Sweep recruiters off their feet with a custodian resume that puts your strengths in the spotlight. This guide will show you how to do it the right way.
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.
I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.” Patrick
I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work! Dylan
My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful! George
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.
Work Experience
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.
Custodian
East Hill Public School, Springfield, OK
August 2010–June 2019
Cleaned classrooms, hallways, toilets, and other common areas of the school, maintained parts of the grounds, and performed minor repairs.
Ensured cleaning and maintenance equipment was in good working order.
Noted and reported faults with equipment, damage to furniture, or any other issues occurring on the property.
Responded to staff requests for additional housekeeping duties as necessary.
Education
High School Diploma
Woodward High School, Woodward, OK
September 1994–June 1998
Key Skills
Communication skills
Shift schedules
Equipment maintenance
Minor repairs
Basic groundskeeping
Time management
Training cleaning staff
Record-keeping
Attention to detail
Languages
English—native
Spanish—advanced
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:
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.
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:
Start with an adjective that describes your way of working (reliable, detail-oriented, self-motivated)
Add your job title and experience (custodian with 4+ years of experience)
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)
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
Open the job ad and read it again. Does it mention any specific skills the employer wants? Tasks they need their custodian to complete?
Think of times when you used those skills or completed those tasks in previous jobs.
Describe those times as resume bullet points—impactful and consistent.
…like in this example:
Custodian Job Description for Resumes—Examples
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:
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:
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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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.
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.
Here’s an example of additional sections on a custodian resume:
Sample Resume for Custodian Jobs: Additional Sections
…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.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
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!
About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Mariusz is a career expert with a background in quality control & economics. With work experience in FinTech and a passion for self-development, Mariusz brings a unique perspective to his role. He’s dedicated to providing the most effective advice on resume and cover letter writing techniques to help his readers secure the jobs of their dreams.