Arborist resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what arborists actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most arborists should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Qualified arborist with experience in tree assessment, pruning, and removal across urban and residential settings. Skilled in climbing, chainsaw operation, and worksite safety, with a strong focus on tree health and compliance with local council regulations.
Key skills
- Tree climbing and aerial rescue
- Pruning and tree removal
- Tree health assessment and defect identification
- Chainsaw and wood chipper operation
- Stump grinder operation
- Climbing harness and rope technique
- Elevated work platform (EWP) operation
- Worksite safety management and hazard control
- Environmental assessment and tree selection advice
- Customer service and client communication
- Physical stamina and manual dexterity
- Problem solving and risk assessment
Experience: example bullet points
- Conducted tree health and hazard assessments on residential and council properties, identifying structural defects and recommending removal or remedial pruning.
- Performed precision pruning and sectional felling near powerlines and buildings, maintaining safe clearance and minimising property damage.
- Operated chainsaws, wood chippers, and stump grinders on daily jobs, completing removals and site clean-up within scheduled timeframes.
- Advised clients on tree selection, planting, and council regulations, resolving compliance queries and reducing repeat call-outs.
- Managed worksite safety including traffic control and exclusion zones, achieving zero incidents across a season of high-volume storm clean-up.
Education
Certificate III in Arboriculture (or equivalent) plus relevant licences such as White Card, chainsaw ticket, and EWP ticket; some arborists hold a Diploma of Arboriculture or a bachelor degree in horticulture or forestry.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Arboriculture Australia
- AS 4373 Pruning of amenity trees
- White Card
- Chainsaw ticket
- EWP ticket
- Tree climbing
- Aerial rescue
- Tree risk assessment
- Local council regulations
- Work Health and Safety (WHS)
- Traffic control
- Chipper operation
- Stump grinding
- Climbing harness
- Ropes and rigging
- Tree removal
- Pruning
- Hazard identification
- Customer service
- Environmental assessment
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.