Tailor resume examples & templates

If you love helping people feel confident in the clothes they wear, then a job as a tailor could be a great fit. Whether you’re brand new to the industry or have been working for years, you probably already know that tailors live and breathe adjusting garments for their customers.

So how can you make sure that your resume is made to suit? That’s where Resume.io can be of service. Our array of resume examples can take the pressure off of writing the perfect resume by showing you how it’s done. This resume guide, along with the corresponding resume sample, will cover the following topics:

• What does a tailor do?
• How to write a tailor resume (tips and tricks)
• The best format for a tailor resume
• Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
• Professional resume layout and design hints.

What does a tailor do?

Tailors are the craftspeople who can alter or create a garment from scratch to fit their client. If they’re not busy measuring their clients or fabrics, then they could be choosing the right fabric for a job. They also know how to cut, pin and sew a piece to perfection.

Tailors, dressmakers and sewers all fit under the same umbrella. Many of their skills are interchangeable, but it’s also possible to specialize in a niche such as tailor making suits or altering wedding dresses.

How to write a tailor resume

The very first step in writing your tailor resume is understanding what sections to include. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

From there it’s about how to tailor the content of each section to suit the role that you’re applying for. Take a look at the job listing and see the responsibilities and skills that the employer is emphasizing. These are probably the most important parts that you want to reflect in your resume and highlight your suitability.

Just like clothing, resumes are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Taking the extra time to alter your resume for each job will make your application more likely to impress the hiring manager and prove the attention that you carry through to your work.

Choosing the best resume format for a tailor

The best resume format for a tailor will depend on the type of career you’ve built. If you have a typical list of previous employment, then the reverse chronological format will be best. For most resume examples, a hiring manager wants to see your most recent employment first and easily scan through to understand your story as a tailor through time.

You can explore alternative resume formats if it makes more sense to list your work by project type. You can look at some resumes in similar industries like this costume designer resume sample and this fashion designer resume sample for inspiration.

If you don’t have much work experience yet and want to highlight your education and skills, then a functional format might be for you.

Resume summary example

Your resume summary is a bit like your introduction to the hiring manager. It’s the place where you can showcase your personality through freeform writing while highlighting your key skills and most impressive achievements as a tailor.

Be careful though - this section is short, so choose your words carefully. Strong action verbs save on word count and paint a better picture of who you are. Some of your summary should be dedicated to appropriate keywords you’ve identified from the job listing. Three to five sentences is all you really have room for. Take a look at our resume sample content below for ideas on how to implement these tips.

Employment history sample

A tailor’s employment history on their resume is like your favorite item of clothing. It should be made to measure and tell a story. In most resume examples this is the most important section and the main one a hiring manager will be ready to scan through.

Create a subheading for each role you include, which should list the job title, employer name, dates worked and location. Underneath this is where you can get more creative: add three to five bullet points outlining your responsibilities and accomplishments in the job.

Don’t fall into the trap of copy and pasting the same employment history for every tailor job you apply for. Use that job listing to understand what the employer is really looking for and point out why your experience responds to that need. You know the power of a good alteration!

You can put a number on the value of your work by including statistics on some of these bullet points. For instance, maybe your speedy measuring helped to speed up the customer experience. What percentage of time did it save on customer experience per week? Perhaps your initiative of using a new sewing workflow increased project capacity - by how much? Hiring managers love to see this type of data.

Resume skills example

You might already have guessed that as a tailor, the skills section of your resume is pretty important. You are a skilled craftsperson, after all. Language is important here, so make sure you’re choosing words to describe your skills that match the tone the employer uses. This will prove you're a good fit, as well as minimize miscommunication with the hiring manager.

The types of skills you can mention in this section of your resume are varied. Include your technical skills when it comes to tailoring. Balance these hard skills with some soft skills, like your top notch communication. Both types are important for a successful tailor. Below you'll find the skills section from our tailor resume example.

Tailor resume education example

Your resume education section is the spot to list your formal education: from diplomas to degrees to other relevant training and courses. If you have a bachelor degree, you don’t need to list your high school diploma.

This is also the section where any awards you have earned belong. Don’t be afraid to add a note with any honors or impressive grades on your formal education, too. Look at our resume sample content below for ideas.

Resume layout and design

You’re a tailor, so we don’t need to tell you the power of good design. Like a dress that can be nipped and tucked here and there to make it fit for purpose, it’s no different when it comes to your resume. The layout and design of your resume should be top quality to prove your attention to detail.

However, don’t be tempted to go over the top. A sleek and stylish design for your tailor resume will take you far. However, take a moment to make sure it matches the tone of the employer.

You may be great at bringing stylish clothing to life, but if you want to save time and frustration on bringing that same quality to your resume design then our resume templates take out some of the work.

Key takeaways for a tailor resume

• Use the job listing to choose your keywords and tailor the story you tell in your resume.
• Take the time to choose a resume format that suits the type of job you’re applying for.
• Altering your resume for each job you apply for is the key to a hiring manager’s heart.
• Get inspired by looking at our adaptable tailor resume sample.