As a custodian, articulating the diverse skill set you employ in maintaining a facility can be challenging on your resume. Our guide provides clear examples and tips on how to effectively showcase your expertise, from cleaning proficiency to maintenance know-how, in a way that resonates with potential employers.
- Utilize real-life examples to refine your custodian resume;
- Effectively write the experience section of your custodian resume, even if you have minimal or no professional experience;
- Incorporate the industry's top 10 essential skills throughout your resume;
- Include your education and certifications to highlight your specific expertise.
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The importance of format and layout in your custodian resume
Consider you're an HR professional at company X, evaluating two custodian candidate resumes. John Smith presents a simple, traditional, and easy-to-read resume. Edward Price, however, uses a non-conventional, often illegible format. Whose resume would you spend more time on to understand their experience? This scenario underscores the importance of your custodian resume’s design. It should be simply formatted and clearly communicate why you are the ideal candidate for the role.Achieve this balance by:
- Listing your experience, beginning with the most recent and relevant, in reverse chronological order;
- Ensuring your header contains essential information, such as contact details, a headline, and a portfolio link. Include a professional photo in the custodian resume header if you have one;
- Including only the most important and relevant resume sections to showcase your expertise and stand out from other candidates;
- Editing your custodian resume to be no longer than two pages if you have extensive relevant experience. Use your limited resume space judiciously.
Also, remember that your custodian resume might initially be scanned by an Applicant Tracker System (ATS).
When it comes to ATS:
- Opt for simple and legible fonts like Raleway, Rubik, Lato, etc., making your experience easy for the ATS to scan;
- Use serif and sans-serif fonts, both of which are ATS-friendly;
- Avoid overused options like Arial and Times New Roman, which, while suitable, may lack personality.
Contrary to a common myth, our recent study shows that the ATS can effectively process both one-column and two-column resumes. Learn more about this in the ATS myths guide.
Finally, when submitting your custodian resume, always export it as a PDF to ensure all information remains intact, making the document easier to print, read, and scan.
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If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
The key to your custodian job-winning resume - present your expertise with these sections:
- A header to make your resume more scannable
- Snapshot of who you are as a professional with your resume soft skills, achievements, and summary or objective
- Job advert keywords in the skills section of your resume
- Resume experience quantifying your past job successes with metrics
- A relevant education, certification, and technical sills section to provide background to your technological/software capabilities
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proven experience and competence in maintaining cleanliness and sanitation standards in commercial or institutional settings
- Knowledge and application of proper chemical handling and cleaning techniques
- Physical ability and stamina to perform repetitive tasks and lift heavy objects
- Demonstrated reliability and trustworthiness, including punctuality and attention to detail
- Experience with operating and maintaining cleaning equipment such as floor buffers, carpet cleaners, and pressure washers
Defining your professional expertise in your custodian resume work experience section
The work experience section, often the most detailed part of your resume, is where you discuss your past roles and achievements. To effectively list your experience, consider these four key tips:
- Align your expertise with the job requirements. It's vital to integrate keywords matching the job criteria to pass initial assessments;
- Show, don’t just tell. Quantify your responsibilities by stating your actual achievements in previous roles;
- Include measurable metrics. For instance, how did your performance impact the annual ROI?
- Highlight crucial industry skills. Mention both technological knowledge and interpersonal skills in this section.
These guidelines will help you craft an impressive custodian resume work experience section that is bound to catch recruiters' attention.
- Managed and led a team of 10 custodial staff in maintaining cleanliness over a 250,000 sq. ft. commercial office building for XYZ Corp, improving overall sanitation by 30%.
- Implemented a new environmentally friendly cleaning protocol, reducing the use of hazardous chemicals by 40%, while maintaining high cleanliness standards.
- Conducted regular training sessions on safety procedures and equipment usage, leading to a reduction in workplace accidents by 25% over 4 years.
- Maintained 50,000 sq. ft. of educational facilities at ABC University, consistently achieving 95% satisfaction rating in post-cleanup inspections.
- Coordinated with the maintenance team to facilitate major repairs and renovations, minimizing disruptions to campus activities and adhering to strict timelines.
- Developed a waste reduction program that cut down waste volume by 20%, significantly enhancing the sustainability efforts of the institution.
- Played a key role in ensuring health and safety compliance across all school areas, directly contributing to a 50% decrease in student sick days.
- Orchestrated the successful transition to a green cleaning initiative in partnership with DEF School District, raising environmental awareness and participation among students and staff.
- Implemented an inventory management system, cutting supply costs by 15% through effective tracking and bulk purchasing.
- Supervised daily cleaning and maintenance operations for GHI Hospital, servicing over 100,000 sq. ft., while meeting the health industry's stringent sanitation standards.
- Developed a cross-training program for custodial staff to enhance their ability to handle biohazard cleanup, consequently improving response times by 20%.
- Oversaw the successful installation and implementation of energy-efficient lighting fixtures throughout the facility as part of an eco-upgrade project.
- Managed nightly cleaning operations for JKL Enterprises' head office, ensuring all executive suites and conference areas exceeded corporate cleanliness standards.
- Pioneered a digital logging system for tracking cleaning schedules and tasks, boosting overall team productivity by 15%.
- Liaised with external contractors to conduct semi-annual deep cleans and managed the allocation of $30,000 annual budget for custodial operations.
- Facilitate the upkeep of a 300,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility for MNO Industries, ensuring zero disruption to production lines due to cleanliness-related issues.
- Collaborated with the health and safety team to introduce an updated compliance program, effectively decreasing work-related injuries within the custodial department by 35%.
- Designed an energy consumption report for cleaning equipment leading to a strategic upgrade that resulted in a 20% reduction in energy usage.
- Oversaw the care and maintenance of public buildings for the City of PQR, managing spaces totaling over 150,000 sq. ft., and promoting public health through immaculate maintenance standards.
- Collaborated on the city-wide initiative to modernize public building maintenance, which increased operational efficiency by 25%.
- Negotiated with vendors to supply eco-friendly cleaning materials, resulting in a 10% cost savings and supporting the city's sustainability goals.
- Lead and direct a custodial team for STU Entertainment Complex, maintaining high-traffic areas across a 500,000 sq. ft. venue to ensure guest satisfaction and venue aesthetics.
- Implemented a tracking system for visitor feedback specific to cleanliness, which informed targeted improvements and contributed to a 50% increase in positive ratings.
- Coordinated with event planners to ensure seamless turnover and setup of various spaces, facilitating over 200 successful events annually.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the number of square feet cleaned daily to demonstrate the scale of your responsibility and efficiency.
- List the percentage reduction in cleaning supply costs you achieved through effective inventory management and procurement.
- Highlight the number of buildings or facilities you are responsible for to showcase your multitasking and organizational skills.
- Mention the frequency of cleaning schedules you maintain to illustrate your reliability and commitment to consistent quality.
- Specify any increase in team productivity or decrease in cleaning time as a result of process improvements you implemented.
- Detail the number of maintenance tasks completed per month to prove your technical know-how and problem-solving abilities.
- Showcase the rate of positive feedback or customer satisfaction scores to emphasize your dedication to service excellence.
- Document any training programs you led by stating the number of custodians trained, highlighting your leadership and communication capabilities.
Action verbs for your custodian resume
Guide for custodian professionals kicking off their career
Who says you can't get that custodian job, even though you may not have that much or any experience? Hiring managers have a tendency to hire the out-of-the-blue candidate if they see role alignment. You can show them why you're the best candidate out there by:
- Selecting the functional skill-based or hybrid formats to spotlight your unique value as a professional
- Tailoring your custodian resume to always include the most important requirements, found towards the top of the job ad
- Substituting the lack of experience with other relevant sections like achievements, projects, and research
- Pinpoint both achievements and how you see yourself within this specific role in the custodian resume objective.
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Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.
How to showcase hard skills and soft skills on your resume
Reading between the lines of your dream job, you find recruiters are looking for candidates who have specific software or hardware knowledge, and personal skills.
Any technology you're adept at shows your hard skills. This particular skill set answers initial job requirements, hinting at how much time your potential employers would have to invest in training you. Showcase you have the relevant technical background in your communicate, solve problems, and adapt to new environments. Basically, your interpersonal communication skills that show recruiters if you'd fit into the team and company culture. You could use the achievements section to tie in your greatest wins with relevant soft skills.
It's also a good idea to add some of your hard and soft skills across different resume sections (e.g. summary/objective, experience, etc.) to match the job requirements and pass the initial screening process. Remember to always check your skill spelling and ensure that you've copy-pasted the name of the desired skills from the job advert as is.
Top skills for your custodian resume:
Cleaning and sanitizing
Chemical handling
Waste disposal
Floor care
Equipment maintenance
Minor repair work
Restocking supplies
Safety compliance
Basic plumbing and electrical knowledge
Usage of power tools and machinery
Time management
Attention to detail
Adaptability
Work ethic
Teamwork
Reliability
Problem-solving
Communication
Customer service orientation
Stress tolerance
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If the certificate you've obtained is especially vital for the industry or company, include it as part of your name within the resume headline.
The basics of your custodian resume certifications and education sections
Improve the education and certification sections of your custodian resume by:
- Dedicating more prominent space to certificates that are more recent and have helped you update your skill set
- Keeping all the information you list to the basics: certificate/degree name, institution, and graduation dates
- Writing supplementary information in the details of your certification or education section, only if you lack experience or want to show further skill alignment
- Including your credential or license number, only if the information is valid to your application or certification
Within custodian job adverts, relevant education, and certification are always listed within the key prerequisite for the role.
Ensure you meet all job requirements with some of the leading certificates in the industry:
The top 5 certifications for your custodian resume:
- Certified Custodial Technician (CCT) - Cleaning Management Institute (CMI)
- Registered Building Service Manager (RBSM) - Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI)
- Certified Executive Housekeeper (CEH) - International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA)
- Building Service Worker Certificate (BSW) - Various Community Colleges
- Certified Professional Custodian (CPC) - University of Education
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If you happen to have some basic certificates, don't invest too much of your custodian resume real estate in them. Instead, list them within the skills section or as part of your relevant experience. This way you'd ensure you meet all job requirements while dedicating your certificates to only the most in-demand certification across the industry.
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Adding a summary or objective to your custodian resume
One of the most crucial elements of your professional presentation is your resume's top one-third. This most often includes:
- Either a resume summary - your career highlights at a glance. Select the summary if you have plenty of relevant experience (and achievements), you'd like recruiters to remember about your application.
- Or, a resume objective - to showcase your determination for growth. The perfect choice for candidates with less experience, who are looking to grow their career in the field.
If you want to go above and beyond with your custodian resume summary or resume objective, make sure to answer precisely why recruiters need to hire you. What is the additional value you'd provide to the company or organization? Now here are examples from real-life custodian professionals, whose resumes have helped them land their dream jobs:
Resume summaries for a custodian job
- Dedicated custodial professional with over 10 years of experience maintaining commercial spaces for ABC Facility Services. Proven track record in implementing efficient cleaning protocols, reducing costs by 20%, and leading a team of 15 in high traffic environments. Seeking to apply meticulous attention to detail and proactive problem-solving skills to maintain pristine facilities.
- Seasoned educator transitioning to custodial services, bringing a history of fostering safe and organized learning environments for over 8 years. Exceptional organizational skills and adaptability developed through classroom management aiming to transfer attention to detail and care to upholding the cleanliness and maintenance of educational facilities.
- Former healthcare administrator with 5 years of experience managing clinics, pivoting to custodial management with a focus on maintaining sterile conditions. Strong background in complying with health regulations and a passion for ensuring the safety and cleanliness of healthcare facilities through effective custodial practices.
- As a recent graduate with a strong work ethic and a keen interest in facility maintenance, eager to contribute to upholding the highest standards of cleanliness and efficiency. Possess a solid understanding of sanitation protocols and equipped with the drive to learn and grow within a hands-on custodial position.
- High-energy individual with a passion for environmental sustainability and efficient space management, seeking a custodial opportunity to leverage my strong organizational skills and physical stamina. No prior experience, but fully committed to mastering custodial best practices and contributing positively to the upkeep of a dynamic workplace.
More relevant sections for your custodian resume
Perhaps you feel that your current resume could make use of a few more details that could put your expertise and personality in the spotlight.
We recommend you add some of these sections for a memorable first impression on recruiters:
- Projects - you could also feature noteworthy ones you've done in your free time;
- Awards - showcasing the impact and recognition your work has across the industry;
- Volunteering - the social causes you care the most about and the soft skills they've helped you sustain and grow;
- Personality resume section - hobbies, interests, favorite quote/books, etc. could help recruiters gain an even better understanding of who you are.
Key takeaways
- Invest in a concise custodian professional presentation with key resume sections (e.g. header, experience, summary) and a simple layout;
- Ensure that the details you decide to include in your resume are always relevant to the job, as you have limited space;
- Back up your achievements with the hard and soft skills they've helped you build;
- Your experience could help you either pinpoint your professional growth or focus on your niche expertise in the industry;
- Curate the most sought-after certifications across the industry for credibility and to prove your involvement in the field.
