General Laborer Resume Example & Writing Guide

If you’re a general laborer, don’t make the mistake of thinking you don’t need a resume. A resume is a critical document for anyone seeking a job, and laborers are no exception. But you’re in the right place for help with the heavy lifting that might be encountered preparing your general laborer resume.

Resume.io is a global provider of tools designed to significantly lighten anyone’s job search workload. That includes more than 350 occupation-specific resume examples and corresponding writing guides.

The guide you’re reading now will explore how a general laborer should prepare a resume, step by step. Backed by wording you can adapt from a general laborer resume example, we’ll cover the following points:

• What do general laborers do?
• Salary and job outlook for general laborers
• How to build write a general laborer resume, starting with the correct framework and most suitable format,
• Nailing each resume section for maximum impact: summary, work history, education and skills for general laborers
• Finishing details: professional resume layout and design tips

What do general laborers do?

Whatever the boss tells them to! As the name implies, general laborers are not classified by specialty, but are more like generalists in the labor market. 

General laborers build the homes we live in, the buildings we work in and the roads we drive on — for starters. They do landscaping, farm and field work; they pour cement and pavement; they operate power tools and heavy machinery. They are sometimes described as “unskilled,” but if you think they lack skills, have you ever seen a heart surgeon operate a forklift?

General laborers are blue-collar workers who may be employed in any number of fields, including construction, agriculture, gardening, maintenance and many others. 

As the name also implies, general laborers labor, getting their hands dirty, using their backs, doing physical work. They usually work in outdoor environments more than air-conditioned offices, wearing boots more often than high heels, and work shirts more than suits. 

General laborers are often, but certainly not always, younger entry-level workers who are just starting out. However, many laborers develop specialties that are essential to getting any job done. And if you don’t believe that, feel free to grab a shovel and dig your own swimming pool. 

Salary and job outlook for general laborers

General laborers work in so many fields that it’s difficult to define the occupation, but there are various estimates of their pay ranges and job outlook.

For comparison, the federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 an hour. In Washington, D.C., it’s $16.10 an hour; in the state of Washington, it’s $15.74 (for large employers), and all other state minimum wages are lower than that. So average wages for general laborers are generally above the minimum wage in almost all of the United States.

What is the job outlook for general laborers?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the best resource for statistics on job outlook, meaning the projected growth or decline in any occupation in future years. While the BLS doesn’t specifically track “general laborers,” its projections for related fields appear below.

How to write a general laborer resume

A general laborer resume should be a one-page document that lays out the work experience, education/training and specialized skills that make you good at what you do. When building a general labor resume, it’s important to highlight your skills, the projects or companies you’ve worked for and your overall work attitude. Your new employer is likely looking for a solid and dependable employee, so make sure your resume conveys exactly that impression.

This the appropriate structure for a general laborer resume, with the following components in this order:

• Resume header
• Summary/profile
• Employment history
• Education
• Skills

Choosing the best resume format for a general laborer

The chronological resume format is recommended for general laborers who have mainly worked for companies in employee positions. For the same reason, it’s the best resume format for about nine out of 10 job seekers in all occupations. It’s the most straightforward way to highlight your work experience with each employer, in order from most recent to earliest dates. 

The functional resume format emphasizes transferable skills rather than employers, while the hybrid (combination) resume format features both chronological and functional elements. One of these options might work well for self-employed general laborers looking for contract work. They are sometimes suitable for newcomers to the workforce lacking experience, or those making a career switch.

Now, let's take a closer look at each resume section and how general laborers can optimize the impact.

Resume header

The header is an attractively designed section at the top of a resume that contains your name, occupation, address, phone number and email. 

The most prominent words on the resume page should be the applicant’s name. In a resume you are selling yourself, and you want the hiring manager to remember you, so make sure your name appears first and stands out from everything else. 

Add a line that includes your occupation — “General Laborer” in this example. You may prefer to use a job title that reflects your specialization in the field, or one that matches the job you are seeking. 

Your resume header should also display an address, phone and email. The obvious reason for this is so that employers can contact you if interested. But the placement of these details also provides an eye-pleasing element that simply makes the page look more inviting to read. 

The header is one of the most important components of the resume because it comes first and sets the visual tone for the rest of the page. It can also be one of the most challenging parts to design, which is where a resume template can save you a lot of time and uncertainty. We’ll have more to say about that later on.

Now let’s talk about the four other elements you need on your resume page.

General laborer resume summary example

Sometimes called a profile and sometimes called a summary or personal statement, this resume section provides a concise synopsis of your occupation, specializations, and directly relevant experience and training that makes you good at what you do.

Notice from our general laborer resume example that you don’t need to say “I am a…” — or even to use complete sentences. But in describing yourself and your skills, you do need to use compelling, interesting language — never flabby or vague. 

Most important, your resume summary should speak directly to the employer’s hiring needs and demonstrate your understanding of what’s expected. Carefully scrutinize the advertised job requirements to ensure your familiarity.

The summary is the best opportunity you have in a resume to describe yourself in your own words, so make the most of it. You don’t want to sound arrogant or presumptuous, but you do need to blow your own horn a bit. Remember that when you’re seeking a job, if you don’t make a good case for your candidacy, nobody else will. 

Here is an example of a general laborer summary you can modify to suit your situation:

Employment history sample

Your resume's employment history section must highlight the relevant work experience that convinces a potential employer that you have the chops to do the job you’re seeking. 

List the past jobs you’ve held in reverse chronological order (last job first), along with the dates and employer (company or project).

Below each employer or project heading, use bullet points to showcase key job highlights. Use strong action verbs to describe specific accomplishments. Avoid saying “Was responsible for ... ” and instead report what you actually did in each job. Quantify the beneficial outcome by using facts and figures wherever possible.

Here is an example of a general laborer work history resume section:

What if I have no experience?

You may fear that you can’t get a job without general laborer work experience, and that you can’t get experience without a job. But remember that every worker in every field starts out with no experience. If it were impossible to get any job without a job history, nobody in the world would have a job.

General laborers with no experience actually have a big advantage over many fields, because it’s an occupation where experience is often not required. If you’re young, eager to work, and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, there’s a job for you out there.

If you have absolutely no paid experience performing any kind of labor, you may have to get a bit creative in preparing your resume. Did you ever mow a lawn? Help paint a house? Unpaid or volunteer labor is still labor. 

For those with no experience, it’s often prudent to list your education first (see below), highlighting any special achievements (like an impressive GPA) or academic awards. It’s also important to write a resume summary that speaks to your passions, aspirations and eagerness to go to work.

General laborer resume education example

General laborers do not need college degrees, but you should never  underestimate the value of completing the education section of your resume. It can be important for a few reasons:

• You can list certificates and training courses. Anything that qualifies you for even a remotely formal document may be fine,
• It shows that you’ve already put effort into something and have a work ethic. This is vital when you have little or no work experience.
• It enhances your professional image if you have any ambition for a future promotion in the work crew or project.

Reading, writing and math skills are often needed in general laborer jobs. If you have a high school degree or the equivalent, that is absolutely relevant. You may be competing with laborers who have never finished high school, or who speak little or no English. Competency in the basic skills imparted by any level of formal education will make you more attractive to employers. 

You may also have special training in blue-collar skills that are essential to doing your job — for example, a trade school welding class. 

Here is an example of a general laborer resume education section:

CV skills section  example

The skills section of your general laborer resume may be one of the most influential in the entire document. It should include a good mix of hard skills and  soft skills to showcase what you can do and how well you’ll be doing it. So make sure to put some thought into your choice of skills, based on the job you’re applying for. Employers will pay close attention.

Brainstorm a list of all the things you’re good at doing, even if you don’t think these skills are noteworthy because they come as second nature to you. Write down everything you can think of, even if the list becomes way too long. Then go back, take a close look at your list, trim it down to your most marketable skills, and find the best ways to describe them. Chances are, you’ll come up with an excellent list of skills that will interest employers. Keep this “master list” on hand to customize each time you apply for a different job. Again, the posted job requirements will help you cherry-pick the most relevant ones.

Since yours is largely a hands-on occupation, this section will tend to emphasize hard skills. that But don't overlook some of the soft skills that reflect your personal attributes and work habits. 

Avoid clichés like “self-starter” or “team player,” which might sound good but basically say nothing. Use original language to highlight skills that will be different from what’s on everyone else’s resume.

Here’s an example of a resume skills section for a general laborer:

Resume layout, design and formatting

Your general laborer resume needs to look as good as it reads, so you need to put some thought into its layout, design and formatting. That's not to say it should be overloaded with fancy visual elements to make it look  “pretty.” You want readers to focus on you and your qualifications, so avoid unnecessary visual distractions.

Resume.io offers resume templates divided into four design categories:  simple, creative, professional and modern. You can’t really go wrong with any of these, but don’t underestimate the impact of a simple style, which is recommended for physical and technical fields, as well as positions in transport, logistics, maintenance and repair.

You don’t need a resume format that’s overloaded with fancy visual elements or too “pretty.” You want your resume to focus on you and your qualifications, so try to avoid unnecessary visual distractions.

Trust your instincts in finding the right look and feel for your resume. When you find one you like, all you have to do is click on it, and the easy-to-use builder tool will guide you through the steps to making it your own. 

Key takeaways

1. General laborers are an essential part of our economy, earning a living wage and looking forward to healthy projected job growth.
2. A general labor resume should be confined to one page, with a well-designed header that sets the overall visual tone.
3. Your resume needs a well-written summary, work history, education section and skills section.
4. Your resume should be customized for each job you seek, addressing the crucial qualifications mentioned in the job listing to avoid rejection by the electronic ATS filter.
5. General laborers should choose a resume layout and design that looks simple and attractive without detracting from the content.

Best of luck in finding the job that’s right for you!