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Nail Technician resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what nail technicians 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 nail technicians should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Nail technician with hands-on experience across manicures, pedicures and gel and acrylic enhancements in busy salon settings. Known for careful consultation, spotless hygiene routines and clients who rebook because their nails hold up. Comfortable working a full appointment book plus walk-ins, and happy to handle front desk tasks when the salon needs it.
Key skills
- Manicure and pedicure services
- Gel polish application and removal
- Acrylic and enhancement application
- Nail shaping, cuticle care and nail art
- Client consultation and aftercare advice
- Infection control and tool sterilisation
- Autoclave operation and log keeping
- E-file and hand tool technique
- Appointment booking in Timely, Fresha and Square Appointments
- Eftpos transactions and cash handling
- Inventory management and stock ordering
- Instagram content for salon promotion
Experience: example bullet points
- Performed manicures, pedicures and gel applications across a full appointment book, fitting walk-in clients around scheduled bookings without running late on the day's list.
- Sterilised implements between every client and kept autoclave and cleaning logs up to date, passing council health inspections with no follow-up actions required.
- Advised clients on aftercare for gel and acrylic sets, which noticeably reduced the number of clients returning early for repairs.
- Trained two junior salon assistants in cuticle work, shaping and tool sterilisation, bringing them up to working on clients unsupervised within a few weeks.
- Managed retail stock against weekly usage counts, cutting last-minute supply runs and keeping popular polish shades available.
- Photographed finished sets for the salon's Instagram account, which brought in repeat bookings from new clients who found the salon online.
Education
Certificate III in Nail Technology (SHB30321) under the SHB Hairdressing and Beauty Services Training Package, with many technicians entering through a salon assistant traineeship or an accredited short course in gel and acrylic application.
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.
- Certificate III in Nail Technology
- SHB Hairdressing and Beauty Services Training Package
- nail technician
- manicure
- pedicure
- gel polish
- acrylic nails
- nail enhancements
- nail art
- cuticle care
- infection control
- skin penetration
- sterilisation
- autoclave
- e-file
- client consultation
- aftercare advice
- work health and safety
- Timely
- Fresha
- Square Appointments
- eftpos
- sole trader
- ABN
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.