Custodian Resume (Sample Job Description & Skills)

Being a custodian can be fun: you don’t get to interact with mean people, you can listen to music at work, and no one’s trying to micromanage you.

But there’s quite a bit of competition for the better-paid custodian jobs, so you need to stand out among the other candidates. Long story short: you need a clean, organized resume that shows why you’re the best custodian out there.

This guide will show you: 

• A custodian resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a custodian resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a custodian resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a custodian to get any job you want.

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Sample Custodian Resume Sample

Here’s how to write a custodian resume that gets jobs:

1. Choose the Best Format for Your Custodian Resume

A sloppy custodian resume makes employers think you’re sloppy.

That’s bad news for a custodian.

Show them the good news with these quick steps:

• Pick the right resume format. For custodian jobs, that’s the chronological resume layout. It puts more weight on what you’ve done most recently.
• Start with a large resume header that shows your name and job title (Custodian).
• Leave some white space so you don’t crowd out the hiring manager. Pick the right resume fonts for easy reading.
• Last, will you write a PDF or Word resume? The only reason not to use a PDF is if the custodian job ad says not to.

Pro Tip: How long is a resume for custodian jobs? One page is your best bet. Can’t fit it all? Consider taking out the trash and just leaving your shiniest moments.

2. Write a Custodian Resume Objective or Summary

How can you make your custodian resume stand out?

With a well written professional profile.

With 2+ years of custodian experience, write a resume summary. That’s just 3–4 sentences that show a couple skills and your best achievements.

With less than 2 years, make a resume objective. Those focus more on skills, but here’s a secret: Add a couple transferable accomplishments from other jobs.

Pro Tip: It’s hard to write a custodial worker resume profile right off the bat. Write the other sections first, then summarize the best chunks in your profile.

3. Write a Clean Custodian Job Description for Your Resume

How do you show custodian experience on a resume?

Well think about this:

Custodian vs Janitor:

A custodian takes care of a building, including cleaning, maintaining, and caring for its various needs and processes. Custodians might unlock the building every morning, de-ice walkways, raise flags, and check on HVAC systems. A janitor cleans the building, but generally doesn’t handle other jobs.

So, what should you show in a custodian resume work experience section?

That you’ve done all the above.

• Put your last job first. Give it a clear job title (Custodian).
• Show the name of your company/school and your start and end dates.
• To each job in your work history, add 3–5 resume bullet points.
• In them show the custodian job duties and responsibilities you had. But—
• Also show how good you did each one by adding achievements.
• Tailor your resume to each position you apply to. How? By tweaking your accomplishments so they match the job’s needs.
• Add numbers like “commended 10x” or “100+ student high school” to show the size of what you’ve done.
• Start sentences with resume action words to keep the hiring manager’s attention.

Pro Tip: Put more bullet points on the last job you worked and less as you get lower on your resume. The idea is to show more detail about work you’ve done most recently.

4. Write a Strong Custodian Resume Education Section

What?

You don’t need education on a resume for a custodian. Do you?

Yep.

But don’t make yours like everybody else’s.

Put a few things in it that show custodian skills:

• If you want to show your good attitude, talk about how much teachers liked you.
• To show your work ethic, talk about a summer job you kept.
• You can mention sports teams to show physical fitness, or clubs to show you work well with others.
• What about a GPA? You can leave it off.

Pro Tip: In an entry-level custodian resume, you can’t show much work history. So, make your education section—and your other sections—longer. I’ll show how in a bit.

5. Prove Your Custodian Skills

Use this custodian resume skills list in your resume:

Custodian Resume Skills

Hard Skills:

• Sweeping
• Mopping
• Dusting
• Emptying trash
• Maintenance
• HVAC repair
• Generator repair
• Electrical work
• Light carpentry

Soft Skills:

• Physical fitness
• Dependability
• Honesty
• Interpersonal skills
• Teamwork
• Listening
• Cheerfulness
• Communication
• Active listening
• Time management
• Organization

Wait!

Should you put all those professional skills in a resume for custodian jobs? No!

Just add the few mentioned in the job description. Mix in some hard skills & soft skills.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have much custodian experience, that’s the time to focus on proving transferable skills. Show those with achievements in your other sections (next)!

Making a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a resume ready in minutes.

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6. Add Other Sections to Your Custodian Resume

Are you here to punch a clock?

If employers think you go home and watch TV when you’re not working, they’ll find you less attractive.

So—

Put “other” sections in your custodian resume.

Cram them with accomplishments. Add sections like:

• Volunteer work
• Activities
• Hobbies
• Sports
• Kudos
• Languages

The more bullet points your custodian has that show achievements, the better your chance at getting hired.

Pro Tip: Don’t have any “other” activities to show? Build a few. Take a couple days and do some volunteering. Or—just wrack your brain to think of kudos you’ve received.

7. Attach a Cover Letter to Your Custodian Resume

“I don’t do cover letters.”

Say custodians who don’t get hired.

Yes, cover letters still matter. Most recruiters love them. The problem?

Most cover letters are carbon copies.

So:

• Kick off with the best cover letter format.
• Begin your cover letter with a shocker, like something really good you did that helped your last employer.
• The best cover letters show passion. Show yours by finding something you love about the company or school.
• End your cover letter strong by offering something. That can be a promise to explain how you fixed the HVAC on a hot day and saved the day.

Pro Tip: Make a reminder in your calendar to follow up on your job application and custodian resume. A little push at the right moment can get you out of the jobless line.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s how to write a resume for custodian positions.

Got more questions about how to write a professional custodial worker resume? Are you a career-changer looking for advice? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!

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Sources

• 1. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/building-and-grounds-cleaning/janitors-and-building-cleaners.htm
• 2. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/hiring/lead-custodian-salary
• 3. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/lead-custodian-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm