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Resume example

Painter and decorator resume example

Most of a painter and decorator's time in France goes into preparation that the client never sees. Before a single coat goes on, you protect floors and furniture, scrape flaking paint, fill cracks and holes, sand, apply a filler coat (enduit) across whole walls to get a smooth finish, then prime.

Only then come the finishing coats with roller and brush, the wallpaper or glass-fibre wall covering, and the lacquer on doors and skirting. On new-build sites, painters often arrive after the drywall team and work flat out on large surfaces, sometimes with an airless sprayer. In renovation, they work in occupied flats and offices, where tidiness and respect for the occupants count as much as the finish. Some companies also ask painters to lay vinyl flooring or paint facades.

Resume example

[First name Last name]

Painter and Decorator | Interior Finishes, Filler Work and Wallpaper

[City] · [phone] · [email]

Profile

Painter and decorator with [x] years on renovation and new-build sites. Handles the full sequence from preparation to finishing coats, hangs wallpaper and glass-fibre coverings, lacquers joinery and can lead a small team on a flat or office refurbishment.

Experience

Painter and Decorator, [Company], [City]

[month year] to present

  • Refurbished [x] occupied apartments, from preparation and filler work to finishing coats, with daily cleaning of the work area
  • Hung wallpaper and glass-fibre coverings in common areas of residential buildings
  • Lacquered doors, frames and staircases with a brushed finish free of runs
  • Sprayed ceilings and walls with an airless machine on a new-build office site to meet the handover date
  • Trained an apprentice in filler work and roller technique

Resume headlines

  • Painter and Decorator | Interior Finishes, Filler Work and Wallpaper
  • Painter (CAP Peintre applicateur de revêtements) | Renovation in Occupied Homes
  • Finishing Painter | New Build, Airless Spraying and Lacquer Work

Summaries for your profile

Entry level

Newly qualified painter with a CAP Peintre applicateur de revêtements, trained as an apprentice on renovation sites in [City]. Comfortable with surface preparation, filler coats and roller finishing, and careful about protecting clients' homes.

Experienced

Painter and decorator with [x] years on renovation and new-build sites. Handles the full sequence from preparation to finishing coats, hangs wallpaper and glass-fibre coverings, lacquers joinery and can lead a small team on a flat or office refurbishment.

Career change

Former [previous job] who retrained as a painter through an adult vocational course. Brings patience, an eye for detail and experience dealing with customers, with a placement spent on renovation work in occupied apartments.

Tips

  • Show that you master preparation: employers judge a painter by their filler and sanding work, not only the final coat.
  • Say whether you have worked in occupied homes, which requires discretion and tidiness.
  • List specific finishes you can produce, such as lacquer, limewash, or patterned wallpaper alignment.
  • Mention airless spraying if you know it, since new-build contractors look for it.
  • Add photos of your work in a short portfolio link if the company is a decoration specialist.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Describing the job as 'painting walls' with no mention of preparation.
  • Leaving out work at height and scaffold experience.
  • Not separating new-build from renovation experience.
  • Forgetting to mention your driving licence for small companies working across a city.

Working as a painter and decorator in France

Search for peintre en bâtiment, peintre décorateur, peintre finition, peintre applicateur or, for exterior work, peintre façadier. The job is not regulated and some painters start without a diploma, but employers recognise the CAP Peintre applicateur de revêtements, the Brevet Professionnel of the same name and the Bac Pro Aménagement et finition du bâtiment. French specifications distinguish finish levels (élémentaire, courante, soignée), so expect clients and site managers to talk in those terms. Temp agencies place many painters on new-build sites. Work on buildings constructed before 1949 can involve lead paint, which calls for specific precautions during preparation.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I mention that I can do other finishing trades?

Yes, in a separate line. Small renovation companies value a painter who can also lay vinyl flooring, put up a simple partition or fix a skirting board. Keep painting as your main trade in the headline so the employer knows what to expect from you.

Is facade painting a different job?

It is close but involves specific products, render repairs and work on scaffolding at height. In France it is often called peintre façadier or ravaleur. If you have done exterior work, mention the type of facade and the access equipment you used.

Does experience as a self-employed painter count?

Yes. Present it as a job entry with your business name and the type of clients you worked for. Employers will want to know the size of jobs you handled and whether you are comfortable going back to working under a site manager.

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