Home Tree Faller Resume template
Tree Faller resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what tree fallers 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 tree fallers should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Experienced tree faller with a background in native forest harvesting, plantation thinning and land clearing. I specialise in directional felling and hazard assessment, and I take pride in reading lean, defects and wind before making the first cut. My approach is methodical: clear the escape route, control the fall, and leave the site safe for the next person.
Key skills
- Directional felling and scarf cutting
- Lean and defect assessment
- Escape route planning
- Chainsaw operation and field maintenance
- Hand and power tool work
- Plant and equipment operation
- Worksite safety management
- Two-way radio communication
- Physical stamina and dexterity
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Safety and compliance awareness
Experience: example bullet points
- Felled and limbed native hardwood and softwood trees across plantation thinning and land clearing operations, maintaining a strong safety record over multiple seasons.
- Assessed lean, defects and surrounding hazards before each cut, and cleared escape routes to protect ground crews and machinery.
- Used wedges, levers and a forestry winch to guide fall direction in tight or sensitive areas, preserving boundary fences and retained trees.
- Cut felled trees to log lengths and maintained chainsaws in the field, keeping equipment running through long shifts in remote locations.
- Communicated with crew members via two-way radio to coordinate felling sequences and manage exclusion zones.
- Completed basic saw repairs and chain sharpening on site to reduce downtime and keep operations moving.
Education
Certificate III in Forest Operations or equivalent, often completed through a traineeship after Year 10 or Year 12, with progression to larger trees under supervision.
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.
- tree felling
- directional felling
- chainsaw operation
- forest operations
- native forest harvesting
- plantation thinning
- land clearing
- WHS
- Work Health and Safety
- Stihl
- Husqvarna
- forestry winch
- two-way radio
- escape route
- lean assessment
- hazard identification
- Cert III Forest Operations
- Australian Forestry Standard
- remote area first aid
- fatigue management
- chainsaw ticket
- manual tree felling ticket
- state forestry regulations
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.