Whether you are a school caretaker, a gym cleaner or a hotel housekeeper, as a cleaner, your strengths and skills are essential to the comfort and functionality of all institutions and businesses. A squeaky-clean CV can make your experience shine and put you on the path to a great new job.
At cvapp.ie, we’re here to help you skyrocket your professional potential. With dozens of CV examples and writing guides for different industries and career levels, we’re a professional resource for job seekers everywhere.
Cleaners perform a variety of tasks related to the hygiene and sanitation of homes, offices, hotels, schools, and buildings of any sort. Some common cleaning responsibilities include:
mopping and polishing floors, washing windows, scrubbing toilets and sinks, and more.
Some cleaners may specialise in certain areas like window washing or floor polishing. Others will only work with a certain type of client such as individuals or educational establishments. Including these details on your CV is a great way to show an employer you are focused on a particular type of role.
Your CV should contain the following elements:
Beat the bot
While many cleaning jobs require similar skills, it is crucial to consider the employer's advertised job description when creating your CV. Companies that use online application portals will likely run applicants’ CVs through a scanner that looks for keywords and ranks them against the other candidates. Beat these Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) by placing specific words and phrases from the job description into the appropriate sections of your CV.
Cleaners with some level of experience will find the traditional reverse chronological format to be their best choice. That’s because this CV format focuses on an employment history section where candidates can convey the skills and responsibilities performed in previous positions going back through the past 10 years or so.
While the reverse chronological format is preferred by hiring managers and automated CV scanners, it is not the only option. Early-career job seekers and those without much experience to show may opt for a functional CV format, which highlights skills over work history, or a hybrid format which is a combination of the other formats.
Before you get stuck in, it’s important to note that your cleaner CV should include a distinctive CV header that automatically makes everything else on the page look neat, orderly, and inviting to read. Above all, the header's prominence makes it that much easier for a hiring manager to get in touch with you. That is because your name, occupation, phone number, and email are easy for recruiters to see right away and to find again later. Here’s the contact information you should include on your cleaner CV:
In the cleaning industry, it can be challenging to differentiate yourself from other candidates who possess similar essential skills.
This is where your CV summary, also known as the profile or personal statement, becomes invaluable. Composed of three to five sentences, this section provides an opportunity to directly address the hiring manager and emphasise your unique personality traits alongside your cleaning experience.
To make a lasting impression, incorporate strong action verbs and leverage numbers or statistics that effectively convey your unwavering motivation and exceptional work ethic. This strategic approach allows you to stand out from the crowd and showcase the value you bring to any cleaning position. For example: “Increased customer satisfaction rate by 43%.”
Remember, your CV summary serves as a powerful tool to captivate employers and demonstrate your distinctive qualities as a candidate in the cleaning industry.
Below you will find the summary from our adaptable cleaner CV sample:
Dedicated, detail-oriented cleaner with a passion for creating clean, organised living spaces. Over five years experience in cleaning homes, adept in executing various cleaning tasks efficiently and effectively. Exceptional time management skills and able to prioritise tasks and client schedules consistently. Committed to delivering high-quality cleaning services and ensuring client satisfaction.
In the employment history section of your CV, it is crucial to demonstrate your capability to meet the requirements of a cleaning job through your prior experience in the field.
Ensure that you provide the job title, employer name, start and end dates, and location for each position, reaching back approximately 10 years.
If you lack specific cleaning experience, be sure to include other relevant work and emphasise the transferable skills that make you a strong candidate for this particular role. By highlighting your diverse background and focusing on the skills applicable to cleaning, you can showcase your suitability for the position.
See our cleaner CV sample section below:
Residental Cleaner at Sparkle Sunshine Studios, Dublin
May 2021 - Present
Maid at Dublin Co Maid Services, Dublin
February 2020 - May 2021
Receptionist at Admirable Emeralds
June 2018 - January 2020
As a cleaner, your skills are at the heart of your daily responsibilities. They should also be front and centre in your CV skills section. Since this section is generally a bullet-point list, it is worth taking a moment to check the job description so that you can place only the most relevant skills in this list.
Any areas of expertise should be highlighted here, along with specialised equipment you are comfortable with. Those are typically hard skills.
Be sure to add a few soft skills — personality traits and work habits — as a great way to round out this section by showing an employer that you are a pleasure to be around.
Although formal education is not mandatory for cleaners, it can be beneficial to include any degrees or certifications you have obtained in the education section of your CV.
Secondary school qualifications with dates and locations can provide employers with insights into your background. Additionally, if you have attended university or pursued other coursework, be sure to include it, even if it is an ongoing degree.
Here’s an example of how to best convey your cleaning certifications and education:
Griffith College Dublin, Dublin, Bachelor of Arts
September 2015 - June 2019
Just as cleanliness increases the attractiveness of an environment, a polished and organised CV layout can instantly draw a hiring manager toward your application.
A cleaner CV shouldn’t be over the top with colour or other embellishments, but it should look attractive and inviting to read at first glance.
A balance of white space to text can help alleviate fatigue for the reader's eyes. Keeping your margin settings to the default one inch on all sides of the page is one step in that direction.
Make sure to stick with the same one or two font styles throughout your CV. You can make this easier by using one of cvapp.ie’s professionally designed CV templates.
Example
Dedicated, detail-oriented cleaner with a passion for creating clean, organised living spaces. Over five years experience in cleaning homes, adept in executing various cleaning tasks efficiently and effectively. Exceptional time management skills and able to prioritise tasks and client schedules consistently. Committed to delivering high-quality cleaning services and ensuring client satisfaction.
Employment history
Residental Cleaner at Sparkle Sunshine Studios, Dublin
May 2021 - Present
Maid at Dublin Co Maid Services, Dublin
February 2020 - May 2021
Receptionist at Admirable Emeralds
June 2018 - January 2020
Skills
Education
Griffith College Dublin, Dublin, Bachelor of Arts
September 2015 - June 2019
At cvapp.ie, we’re passionate about helping job seekers across Ireland tap into the heights of their career potential. With customisable, professional CV designs, expert-approved career advice and an impressive online CV builder, you’re just a few clicks away from landing your next cleaner job role. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s kickstart your cleaning career today!