Create the Perfect HVAC Resume

The HVAC industry is booming. Jobs for techs are set to grow by 15% per year through 2026. To take advantage of the opportunity that growth brings, you will need a resume that showcases your skills and experience–but not just any will do. The hiring manager at the HVAC company to which you are applying is busy and may have received hundreds of applications. You need your resume to stand out in all the right ways.

What should you include on an HVAC resume?

The simple answer here is your skills and experience, but let’s go into some greater detail. Relevance is key. You need to list your credentials in a way that qualifies you to do the specific job you're applying for.

When you explain what you’ve done in other roles, talk about your big successes. Did you understand how to use smart home technology so well that your boss put you in charge of setting up thermostats and syncing everything to the homeowner’s smart home hub? That’s something worth mentioning because not all HVAC techs can do that well.

Make sure you include context for your experiences too. Where were your previous employers located? Are they small businesses or giant operations? Give enough detail that a potential employer will understand where you worked without having to Google it (because they won’t).

Finally, try to find a way to indicate what it is about you that is special. Do your clients like you? Do you stay on top of HVAC research and trends? Do you really like the technology side? Do you know how to use common HVAC software like Smart Service? Are you more old-school? These are things that HVAC hiring managers want to know.

What should you leave out?

Of course, prospective employers don't need a comprehensive life story. Don’t list everything you have ever done unless it is relevant. The HVAC hiring manager doesn’t care if you took side jobs roofing once upon a time or that you spent a summer as a pizza delivery guy.

Similarly, you don’t need to list out unnecessary details. If you are describing your job duties as an HVAC tech, you wouldn’t say that you “Serviced HVAC systems.” That much is implied by your job title. Padding your resume with that extra info just weighs it down and makes you seem less capable. Also, forget about just listing out a bunch of job functions. You want to tailor them to the job to which you are applying (repeating specific items from the job listing).

HVAC Format

The key to creating the perfect HVAC resume is the format. Everything needs to be easy to follow so the hiring manager can get a good picture of what you know how to do and the type of work you’ve done in the past. This means having meaningful, bold headings and only explaining the pertinent details. Keep it clean and easy to read. Many people like to use bullet points and other visual aids. Whatever you select, there is no wrong answer as long as you leave some white space open and are consistent in what you do (e.g., don’t use a bulleted list in one section and a numbered list in another).

Summary Section

Start with a summary section. List up top all the HVAC-specific skills you have as well as any certifications or formal training you have received. The first thing the HVAC manager wants to know is whether you can do the job and why you think you can. Also, use this section to outline some key aspects of your experience, like how many installations you’ve done, the volume of service calls you’ve handled, or the number of repeat clients you’ve had. If you are new to the HVAC field, use the summary section to list your objective. Are you looking for experience? Or, do you want to find a place where you can work until you retire?

Work Experience

Next, list your work experience in reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent job and go backward from there. This will help you focus on your most recent accomplishments. If you don’t have much in the way of work experience, use this space to focus on the training you received. List any internships you had or special projects on which you worked. Remember, this section shouldn't explain every last thing you’ve done in your professional life. Instead it should illustrate how your experiences directly relate to the job you want.

External Resources for Putting it Together

There are a few sites that offer resume builders, but the best thing to do is look at a template–like this one. This lets you see what an HVAC resume looks like and how you can essentially mirror it. Don’t overthink the process. Focus on what you would want to know if you were hiring someone.