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Carpenter Resume: Templates for Union, Commercial & Residential

Carpentry covers too much ground to use a generic resume. A form setter, a finish carpenter, and a millwright all need different lead sections. This guide gives you the structure that tells coordinators and superintendents exactly what kind of carpenter you are in the first 5 seconds.

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What every employer screens for

  • Specialty: rough framing, form / concrete, finish, millwright, scaffold
  • UBC Local (or contractor history) and total OJT hours
  • Largest project value and square footage worked
  • Power tool and equipment proficiency (track saw, Hilti DX, forklift)
  • OSHA 10 / OSHA 30
  • Fall protection and scaffold competent-person training

Certifications to list

OSHA 10 / OSHA 30
Scaffold User / Competent Person
Forklift and aerial lift
Signal Person / Rigging Level 1
First Aid / CPR

Technical skills section

Concrete formwork (gang forms, Symons, Doka)Steel stud framing and shaft wallCabinet and casework installationDoor, frame, and hardware (DFH)Acoustical ceiling gridLayout from blueprints (total station basics)

Example bullets that get callbacks

  • Set 18 stories of Doka self-climbing gang forms on a downtown high-rise core wall; maintained 4-day cycle through topping out.
  • Framed 38,000 SF of steel stud partitions on a hospital expansion; coordinated MEP openings with sub-trades to avoid cut-and-patch.
  • Installed 240 LF of architectural millwork (rift-cut white oak) in a corporate lobby; matched grain at all field joints.

Apprenticeship application note

For UBC (Carpenters) apprenticeship, lead with shop class, math (geometry / trigonometry), and physical work history. Coordinators specifically look for the ability to read a tape measure to 1/16 and basic blueprint exposure.

Frequently asked questions

Form carpenter vs general carpenter — does it matter on a resume?

Yes. Form work is its own dispatch list in most UBC Locals. Lead with 'Form Carpenter — X years' if that's your path; concrete contractors won't read past line 3 otherwise.

Should I list residential remodel work for a commercial job?

Group it: 'Residential remodels — 3 years (kitchen / bath / framing).' Don't bullet individual houses; commercial supers want to see scale, not project count.

Do I need to list specific brands of tools?

Only if a brand is the standard for your specialty (e.g., Hilti DX powder-actuated for steel stud, Festool for finish). Otherwise skip — it reads as filler.

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