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Plumber Video Resume: Get the Call Before the Next Guy

By David Welsh, Seenly · Updated October 7, 2026

Plumbing shops hire two kinds of people, and they want to know which one you are. New-construction plumbers who can rough and top out a building to the plans and pass inspection. And service plumbers who walk into a stranger’s house with a backed-up drain, figure it out, and leave the customer calm. A PDF looks the same for both. A 60–90 second video tells the owner which one you are and how you carry yourself.

I’ve managed construction for about 15 years. In plumbing, you can usually tell in a two-minute conversation whether someone knows the work. A video gets you that conversation.

What plumbing employers listen for

New construction, service, or remodel. Say what you’ve done and what you want. Residential and commercial are different too.
Your level and license. Apprentice (what year), journeyman, or master. In Florida, journeyman plumber licenses are issued by counties and cities, and other Florida counties and cities have to recognize them.^[1] Say which one issued yours.
The tasks you can run alone. Underground, rough-in, top-out, setting fixtures, water heaters, re-pipes, drain cleaning, leak detection, backflow testing. Pick the ones that are true.
Materials and systems you know. PEX, copper, PVC, cast iron, gas piping if you do it. A plumber who names materials sounds like a plumber.
How you deal with customers (service work). Explaining the problem, giving options, protecting the floors, cleaning up.
Practical stuff. Valid driver’s license, your own hand tools, whether you’ll take on-call or emergency rotation.

The five prompts, written for plumbers

About 15 seconds each, one take.

1. Tell me about yourself

Journeyman: “I’m [name], a journeyman plumber in [county]. [X] years, mostly residential new construction: underground, rough, and top-out.”

Apprentice: “I’m [name], a third-year plumbing apprentice. I’ve been on a service truck with a journeyman for the last year.”

2. Why do you want this kind of work?

“Every house needs water in and water out. It’s work that’s always going to matter, and I like solving the problem in front of me.”

3. Why should we hire you?

Give proof. “I’ve roughed in [type of] homes from the plans on my own.” “I run my own service calls and I’m the one they send for water heaters.” “I pass my inspections.” Only what’s true.

4. What are you strongest at, and what are you working on?

“I’m strongest at rough-in layout. I’m working on gas piping and estimating.”

Or: “Strongest with customers. Working on commercial drain work.”

5. Where do you see yourself in five years?

“Licensed journeyman running my own truck.” Or: “Master plumber, running jobs for a shop.”

Close: “I’m looking for [new construction / service] work around [area]. I can start [date].”

Write your own script, or let Seenly’s AI build a draft from your answers that you edit. Either way, check that every line is true and sounds like you. General version: what to say in a video resume.

Filming tips for plumbers

Record clean. Shower first if you’re coming off a drain call, or record before work. You don’t need to look pressed, just put together.
Truck or home, engine off. Quiet and lit through the windshield.
Not under a sink or in a crawlspace. It’s dark, the sound echoes, and nobody can see your face.
Talk like you would to a homeowner. Calm and clear. For service work, that’s the skill they’re hiring.
Phone upright at eye level, propped on the dash.

Setup: how to make a video resume on your phone. General job-site advice: construction video resume.

What not to show

A customer’s home, bathroom, address, or house number. Not even a “before and after.” That’s their house, not your portfolio, unless they’ve said yes in writing.
Sewage, leaks, or mess. It may be the job, but it’s not what you want a hiring manager to picture.
Unsafe work. Trenches without protection, cutting into lines without checking what’s in them, no eye protection when cutting.
Plans with the builder’s or client’s name on them.
Your current employer’s truck or logo if they don’t know you’re looking.

After you go live on Seenly you get one link, like seenly.live/u/your-name. You can see a real one at David’s profile.

Text it to the shop owner or service manager right after you talk.
Paste it into the “website” or “portfolio” field on applications.
Put it at the top of your PDF resume.
Send it to the superintendent on a new-construction job you’d like to get on.

Other trades: electrician, HVAC technician, and welder. In Southwest Florida? See Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

Does a video actually help?

Owners get resumes that all say “experienced plumber.” What makes one stand out is hearing you explain the work.

A field experiment in Québec sent 2,021 applications to private firms. Applications that included a link to a video resume got about 10 percentage points more callbacks (Bellemare et al., CIRANO, 2020). That study tested secretary-receptionist jobs, not plumbing or the trades, and it measured callbacks, not job offers. Nobody can promise you a job. But the callback is the step you need, and the rest is on you and your work.

How it works on Seenly

Sign up with Google or email.
Build your draft: photo, name, city, the job titles you want, and the five prompts.
Add one video. Record it right on the page or upload it from Photos (.mp4 or .mov). Aim for 60–90 seconds; the limit is 2 minutes.
Go live when you’re ready. Seenly Pro is $7.99/month with a 7-day free trial. Going live gives you a public link like seenly.live/u/your-name, share buttons, and a pin on the talent map. Until then your draft stays free and unlisted, and no card is needed.

Sources

Florida Statutes 489.1455: counties and municipalities issue journeyman plumbing, pipe fitting, mechanical, and HVAC licenses and must recognize those issued by other Florida counties and municipalities (conditions apply). flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.1455
Bellemare et al., “Video resumes and callbacks,” CIRANO 2020s-45 (Québec field experiment, secretary-receptionist jobs). cirano.qc.ca/files/publications/2020s-45.pdf

Sources checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so confirm licensing details with the agency that issues them.

FAQ

Should a plumbing apprentice make a video resume?

Yes. Say what year you’re in, what you’ve done on the job, where you’re doing your schooling, and that you’ll show up. At that level, attitude and reliability are most of what an owner is judging.

Can I show before-and-after photos of my work?

Only with the property owner’s permission. Keep the video on you talking. If you have permission for photos, put them in your PDF.

Should I wear my work uniform?

A clean work shirt is fine. Cover your current company’s logo if they don’t know you’re looking.

How long should a plumber video resume be?

60 to 90 seconds. Seenly takes one video up to 2 minutes.

Is Seenly free?

Your draft and video are free and stay unlisted. To get a public link and a spot on the talent map, go live with Seenly Pro: $7.99/month with a 7-day free trial. No card until then.