsman.

If you’re too busy plying your craft with wood to describe your craft with words, we’re here to help. Use our finish carpenter resume templates to help create the perfect resume for each job.

finish carpenter resume format

 

Finish Carpenter Resume Questions

1. How do you write the header of a finish carpenter resume?

You’ve probably heard that hiring managers only spend a few seconds on each application that crosses their desks. If you want yours to be one that holds this professional’s attention for more than six seconds, start with a great header and follow this up with a concise summary statement. Your header should contain your name (in a larger font than the rest of the page) and contact information, and include your phone number, email address, and professional website, if you have one.

2. How do you make a finish carpenter resume for a first job?

Your top priority in writing your first resume is to focus on your audience. The better you understand what each potential employer wants, the better you’ll be able to tailor your resume. Start by carefully reading through job descriptions. Next, identify your best skills and qualifications that meet those requirements. While the standard format focuses on previous work experience, your document should draw attention to the abilities you’ve developed at school or during community involvement. If you’ve created and finished some carpentry pieces on your own time, you might consider building a professional website to showcase your work. Our resume builder and tools provide the guidance you need to create a winning personalized document.

3. How can you highlight team experience on a finish carpenter resume?

It’s easy to write that you are a great team player, but you must also convince each potential employer with actual facts. Show off your ability to work well with a team with a good “story.” In our finish carpenter resume sample, the jobseeker gave examples of work with apprentices and customer support.

Make sure each bullet, for both technical and soft skills, correlates to an ability the hiring manager wants. Use facts and figures to show how effective you are. By combining metrics to skills potential employers want, you provide proof of your capabilities.

4. What technical skills should you put on a finish carpenter resume?

You’ll naturally want to include examples of your ability to work with a variety of carpentry and woodworking skills, describe the finishing methods you’ve mastered, and share some of your knowledge about varieties of woods. If you’re well-versed in rules regarding worksite safety, list that qualification as well. The best way to determine which technical skills to include is to read through the job description. Be sure to use keywords and phrases exactly as they appear in that job posting. Refer to our finish carpenter resume sample for more examples of the best skills for your document.

5. What does a good finish carpenter resume look like?

Many applications today have to pass through applicant tracking systems before a hiring manager will even see them. This means that from the very start, you must structure your page to make it past software filters. ATS programs search for job description keywords in resumes, but this isn’t the only thing to concern you. Grammar and spelling mistakes can sideline your document and so can too much creativity in formatting, resume fonts, and images. A great document has a good balance between bullets and paragraphs, is easy to scan, and has been thoroughly proofread. Take a look at our finish carpenter resume sample for a good example of this.

Show Resume Text

Resume Text

 

Randall Franks

123 Fake Street

City, State, Zip Code

Cell: 000-000-0000

email@email.com

Professional Summary

Reliable Finish Carpenter with the flexibility to work as member of a construction team or as an independent contractor. Experienced with indoor and outdoor finish and trim work, including doors, windows, cabinets, molding and baseboards. Specializes in design and installation of custom decorative trim in upscale homes and office buildings.

 

 

Highlights

 

    • Reads blueprints

 

    • Hangs doors

 

    • Installs windows

 

    • Trims and installs cabinets

 

    • Encourages client input on custom designs

 

    • Clean driving record

 

  • Possesses own tools

 

 

 

Work Experience

November 2011 to February 2015 Norcal Carpentry-City, State Finish Carpenter

    • Designed and installed finish work for 11 models of custom homes in an 1,800 unit planned community.

 

    • Responsible for working independently and completing jobs with minimal supervision.

 

    • Followed up on punch-list details for total customer satisfaction.

 

    • Inventoried and ordered all job-related materials.

 

    • Managed quality assurance in measuring and cutting materials to meet or exceed budget requirements.

 

  • Supervised Finish Carpenter apprentices on support tasks.

May 2007 to November 2011 Company Name-City, State Finish Carpenter

    • Measured and cut materials for new construction jobs according to blueprints.

 

    • Installed doors and windows in offices and apartment buildings.

 

  • Completed repairs to trim, molding, baseboards, doors and window frames for more than 20 commercial office buildings and apartment complexes.

 

 

 

Education

2007 Newtech Vocational School, City, State General and Finish Carpenter Program