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Construction Labourer CV example

Labouring ads screen on safety tickets, reliability and what you can do on site without being shown twice. This example puts the tickets up front and uses bullets that show the kind of sites, the tasks and how the work helped the crew.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

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The example

A Construction Labourer CV, start to finish.

Rodel Manalo is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Rodel Manalo

Construction Labourer, commercial and residential sites

Christchurch · 022 555 0247 · rodel.manalo@email.com

Profile

Construction labourer with six years on commercial and residential sites, with a Level 3 trade skills certificate in carpentry. Reliable, safety-minded and quick to learn, with a forklift endorsement and experience on formwork, concrete pours and site clean-up.

Skills

Site preparation and clean-up · Formwork and concrete pours · Materials handling · Forklift operation · Hand and power tools · Basic carpentry · Hazard reporting · Working in a team

Experience

Construction Labourer, Ōtākaro Construction

Christchurch · 2022 to now

  • Support carpenters and concreters on commercial builds of up to four storeys
  • Help set up formwork and place concrete on 30 to 40 pours a year
  • Unload and move materials by forklift, keeping the site clear for other trades
  • Report hazards and near misses at toolbox meetings, and have had no lost-time injuries
  • Keep the site tidy at the end of each day, which helped the site pass every weekly safety audit last year

Labourer, Port Hills Builders

Christchurch · 2020 to 2022

  • Worked alongside builders on 12 residential new builds, from site set-out to handover clean
  • Cut and carried framing, fixed building wrap and helped stand wall frames

Education

New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trade Skills (Level 3) (Carpentry), Ara Institute of Canterbury

2020

Other details

Site safety
Site Safety Card, current
Driver's licence
Full, with forklift (F) endorsement
Availability
Early starts and Saturdays

Referees

Available on request

Rodel wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the construction labourer cover letter

Skills and keywords

What construction labourer job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Site Safety CardMany main contractors want one before you set foot on site. Put it first in your details.
  • Forklift endorsementMoving materials is a big part of the job. An F endorsement makes you more useful from day one.
  • ConcreteSay what you've done: formwork, pours, finishing or cutting.
  • ReliableEvery labouring ad says it. Show it with facts, such as early starts or a clean attendance record.
  • Health and safetyMention toolbox meetings, hazard reporting and your injury record.
  • Own transportSites move and start early, so a licence and car matter.

Bullet points

8 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Supported carpenters and concreters on commercial builds of up to four storeys
  2. 2Helped set up formwork and place concrete on 30 to 40 pours a year
  3. 3Unloaded and moved materials by forklift, keeping the site clear for other trades
  4. 4Reported hazards and near misses at toolbox meetings, with no lost-time injuries
  5. 5Kept the site tidy each day, helping it pass every weekly safety audit
  6. 6Worked alongside builders on 12 residential new builds, from set-out to handover clean
  7. 7Cut and carried framing, fixed building wrap and helped stand wall frames
  8. 8Turned up for every 6am start across two years, covering Saturdays when the programme was tight

Common mistakes

What costs construction labourer CVs interviews.

  • Writing "general labouring" and nothing else.

    Say what kind of sites and what tasks: concrete, formwork, demolition, materials handling or clean-up.

  • Leaving your tickets and licences to the interview.

    Put your Site Safety Card, licence and endorsements in your details. They're often the first screen.

  • Hiding a trade qualification you've started.

    Show your pre-trade certificate or apprenticeship plans. Builders like to hire labourers who want to grow into a trade.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

Site Safe's Site Safety Card, which used to be called the Site Safe Passport, shows you understand health and safety on New Zealand building sites, and many main contractors ask for it before you start.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Anyone doing construction work in Australia needs a White Card from general construction induction training, and cards from other states are accepted in New South Wales. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Site Safe: Site Safety Card, SafeWork NSW: White cards.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Do I need a qualification to be a labourer?

No, but a Level 3 trade skills certificate or a start on one shows commitment, and it's often the step into an apprenticeship.

How long should a labourer's CV be?

One to two pages. Lead with your tickets and the last two or three jobs, and keep older work to a line each.

Should I list agency work?

Yes. Group it under the agency's name and list the main sites and tasks, so it reads as one steady job.

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