A great dog groomer resume gets you interviews. A mediocre one gets your application ignored. The difference usually comes down to a few specific sections done right: your experience bullets, your skill list, and a clean, scannable format. Most groomer resumes fail because they look like bathers' resumes stretched out — generic, vague, and missing the numbers hiring managers actually want to see.
This guide shows you exactly what to put on a groomer resume, what to skip, and how to format it so salon owners and district managers actually read it. Real examples of strong and weak bullets included.
What a Groomer Resume Needs (And What It Doesn't)
Your resume needs five sections, in this order:
- Header with contact info
- Short summary (2-3 sentences)
- Grooming experience (most recent first)
- Skills and certifications
- Education (brief)
That's it. No "objective statement." No "interests" section. No photo. No fancy graphics or columns that confuse applicant tracking systems.
The Header
Top of page. Your name, phone, email, city/state. That's it. No home address. Optional: a link to your portfolio if you have one online (Instagram profile with your grooming work counts).
Sarah Martinez Phoenix, AZ | (555) 123-4567 | [email protected] Portfolio: instagram.com/sarahgrooms
The Summary (2-3 Sentences)
This is where you hook the reader. Mention your years of experience, your specialty breeds, and your defining strength. Skip cliches like "hardworking" and "passionate about animals" — every groomer claims those. Be specific.
Strong:
Certified dog groomer with 4 years of salon experience averaging 7 full grooms per day. Specialized in doodle and Yorkie breed cuts. NDGAA Certified Groomer with AKC S.A.F.E. certification.
Weak:
Hardworking and passionate dog groomer seeking a new opportunity to grow in the industry.
The strong version gives a hiring manager numbers, breeds, and credentials in two sentences. The weak version could describe any groomer on earth.
Experience Bullets That Get Interviews
For each grooming job, list your title, employer, city, and dates. Then write 3-5 bullets. Each bullet should start with a verb and include a number or concrete detail.
Strong bullets:
- Completed an average of 7 full-service grooms per day across breeds including goldendoodles, Yorkshire terriers, schnauzers, and shih tzus
- Maintained a 92% client rebook rate over 24 months
- Hand-scissored breed-standard cuts for poodles, bichons, and cockers
- Trained 3 bathers into junior groomer roles during my time at the salon
- Generated $84,000 in annual grooming revenue on a 50% commission structure
Weak bullets:
- Groomed dogs
- Bathed and dried dogs
- Worked with clients
- Maintained a clean work area
- Provided excellent customer service
The strong bullets give specifics. The weak bullets could be a bather, a groomer, or a dog walker.
Skills Section
Group your skills into categories. Hiring managers skim this section in 3 seconds — make it scannable.
Technical skills:
- Breed-standard cuts (poodle, bichon, schnauzer, cocker, Westie)
- Pet-style cuts (doodle, shih tzu, Yorkie, Maltese)
- Hand-scissoring and blending
- Hand-stripping (terriers)
- Clipper work (A5 Oster, Andis, various blade sizes)
- De-shedding (double-coated breeds)
Additional skills:
- Nail grinding and trimming
- Teeth brushing
- Ear cleaning and plucking
- Anal gland expression
- De-matting
- Large/giant breed handling (100+ lbs)
- Senior dog handling
- Anxious/reactive dog handling
Certifications That Actually Matter
List any certifications you hold. Employers specifically look for these:
- AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer
- NDGAA Certified Groomer / NCMG
- IPG Certified Groomer / ICMG
- Fear Free Groomer
- Pet First Aid / Pet CPR (Red Cross or PetTech)
If you don't have any yet, that's fine — just skip this line rather than listing nothing. Consider starting your certification path; see our certifications guide for options.
Education
If you attended grooming school (Paragon, ABC, Merryfield, Nash, Penn Foster, etc.), list it. High school diploma and anything unrelated should probably come off. One line each is enough.
Animal Behavior College | Certified Pet Groomer | 2023
Resume Format Rules
- One page if you have less than 10 years of experience. Two pages maximum.
- PDF only. Never Word — formatting will break.
- Sans-serif font (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica). 10-11 point body, 12-14 point headers.
- Left-aligned. No center alignment except the header.
- No columns — applicant tracking systems can't parse them reliably.
- No photos. Not a paw print icon. Not a stock dog image. Plain text works best.
- Save file as:
FirstLast_DogGroomerResume.pdf
Red Flags Hiring Managers Look For
- Unexplained gaps — add a brief note. "2023: full-time parent" or "2024: relocating to Phoenix" is fine. Silence is worse.
- Job hopping — 4 salons in 3 years raises concerns. Consolidate short stints under a "freelance/contract" heading if appropriate.
- Vague bullets — if every bullet starts with "helped" or "assisted," you look like you did not actually do the work.
- Spelling errors — attention to detail is a core grooming skill. Typos signal you don't have it.
- Missing phone number or email — yes, this happens. Always include both.
Example: Complete Strong Resume
Sarah Martinez Phoenix, AZ | (555) 123-4567 | [email protected] | instagram.com/sarahgrooms SUMMARY Certified dog groomer with 4 years of salon experience averaging 7 full grooms per day. Specialized in doodle, Yorkie, and schnauzer breed cuts. NDGAA Certified Groomer with AKC S.A.F.E. certification. EXPERIENCE Senior Dog Groomer | Sparkle Grooming Co. | Scottsdale, AZ | 2023 – Present • Completed 7-8 full grooms daily across all breeds and sizes • Maintained 92% client rebook rate over 24 months • Hand-scissored breed-standard poodle, bichon, and cocker cuts • Trained and mentored 2 junior groomers and 3 bathers • Generated $84,000 annual grooming revenue on 50% commission Dog Groomer | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | 2022 – 2023 • Graduated from PetSmart Grooming Academy in 16 weeks • Completed 5-6 full grooms daily during training, 6-7 post-graduation • Earned promotion to senior groomer within 10 months Dog Bather | PetSmart | Phoenix, AZ | 2021 – 2022 • Prepped 10-12 dogs daily for grooming team • Handled intake, bathing, drying, nail trimming, ear cleaning • Selected for grooming academy after 9 months SKILLS Breed cuts (poodle, bichon, schnauzer, cocker, doodle) · Hand scissoring · Clipper work · De-matting · Large breed handling · Senior dog handling · Anxious dog handling CERTIFICATIONS NDGAA Certified Groomer · AKC S.A.F.E. Groomer · Fear Free Certified · Pet CPR (Red Cross) EDUCATION Animal Behavior College · Certified Pet Groomer · 2021
Notice: every bullet has a number, specific breeds, or a concrete outcome. The summary is 2 sentences with 3 numbers and 3 specialties. No fluff.
Where to Send It
Post your resume on GroomerJob.com, apply to open positions, or reach out to specific companies like PetSmart, Petco, or Scenthound. Our resume templates page has free formats you can download and adapt.
FAQs
How long should a groomer resume be?
One page if you have less than 10 years of experience. Two pages maximum. Hiring managers spend about 6 seconds on a first scan — longer resumes hurt you, they don't help.
Should I include references on my groomer resume?
No. Leave them off entirely, or write "References available upon request." You'll provide them later if the employer asks. Including them wastes space.
What if I don't have any grooming experience yet?
Apply for bather positions, not groomer positions. Bather resumes focus on reliability, animal handling (pets, dog walking, shelter volunteering), and willingness to learn. Most bathers get hired without prior professional grooming experience.
Should I mention salary expectations on my resume?
No. Save that for the interview or offer stage. Putting a number on your resume either prices you out or underprices you.
Do I need a cover letter?
If the application requests one, yes. If it doesn't, a strong resume is usually sufficient. When you do write a cover letter, make it 3 short paragraphs specific to that salon — not a recycled template.
Ready to Apply?
Once your resume is polished, review the groomer interview questions so you're ready for the next step. Then browse grooming jobs and start applying.
