You have your commercial driver’s license and you’re ready to start a new route. Now you need a bus driver resume to transport your job search.
Resume.io will help you shift into gear with our writing guides and resume examples for 300+ professions. Plus, when you’re ready to create your bus driver resume, you can take advantage of our easy-to-use resume builder.
This resume guide, along with the corresponding resume example will cover the following topics:
- What does a bus driver do?
- How to write a bus driver resume (tips and tricks)
- The best format for a bus driver resume
- Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
What does a bus driver do?
Bus drivers are responsible for transporting people to and from places. They must be willing to help passengers with disabilities get on and off the bus. They must also help load and unload luggage as well as answering passenger travel inquiries. Their main responsibility is to follow traffic laws and successfully transport passengers in a safe manner.
School bus drivers must keep the safety of students at the forefront and be available during morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off times. Bus drivers must be able to adapt to traffic patterns, communicate with the dispatcher, and remain calm in difficult traffic patterns or detours. A bus driver should possess excellent customer service and driving skills.
Bus driver job market and outlook
If you like driving, you’re in luck! The demand for passenger vehicle drivers – including bus drivers – is predicted to leap 25 percent in the next decade because of retirements or drivers who change careers.
Bus drivers may work for municipalities, school districts, or private companies such as those that provide long-haul service for passengers. They may also work for tour companies that use buses to move tour groups from site to site and city to city.
The median income for a bus driver is $17.38 an hour or $33,887 annually. Experienced drivers may earn up to $43,799 per year and beginners will start at about $28,740, Talent.com reports.
How to write a bus driver resume
Most resumes include the same basic sections and your bus driver resume falls into this category. Your CV should contain the following elements:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
Choosing the best resume format for a bus driver
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create a great bus driver resume. In fact, you should apply the standard reverse chronological order format to your document. This means listing your work experience from your most recent on back.
There are two key reasons for this:
- It makes scanning your resume for relevant details easier for HR personnel
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) favor this style, in which you list your jobs from most recent on back.
Avoid using the functional resume format since it is usually reserved for highly technical or scientific skills. Depending on your work history, you may also consider one of the alternative or hybrid options we suggest.
Get a green light from the ATS
ATS applications are used by most HR departments to scan and sort resumes. If you apply online, you are using an ATS to do so. The ATS inputs data from your bus driver resume into the computer system. It then uses algorithms to rank resumes based partly on keywords and phrases linked to the specific job.
To improve your chances of getting into the hands of a person, incorporate keywords and phrases from the job listing into your resume.
Resume summary example: steer your future course
The summary of your bus driver resume offers you the opportunity to talk in full sentences about your qualities and job qualifications. Within these four lines of text, you can offer examples that demonstrate your ability to safely transport passengers to and from places. You may also describe your calm demeanor and quick reactions to traffic problems and emergency situations.
The summary should add to your employment history section, not repeat it. Send the message that you are an excellent candidate for the bus driver position.
Looking for some additional inspiration so you can write the perfect bus driver resume? See our related resume samples. They include a transportation resume example, driver resume sample, train operator resume example, truck driver resume sample and delivery driver resume sample.
Experienced and reliable Bus Driver with clean driving record and proven track record of transporting passengers in a safe and pleasant manner. Possesses excellent defensive driving techniques and the ability to professionally deal with difficult or disruptive passengers. Adept in traffic regulations and experienced at implementing safe passenger rules. Patient and level-headed, with the ability to remain on schedule and seek alternate routes when necessary. Fully committed to the safety and satisfaction of my passengers.
Employment history sample: route to success
If you are an experienced worker, the employment history section will consume the bulk of your bus driver resume. It is here that you detail the responsibilities you have taken on during your career.
Each bulleted item should address a requirement of the job you seek. Do this by choosing examples that demonstrate skills needed in the new position. For example: If you want to work for a tour company, show that you have driven the roads necessary or roads of the same size and traffic volume.
Helpful hints for writing your job descriptions
- Start each bullet item with an action word
- Use relevant details to back up your claims
- Take the most space to write about the job that most closely matches the job you want
- Don’t waste space repeating lower level skills in several job descriptions – it’s better to write a slightly longer summary
- Safely transported passengers to and from destinations.
- Provided passengers with excellent customer service and general knowledge about bus routes and local attractions and areas if possible.
- Assisted disabled passengers and utilized the wheelchair lift properly.
- Exercised good judgment and acted quickly in times of need.
- Collected bus fares and assisted passengers with luggage.
- Completed daily paperwork and filed any incident reports correctly.
- Trained and mentored new employees.
CV skills example: safe travels
Of course, bus drivers need to put safety first. That means that in the skills section of your bus driver CV, you should not neglect listing this attribute. This brief section allows HR managers to quickly scan your resume for the skills they find most important.
In addition to an excellent driving record, bus drivers need soft skills such as superior customer service, time management and calm under pressure. In addition, they need the specific skills related to the job, also known as hard skills. Bus drivers must know and abide by driving and safety regulations, understand what to look for when inspecting a vehicle before taking it on the road, and be able to use navigation systems or keep to their route’s schedule.
Choose 4-6 attributes other than your driving skills that match closely with the job you want (making sure you take the ATS into account). See the skills section from our adaptable resume sample below.
- Reliability
- Safe and Defensive Driving Techniques
- Excellent Customer Service
- Bus Equipment Maintenance
Bus driver resume education example
Bus drivers need a high school diploma or equivalent to begin their careers, but they also need special driver’s licensing or certification depending on the type of driving they will do. The education section of your bus driver resume should list all these qualifications.
If you have any other safety or driving certifications, you may also add those here. Below you'll find the education section from our resume sample for a bus driver.
- 1999-2003 Warwick High School, High School Diploma Warwick, PA
- 2003 Commercial Driver’s License, Warwick Driving School Warwick, PA
Resume layout and design: the look of success
The hiring manager's first impression comes from your bus driver resume layout. Make it a positive and lasting one by developing a professional look for your application documents. The guidelines below, and one of our resume templates will add an air of confidence and organization to your candidacy.
- Create a contact section, or header, that attracts attention without being glitzy
- Choose typefaces for easy readability
- Use color only as a small accent
- Avoid large blocks of type – they can be uninviting
- Maintain margins of at least half an inch and a font size of at least 11 points.
Key takeaways for a bus driver resume
- Bus drivers will be in high demand in the next 10 years.
- Make your safety record a prominent feature of your bus driver resume.
- Match the examples in your employment history to the job description.
- Start with our bus driver resume sample and be en route to your new job in no time.
