Custodian Resume—Job Description, Sample, & Objective

Independence, managing your own time, not having to deal with customers—There are plenty of upsides to working as a custodian. But you want your job to offer something more: a decent wage, predictable hours, maybe paid overtime or promotion opportunities. 

Here’s your key to scoring a job that’s a cut above the rest: a custodian resume that leaves the competition in the dust. 

In this guide:

• A custodian resume sample better than most.
• How to make the perfect custodian job description for resumes.
• How to write a resume for custodian jobs that stands out.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a custodian job.

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Looking into other job opportunities? Need more resume examples for different professions? Take a look at these: 

• Janitor Resume Sample
• Construction Resume Sample & Guide
• Housekeeping Resume Sample & Guide
• HVAC Technician Resume Sample & Guide
• Maintenance Resume Sample & Guide
• Maintenance Technician Resume Sample & Guide
• Military to Civilian Resume Sample & Guide
• Truck Driver Resume Sample & Guide
• Warehouse Resume Sample & Guide
• Best Resume Samples & Guides for Every Job

Custodian Resume Example

Custodians perform routine cleaning and maintenance activities to keep buildings such as schools or offices in a clean, tidy, and safe condition. A successful custodian resume should show attention to detail and prove that you fulfill the requirements outlined in the job advertisement. 

Here’s how to write a squeaky-clean custodian resume: 

1. Square Away Your Custodian Resume Format

Before you start writing, it makes sense to prime the surface you’ll be working with. The appearance of your resume is just as important as what it says: it’s a reflection of your work, so you want it to look neat and organized. 

Here are the essential tips for achieving a clean-cut resume format: 

• Use the reverse-chronological resume layout. This involves listing your most recent experience first and working your way back through previous jobs and school. 
• Choose a font for your resume that’s easy to read—Arial is always a safe option. Set it to 10–12 points in size. 
• Include a professional header on your resume, with your name and contact details. 
• Use one-inch margins on your resumeto add some white space. A bit of room around each resume section is recommended as well. 
• The sections to include on your resume are a profile paragraph, work experience, education, key skills, and additional information. 
• Keep everything on one page: that’s the best length for a resume. If you’re having trouble getting it to fit, try cutting down on the amount of detail you include or selecting a smaller font (but not under 10 points). Using a ready-made Word resume template can also help you distribute your information more efficiently on the page. 

Last but not least, the file format to use for your resume—

If the job ad doesn’t mention a preferred format, submit a PDF file. PDFs can be opened on every device and will keep your resume layout looking as intended. 

Expert hint: Modern resumes come in all shapes and sizes, including designs that are heavy on color and graphics. For custodian jobs, though, it’s best to go with something simple and to-the-point—the priority is for your resume to be easy to read, not to impress recruiters with your graphic design skills. Plus, image-heavy resumes are difficult to scan for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) software—simple designs make for more ATS-friendly resumes, which means a better chance of getting noticed… and then hired! 

2. Make Your Strengths Shine in a Custodian Resume Objective or Summary

The first section of a resume is the profile paragraph—

A kind of introduction that, when done right, focuses on what you can offer the employer. The purpose of a resume profile paragraph is to catch the recruiter’s attention and show them your professional value straight away. 

Here’s how to get it just right: 

1. Start with an adjective that describes your way of working (reliable, detail-oriented, self-motivated)
2. Add your job title and experience (custodian with 4+ years of experience)
3. State clearly how your skills will help the employer (seeking to maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment for XYZ Company’s staff and clients)
4. Outline a couple of your most relevant workplace achievements (named employee of the month X times, arrived on time for every shift across X years, operated cleaning and landscaping equipment incident-free for X years, successfully completed X minor repairs)

This type of resume profile is best for experienced custodians, and it’s called a resume summary—because it sums up the most relevant information from your resume. 

Take a look at these custodian resume summary examples: 

Custodian Resume Summary Examples

Detail-oriented custodian with 13+ years of experience and excellent communication and time management skills, proven in overseeing the work of a team and able to complete minor repairs on electrical equipment and furniture. Eager to apply my experience towards maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness, presentation, and safety at the Oklahoma Science Museum. At Grand Lake Visitor Center, supervised up to 3 housekeeping staff at a time, saving 5 hours per week by reorganizing task schedules.

Convincing, isn’t it? 

Mentioning the name of the prospective employer is a great way to catch their eye and prove you’ve written your summary just for them. The whole paragraph is focused on showing what value this candidate brings to the company.

Unlike in this example: 

Experienced custodian seeking job opportunities in the Lawton, OK area. I’m dedicated to my work and ready to start straight away, fine with working by myself or as part of a team. 

Classic copy-paste job—

The first sentence is focused on what the candidate wants, and the second brings nothing to the table—especially since there’s no proof of their dedication, self-motivation, or teamwork skills. 

Now, this is all well and good, but what if you don’t have work experience as a custodian, or at all? 

Write a resume objective instead. Despite the name, this shouldn’t be a description of your career goals—

Once again, the focus should be on what you can achieve for the employer. There’ll be time to talk about what you want for yourself during your interview. 

Since you don’t have any custodian-specific achievements to put on your resume just yet, lean on experience from other jobs, things you did at school, volunteering, projects, or anything else that can be made relevant. 

Consider these custodian resume objective examples: 

Objective for Custodian Resume—Examples

Self-motivated worker with experience in manual labor, including manufacturing, construction, and maintenance jobs. Eager to apply my combined experience toward maintaining a clean, safe, and presentable environment for students and staff as a custodian at Oak Tree High School. Extensive experience in electrical repairs, painting, and general building maintenance. At 4D Construction, worked on 50+ residential homes, including assistance with wiring and plumbing. 

This candidate makes excellent use of their transferable skills from another profession, making them closely relevant to the job of custodian. 

Conversely, here’s an example of an objective that fails to show potential or prove the candidate’s skills: 

I’m a skilled laborer seeking my first janitor or custodian role. I’ve been a successful construction worker for over seven years, but I’m currently looking for a long-term opportunity with a more predictable schedule. No experience as a custodian yet, but I’m physically able and a quick learner. 

Still not sure how to start your resume? Don’t worry—it’s common to hit writer’s block when working on the profile first. Skip it for now and come back to it once you’ve finished the other sections of your resume. 

3. Polish Up Your Custodian Job Description and Pick the Right Resume Skills

Just as no magic cleaning spray’s ideal for every surface and scenario, there’s no one-size-fits-all resume that will work for every recruiter. No two custodian jobs are exactly the same, and employers will look for a slightly different skill set each time—

This is why you need to target your resume to every vacancy, proving to the recruiter you have exactly the skills they need. 

And it’s most evident in the work experience resume section, so let’s get to work on that: 

First, list your previous jobs in reverse chronological order—so, starting with the current or most recent one. Include your job title, the name and location of the company, and your dates of employment. No need to go back too far on your resume—10–15 years is the cut-off, usually. 

This basic outline will stay the same across your resumes, but you’ll adapt how you describe your duties at each job. 

Here’s how to write a tailored custodian job description for resumes: 

1. Open the job ad and read it again. Does it mention any specific skills the employer wants? Tasks they need their custodian to complete? 
2. Think of times when you used those skills or completed those tasks in previous jobs. 
3. Describe those times as resume bullet points—impactful and consistent. 

…like in this example: 

Custodian Job Description for Resumes—Examples

Lead Custodian

Grand Lake Visitor Center and Conference Hall, Grand Lake, OK

July 2019–present

• Performing cleaning, maintenance, and grounds duties, alongside minor repairs and assisting staff with relevant tasks as required. 
• Assisting in scheduling and overseeing work completed by external crews, such as painting, plumbing, or wiring services. 
• Assembling cleaning kits for 3 custodians at a time, maintaining inventory records, and ordering supplies as needed. 

Key achievements: 

• Improved efficiency and saved 5 hours per week by reviewing the time allotted to each task and reorganizing the housekeeping team’s task schedule.
• Trained 6 new housekeeping employees in safety policies, the use of equipment, and proper techniques for safely and efficiently cleaning and maintaining facilities. 

Impressive, right? Let’s break those bullet points down even further: 

Firstly, each starts with an action verb (AKA a resume power word). This suggests the candidate took an active role in each task. 

Secondly, numbers are used when appropriate to add context and measure the candidate’s performance. This makes the accomplishment statements all the more eye-catching. 

And finally, there’s just the right amount of information in each bullet—no unnecessary details, but enough to give the reader a clear picture of the task involved. 

Here’s how not to do it, for comparison: 

Lead Custodian

Grand Lake Visitor Center and Conference Hall, Grand Lake, OK

July 2019–present

• Cleaning and maintenance, including buffing floors, cleaning windows, mowing the lawn, watering plants indoors and outdoors, taking out trash, resetting all furniture in public areas after closing, and so on. 
• When needed, calling and supervising external maintenance crews. 
• As team lead, also responsible for overseeing the work of other custodians, assembling their kits, checking their schedules, etc.

While you’re still thinking about the skills required for the job—

Add a skills section to your resume. It just needs to be a basic list of up to 10 most relevant skills, including those mentioned in the job ad. Here’s a list of skills for a custodian resume to help you get started: 

Custodian Resume Skills

• Technical skills
• Communication skills
• Cleaning procedures
• Damp mopping
• Wall cleaning
• Carpet shampooing
• Operating maintenance equipment
• Operating high-speed buffers
• Lawn maintenance
• Snow removal
• Grounds maintenance
• Safety protocols
• Minor repairs
• Equipment maintenance
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Adaptability
• Dependability
• Teamwork
• Attention to detail
• Record-keeping
• Critical thinking skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Basic computer skills

Expert hint: If the job ad doesn’t mention any skills, use your best judgment to make educated guesses about what abilities will be needed for the specific job. You can also look for job ads with a similar profile (e.g., in the same type of company or institution) to get some idea of what this type of employer usually requires. 

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4. Fix Your Education Resume Section

If you have some work experience, your resume education section will be very short: 

You only need to list the basic details of your highest level of schooling. Those include the name of the program, the institution, and your dates of attendance (or date of graduation). 

However, if you’re writing a resume with no experience, you can expand your education section and include more details about your activities at school, such as your extracurriculars or projects. Sports, in particular, can show that you have the physical strength and stamina required in the role of a custodian. 

Sample Custodian Resume: Education Section [No Experience]

High School Diploma

Woodward High School, Woodward, OK

September 2016–June 2020

• Took part in a 20-week volunteering project, performing maintenance and cleaning tasks at a local dog shelter. 
• Track and field athlete for 3 years—excelled at 100m, 200m, and long jump. 

5. Make Room for a Few Additional Custodian Resume Sections

Nearly there—

The final task on your resume to-do list is to add a couple of optional sections at the end. These should cover anything else you can add to your application to make it stand out and to prove you’re the right candidate for the job. 

Consider listing some of the following: 

• Licenses and certifications resume section—including your driving license, if applicable and required in the job ad
• Volunteering experience resume section
• Foreign languages resume section
• Hobbies and interests resume section—only list interests that show your relevant skills in some way (e.g., sports, restoring vintage furniture)

Here’s an example of additional sections on a custodian resume: 

Sample Resume for Custodian Jobs: Additional Sections

Certifications & Licenses

• First Aid & CPR, American Red Cross, 2021
• Class D Oklahoma driver's license, 2018

Languages

• English—native
• Spanish—advanced

…and you’re done! 

Before you hit ‘send’, make sure to write a cover letter for each job application. Not every employer requires it, but it’s always likely to boost your chances of getting noticed. 

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Key Points

Let’s recap—

Here’s how to write a successful custodian resume: 

• Format your resume according to the best practices laid out above: one page, one-inch margins, readable font, clear sections, and reverse-chronological order of information. 
• Write a compelling profile paragraph that sums up what you have to offer the employer. 
• Identify the skills required by the employer and build your work experience section around achievements that prove you have the right skill set. 
• Complete your document with details of your education and a couple of additional sections. 
• Write a cover letter to submit alongside your resume. 

Thanks for reading! Do you have any unanswered questions about how to write a custodian resume? Having trouble writing a custodian resume objective or pinpointing the right skills? Leave us a comment below, we’d love to chat! 

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