What does a Tree Trimmers and Pruner do?

Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Day to day that includes work like operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines and Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.

What skills should a Tree Trimmers and Pruner put on a resume?

O*NET rates Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, and Monitoring 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 Tree Trimmers and Pruner list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Word. 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 Tree Trimmers and Pruner work?

O*NET records 26 titles for this occupation, including Arborist, Groundsman, Tree Climber, and Tree Trimmer. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Tree Trimmers and Pruner need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 57% reported their level of education as "Less than a High School Diploma". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Tree Trimmers and Pruner 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.

Tree Trimmers and Pruner resume example

A resume for a Tree Trimmers and Pruner needs to show the work itself: using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Day to day that means work like this: operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines; operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools. 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.

Arborist
Groundsman
Tree Climber
Tree Trimmer
Climber
Grounds Worker
Laborer
Plant Health Care Technician
Trimmer
Brush Clearing Laborer
Climber Trimmer
Diagnostician
Grape Pruner
Groundsperson
Line Clearing Tree Trimmer
Pruner
Tanbark Laborer
Timber Cutter

O*NET records 26 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.

Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.
Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.
Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.

24 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.

Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment, 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.

Facebook
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word

Tools and equipment

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

Agricultural augers
Boom trucks
Brush chippers
Brush trucks
Bucket trucks
Bypass pruners
Cargo trailers
Chemical mixers
Chipper shredders
Chipper trucks
Climbing hooks
Cordless power saws

What this job rates as most important

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

01Operation and Control
02Operations Monitoring
03Critical Thinking
04Complex Problem Solving
05Monitoring
06Coordination
07Instructing
08Speaking

Knowledge areas

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

Customer and Personal Service
Mechanical

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.

57%Less than a High School Diploma
37%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
4%Some College Courses

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 Tree Trimmers and Pruner do?: Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Day to day that includes work like operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines and Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
What skills should a Tree Trimmers and Pruner put on a resume?: O*NET rates Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, and Monitoring 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 Tree Trimmers and Pruner list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Word. 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 Tree Trimmers and Pruner work?: O*NET records 26 titles for this occupation, including Arborist, Groundsman, Tree Climber, and Tree Trimmer. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Tree Trimmers and Pruner need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 57% reported their level of education as "Less than a High School Diploma". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Tree Trimmers and Pruner 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.