What is the most important certification on an HVAC Technician resume?

EPA 608 Universal — required by law to handle refrigerants and screened on ~95% of HVAC JDs. Type I + Type II + Type III + Universal is what most companies want. List it with the certifying body and date. NATE is the strongest secondary cert and increasingly required for senior tech roles.

How do I tailor an HVAC Technician resume for commercial vs. residential service?

Commercial: lead with VRF/VRV systems, BAS (Honeywell, Johnson Controls), rooftop units, chillers, commercial refrigeration, and brazing. Residential: lead with mini-split installs, heat pump replacements, ductwork modifications, customer-service metrics (CSAT, callback %), and ticket volume. Different ATS keyword pools entirely.

How do I get past HVAC contractor ATS systems?

Mirror the JD's exact refrigerant naming ("R-410A" not "R410A"), brand vocabulary (Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman), and system type (VRF vs split vs packaged). Most HVAC ATS configs are older keyword-literal systems — synonyms and abbreviations don't match cleanly.

Optimize your HVAC Technician resume. In 60 seconds. Free.