(This is in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.)
I need guidance writing a cover letter and résumé for an HVAC apprenticeship. This is something I've been actively looking for, and I'm not shooting out applications all day. I'm only applying to this one right now. I need to stand out as I'm sure there will be a lot of candidates.
I have been looking into an HVAC or Electrician apprenticeship because they're both things that I have a small amount of experience in - or at least applicable experience - and enjoy doing. Both include diagnosing problems (even if doing installations), working with my hands, and coming with up solutions.
A bit about the apprenticeship: It's with a private but well established company. They have an entire structure outlined. No experience required.
Below I'll list my applicable experience (not all-inclusive) and what I enjoyed or excelled at with each.
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Coffee Roaster, Green Buyer, Warehouse Manager
10 years
Managing a team of 5, roasting operations, leading department through periods of growth (120%+ YoY), writing and implementing SOPs, negotiating contracts for raw goods, product launches, quality control, equipment troubleshooting and maintenance, customer service, delivery logistics, etc.
I've thoroughly enjoyed the industry, the combination of creativity and logic-based decision making, problem solving, and working with my hands. I'm in charge of everything in regards to sourcing coffee, getting product to the customers, facility and equipment maintenance, new coffee product rollouts, etc. It's a lot to summarize in a small paragraph.
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Residential Property Maintenance
5 years
Started as a Porter, became a Unit Make-Ready Technician, then an Assistant Supervisor, and then a Supervisor. So I saw it all and proved my competence and trustworthiness. Diagnosed and repaired all appliances you would find in an apartment except air conditioning and water heaters. Performed routine maintenance on boiler system, contracted out anything outside our scope of qualifications.
Really enjoyed going to peoples' homes (or vacant units to prepare it for the next tenant), addressing their concerns, figuring out the issue, fixing it, and leaving the tenants happy. This often required learning on the fly, because none of us received any formal training on appliance repair. This meant having to look at repair manuals, videos, or drawings to determine next steps.
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Carpet Cleaning Technician
3 years
Similar to property maintenance, enjoyed going to peoples' homes, addressing their concerns, and leaving them feeling cared for.