Finding a well-paying bus driver job is not as easy as finding a bus on the road: every bus in the route takes you from point A to point B, but every job is not the same. Therefore, it is essential that you apply for and get the best-paid jobs.
The first step is writing a resume that gets you more interviews. And we’re going to help you with that: to write a professional resume that converts.
By reading this to the end, you’ll find:
- The best resume layout and format for public and school bus driver jobs
- How to write each section and plenty of examples
- Do’s and Don’ts
- Pro resume writing tips
- Modern resume templates
Bus Driver Resume Example
Bus driver
nickhuges@gmail.com
+1 256 24 56 85
Professional summary
An experienced bus driver with 7+ years in inter-city bus driving seeking to work at KL University as a driver to provide reliable and safe shuttle service. As a bus driver for City transport, I have a clean driving record with zero accidents
Experience
Aug 2016 to Present
City Transport
- Consistently ranked among the top 10 drivers at City Transport in 2019 and 2020
- Maintained proper working order according to the traffic regulations
- Managed operational and mechanical issues
- Handled public transit passengers in a safe and courteous manner
- Adhered to strict time schedules
June 2015 to Sep 2016
School bus driver
- Planned bus routes to pick the students
- Drove with excessive care with school-age children on board
- Drove out of the state trips and fieldwork on request
- Transported students showcasing exceptional safety practices and excellent driving skills
Education
Texas High School
diploma
2012-2015
Skills
- Commercial driver’s license
- Understanding of traffic laws
- Understanding of bus conduct
- Knowledge of state safety regulations
- CDL license
- Excellent customer service
- Pressure-response capability
- A high level of work ethic
- Time management
Certifications
CDL-class A certified
Computer skills
Microsoft office basic certificate
Interests
Photography
Chess
You weren’t looking for a bus driver resume? You might be interested in these examples:
Salary & Employment rates for Bus Driver Jobs
A bus driver in the U.S earns an average salary of $33,000/year 💰 (Payscale.com).
Based on your experience and the responsibilities you handle in your job, you can expect to earn more in a bus driving career. For example, the average hourly pay for an entry-level bus driver is $15, whereas the average salary for a bus driver with over twenty years of experience is $19.
If you’re interested, compare the average salaries and resumes for truck drivers, delivery drivers, and Uber drivers.
How Do I Write a Bus Driver Resume?
Writing a resume from the ground up is a tedious task, isn’t it? Luckily, we can help you out.
First and foremost, let’s delve into some general guidelines to consider before writing your bus driver resume:
Keep your resume to one page
For bus drivers and a wide range of other careers, a one-page resume is considered the standard.
We are lucky that the 5-7 page booklet-type resumes are no longer a requirement. Hiring managers do not have time to read this type of resume. In fact, a hiring manager on average spends about 5 seconds on a resume.
So the idea is that we should communicate what is important in that couple of seconds through our resume.
Find out the important keywords from the job description
Most recruiters nowadays use an applicant tracking system to shortlist resumes. These systems scan resumes for important keywords.
This will sound complicated, but we will break this down step by step when writing the resume.
In short, you need to read the job description and job advertisement carefully and pick the important keywords they have mentioned (more details below).
Follow a standard layout and a format
As an experienced bus driver, you know you cannot just drive the bus and figure out the destination along the way.
You should have your exact route planned including the stops and fares.
In the same way, when writing your resume, you should plan the layout and the format. Therefore we should start with selecting the right resume format and layout for your next bus driver resume.
The layout for this resume
The layout is about WHAT you’re going to write in your resume. In this, you should specify the headings, subheadings, and the order in which you write them.
It’s about filling in the gaps once the layout is defined.
Here’s what we recommend for a bus driver resume:
- Name and contact details
- Professional summary/ objective summary statement
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
- Additional sections: certifications, languages, interests
Best resume format
The format is about HOW you’re going to write your resume. There are three widely used standard resume formats.
- Functional (skills-based): it prioritizes the relevant skills rather than the order you acquired them.
- Reverse Chronological (traditional): this prioritizes the experience and the order in which you acquired them.
- Hybrid (combination resume): a combination of the above two.
We recommend using the reverse chronological resume format for a bus driver’s resume. The changes are mainly applied when you write your experience section.
Using a reverse chronological resume format, your experience is listed in chronological order: most recent experience at the top.
You should be aware of a few formatting rules in addition to selecting the resume format:
- Submit your resume in either PDF or MS Word format: check the job description to see if any specifications have been included.
- Use consistent margins throughout the document.
- Use a readable font and specify font sizes for headings, subheadings, and body text.
Use one of our ready-to-fill resume templates to create a great resume in ten minutes or less for your next bus driver job.
Start Your Bus Driver Resume with The Header
Your header should consist of your name and contact information. Pretty straightforward right?
Despite this, candidates often make common mistakes in this section.
To make a great first impression, we will show you how to write an error-free header.
Examples
Bus driver
nickh@gmail.com
+1 256 24 56 85
Nick Huges
nickoloushugesdonthecraze@gmail.com
+1 256 24 56 85
78, main street, apt 34,
Washington DC
USA
Here’s what you should know:
- Start your header with your name: not with the title.
- Use a professional-looking email: a short, easy-to-read email.
- Unless the employer has specifically requested it, a physical address is not necessary.
Showcase Your Bus Driving Experience
The experience section makes or breaks your chances of being called for an interview.In fact, most recruiters’ eyes are drawn to this section first. Therefore, spending a decent amount of time perfecting your experience section wouldn’t be a waste.
Nevertheless, writing the bus driver resume experience section is different from writing the weekly route report.
Remember, being a bus driver is not just about what you do behind the wheel. You need to expand on your job description.
You can follow the examples below if you’re applying for a public transportation service or a school bus service.
What if you don’t have experience as a bus driver?
We still got you covered. Read on👇
An experienced bus driver’s work experience
Bus driver at City Transport
- Scheduled routes
- Refueled bus
- Followed safety procedures
- Daily vehicle inspections
- Flawless driving record
- Post trip inspections
- Stopped at bus stops
Bus driver at City Transport
- Awarded the driver with best customer service skills in 2019
- Drove a 60 seater bus in specified routes according to the time schedule
- Drove 4000+ miles per month in highways adhering to highway safety rules
- Regularly scheduled neighborhood locations apart from the assigned route
Think about all your achievements as a bus driver in your job; think about your strengths as a bus driver.
Now write them with numbers wherever possible to add more credibility.
See the INCORRECT example; this is how 95% of the candidates write their experience section. By writing an attention-grabbing experience section, you have a good chance of reaching the top 5% of resumes.
An entry-level bus driver’s work experience
Bus conductor at City Transport
No work experience as a bus driver
Aided the bus driver in transporting passengers safely
Follow safety rules as a citizen
Bus conductor at City Transport
- Helped the bus driver to transport passengers safely by taking care of the operational work
- Helped resistant or hostile passengers to travel
- Provided bus driver with verbal geographic directions when needed
- Carried out pre and post vehicle inspections resulting in a reduction of vehicle breakdowns by 95%
- Maintained daily inspection reports and monthly service reports
You may think we’re nuts, but we’re not.
You need to excel at several skills to be a good bus driver. Driving the bus from point A to B is just one of them.
Bus Drivers have to talk to the passengers, inform the fares, collect the fees, check the vehicle condition, check the vehicle service records, do minor repairs, inform the locations to passengers, and many more.
Think about the related experiences you’ve had in your job.
Relate your experience to the skills the hiring manager is looking for.A school bus driver’s work experience
Bus driver at Somerset secondary school
- School children transportation
- Informing the bus stops
- Safety guidelines
- Vehicle inspections every day
- Vehicle refueling
- Bus fare collection
Bus driver at Somerset secondary school
- Safe transportation of elementary and secondary school children daily
- On time pickups and drop offs
- Extra care in driving with 60 passenger bus full of children: recorded zero accidents
- Communicate with the parents/guardians and drop the children off at the right bus stops
- Popular for having a pleasant smile and enjoy working with children
Address the exact pain points of the hiring manager in hiring a school bus driver: they’re looking for someone with an incredibly high level of patience, extra careful on the roads, and who’s happy working with kids.
If you do not possess the experience as a school bus driver and you’re applying for one, make sure to address the same personality traits in your experience section.
Include Your Education
The recruiter is not specifying a specific level of education for bus driver jobs. However, having basic secondary education is important.
Use a consistent format for your education section in your resume.
State the school name, years of study, and the learning outcomes.
Example education section of a bus driver resume
Education
Texas High School, High school diploma, 2012-2015
- Math
- English
- History
- Light vehicle driving license
- Played badminton
Bus Driver Skills for the Resume
Most candidates take this section lightly and write a set of generic skills, but we’re not here to write a resume like most candidates right?
In your bus driver skills section, you need to list a mix of soft skills and hard skills.
Soft skills are skills that are less measurable and generic
- Communication skills
- A willingness to work in a challenging environment
- A high level of endurance
- Effective time management
- Leadership skills
- Team player
- Interpersonal skills
Hard skills are skills that are easily measurable and job-specific
- Examining the vehicle
- Operate vehicles
- Understanding of designated route
- Understanding of DOT safety regulations
Professional Summary and How to Write it
Having a great professional summary in your resume is like adding chocolate chips to your ice cream: finishing with the best.
Our examples will show you how to write a professional summary that will wake up a bored and sleepy hiring manager.
It’s not rocket science. You need to write two or three good sentences describing how you can contribute to your new employer and what you’ve done at your current job. That’s exactly what they care about after all.
Examples
Eg: 100% clean driving records, drove 5000+ miles per month, 4-hour straight drive routes
Numbers add credibility and attract eyeballs.
Professional Objective for Bus Drivers (and School Bus Drivers)
Writing a professional objective is pretty much the same as writing a professional summary.
If you are applying for a bus driver job without previous experience or if you’re in a career change, you should consider writing a professional objective instead of a professional summary.
In a professional objective, you should similarly write two sentences: one explaining how you can contribute to the job’s success, and one explaining why you’re interested in it.
Additional Sections for Your Bus Driver Resume
Additional sections in the bus driver resume provide the hiring manager with a pleasant surprise.
By presenting them in separate sections, we increase the visibility.
You can list your skill certifications, language proficiency, and interests in these additional sections. Include only information that is relevant to or adds value to the bus driver job that you are applying for.
Computing Skills & Certifications
In this section, mention the Commercial Driving License (CDL) class you’ve got. A CDL Class A or B is usually required by most companies.
Basic computer literacy is important to a bus driver. Most companies are using software and systems to track the routes, receive payments, and record service requirements. You, as the bus driver, will have to deal with most of these systems.
Mention any certification relating to MS Office that you’ve completed or read for, as well as experience with any other systems like a point of sale system (POS).
Languages
Fluency in a couple of languages will always come in handy for a bus driver.
As a public bus driver, you will get to meet people who speak different languages.
Even as a school bus driver, you will get to talk to students who speak different languages.
It would be beneficial to be able to serve them in their own language, and the hiring manager will definitely consider it.
When listing the languages, state the level of proficiency you have in each language. You can also check out our ready-to-fill resume templates where you can attractively showcase language proficiency. Not only that, these templates offer many cool features that HR managers prefer.
Tips to Optimize Your Bus Driver Resume
Now you know how to write your next bus driver resume better than 95% of the other candidates. Use the following tips to be exceptional among the top resumes.
- Beware of your grammar: you can’t make grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes in your resume. Therefore, you should use a proofreading tool such as Grammarly to check the final resume.
- CDL- class A/B: even if you’re applying for an entry-level bus driver job, get a CDL- class A or class B certification. Many companies consider it mandatory, and it will give you an edge.
- Choose the right resume format: use a modern resume format suitable for a bus driver profession. A format that is suitable for an IT professional or a graphic designer is different from one that is suitable for a bus driver. Pick the right one.
Key Points: Write a Perfect Bus Driver Resume
- You should include your name and contact information at the top of your resume
- Your experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order: use numbers to add credibility to your information
- Briefly describe your basic education and the learning outcomes related to your job
- Highlight your skills, experience, and expertise in two sentences in the summary of your resume
- Compose a mix of soft and hard skills, giving priority to the hard skills
- Include certifications, interests, and languages as separate sections to impress the hiring manager
Back up Your Resume with a Cover Letter
The cover letter serves as your sales pitch to the recruiter. It answers the question “why should they hire you?”.
Write a paragraph about your past experiences, skills, and expertise. Next, write about how you can use your experience to help the new employer.
Remember, every bus driver can drive the bus, but they’re looking for more in you. Someone who will communicate well with passengers, someone who will take care of the bus as if it were their own, someone who values safety over targets.
Handling school children is a different skill if you’re applying for a school bus driver job. Your resume as well as the cover letter should communicate your ability to transport students and to handle the job with extra care.
Answer their greatest fears and the job is yours.
Looking for cover letter ideas? Keep this link bookmarked where we discuss a perfect cover letter example.
FAQs from Bus Drivers
What makes a bus driver resume different from other driving resumes?
Most resumes for driving jobs have many similar features, such as layout, format, and structure.
The difference would be mainly in the content. To understand the exact differences, read the job description or the job advertisement from the employer.
When you’re writing a bus driver resume, you can get inspired by other driver resumes such as Uber driver resume, Truck driver resume, or Delivery driver resume. In all these, except a couple of differences, skills sections are similar.
Does a bus driver need a resume?
It depends on the company you apply for. Some bus driver jobs have walk-in interviews, which do not require a resume.
However, most well-paying bus driver jobs require you to submit a well-written resume. The hiring manager at the desk may need a resume even if you’re going for a walk-in interview.
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