Electrician CV Example & Writing Guide

You like working with your hands, helping others in different environments, and solving problems. Great! You’ve chosen a career that allows you to excel while doing what you love. 

Plus, the demand for your skills is growing. With a well-crafted electrician CV, you can have your pick of jobs. 

We know that writing and formatting a CV can be a frustrating and time consuming activity – especially if you want to get your job hunt going now. 

Here at cvapp.nz, we’re here to help boost your job prospects with a high-quality builder tool, top career tips and expertly designed templates.

Let’s get started!

How to write an electrician CV

There are many types of electricians – from industrial electricians to commercial electricians, electrician skills are in hot demand! For this reason, it’s important that you present yourself in the best possible light to potential employers. 

The very first step in writing your electrician CV is understanding which sections to include. Your CV should contain the following elements:

• The CV summary (also known as profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The education section
• The CV skills section

Before you begin, it’s important to keep the following tips in mind: 

• Write every word with the specific employer or client in mind, as well as the specialty area and project type. Adapt the style and tone as you would communicate in person.
• Your electrician CV template should be neat and orderly, without being too formal or stuffy. Fortunately, we have a ton of templates to choose from on the cvapp.nz website!
• When submitting online, be sure to optimise your CV with appropriate keywords so it won’t be filtered out by ATS screening software.

Choosing the best CV format for an electrician

For electricians, the most commonly used CV format is the chronological format. It organises job experience and accomplishments in reverse order by an employer, with the most recent jobs displayed first. 

Alternative formats, such as functional or hybrid CVs, may be suitable for those new to the workforce, changing careers, or with a diverse occupational background. 

Functional CVs highlight technical skills instead of work history, while hybrid CVs incorporate elements from both chronological and functional formats. Most of the time, however, the reverse chronological format is best. 

Include your contact information

Employers need to know how to get in touch with you, so it’s important to include accurate, up-to-date contact details, including: 

• Full name (including first and last name, and any relevant titles).
• Email address (ensure your email is professional and up-to-date).
• Phone number (important to provide correct information).
• Location (include your city, town, or region).
• Relevant websites (if applicable, provide links to platforms like LinkedIn or websites showcasing your professional skills).

How to write an effective electrician summary

Your professional summary gives an overview of your professional life and attributes. This is your space to inject some personality into your electrician's CV. While the summary section of your electrician CV allows you some freedom, avoid being too wordy. You’ll have 2-4 sentences to explain what skills and attributes you can bring to the business.

This is a good spot to get in some keywords, too! Be sure to review the job description and highlight any skills or attributes the employer has listed. Try to fit at least a few of them in here – but don’t force it! Pick the ones you want to emphasise.

Check out our example of a great electrician CV summary below or our engineering CV example to help you out: 

Light up your work experience

Whether you are just starting out or have been in the workforce for years, a winning electrician CV tells hiring managers not only what you have done, but how you have learned and grown on the job.

As an electrician, you’ve completed an apprenticeship. Show how that gave you foundational skills and then illustrate your increasing abilities in later jobs. Your employment history focuses on your achievements and the challenges you have overcome. 

For example, you didn’t just replace faulty wiring, you listened as the customer described the problem, investigated and performed tests, diagnosed the problem, developed one or more solutions, communicated those to the customer, and repaired the electrical system on time and within budget. Be sure to use strong action verbs like the ones above to describe your work and use numbers, facts or figures where possible.  

How to write an electrician CV with limited experience

If you have limited electrician experience, don’t stress! We recommend highlighting your relevant skills and knowledge and showcasing any transferable skills like problem-solving, attention to detail, and technical aptitude. Additionally, you can outline any electrical training, certifications, or courses you have completed. Show your passion for the field and your eagerness to learn and advance as an electrician.

The best skills to include on an electrician CV

Your skills section gives potential employers a brief overview of your abilities and professional strengths. 

Here, you’ll want to add those all-important keywords from the job description where applicable and relevant. This is also a great place to include any technical skills you may have, such as wiring and rewiring, knowledge of PLC programming, electrical installations and compliance knowledge. 

Sometimes, keywords aren’t obvious because the job listing is vague or too detailed. In that case, you can create a word cloud. Word clouds take text and turn them into images. The more the word appears in the text, the bigger it is in the image. All you have to do is plug job listing descriptions into an app such as wordle.com or wordart.com, and you will get a visual representation of the words that the ATS is probably scanning for. 

Some great in-demand skills include electrical knowledge, communication skills, safety awareness, knowledge of code and problem solving skills. 

Electrician CV education section: illuminate your strengths 

As an electrician, it’s essential that you possess the appropriate qualifications. However, your apprenticeship and licences carry significant weight in the electrician industry. Potential employers will want to know that you have your Registered Electrician licence as well as any other relevant certifications, such as a first aid and CPR certification. If you have substantial experience, it’s best to list your apprenticeship details in the employment history section. 

However, if you are on the lookout for the right post-apprenticeship position, it would be wise to highlight your experience in the employment history section. Ensure that you include any relevant high school qualifications and accomplishments, such as NCEA details, along with any additional degrees or certifications obtained.

CV layout and design

Your electrician CV layout is important: a sloppy or hard-to-read design can hinder your chances of landing your dream job. 

While there are basic design rules to follow, you can also benefit from cvapp.nz’s tested CV templates, all customisable to suit your needs. It’s best to avoid excessive colour or fancy fonts, blocky text and silly fonts. We recommend using one of our modern CV templates or professional CV templates to help engage and impress employers.

Additionally, it’s also best to use bullet points instead of lengthy sentences, and avoid placing crucial information in headers or footers that may not be scannable by application software. 

Recruiters may reject your CV due to jumbled formatting, improper spacing, or clashing colours, so always be sure to save your CV as a PDF file and verify that the formatting remains intact. 

At cvapp.nz, we’re here to advance your career potential. With captivating CV templates tailored for a range of professions and expert-approved, we’ll help you create a job-winning CV with ease. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our online CV builder and kickstart your career journey today!