Trades / Automotive
Mechanic CV example (UK)
A UK mechanic and vehicle technician CV for garages and dealerships: diagnostics, servicing, MOT work, EV and hybrid skills, and your qualifications.
Example CV profile
Level 3 qualified light vehicle technician with [four] years' experience in a busy [independent garage]. Confident with diagnostics, servicing and repairs across most makes, and [an MOT tester for class 4 vehicles]. Holds [an IMI electric and hybrid vehicle qualification] and a full UK driving licence, with my own tools.
Key skills to include (if true for you)
- Fault diagnosis with diagnostic software and hand tools
- Servicing and routine maintenance to manufacturer schedules
- Brakes, suspension, steering, clutches and exhausts
- Engine management and electrical fault finding
- Electric and hybrid vehicles, including high-voltage safety (if qualified)
- MOT testing (if you hold the Level 2 MOT Testing Award)
- Clear job cards, service records and customer explanations
- Workshop health and safety, including lifts and hazardous substances
- Full UK driving licence and own tools
Example experience bullet points
- Diagnosed and repaired engine, electrical and drivetrain faults on [n] vehicles a week, using [Autel / Bosch / manufacturer] diagnostic software.
- Carried out full and interim services to manufacturer schedules, recording work and parts accurately on the garage system.
- Tested class 4 vehicles as an authorised MOT tester, completing annual training and assessment on time each year.
- Serviced and repaired hybrid and electric vehicles, following high-voltage isolation procedures.
- Explained repairs and costs to customers in plain language, and called them before doing any extra work.
- Road-tested vehicles after repairs and checked every job before handing the keys back.
- Mentored [one] apprentice through their Level 3 qualification, signing off workshop tasks and checking their work.
Illustrative only. Replace with your own real roles, dates and results — never copy experience you don't have.
Education & training
- Level 3 Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician (Light Vehicle) apprenticeship or diploma – [provider], [year]
- Level 2 MOT Testing Award (class 4 and 7, group B) – [year] (if held)
- IMI electric and hybrid vehicle qualification – [level], [year] (if held)
- Manufacturer or dealer training – [brand / course], [year]
Keywords UK recruiters screen for
vehicle technician · mechanic · diagnostics · servicing · MOT · fault finding · EV / hybrid · Level 3 · IMI · full UK driving licence · own tools
Tips for a mechanic CV
- Put your qualification level, MOT tester status and EV qualifications near the top. They're often the first things a workshop manager checks.
- Name the makes, systems and diagnostic tools you've worked with, and whether you've worked in a dealership, independent garage or fleet workshop.
- Show quality and honesty: getting it right first time, clear job cards and calling customers before extra work.
- Mention your driving licence and that you have your own tools, if true. Many adverts ask for both.
- Only list an MOT tester status that's current. Annual training and assessment keep it active.
- Apprentice or trainee? Lead with your course, the tasks you're signed off for and the vehicles you've worked on.
Mechanic pay depends on your qualifications, MOT and EV skills, and whether you work in a dealership, independent garage or fleet workshop. Some jobs add bonuses for productivity. Check the advert. Salary checker (ONS data).
Official sources and further reading
- National Careers Service: Motor mechanic job profile
- GOV.UK: Become an MOT tester – eligibility (Great Britain)
- GOV.UK: Annual MOT tester training and assessment
- nidirect: MOT and vehicle testing (Northern Ireland)
What workshop managers look for in a mechanic
The National Careers Service lists day-to-day tasks such as finding and diagnosing faults using hand tools or a computer, advising customers on repairs and costs, maintenance and repairs, road tests, updating service records and, if you deal with hybrid or electric vehicles, working with high-voltage batteries. Most adverts ask for evidence of:
- Qualifications. Your Level 2 or Level 3 qualification, apprenticeship and any manufacturer training.
- Diagnostics. The tools and systems you use, and the kind of faults you find.
- MOT status. Whether you're an authorised tester, and for which classes.
- EV and hybrid. The qualification you hold and the work you're cleared to do.
- Quality and customers. Right first time, clear job cards and honest explanations.
Paste the advert into the free job ad keyword extractor to see which of these that garage asks for most.
MOT testing: Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In Great Britain, MOT testers work at authorised testing stations approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). To take an MOT testing course, GOV.UK says you must have a current and full UK driving licence for the vehicle classes you want to test, and be a skilled mechanic with at least 4 years' full-time employment servicing and repairing the types of vehicles you're going to test. Testers also have to complete training and pass an assessment every year. If yours lapses, don't list it as current.
In Northern Ireland, MOTs are carried out at Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) test centres, so garage MOT tester roles work differently. Describe your servicing and pre-MOT preparation instead.
Electric and hybrid vehicles
EV and hybrid skills are a strong selling point, but be precise. Name the qualification and level you hold, and what you're trained to do: routine servicing near high-voltage systems, isolation and re-instatement, or diagnosis and repair of the high-voltage system itself. Never imply a level of high-voltage work you aren't qualified for.
Mechanic, maintenance technician or auto electrician?
| Role | What the CV should lead with | CV example |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanic or vehicle technician | Servicing, diagnostics, MOT, EV, cars and vans | This page |
| Maintenance technician | Buildings, plant and machinery, planned maintenance | Maintenance technician CV |
| Apprentice | Course, signed-off tasks, reliability | Apprentice CV |
Check it before you send it
Run your CV through the free CV checker for a suggested fix on each issue, or start with the free CV builder. For the cover letter, the electrician cover letter example is a good model for a skilled trade.
FAQs
What should a mechanic CV include?
Your qualification level, MOT and EV qualifications if held, the makes and systems you work on, diagnostic tools, the type of workshop, your driving licence and own tools, plus examples of quality work and customer service.
Is a vehicle technician the same as a mechanic?
Mostly. Dealerships often say vehicle technician or light vehicle technician; independent garages often say mechanic. The National Careers Service lists light vehicle technician and hybrid and electric vehicle technician as alternative titles for motor mechanic. Use the title from the advert.
How do I become an MOT tester?
In Great Britain, GOV.UK says you must be a skilled mechanic with at least 4 years' full-time employment servicing and repairing the types of vehicles you're going to test, hold a current full UK driving licence for those classes, and complete an MOT tester course and a DVSA demonstration test. In Northern Ireland, MOTs are carried out at Driver & Vehicle Agency test centres.
Should I put EV or hybrid experience on my CV?
Yes, if you have it. State the qualification and level, and the work you've done, such as servicing, diagnostics or high-voltage isolation. Don't claim high-voltage work you're not qualified for.
How do I write an apprentice mechanic CV?
Lead with your course and provider, the tasks you've been signed off for, the vehicles you've worked on and your reliability. Hobbies such as working on your own car or bike are worth a line.
Applying in the US, Canada or Australia? Is a mechanic resume different?
Call it an auto mechanic or automotive technician resume (in the US, diesel mechanic for heavy vehicles). The skills carry over, but UK qualifications and the MOT don't have direct equivalents, so describe them briefly. Use US Letter paper for US and Canadian employers.
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- Maintenance Technician CV example
- Apprentice CV example
- Electrician CV example
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