How to Write an Apprenticeship Resume (With an Example)

Updated 11 August 2023

Completing an apprenticeship may be an effective pathway to entering the field you choose. Apprenticeships provide valuable on-the-job training, allowing you to learn from experienced professionals. If you're interested in applying for a specific apprenticeship, knowing how to write a compelling apprenticeship resume that showcases your goals, enthusiasm and skills is advantageous. In this article, we outline how to write a professional resume for an apprenticeship and provide a template and example for reference.

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is an opportunity to work closely with a professional in a specific industry, observe them working and practise new skills. Apprenticeships are an effective way to enter an industry for the first time, gain training and apply new skills through practical work. Most apprenticeships function like full-time employment, as apprentices usually work full-time hours and receive wages.

The following are some industries that use apprenticeships to train new employees:

construction
mechanics
hairdressing
hospitality
telecommunications
transportation
manufacturing
information technology.

How to write an apprenticeship resume

Knowing how to write a professional apprenticeship resume can increase your likelihood of securing an interview. To prepare one, highlight your career goals, personal traits and skills and commitment to gaining new skills that can add value to the employer. Review the job description of each apprenticeship you apply for and tailor your resume to highlight skills that match the requirements of each role.

The following are some steps you can use to write an effective resume for an apprenticeship:

1. Choose an appropriate resume format

Professional resumes typically adopt a functional or chronological format or a mixture of both. A functional resume is a good way to showcase your skills when applying for an apprenticeship, as it emphasises your skills and personal traits, which is useful if you have minimal experience in your preferred field. Given apprenticeships provide entry-level positions to specific industries, most candidates probably have little work experience.

If you have significant work experience or are changing careers, you may use a chronological resume format. Chronological resumes detail work history in reverse chronological order. Using this format, you can list chronological details of work experience in your chosen industry and other related ones.

2. Begin with your name and contact information

By beginning your resume with your name and contact information, you can immediately introduce yourself to a potential employer and provide them a way to contact you. Put your name in bold font to emphasise it, as an employer may be more likely to contact a candidate whose information they can find easily.

The following are some details to include in this section of your resume:

name
current job title
current employer
email address
phone number
general location.

3. Write a professional summary

A professional summary highlights your career goals and briefly introduces your expertise. As many apprentices are entering the job market for the first time, including your career goals helps employers understand how your career plans align with their job opening. A well-crafted professional summary includes one or two statements that explain your experience level and key skills and identify a specific goal for your professional development.

4. List your skills

Skills are an especially important aspect of a resume for an apprenticeship, as they help employers understand which areas of their business you can already contribute to and where you may require additional training. Highlight the skills that best apply to the apprenticeship you want and try to respond to the role requirements in the job description. To do this, review the apprenticeship job listing and compare the skills it requests with your list of skills, adding those that match to your resume.

5. Remember to include soft skills

As new apprentices haven't always developed extensive technical skills in their chosen field, it's a good idea to highlight your soft skills, which are highly valuable to employers. The following are soft skills that serve an apprentice:

Communication skills: Highlighting your verbal communication and active listening skills shows employers you're easy to communicate with, listen attentively and pick up new skills quickly.
Attention to detail: Having keen attention to detail is a valuable skill across many industries. If you want to learn a new trade, your attention to detail can reduce errors and make you a more efficient employee.
Multitasking: Highlighting your ability to manage multiple projects and quickly shift from one task to another is a valuable skill to include on a resume for an apprenticeship.
Team player: Showing your ability to work well with others and contribute to team outcomes is another way to bolster your resume with relevant apprenticeship skills.
Ability to work well under pressure: Many work environments are fast-paced and require people who can produce quality work under pressure, an attribute that employers often look for.
Work ethic: Highlighting your ability to deliver quality workmanship and follow through on tasks in a timely manner sets your resume apart from others. Demonstrating a strong work ethic can also show that you have motivation and eagerness to learn.

6. Outline your experience

Most apprenticeships act as training programs for people who are new to an industry, which means a resume for an apprenticeship might have little information about professional experience. If you have minimal professional experience in the field you're targeting, include experience you've gained in other industries or industry-related professional development. For example, part-time jobs show employers you're hard-working and trustworthy, while professional development shows your commitment to your career. You can also reference other apprenticeships you've engaged in and what training you've already received.

When writing about your experience, include the following details in each entry:

job title
employer's name
duration of employment
list of regular job duties.

7. Add your education

A section describing your education is valuable because it shows potential employers about your specific training that you can use in an apprenticeship. While education sections on a resume usually reference degrees and universities, many people pursue an apprenticeship instead of attending university. If this is your case, provide details of your high school and year of completion, which helps employers confirm your age. You can also list relevant subjects. If you have less than three years' experience, include your education after your professional summary.

Apprentice resume template

The following is a template to use as a guide when writing your apprenticeship resume:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State]

Professional Summary

[Write two to three sentences that highlight your years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as an entry-level professional.]

Education

[Degree], [Major] | [Date of graduation]
[Name of school or university]

Optional

[Certification name], [Host organisation], [Year completed or expiration date]

Experience

(For the most recent role, list five experience items. For previous roles, list three.)

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company name] | [City], [State]

strong verb + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company name] | [City], [State]

strong verb + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]

Skills

Example of an apprentice resume

The following is an example of a resume for an apprenticeship that you can refer to:

Michael Hammond, Automotive Mechanics Certificate 02 8000 0000 | michael@email.com | Melbourne, VIC

Professional Summary

A hard-working mechanic apprentice with one year of experience looking for another apprenticeship where I can further develop my mechanical engineering skills and gain firsthand experience working with different vehicles.