Hard Hat Resume publishes free resume samples and writing guides for the skilled trades — construction, electrical, welding and equipment operation.
Why this site exists
Most resume advice is written by people who have never been on a site. It tells a welder to describe himself as a “detail-oriented team player” and never mentions that a welding QC wants to know his process, position, material and whether the qualification is still current. It tells an apprentice electrician to list “electrical experience” and never mentions that the number a contractor actually needs is logged hours as a fraction of the hours required.
That gap is the entire reason this site exists. Every sample here is built around the questions the person doing the hiring is actually asking in the first eight seconds:
- Will this person show up, on time, every day?
- Are they going to get hurt, or get someone else hurt?
- Can they physically do the work, in the weather, for the whole shift?
- Can they get to the site, and do they have their own tools?
How the samples are written
Each guide contains complete, copy-ready samples rather than fragments, plus the trade-specific detail that generalist resume writers get wrong. Certifications are written the way a contractor or QC reads them — code, process, position, material, and whether they are current. Physical work is quantified: cubic yards of formwork, logged apprenticeship hours, first-time radiographic pass rates, motors maintained, downtime reduced.
Nothing here is behind a signup or a paywall. Every sample is on the page as plain text you can select and copy, and as an image you can save.
Who writes it
Hard Hat Resume is written by Kin Lau, who has worked on the tools rather than in an office, with a background in welding and electrical work. That background is why the guides go into process and position detail instead of stopping at “MIG, TIG, stick”.
Requirements for licences, certifications and apprenticeships vary by state and by country, and they change. This site gives general information and worked examples — it is not licensing, legal or career advice. For anything specific to your situation, check with the relevant licensing board, apprenticeship programme or employer.
Contact
Questions, corrections or suggestions for a trade you would like covered: contact@hardhatresume.com (or use the contact form). Corrections are genuinely welcome — if something here is wrong for your state or your trade, tell us and it gets fixed.