Pick a clean, simple template that shows your work history first. Use a reverse-chronological layout so employers see your recent trench work and certifications right away.
Keep the resume to one page if you have under 10 years of relevant digging experience. Use two pages only if you have long supervisory roles, heavy equipment licenses, or many safety certifications.
Choose an ATS-friendly font like Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Garamond. Use 10–12pt for body text and 14–16pt for section headers so readers scan fast.
Leave good white space. Use consistent line spacing and simple margins. That helps site managers and hiring teams read your shifts, tools, and safety records.
Avoid complex columns, heavy graphics, or unusual fonts. Those elements often break applicant tracking systems or print poorly on site offices.
Use clear section headings such as Contact, Summary, Experience, Skills, Certifications, and Education. Put safety courses and equipment you operate in the Skills or Certifications section.
List job entries with company name, location, dates, and two to five bullet points. Start bullets with strong verbs like dug, shored, operated, inspected, and trained. Add short metrics when you can, like trench length or crew size.
Common mistakes to skip: long dense paragraphs, tiny fonts to fit too much, and decorative icons that confuse ATS. Also avoid vague lines like "worked on sites"; say what you did and how you did it.