Diesel Mechanic Resume: Examples and Tips

Diesel mechanics inspect and repair diesel-engine-operated vehicles for local garages, repair shops and car dealerships. For this job, you should have a good understanding of technical specs, good hand-eye coordination, and familiarity with a variety of tools, equipment and diagnostic software.

To build a diesel mechanic resume the right way, use the following resume tips and examples:

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Diesel Mechanic Resume Sample

Top 4 characteristics of a best-in-class diesel mechanic resume

  1. Summary Communicate your core strengths and areas of expertise in a few sentences, matching your own abilities with what the job needs. For example, for a job that emphasizes “HVAC and water treatment system diagnosis,” you could write: “Detail-oriented diesel mechanic adept in diagnosing faults in HVACs and water treatment systems. Well-versed in TPX Power Source tools and diagnostic software.”
  2. Skills Feature a mix of important technical skills such as engine rebuilds, steering and brake systems, and engine assembly knowledge, along with soft skills such as organizational ability, customer service skills and a solution-driven approach.
  3. Work History For each previous job, list the job title, name and location of the organization, and period of employment. Focus on important responsibilities and achievements instead of typical tasks. For example: “Troubleshot and repaired Colt-Pielstick diesel engines for 50-truck fleet.”
  4. Education List your highest academic qualification (e.g., GED or associate degree), along with any technical training you’ve received in diesel repair or service technology, or related areas such as Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) certification or Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification.

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Find the right template for your resume

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Impactful

This powerful layout utilizes bold resume fonts and colors to stand out. The two-column layout is a good choice for emphasizing both skills and experiences.

Pinstripe

For a simple yet polished resume, you can’t go wrong with this design. In addition to elegant fonts and dividing lines, you can choose from a large selection of font colors.

Pacific

The colorful header makes a solid first impression, while intelligent use of spacing between sections makes for easy navigation.

To select from even more layouts, visit our resume templates section.

Do’s and don’ts for your resume

  • DO keep your resume short and sweet. Recruiters generally don’t have much time to read resumes — and even less time for resumes that are too long. Limit your resume length to a couple pages at most, and stick to skills and work accomplishments that directly relate to the specific job. Use bullet points and short phrases rather than long sentences, using our resume examples as a guide.
  • DO emphasize soft skills. While everyone who applies for a diesel mechanic job is expected to have certain technical skills, you can separate yourself from the competition with soft skills that provide insight on how you approach work and collaborate with others. Look to feature soft skills, such as excellent customer service, team leadership, organizational skills, problem-solving abilities, punctuality, and a strong work ethic. Be sure to also show how you use these skills in your work history section. For example: “Trained and managed a team of 20+ members which earned five-star reviews on Yelp.”
  • DO use action verbs for more impact. What sounds better — “Was responsible for troubleshooting engines for defective parts,” or “Diagnosed engines for defective parts”? The second example starts off with an energetic verb that presents you at the center of the action. When describing your work accomplishments or responsibilities, begin your statements with strong verbs such as monitored, trained, maintained, repaired and organized. Consider writing “Diagnosed troubled, disassembled engines and examined parts for defects and excessive wear” to make a more positive impact than “Was tasked with diagnosing disassembled engines.”.
  • DON’T forget to cross-check your information. An inconsistent or false statement about your skills and career — even if unintentional — can ruin your chance to make a good first impression. In addition to punctuation, spelling and grammar, review your document to ensure everything is accurate and error-free. You can also use spell-checking tools like the ones in our Resume Builder to make sure your document is “running smoothly.”
  • DON’T try to hide work gaps in your resume. It happens — you go for a while without a job, due to a personal reason, or a downturn in the job market. Be frank and up front about your experiences in your resume, and use your cover letter or a job interview to explain any work history gaps to your potential employer. If you’ve taken part on any non-paying work or training during times you’ve been unemployed, you can include them on your resume in a separate “Training” or “Activities” section.
  • DON’T shy away from using numbers and metrics. Explaining to someone that you achieved something is one thing — explaining it using concrete numbers and metrics is even better. Describe your work achievements with numbers and stats when you can, and give hiring managers a better idea of the impact you can make. For example: “Performed safety checks on 45 vehicles of different segments worth $6.5 million every week.”