What skills should a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer put on a resume?

O*NET rates Time Management, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes ArbelSoft TailorMax, Bookkeeping software, Garment design software, Google Docs, and Inventory tracking software. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer work?

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Alterations Sewer, Dressmaker, Seamstress, and Tailor. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 58% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer resume example

A resume for a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer needs to show the work itself: design, make, alter, repair, or fit garments. Day to day that means work like this: measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines; remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Alterations Sewer
Dressmaker
Seamstress
Tailor
Alterations Expert
Bridal Designer
Clothing Pattern Designer
Custom Dressmaker
Custom Sewer
Custom Tailor
Alteration Tailor
Alterations and Tailor Shop Fitter
Alterations and Tailor Shop Sewer
Alterations Specialist
Appliquer
Bridal Gown Fitter
Cloth Cutter
Clothing Busheler

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines.
Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades.
Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit.
Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements.
Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations.
Trim excess material, using scissors.
Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
Make garment style changes, such as tapering pant legs, narrowing lapels, and adding or removing padding.
Maintain garment drape and proportions as alterations are performed.
Take up or let down hems to shorten or lengthen garment parts, such as sleeves.
Repair or replace defective garment parts, such as pockets, zippers, snaps, buttons, and linings.

22 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

ArbelSoft TailorMax
Bookkeeping software
Garment design software
Google Docs
Inventory tracking software
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Word
Tailor Master

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Blind stitching machines
Buttonhole makers
Chain stitching machines
Chalk pencil holders
Coiless safety pins
Computer laser printers
Computerized sewing machines
Desktop computers
Dress forms
Dressmakers shears
Fabric machines
French curves

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

cut fabrics

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Time Management
02Active Listening
03Critical Thinking
04Speaking

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Production and Processing
Administration and Management
Economics and Accounting

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

58%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
17%Less than a High School Diploma
16%Post-Secondary Certificate, awarded for training completed after high school

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer do?: Design, make, alter, repair, or fit garments. Day to day that includes work like measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines and Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades.
What skills should a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer put on a resume?: O*NET rates Time Management, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes ArbelSoft TailorMax, Bookkeeping software, Garment design software, Google Docs, and Inventory tracking software. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer work?: O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Alterations Sewer, Dressmaker, Seamstress, and Tailor. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 58% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewer role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.