Cooper resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what coopers 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 coopers should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Skilled Cooper with experience crafting and repairing wooden barrels for the wine, spirits, and beer industries. Proficient in selecting and seasoning wood, shaping staves with hand and power tools, and assembling watertight casks. Committed to quality craftsmanship, safety, and the traditions of cooperage.
Key skills
- Hand and power tool work
- Craft and handmade production
- Fabrication and finishing
- Plant and equipment operation
- Worksite safety management
- Hand planes
- Cooper's jointer
- Hoop driver
- Croze
- Barrel shave
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
Experience: example bullet points
- Selected and seasoned wood, assessing grain and moisture content to ensure suitability for ageing wine and spirits.
- Shaped staves using hand planes and a cooper's jointer, achieving precise fits that prevent leaks.
- Assembled barrels and fitted metal hoops with a hoop driver, producing watertight casks for winery clients.
- Tested barrels for leaks and repaired damaged casks, extending their usable life and reducing waste.
- Operated plant and equipment safely, maintaining a clean and hazard-free worksite.
Education
Typically holds a Certificate III in Cooperage or a related trade qualification such as Certificate III in Wood Machining, often gained through an apprenticeship.
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.
- Cooperage
- Barrel repair
- Cask assembly
- Wine barrel
- Spirit barrel
- Wood selection
- Stave shaping
- Hoop driver
- Cooper's jointer
- Croze
- Barrel shave
- Leak testing
- WHS
- Australian wine industry
- Spirit manufacturing
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.