Safety consciousness, troubleshooting and communication are the skills mentioned most frequently in maintenance job postings, a LiveCareer analysis of recent job ads found. For their part, job seeker resumes exceed the number of times safety skills are mentioned. Yet they fall short on troubleshooting and communication skills by a hair. All three skills are important for catching a hiring manager's attention.
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For many workers in this sector job duties and qualifications remain largely unchanged even as the pandemic has delayed maintenance work throughout the U.S. If anything, maintenance professionals must be even safer to avoid spreading an invisible virus from job to job, and communicate even more effectively to customers who might be concerned. Meanwhile, focused troubleshooting will always be a valuable skill.
LiveCareer pinpointed the skills listed most often in job ads, including the precise wording of each skill. This data-based approach reveals the terminology employers expect to see on maintenance applications, and can help guide job seekers in refreshing their resumes.
Top hard, soft and remote work skills that will help you land maintenance jobs
We analyzed job ads for a range of maintenance positions, including maintenance technicians, maintenance workers and maintenance mechanics. Here are the skills that rose to the top.
Soft skills
- Safety conscious
Found in 49.77% of maintenance job ads
Look for words like safely, hazard and secure. - Troubleshooting
Found in 37.67% of job ads
Look for words like solve, troubleshoot and analyze. - Communication
Found in 27.91% of job ads
Look for words like communicate, articulate, voice and talk through. - Corroboration
Found in 27.91% of job ads
Look for words like test, validate and check. - Fast learner
Found in 17.67% of job ads
Look for words like understand, comprehend and learn. - Responsibility
Found in 12.56% of job ads
Look for words like responsible, in charge of and oversee.
Hard skills
- Training
Found in 26.98% of job ads
Look for words like instruct, teach and train. - Power tools
Found in 15.81% of job ads
Look for common power tools in your field of work. - Driving
Found in 13.49% of job ads
Look for words like drive, delivery and driver's license. - Hand tools
Found in 13.02% of job ads
Look for common hand tools in your field of work.
Remote work skills
- Project management software like Teamwork (found in 5.48% of job ads) and Monday (found in 1.37% of job ads).
- Video conferencing software Zoom appeared in 1.45% of job ads.
An experienced maintenance technician resume example
How to add skills to your resume
Read the job description, understand what the employer is seeking and use the exact wording of the skills listed in the job posting.
1. Weave a few important critical soft skills into your summary statement.
Example one: Maintenance technician
Reliable maintenance technician with in-depth expertise in plumbing, HVAC and other machinery repair. Always ensure timely response and arrival to house calls for inspections, estimates, repairs and follow-up maintenance. Able to quickly troubleshoot mechanical problems and clearly communicate issues to customers in a friendly fashion.
Example two: Maintenance manager
Maintenance manager with 20 years of experience, skilled in supervising teams of seasoned maintenance professionals. Expert with a hands-on management style, practiced in delegating responsibilities in a safe and efficient manner. Hard-working problem-solver who emphasizes teamwork and organization.
2. Create a separate skills section. Make sure to include both hard and soft skills.
Example one: Maintenance worker
- Power tools
- Safety
- Communication
- Appliance installation
- Cleaning
- Efficiency
Example two: Cable technician
- Device configuration
- Repair
- Cabling layouts
- Troubleshooting
- Organized
- Responsible
3. Lace skills throughout top achievements in your work experience section.
Example one: Maintenance mechanic
- Inspected and performed diagnostics on conveyor belts, pneumatic equipment, compressors and more.
- Took responsibility for triaging and carrying out repairs across a network of nine plants and factories.
- Welded rails and supports, inspected facilities' adherence to safety guidelines under guidance of maintenance leadership.
Example two: Maintenance manager
- Executed all budgeting, risk management and floor inspection tasks while providing mentorship and support to all team members.
- Administered bi-monthly safety training to several teams of 30 or more employees.
- Corroborated accuracy of technician-provided diagnostics on complex repairs; directly assisted or coached technicians when necessary.
How to grow this skill set
Employers are going to want to see you continuing to build your maintenance skills. There are many options available to you, including:
- As "maintenance" refers to all types of upkeep or repair, this can create a huge amount of room for specialization. It's easy to find training courses for virtually any maintenance skill set, be it related to water treatment, air conditioning, welding or something else.
- If you're looking for a leadership role and want to build upon higher-level maintenance management skills, you might instead consider a more broadly scoped certification.
- A great way to learn new hard and soft skills from your peers could be to join a local union within your particular maintenance industry.
