General Laborer Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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The job outlook for general laborers is generally good, with openings for construction laborers set to increase faster than the average for all occupations, with a projected 5% growth by 2028. Meanwhile, opportunities for hand laborers and material movers should grow by around 3%. While the projected growth varies somewhat across industry areas, you can expect plenty of opportunities driven by the increase in construction of new homes and public buildings and the need to replace workers exiting the profession.

Although the outlook is good for job seekers looking for general laborer roles, that doesn’t mean you can afford to neglect your resume. These jobs tend to attract a lot of applicants, so it’s important that your resume reflects your abilities and the specifications in the job description. Below, you can download exemplary resumes for general laborers of all experience levels and find tips to help you create the perfect resume.

Downloadable Resume Examples

Entry-level
General-Laborer_Entry-level.pdf

Example #1 Entry-level

Mid-career
General-Laborer_Mid-career.pdf

Example #2 Mid-career

Senior-level
General-Laborer_Senior-level.pdf

Example #3 Senior-level

General Laborer Resume Examples

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

Perry L. Smith
(012) 345-6789
[email protected]
1561 NW Some Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Profile

A results-driven General Laborer with two of experience, specializing in landscaping, grounds maintenance, customer service, and residential construction. Adept at interfacing with clients, collaborating with contractors, and ensuring compliance with OSHA safety standards.

Professional Experience

Landscape & Maintenance Crew Member, Palm Beach County Landscape, West Palm Beach, FL
August 2018 – Present

  • Execute maintenance and construction projects for residential, public, commercial, and industrial properties in collaboration with large teams of contractors and general laborers
  • Cut lawns with various sized power mowers and conduct trimming and edging of foliage with shears, pruners, and gas-powered edgers
  • Perform landscape grading, apply fertilizers and chemicals, and remove debris using hand tools

Volunteer Groundskeeper, Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation, West Palm Beach, FL
January 2018 – Present

  • Removed trash and debris from trails at Riverbend Park, shaped plants with hand tools such as cutters and shears, and supported program managers with special events
  • Maintained trails and provided support to landscaping staff for various projects

Key Skills

  • Landscaping
  • Residential Construction
  • Client Relations
  • Preventative Maintenance
  • Power Tool Operation

Education

High School Diploma
Palm Beach Lakes High School, West Palm Beach, FL, 2018

Lisa Berman
(720) 987-6543
[email protected]
19 Brookhaven Way, Boulder, CO 80300

Profile

A dynamic General Laborer with eight years of professional experience performing landscaping projects for residential and commercial properties. A strong history of performing high quality cement finishing and conducting property maintenance with a 92% client satisfaction rate.

Professional Experience

Construction General Laborer, Colorado Construction Associates, Boulder, CO
May 2016 – Present

  • Execute a variety of landscaping projects for clients, including cutting, grouting, and cement finishing for residential and commercial properties valued at up to $1M
  • Load and unload construction material and supply deliveries, maintain hand tools, power tools, and equipment, and ensure compliance with OSHA safety regulations

Landscaping General Laborer, CM Staffing Company, Boulder, CO
October 2014 – May 2016  

  • Mowed lawns, trimmed hedges, and raked leaves and maintained landscapes and gardens, including planting, pruning, removing debris, and other tasks
  • Installed concrete stepping-stones and statues and assembled decorative structures, such as gazebos, benches, and canopies

Education

Associate in Applied Science in Construction Management
Boulder Community College, Boulder, CO, June 2011 – August 2014 

Key Skills

  • Landscaping
  • OSHA Safety
  • Property Maintenance
  • Power Tool Operation
  • Customer Service

Certifications

  • Concrete Flatwork Finisher Certification
  • Residential Concrete Foundation Technician Certification

Jason Alves
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
567 Second Street, Orlando, FL 12345

Profile

A General Laborer with 10+ years of experience supporting commercial and residential projects, including construction, home renovations, and landscaping. Adept at coordinating with diverse teams to execute complex projects on-time and under budget.

Professional Experience

General Construction Laborer, HRH Construction, Orlando, FL
March 2012 – Present

  • Deliver support to project managers and subcontractors for construction and home renovation projects valued at $500K-$1.2M, including digging and leveling to establish building foundations
  • Erect scaffolding on buildings up to three stories, load and unload various construction machinery and materials, and perform various labor tasks in compliance with OSHA safety
  • Conduct routine and preventative maintenance on machinery, hand tools, and power tools

Landscaping General Laborer, Garden Style, Orlando, FL
July 2006 – March 2012

  • Performed a range of general landscaping duties, including mowing the lawn, raking leaves, pulling weeds, trimming hedges, and leaf blowing
  • Unloaded garden design elements and ensured they were placed in the correct position
  • Followed detailed instructions provided by clients and management
  • Maintained and used various gardening tools such as lawnmowers, shovels, rakes, and leaf blowers.
  • Maintained yards and gardens for commercial and residential clients

Education

High School Diploma
Orlando Central High School, Orlando, FL, September 2002 – June 2006

Key Skills

  • Residential Construction
  • Commercial Construction
  • Landscaping
  • Power Tools
  • OSHA Safety

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for General Laborer Resumes

Understanding which keywords and action verbs hiring managers look for is essential to crafting a strong general laborer resume. Because employers often lack the time to assess resumes manually, they use Applicant Tracking Software to automatically select resumes that meet the job specifications. If you want your resume to be chosen for further consideration, it’s crucial to use as many of the following industry-specific keywords as possible.

Key Skills & Proficiencies
Attention to detail Communication skills
Construction knowledge Erecting scaffolding
Following written and verbal instructions Health and safety
Manual handling Math skills
Operating equipment Organization
Physical strength and stamina Problem-solving
Teamwork Transporting materials
Action Verbs
Assist Clear
Collaborate Determine
Erect Follow
Handle Lift
Maintain Move
Operate Resolve
Transport

Tips for Writing a Better General Laborer Resume

Quantify your general laboring experience

Hiring managers want to see that you have experience performing the tasks set out in the job description, but they also want to know how well you can do them. Many of your fellow applicants will have comparable experience on their resumes, so you can get ahead of the game by backing up your statements with hard numbers. This technique clearly demonstrates your skill level to potential employers and could land you that all-important interview.

Example #1

Good


Cleared dirt, debris and other potential hazards from building sites quickly and efficiently, exceeding 76% of set time targets.

Bad


Cleared up debris as fast as possible.

Example #2

Good


Erected scaffolding and other structures under tight time pressure without compromising safety, receiving praise four times for productivity and hazard awareness.

Bad


Put up scaffolding quickly and safely.

Highlight your soft skills

While technical and practical skills are crucial for a successful career as a general laborer, don’t forget to mention relevant soft skills on your CV. Employers tend to favor candidates with attributes such as teamwork, communication and reliability. Including examples of when you’ve demonstrated these skills on your CV can mark you out as a strong candidate, especially if you can back them up with a quantifiable result.

Example #1

Good


Maintained clear and regular communication with site managers and passed information to colleagues, reducing task errors by 76% over six months.

Bad


Talked to the site manager regularly to check for updates.

Example #2

Good


Worked collaboratively with five colleagues to direct vehicles safely around the site, reducing traffic in hot spots by 32%.

Bad


Directed cars and other vehicles around the building site.

How to Align Your Resume with the Job Description

Analyzing the published job description is an excellent way to get a handle on the skills and experience that you should feature in your resume. Hiring managers advertise jobs with an ideal candidate in mind, and the job description usually offers significant insight into what they’re looking for. Reflecting the job requirements as much as possible in your resume shows employers that you can slot neatly into their workforce.

You can generally determine the most important points to cover in your resume by checking what the job description mentions first and highlighting any repeated points. Before sending your resume off for consideration, place it side by side with the job advert to check that you’ve covered as many of the employer’s must-haves as possible.

Example General Laborer Job Description


Smiths Beverages is one of Florida’s top beverage suppliers and was voted as one of the state’s 10 best employers for employee benefits. We are seeking a detail-oriented general laborer to join our warehouse team in Tampa. Our ideal candidate is a strong team player with the organizational skills to ensure seamless delivery of our clients’ orders. 

Responsibilities:

  • Manually lift and carry loads weighing up to 50 pounds and perform tasks involving bending, kneeling and stretching
  • Maintain a clean and tidy working environment and clear away discarded packaging and other debris
  • Transport products, supplies and mechanical equipment to various warehouse zones
  • Operate forklifts and other machinery safely
  • Collaborate with teammates to deliver packages to dispatch points under tight deadlines
  • Follow detailed instructions and procedures to comply with company and state policies

Qualifications:

  • High school diploma
  • Forklift license or willingness to obtain within six months of employment
  • Health and safety awareness
  • Teamwork
  • Verbal communication skills
  • Ability to read and interpret instructions

You can see from the job description above that the company wants someone with the following competencies:

  • Attention to detail
  • Teamwork
  • Organization skills
  • Manual handling
  • Health and safety awareness
  • Clearing debris
  • Operating machinery
  • Load transportation
  • Reading and following instructions

Once you’ve highlighted the skills the hiring manager is looking for, be sure to mention as many as possible in your resume. Here is an example of a general laborer resume extract written to mirror the above description:

General Laborer Work Experience Example


General Laborer, Coca Cola Refreshments, Tampa, FL

June 2014 – September 2019

  • Read and closely followed complex procedures and task instructions, receiving praise in three performance reviews for accuracy and attention to detail
  • Manually lifted loads weighing up to 60 pounds and used forklifts and other machinery to transport productsaround the warehouse, exceeding productivity targets by an average of 32%
  • Worked collaboratively with a team of up to 25 colleagues to maintain a clear and hazard-free working environment, reducing accidental injuries by 76% over three years
  • Trained an average of four new workers per year to improve their understanding of warehouse health and safety protocols