Whether you are currently seeking employment or plan to begin your search soon, Kelly from Promotive’s recruiting team shares her resume tips to help you land your next automotive job. Creating a resume is your first chance to make an impression with a hiring manager at a repair shop or dealership. It allows you to showcase your experience, skills and qualifications for the job you are applying to. Kelly talks to candidates like you daily and has put together a step-by-step guide on how to write an effective resume:

Contact Information

Include your full name, phone number, email address, and location at the top of your resume.

Summary or Objective

This is a brief statement about your past experience and skill set and what you are looking for in your next role. For example “ASE Technician with 10 years of experience servicing European makes. Seeking a new opportunity that allows growth in a positive work environment”.

Professional Experience

List your work experience starting from your most recent position. For each position, include the following details:

• Job Title
• Shop/Dealership/Company
• Start and end dates of your employment
• Responsibilities: Outline your key responsibilities and achievements. For Technicians, include the vehicle makes (American, Asian, European) you have serviced at each role.
• For Service Advisors, include any CSI scores, average ROs and/or sales targets you have accomplished.

Education

• Include any education you have obtained.
• Degree earned (if applicable)
• Major (if applicable)
• School name (High School, College, Technical School, etc.)
• Graduation Date

Certifications and licenses (if applicable)

Include the name of the certification, the issuing organization, and future expiration date. Include any technical certifications, inspection licenses, SMOG, etc.

Skills

List any relevant skills that align with the automotive job you’re applying for. This should include technical skills like diagnostics, electrical, brakes, suspension, alignments, timing belts, transmissions, etc. You will want to detail your specific experience with Shop Management Software (SMS), Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) as well as your experience with specific diagnostics tools and equipment (such as Bosch Scan Tools, Hunter Alignment, etc.)

For service advisor roles and office support, don’t forget to include any proficiencies in marketing/CRMs, social media, and website maintenance. In this section, you can also highlight your soft skills. This includes your communication skills, customer service experience, and an overall sense of your work ethic.

Additional Information (if needed):

• Volunteer Experience
• Professional Memberships
• Publications
• Languages – spoken and written

Once you are finished with putting everything together, be sure you proofread and spell check your resume before finalizing it. Also, remember to make updates each time you change jobs, level-up your skillset, achieve any milestones, or obtain any additional certifications or licenses. Having a well laid out resume is your most valuable tool when searching for your next opportunity.

Looking for more resume tips? Feel free to reach out to me directly: Kelly@gopromotive.com