Check your electrician CV against the job advert
Electrician adverts check qualifications and cards first, then the kind of work you've done. Get those into the first few lines.
Start with your advert
Every electrician advert is different. The list below is what adverts for this job usually ask for, not what yours does. So start with your advert:
- Read the advert and copy out every "must have" or "essential" line, then the "desirable" ones.
- For each one, find the line in your CV that proves it. If you can't point to a line, that's a gap.
- Fill the gap with something true: a duty, a setting, a qualification or a result you really have. If you don't have it, say what you have that's closest, or leave it out.
Our guide to matching your CV to a job description goes through this in more detail.
What electrician adverts usually ask for
Qualifications
Why they askAdverts usually ask for a Level 3 electrical qualification (NVQ or equivalent) and AM2.
How to show itList the exact qualifications and years.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Level 3 [NVQ / qualification name] in Electrical Installation, [year]; AM2, [year].
18th Edition and inspection and testing
Why they askThe 18th Edition (BS 7671) wiring regulations qualification is standard, and many roles want inspection and testing.
How to show itList both with years.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- 18th Edition (BS 7671), [year]; Inspection and Testing [qualification], [year].
ECS or JIB card
Why they askMany sites need an ECS card.
How to show itState the card type and expiry.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- ECS [card type] card, valid until [month year].
Type of work
Why they askDomestic, commercial and industrial work need different experience.
How to show itDescribe the work and typical jobs.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- [Domestic / commercial / industrial] installations, including [rewires, distribution boards, containment, fault finding].
Licence and tools
Why they askMany roles need a licence and your own hand tools.
How to show itMention both.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Full UK driving licence; own hand tools and [test equipment, such as a multifunction tester].
Only use a line if it's true for you. Swap each [gap] for your own detail: the setting, the number, the tool or the result. If you can't fill a gap honestly, cut that part of the line.
Mistakes that cost electrician applications
- Qualifications without full names or years.
- Not saying domestic, commercial or industrial.
Questions
What should an apprentice electrician CV include?
Your course and level, your college, the work you've done on site under supervision, and when you expect to finish.