General Contractor Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

Jacob Meade Headshot

Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

Create a professional resume in minutes for free.

Build Resume

General contractors have a bird’s-eye view of construction operations but can zoom in on specific problems to help keep the project on track. The role requires high versatility and many different technical and management skills, so it can pose a challenge in writing your resume. How should you organize your various strengths and qualifications in a clear and concise way?

The following guide can help. Read on for resume examples and advice about:

  • •   Which skills to consider focusing on for your general contractor resume
  • •   What verbs will capture the dynamic nature of your job
  • •   How to align your resume with a particular job opening that intrigues you

Downloadable Resume Examples

Entry-level
General-Contractor_Entry-level.pdf

Example #1 Entry-level

Mid-career
General-Contractor_Mid-career.pdf

Example #2 Mid-career

Senior-level
General-Contractor_Senior-level.pdf

Example #3 Senior-level

General Contractor Text-Only Resume Examples

Years of Experience
  • Entry-level Entry-level
  • Mid-career Mid-career
  • Senior-level Senior-level

Allison Rosenberg
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 12345

Profile

Motivated General Contractor with demonstrated success overseeing residential construction projects. Committed to achieving goals for project efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness. Equally effective in leadership or hands-on ability. Skilled at isolating and solving problems at all project stages.

Work Experience

General Contractor, ABC Construction Consulting, Inc., San Diego, CA
June 2021 to Present

  • Hired to manage on-time, cost-effective delivery of residential construction projects
  • Collaborate with other project specialists and workers, including engineers, architects, and stonemasons
  • Supervise contractors, ensuring adherence to work quality and efficiency standards
  • Monitor job sites for high levels of safety and legal compliance
  • Provide regular updates to the main office on the progress of each project

Prior Experience

Server and Team Lead, San Diego, CA

  • Demonstrated strong efficiency and early leadership.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management
University of California, San Diego, CA, May 2020
3.8 GPA

Technical Skills

  • Microsoft Word, Excel, Project

Key Skills

  • Budgeting & Cost Accounting
  • Complex Problem-Solving
  • Construction Sequencing
  • Cost Reduction & Elimination
  • Efficiency Improvement
  • Project Estimating
  • Residential Construction & Remodeling
  • Stakeholder Relations
  • Subcontractor Management
  • Team Leadership & Motivation
  • Work Planning & Scheduling

Cameron Malfara
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Windermere Rd., Seattle, WA 12345

Profile

General Contractor with 5+ years of experience overseeing commercial construction projects. Consistently achieve project goals, deadlines, and budget requirements. Combine strong leadership skills with extensive hands-on construction experience. Highly adaptable to new work conditions, finding quick and practical solutions to project challenges.

Work Experience

General Contractor, ABC Construction Consulting, Inc., Seattle, WA
April 2020 to Present

  • Schedule and guide on-time delivery of complex projects for this commercial construction firm
  • Coordinate with other project stakeholders, including vendors, engineers, and architects
  • Hire and oversee subcontractors, ensuring consistent work quality and efficiency
  • Maintain utmost job site safety and legal compliance

General Contractor, XYZ Construction Corp., Seattle, WA
April 2017 to April 2020

  • Managed all stages of commercial construction projects
  • Addressed and resolved any project delays or constructability challenges
  • Gained strong foundational knowledge of management and leadership principles

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2013 – 2017

Technical Skills

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Project
  • Procore
  • Red Team

Key Skills

  • Budgeting & Cost Accounting
  • Building Codes
  • Complex Problem-Solving
  • Contract Interpretation
  • Cost Reduction & Elimination
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Materials Procurement
  • Project Management
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Staff Hiring
  • Stakeholder Relations
  • Structural Modification
  • Subcontractor Management
  • Team Leadership
  • Technical Drawings
  • Work Planning & Scheduling
  • Workplace Safety

Jessica Lang
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 12345

Profile

General Contractor with 10+ years of excellence overseeing municipal and upscale residential construction projects. Reliably meet or exceed goals for project efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Find creative yet practical solutions to project obstacles and challenges. Versatile communicator. Adept at relaying complicated technical details and instructions to diverse project stakeholders.

Professional Experience

General Contractor/Construction Manager, ABC Construction Consulting, Inc., Nashville, TN
April 2018 to Present

  • Manage on-time delivery of complex projects for this upscale residential construction firm
  • Coordinate with other project workers, including engineers, architects, and electricians
  • Vet, hire, and oversee subcontractors to ensure consistent attainment of standards for work quality and efficiency
  • Maintain utmost job site safety and legal compliance

General Contractor, XYZ City Construction, Nashville, TN
April 2012 to April 2018

  • Managed all project stages for the construction of municipal roads and sidewalks
  • Promptly addressed any project delays or challenges
  • Gained advanced expertise in construction management and leadership principles
  • Fostered positive and productive relationships with city inspectors

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 2008 – 2012

Technical Skills

  • Microsoft Project
  • Procore
  • Red Team

Key Skills

  • Budgeting & Cost Accounting
  • Building Codes
  • Complex Problem-Solving
  • Concurrent Project Management
  • Construction Sequencing
  • Contract Negotiations
  • Cost Reduction & Elimination
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Efficiency Improvement
  • Materials Procurement
  • Project Estimating
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Residential Construction & Remodeling
  • Staff Hiring
  • Stakeholder Relations
  • Strategic Planning
  • Structural Modification
  • Subcontractor Management
  • Task Prioritization & Delegation
  • Team Leadership & Motivation
  • Technical Drawings
  • Work Planning & Scheduling
  • Workplace Safety

Tips for Writing a Better General Contractor Resume

1. Emphasize your project success

Success in construction isn’t just about getting the work done. It’s about getting the job done the right way, safely, efficiently, and according to all specifications. So, when you’re working on your resume, don’t just tell the hiring manager you oversaw construction projects. Spell out the result and success of those projects in terms of your meeting budgets, deadlines, or other objectives.

Example:


General Contractor with 10+ years of excellence overseeing municipal and upscale residential construction projects. Reliably meet or exceed goals for project efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Find creative yet practical solutions to project obstacles and challenges. Versatile communicator; adept at relaying complicated technical details and instructions to diverse project stakeholders.

2. Use action-oriented verbs

General contractors have an active role. Often dividing their time between the main office and multiple job sites, they must coordinate with many workers and professionals to make sure construction goes smoothly. When writing your job descriptions, try to reflect all that activity with dynamic verbs like created, improved, or motivated. Avoid passive terms like responsible for or tasked with, these make your work sound like a boring obligation rather than something that engages your talents.

Example:


  • Manage on-time delivery of complex projects for this upscale residential construction firm
  • Coordinate with other project workers, including engineers, architects, and electricians
  • Vet, hire, and oversee subcontractors to ensure consistent attainment of standards for work quality and efficiency
  • Maintain utmost job site safety and legal compliance

3. Include a profile summary

Write a paragraph summary of your top qualifications at the top of your resume (just under the contact header). The paragraph should briefly describe your experience and record of success managing projects. It’s also a great place to mention your communication style or other “soft skills,” which may be a conversation starter during an interview. Including a profile section lets you train the hiring manager’s attention first and foremost on your unique professional strengths.

Example:


General Contractor with 5+ years of experience overseeing commercial construction projects. Consistently achieve project goals, deadlines, and budget requirements. Combine strong leadership skills with extensive hands-on construction experience. Highly adaptable to new work conditions, finding quick and practical solutions to project challenges.

Key Skills Hiring Managers Look for on General Contractor Resumes

General contractors have the technical acumen to oversee a construction project, plus the interpersonal skills to keep everyone involved on the same page. For an effective general contractor resume, include a “Key Skills” section that gives the hiring manager a view of your broad expertise. Consider including any of the terms below:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Budgeting & Cost Accounting Building Codes
Complex Problem-Solving Concurrent Project Management
Construction Sequencing Contract Negotiations
Materials Procurement Project Estimating
Regulatory Compliance Residential Construction & Remodeling
Staff Hiring Stakeholder Relations
Strategic Planning Structural Modification
Subcontractor Management Task Prioritization & Delegation
Team Leadership & Motivation Technical Drawings
Work Planning & Scheduling Workplace Safety

Common Action Verbs for General Contractor Resumes

We know it’s easy to get stuck when writing the professional experience section of a resume. You might find that you start to run out of action verbs to describe your work. To help you over the hump, we put together this list of strong resume verbs:

Action Verbs
Achieved Aligned
Allocated Coordinated
Created Decreased
Delegated Eliminated
Expedited Generated
Improved Increased
Initiated Introduced
Led Organized
Oversaw Raised
Resolved Sequenced

How to Align Your General Contractor Resume With the Job Description

When you find an intriguing general contractor job posting, take a close look at the required qualifications. Does the job call for a particular amount of experience in commercial, residential, industrial, or municipal construction? Or with a particular type of client? If you find you have experience in that area, mention that in your resume’s profile or skills section. (The resumes on this page offer an example of how to do this in the profile section.) Taking this extra step will make your resume more relevant to the job and, therefore, more likely to attract the hiring manager’s notice.