Your resume often acts as your introduction to hiring managers. It allows you to advertise yourself as the best candidate for the job. However, if you want to succeed in showing employers you are a top applicant, you need to find a way to create a strong document. A well-written resume not only looks good, but also showcases your most important skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Jobseekers may struggle to build a standout resume on their own.

Thankfully, you don’t have to figure out the ins and outs of resume writing for yourself. You can use samples, like the firefighter resume sample below, as a way to learn how to craft a strong document for your job search. Review our example resume to figure out what type of industry-specific skills you may want to include and how you should format your document. Read through the tips below to get a better understanding of resume elements that work to catch the attention of hiring managers.

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Firefighter Resume Sample

Kenneth Hamilton
Green Bay, Wisconsin 11111 • ken.hamilton@anymail • 555-427-9618

Summary

Hardworking firefighter with seven years of professional work experience and an additional four years of volunteer experience. Excel at quickly assessing disastrous situations, such as building fires, car crashes, and natural disasters, to create an effective plan of aid. Extensive knowledge surrounding firefighting techniques, fire safety procedures, and local building codes.

Skills

  • Fire prevention expert
  • Strong communication skills
  • Physical strength and endurance
  • Good decision-making and leadership skills
  • Team-oriented
  • Technical knowledge of fire incident reporting software
  • Familiar with emergency medical techniques, such as CPR

Work Experience

Firefighter, July 2010-Present
Green Bay Metro Fire Department, Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • Attend seminars, courses, conferences, and workshops to stay up-do-date on new firefighting and medical techniques; train new volunteer firefighters with learned knowledge
  • Search burning structures to locate and rescue victims; direct bystanders and rescued victims away from burning structures to maintain public safety
  • Operate firetrucks and other firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers, salvage covers, water hoses, and water pumps
  • Carry victims weighing as much as 300 pounds out of dangerous situations
  • Complete written reports depicting emergency situations, responsive actions, and results
  • Provide emergency medical attention until EMTs arrive when necessary
  • Reduced equipment malfunction by 17% by inspecting local hydrants and other firefighting equipment and performing needed maintenance
Volunteer Firefighter, January 2006-July 2010
Luxemburg Community Fire Department, Luxemburg, Wisconsin
  • Cleaned and maintained equipment necessary for firefighting to ensure teams could respond to calls as quickly as possible
  • Provided public fire safety courses and conducted fire drills at schools, homes, and workplaces
  • Stayed on call for 24-hour shifts; slept at firehouse to ensure fast response to emergencies
  • Collaborated with police officers, medical personnel, and other fire departments to respond to natural disasters, accidents, and fires
  • Improved department efficiency of filing reports by 12% by introducing new incident filing software
  • Assessed situations to figure out best recovery plan; collaborated with other volunteers and firefighters to organize and implement plan

Education

Fire Medic Associate Degree, 2010
Northwest Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Fire Science Technical Diploma, 2009
Northwest Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Emergency Medical Technician Technical Diploma, 2006
Northwest Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, Wisconsin

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Is This a Good Firefighter Resume? Let’s Check

Did the writer of the firefighter resume sample demonstrate his soft skills?

Read through the work experience section. Here you’ll notice that the writer did demonstrate his soft skills rather than simply listing what his skills are. For example, he wrote that he directs “bystanders and rescued victims away from burning structures to maintain public safety,” which points out his ability to lead people and remain safety conscious even under pressure. When an employer reads about this type of experience, he or she knows the candidate will be able to function well in the role of firefighter.

Is the sample document easy to read in a hurry?

The format of the firefighter resume sample makes it easy to read. Most hiring manager spend about eight seconds looking at a resume before deciding to learn more or move on. The applicant kept this in mind as he chose to use short sentences, concise paragraphs, and bullet points to illuminate his biggest accomplishments, experiences, and skills. Even the consistent format of the headers plays a role in making the document an easy read.

Does the resume showcase the candidate’s physical strength?

Firefighters need to be physically capable in order to succeed. For this reason, the applicant made sure to point out his physical stamina and strength throughout the resume. He first illuminates this in the skills section of the document. However, he digs deeper into his physical attributes when he mentions his experience carrying “victims weighing as much as 300 pounds out of dangerous situations.”

After reading through the firefighter resume sample, is the applicant’s firefighting knowledge clear?

It is! The applicant puts a strong focus on his firefighting knowledge. He starts looking at this skill set in the summary section when he states he has “extensive knowledge surrounding firefighting techniques, fire safety procedures, and local building codes.” He brings this important knowledge up again throughout the resume. For example, he mentions his “technical knowledge of fire incident reporting software” in the skills section. He even points out how he stays up-to-date on the newest techniques in his work experience section. Finally, the education section leaves room for no doubt about the candidate’s technical firefighting knowledge.

Does the candidate clearly show his ability to perform routine firefighting tasks?

The writer of the firefighter resume sample shows hiring managers he has the skills needed to perform routine firefighting tasks. Look at the work experience section. Here he details his experience operating firefighting equipment, assessing accident sites, and collaborating with other emergency responders. His familiarity with these typical firefighting tasks makes it obvious he has the skills needed to jump right into a position as a firefighter.

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The Most Important Firefighter Resume Sample Takeaways

After you have read through the firefighter resume sample, you have a better idea of how to start crafting your own professional document. Thanks to the additional tips, you also know you have to focus on formatting to make your resume easy for hiring managers to read. As you sit down to start writing your own firefighter resume, remember to include skills, accomplishments, and experiences that are important to the industry. You can get more help from our resume builder if needed.