How to Write a Gardener Resume (With Steps and Examples)

Updated 18 March 2023

Developing a career as a gardener requires practical skills and a broad knowledge of plants. A well-crafted resume can highlight your strengths as a candidate and help you progress in your career. Knowing what information to include and how to tailor your resume to each gardening position may increase your chances of impressing recruiters. In this article, we give seven steps on how to write a gardener resume, include a basic template to use as a guide and provide detailed resume examples that may enhance your gardener application.

How to write a gardener resume

Understanding how to write and format a gardener resume may enhance your success in job applications. Gardeners are experts in many aspects of garden creation and maintenance. They may raise seedlings, plant trees and shrubs, perform landscaping, manage established gardens and harvest vegetables. Their role might also require them to perform physically demanding work, such as constructing fences, pergolas or ponds. You can follow these steps to write a resume for a gardening position:

1. Tailor your resume to the job description

For each application, tailor your resume to reflect the content of the job description. Note what qualifications, personal qualities and professional skills recruiters have listed as essential for the advertised role. By including these on your resume, you can present yourself as the strongest candidate for the position. For instance, if the job listing notes hard landscaping, you might mention your physical fitness and your expertise with manual tools and heavy machinery. It can also be beneficial to research the company to get an idea of its workplace values and the type of gardening work it specialises in.

2. Choose a suitable format

Choosing a suitable resume format helps you highlight your strengths and professional experience. A reverse chronological format emphasises work history, listing roles from most to least recent. It describes key professional achievements and is most suitable if you've several years of gardening expertise. A second option is a functional format, which prioritises education, skills and relevant life experiences. This type of format may be effective if you're just starting your career. You might present your qualifications first to give the recruiter an immediate idea of your formal training.

3. Provide personal information and contact details

Providing your contact details and personal information helps recruiters contact you easily to progress your application or set up an interview. Position personal information at the top of the page. Include your full name, phone number, professional email address and your home city and state. To emphasise your expertise, you may also include a formal title, such as ‘Market Gardener.’

4. Write a professional summary or objective

A professional summary is a brief introduction that sits at the top of your resume. It typically includes information such as your professional title, years of experience and an outline of key skills and achievements. In the last line, you may explain your reason for applying and how your expertise might benefit the company. If you've limited work experience, you might consider a professional objective. An objective is like a summary but highlights education, goals and relevant or transferable skills.

5. Include work experience

Your work history is typically the most detailed section on your resume. Here, you can list current and past roles and include any noteworthy accomplishments. To create a clear resume layout, format each position consistently. Begin with the job title, then the dates of your employment and the company name. Beneath these details, list in bullet points your key responsibilities and professional achievements. To emphasise your value to the recruiter, consider focusing on quantifiable achievements. For instance, ‘over two years, introduced greater plant diversity and increased productivity of the market garden by 25%.’

6. Include education

An education section may benefit candidates with minimal work experience. Including formal training can be a great way to show recruiters your work ethic and industry knowledge. For a gardening position, you may include short courses, certificates or diplomas. For gardening roles that require more specialised knowledge, you might include a university degree, such as a Bachelor of Horticulture. Include the title of the qualification, the name of the institution and the year of graduation. To highlight your competence, mention any noteworthy academic achievements.

7. List hard and soft skills

Including your hard and soft skills shows your suitability of character and your capacity to succeed in the advertised role. This section is also where you can meet the keywords in the job description. As recruiters typically look through each resume briefly, including keywords can catch their attention. You might list hard skills such as disease control, pruning and propagation. Your soft skills may be problem-solving, planning and teamwork.

Gardener resume template

Here's a template that you can use as a guide when writing your resume for a gardener role:

[Full name]
[Phone number] | [Email] | [Address]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences highlighting your professional achievements.]

Work Experience
[Job title]
[Dates]
[Employer]

[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]

[Job title]
[Dates]
[Employer]

[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]

[Job title]
[Dates]
[Employer]

[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]

Skills

Education
[Degree name]
[University name]

Resume examples for a gardener position

Here are two examples you can use to help you craft a strong gardener resume:

Resume example for a novice gardener

This example may suit an individual with recent gardening qualifications or with experience as a gardening assistant. They're looking for a full-time gardening maintenance position. As they've limited work history, this resume follows a functional format, highlighting skills and education:

John Merriweather
+61 4 9966 7776 | johnmerriweather50@email.com | Adelaide, SA

Professional Summary
Energetic and focused individual with recent certificate qualifications in horticulture and parks and gardens maintenance. Competent knowledge of plant cultivation and practical experience with a range of tools, including mowers, brush cutters, chainsaws and hedgers. Seeking to apply a hard-working attitude to the mowing and gardening maintenance position at Valley Botanic Gardens.

Education
Certificate III in Horticulture
Maxwell Learning Institute, December 2021

Certificate III in Parks and Gardens
RBT Polytechnic, December 2020

Work Experience
Gardener, January 2020-present
Mick's Garden Service, Adelaide

Assisting with soft landscaping and contributing creative ideas
Preparing fertilised plots for new garden beds and shrubs
Maintaining hedges to a high standard using specialised hedging tools
Accurately identifying a wide range of garden pests and applying appropriate treatments
Pruning and espaliering a range of fruit trees and plants to ensure attractive appearance, healthy growth and high produce yields.

Assistant gardener, August 2018-September 2019
Eastern Garden Maintenance, Adelaide

Maintained 10+ large private gardens through regular weeding, mulching, pruning and leaf blowing
Used push and ride-on mowers to provide quality lawn upkeep
Assisted with general labouring duties such as spreading mulch and soil, building fences and constructing garden beds.

Resume example for an experienced gardener

This example may suit a gardener with at least four years of gardening experience. They hope to secure a position as a market gardener. As they've some work experience, this resume follows a reverse chronological format:

Sally Bloomfield
+61 4 4466 8706 | sallybloomfield_38@email.com | Brisbane, QLD

Professional Summary
Seasoned gardener with 4+ years of gardening experience and formal qualifications in horticulture. Strong understanding of market garden establishment, maintenance and harvesting, with a proven history of high produce yields. Looking to apply a self-motivated attitude and skills in soil nutrition, water management and weed control to the market gardener position at Rippondale Harvest.

Work Experience
Market gardener, March 2019-April 2022
Strawberry Fields, Brisbane

Successful propagation of a wide range of vegetables, flowers and herbs
Over two years, increased fruit and vegetable output by 25%
Implemented improved self-watering irrigation systems to decrease manual labour time
Reduced incidents of pests and disease through careful management of plants
Improved health of plants and soil through regenerative agricultural practices.

Assistant gardener, June 2017-January 2019
BK's Garden Service, Brisbane

Operated garden machinery and equipment in compliance with safe work practices
Planned, set out and implemented functioning private orchards and vegetable plots
Revived several unhealthy gardens through intensive clearing, weeding, pruning and fertilising.

Parks and gardens apprentice, May 2013-May 2017
Wingfield Council, Brisbane

Provided regular and high-quality maintenance to council grounds, oval and verges
Operated a range of gardening equipment, including hedgers, trimmers and cutters, to maintain public parks and gardens
Undertook chain-sawing activities in compliance with workplace safety procedures.

Education
Certificate III Parks and Gardens
Horizons Institute

Related: 10 Tips to Enhance Your CV

How to Write a Gardener Resume (With Steps and Examples)