ATS keywords for a welder resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Welding across MIG, TIG and stick processes
- ▸Reading engineering drawings
- ▸Fabrication and assembly to standards
- ▸Measuring, cutting and setout
- ▸Working safely in a workshop or on site
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade) or equivalent
- ▸Welding tickets and qualifications to relevant standards
- ▸White Card and any site tickets
- ▸Driver's licence and forklift or EWP where relevant
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸Not stating welding tickets and the processes you run.
- ▸Listing 'welding' without materials, standards or fabrication type.
- ▸Omitting the White Card and site tickets.
- ▸A generic resume rather than matching the fabrication work.
Welder CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Welder, 2018 to present. Weld and fabricate steel components in a workshop. Cut, grind and prepare material, assemble parts and assist other tradespeople. Follow safety procedures and keep the work area clean.
It says welding without naming a single process, material, thickness or standard, and it leaves out the trade qualification and White Card, so a keyword screen looking for MIG, TIG, MMAW or AS/NZS 1554 finds nothing to match. A workshop foreman cannot tell whether to put you on structural plate or light sheet metal.
After
Welder and Fabricator | Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade) | Welding qualifications to AS/NZS 1554.1 (SP category) | White Card XXXXXX
Structural steel fabrication shop supplying commercial construction, workshop based with site installation work | March 2018 to present | Full time
- ▸MIG welding as the daily process on 6 mm to 20 mm structural plate, TIG on stainless and aluminium for handrail and food grade work, and MMAW (stick) for out of position repairs on site.
- ▸Welding to AS/NZS 1554.1 to approved procedures, with visual weld inspection before handover and a first time pass rate that has held through third party weld inspection on every project since 2021.
- ▸Reading engineering drawings and shop detail drawings to set out, mark, measure and cut using oxy, plasma and cold saw, then fitting and assembly of columns, beams, cleats, stair stringers, balustrade and mezzanine framing.
- ▸Fabrication of assemblies up to 4 tonne, slung and moved with a 5 tonne overhead crane, plus forklift and EWP tickets used for site install and rectification work.
- ▸Workshop safety under WHS requirements: hot work controls, fume extraction, screening, and toolbox talks, with two first year apprentices mentored on setup and machine settings.
Same welder, same shop. The rewrite leads with the trade qualification, tickets and the standard welded to, then names processes, materials, thicknesses and what was actually fabricated, so the foreman knows exactly which bay to put you in.
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Frequently asked questions
Which welding tickets should I list on my resume?
List the processes and qualifications you hold (MIG, TIG, MMAW) and the standards you weld to (such as AS/NZS 1554), since employers screen on them directly.
Do I need a White Card as a welder?
For construction sites, yes. State your White Card with any site tickets, including expiry dates.
How do I show fabrication experience?
Name the materials, structures and standards you have worked with, and the type of fabrication (structural, sheet metal, pipe). Specifics match you to the role.
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