Service Advisor Resume: Job Description & Example

A shoddy-looking service advisor resume will only get you as much as a polite “We’ll call you back”, but that’s not what you’re after.

No, you’re after a job surrounded by like-minded, friendly people and benefits, one that won’t make you sweat whenever a new customer walks through that door.

To get there, your resume needs to be cleaner than a car straight from power washing. And that’s where we’re going today.

This guide will show you: 

• A service advisor resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a service advisor resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a service advisor resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a service advisor to get any job you want.

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Considering similar positions? See these guides below:

• Customer Service Manager Resume Examples 
• Customer Success Manager Resume Examples
• Call Center Supervisor Resume Examples 
• Cashier Resume Examples
• Help Desk Resume Examples
• Hotel Front Desk Resume Examples
• Front Desk Receptionist Resume Examples
• Retail Resume Examples
• Sales Associate Resume Examples
• Resume Examples for All Jobs

Service Advisor Resume Example

Now, see how you can write a service advisor resume just like that one:

1. Format Your Service Advisor Resume Properly

Service advisors work in car dealerships and other similar establishments providing customer service, informing clients about servicing prices, and handling complaints. On top of that, your service advisor resume needs to show you have skills like time management, or people and computer skills.

Here’s how to go about putting it all on your resume the right way:

• Select a resume format before you do anything else. It’s the first step, now and always. Because of its strengths in, well, displaying your strengths, you should choose the reverse-chronological layout 99% of the time.
• Are you active on social media? It’s 2024, so probably yes. If so, check your online presence and scrub it of any undesirable elements—they will look.
• Pick a resume font that doesn’t resemble a paint job gone wrong. Keep it at 11 or 12pt.
• The contact information on your resume is like the plaque with your name placed neatly on the front desk. It should be clear and visible, so to the top of the resume header it goes.
• Save the resume file as a PDF. You’re less likely to get complaints that way.

Pro Tip: You’ve probably heard that the best resumes don’t exceed one page. True, but don’t obsess over cramming as much as you can. Preserving some white space will definitely work in your favor and make the resume more readable overall.

2. Write a Service Advisor Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Some companies have their front-line employees memorize a soulless formula that they greet every single customer with.

Others emphasize genuine customer service and a smile.

Both immediately result in the client forming an opinion or expectation of their incoming experience within seconds.

A resume profile is exactly the same. In about seven seconds (or sothe hiring statistics foretell), the recruiter will decide if you’re going on the green or red pile.

So, better make it work right, or else you lose the race in the qualifiers.

With over 2 years of experience as a service advisor or similar, write a resume summary. Consider it a condensed highlight reel of your greatest professional achievements, with numbers to compensate and add context.

Less experienced service advisor hopefuls will want to opt for a resume objective instead. It’s a neatly packaged general description of your relevant experience and transferable skills that proves your mettle even if you didn’t directly work in the automotive industry before.

Read more: How to Go About Writing a Resume Introduction [+Intro Paragraph Examples]

3. Prepare a Service Advisor Job Description For Your Resume

These days, they don’t hand out jobs like Halloween candy. The BLS predicts customer service jobs to take a slight decline over the coming decade. Car mechanics and technician jobs will simply stagnate, in case you wanted to latch your career onto the other side of the establishment.

Not too encouraging, is it?

A proper work experience section is your ticket to employability:

• Get that job description tailored to the position you’re applying for, always. If that means slightly tweaking your job title, do it.
• Following the principles of reverse chronology, list your jobs with the most recent one placed at the top, and go back in time from there.
• Add up to 6 points delineating your day-to-day and biggest accomplishments. Don’t skimp out on numbers, action words, and relevant experience. Avoid adding fluff just to pad.

Read more: How Far Back Should Your Resume Go

4. Don’t Neglect Your Education on a Service Advisor Resume

Truly enough, the education you obtained won’t make or break your service advisor resume.

Still, not mentioning it at all is equal to essentially ghosting your employer. They want to know regardless.

And sometimes it just so happens that the most unassuming part of the resume is what ends up tilting the odds in your favor, so why not invest in a good education section?

To start with, add the following:

• Name of the school (where you obtained your highest complete degree)
• Graduation date
• Majors and minors (if it’s tertiary education)

Then, if you lack experience in the field, add extra elements from your school life that could impress the employer. For example, high GPA on your resume has enough horsepower to speed up your recruitment process. The same goes to listing relevant coursework on your resume, honors on your diploma or scholarship, or anything that comes to mind as a commendable achievement.

Pro Tip: If you have more school than work stuff to show off, switch the work experience and education sections of your resume so that the more robust section comes first. It’s all about first impressions.

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5. Sell Your Service Advisor Skills

Clients can give you hard time, especially when you start to give in during negotiations. Right after, your boss join the rant to complain about missed chances. What if you put in effort to pick up some persuasion skills? Then, it wouldn’t be so easy to win you over.

So what are some of the best skills to put on a service advisor resume? Let’s see:

Service Advisor Resume—Sample Skills

• Diagnosing car issues
• Liaising between customer and technician
• Handling complaints
• Supervising mechanical work
• Knowledge of the automotive industry
• Knowledge of vehicle parts
• Ordering
• Documentation & reporting
• Organizational skills
• Customer service skills
• Handling incoming & outgoing calls
• Sales skills
• Time management skills
• Interpersonal skills
• MS Office skills
• Multitasking skills

Phew, that’s a nice little bunch. But you can’t slam that all onto your resume and call it a day.

Instead, open up the job ad and see what they’re actually looking for by scanning for the relevant keywords. Then compare that with the actual skills you have. Pick and choose those that match to generate a resume that passes ATS scans efficiently and bumps up your chances.

Read more: What Skills to Put on Your Resume

6. Include Extra Sections on Your Service Advisor Resume

So, what does your resume say about you at this stage?

You know your way around the automotive industry, you can ensure fulfillment of orders in a timely manner, and you can greet customers like no other.

The other 150 resumes did the exact same thing.

You need to set yourself apart. That’s where extra resume sections come in.

Got an ASE certification? Pop that certificate in your resume—it’s a good credential to have and build upon. Do you have hobbies and interests that are not too unusual? Go for it.Want to speak about languages skills on your resume? They want to hear it!

7. Seal the Deal with a Professional Service Advisor Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter improves your chances. So should you write a cover letter? Sure, you should.

If you don’t know how to write a cover letter, we condensed the main points here for you:

• Structure your cover letter beforehand to get the lay of the land first.
• Start your cover letter right. Inform them why and what for you’re applying.
• Expand on what makes you a good choice for this position.
• Then, finish the cover letter with an offer and a call to action.

And keep in mind that the ideal length of your cover letter is not more than a page.

Read more: What Should a Cover Letter Say?

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

There it is.

An effective service advisor resume that gets jobs.

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or feedback, leave us a comment in the section below and our experts will gladly reach out!

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