Top 12 Welding Instructor Skills to Put on Your Resume

In the competitive field of welding instruction, showcasing a comprehensive set of skills on your resume is crucial for standing out to potential employers. This guide cuts the fluff and gets practical—twelve skills that signal expertise, adaptability, and a genuine drive to shape the next wave of skilled welders.

Welding Instructor Skills

1. MIG Welding
2. TIG Welding
3. Stick Welding
4. Flux-Cored Arc Welding
5. Oxy-Fuel Cutting
6. Plasma Cutting
7. SMAW
8. GTAW
9. GMAW
10. FCAW
11. AWS Certification
12. Safety Protocols

1. MIG Welding

MIG welding—often referred to as Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)—is a semi-automatic or automatic arc welding process that feeds a continuous wire electrode while shielding gas protects the weld from contamination. Versatile and fast, it handles many materials and thicknesses with minimal cleanup.

Why It's Important

MIG matters because it blends speed, ease of learning, and solid results. From fabrication to repair, it’s the go-to for productivity without sacrificing consistency.

How to Improve MIG Welding Skills

Sharper MIG work comes from tuning technique, dialing in settings, and relentless practice.

1. Technique: Solid grip and stable posture. Hold the gun around a 10–15 degree push angle in the direction of travel. Watch the puddle, not the arc.

2. Equipment Settings: Match voltage and wire feed to material thickness and joint type. Confirm polarity and contact tip-to-work distance.

3. Welding Speed: Keep a steady pace. Too slow overheats and crowns; too fast undercuts and leaves lack of fusion.

4. Practice: Run beads on scrap in flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions. Change only one variable at a time so cause and effect stays clear.

5. Maintenance: Swap worn tips and liners, clean nozzles, check drive rolls. Stable feeding equals stable arcs.

6. Safety: Full PPE, good ventilation, tidy cable routing. Treat spatter and heat as constant, not occasional.

How to Display MIG Welding Skills on Your Resume

2. TIG Welding

TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding, or GTAW, uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with inert shielding gas—typically argon—for precise, clean welds. Filler metal is added by hand when needed. It shines on thin materials and critical joints.

Why It's Important

When appearance, control, and metallurgical integrity matter, TIG is the ace. Aerospace, motorsports, food-grade stainless, artwork—TIG carries weight where tolerances are tight.

How to Improve TIG Welding Skills

Precision is the name of the game.

1. Equipment Setup: Confirm AC/DC mode, balance, frequency (for AC), and start method match the job. Keep connections snug and leak-free.

2. Tungsten Prep: Grind lengthwise, not around the circumference. Match tungsten type and diameter to current and base metal.

3. Shielding Gas: Set proper flow, use gas lenses where access is tight, and protect from drafts. Argon does most of the heavy lifting; helium blends can add heat.

4. Technique: Hold a tight arc length, keep torch angle low, and feed filler into the leading edge of the puddle. Rhythm matters. So does restraint.

5. Material Prep: Cleanliness is non-negotiable. Degrease, remove oxides, dedicate brushes by alloy.

6. Practice: Track pads. Coupons. Variety in joints and thicknesses. Build muscle memory before chasing speed.

How to Display TIG Welding Skills on Your Resume

3. Stick Welding

Stick welding—Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)—uses a flux-coated consumable electrode and a constant current power source. The flux creates shielding and slag, letting the process run outdoors or in less pristine conditions.

Why It's Important

Rugged, portable, and forgiving of wind and rust, stick welding excels in field repairs, structural work, and tight access.

How to Improve Stick Welding Skills

Control the variables that matter most.

1. Electrode Choice: Select rods based on base metal, position, and required mechanical properties. Know your 6010 from your 7018—and store low-hydrogen rods dry.

2. Machine Settings: Set amperage to electrode size, then fine-tune by arc sound and puddle behavior.

3. Arc Length: Keep it tight—roughly equal to electrode diameter—to steady the arc and reduce spatter.

4. Angle and Movement: A 10–30 degree drag angle typically works. Stringers beat weaves when in doubt.

5. All Positions: Drill every position: flat, horizontal, vertical (up is standard for 7018), and overhead. Position discipline builds confidence.

6. Cleanliness: Chip slag thoroughly between passes. Remove paint, rust, and oil before striking.

7. Safety First: Eye, hand, skin, and fume protection. Don’t compromise because it’s “just a quick pass.”

How to Display Stick Welding Skills on Your Resume

4. Flux-Cored Arc Welding

Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) feeds a tubular wire filled with flux. Variants include self-shielded (no external gas) and gas-shielded. The process delivers high deposition rates with deep penetration and solid productivity.

Why It's Important

It runs hot and fast, handles thicker materials, and doesn’t flinch in windy or shop-floor conditions. A workhorse for structural and heavy fabrication.

How to Improve Flux-Cored Arc Welding Skills

Dial in consistency and control.

1. Equipment Maintenance: Keep liners clean, drive rolls matched to wire type, and contact tips fresh. Poor feeding wrecks beads.

2. Proper Technique: Maintain correct gun angle, travel speed, and stick-out (typically 3/4 inch for self-shielded, shorter for gas-shielded).

3. Material Prep: Remove mill scale, rust, and oil. Flux helps, but it’s not a magic eraser.

4. Parameters: Balance voltage, wire feed speed, and inductance to match position and thickness. Watch bead profile and adjust deliberately.

5. Safety: Respect fumes and spatter. Ventilation and PPE are mandatory, not optional.

How to Display Flux-Cored Arc Welding Skills on Your Resume

5. Oxy-Fuel Cutting

Oxy-fuel cutting mixes oxygen with a fuel gas—acetylene, propane, or propylene—to preheat steel, then a jet of oxygen oxidizes and blows molten material away. Great for thick carbon steel, straight cuts, and rough shaping.

Why It's Important

Reliable, portable, and powerful. It preps grooves, severs plate, and carves out repair access without expensive consumables.

How to Improve Oxy-Fuel Cutting Skills

Small adjustments, big gains.

1. Equipment Setup: Inspect hoses, regulators, and check valves. Leak test. Confirm tip size matches plate thickness.

2. Gas Pressure and Mixture: Set oxygen and fuel pressures to manufacturer recommendations. Stable flame equals cleaner kerfs.

3. Tip Selection: Choose the proper tip size and keep orifices clean. Carboned tips give ugly cuts.

4. Flame Adjustment: Aim for a neutral flame with a defined inner cone. No feathering if precision is the goal.

5. Steady Speed: Move at a pace that keeps slag streaming straight down. Slag trailing backward means too slow; sparks spraying forward means too fast.

6. Cutting Angle: Hold around 70–80 degrees to the surface, then tweak for pierces and starts.

7. Maintenance: Clean tips, purge lines, store cylinders correctly. Routine care prevents headaches.

8. Safety: Flame-resistant PPE, spark control, backflow protection, and a strict no-oil rule on oxygen fittings.

How to Display Oxy-Fuel Cutting Skills on Your Resume

6. Plasma Cutting

Plasma cutting uses a constricted, high-temperature plasma jet to slice through conductive metals—steel, stainless, aluminum, copper, brass—with speed and precision. CNC or handheld, it’s a flexible tool in any shop.

Why It's Important

Clean edges, tight radii, and rapid production. It broadens what students can fabricate in minutes, not hours.

How to Improve Plasma Cutting Skills

Focus on setup, motion, and air quality.

1. Proper Setup: Match amperage and travel speed to material type and thickness. Use the right consumables for the torch.

2. Quality Consumables: Replace electrodes and nozzles before they’re shot. Dull parts equal dross and bevel.

3. Correct Cutting Speed: Watch sparks—they should spray downward. Lag lines that trail far behind the torch signal speed issues.

4. Distance and Angle: Maintain proper standoff and keep the torch square unless beveling on purpose.

5. Dry, Clean Air: Moisture wrecks consumables and cut quality. Use filters and dryers.

6. Regular Maintenance: Inspect leads, check gas flow, clean torch bodies. Keep spares on hand to prevent downtime.

How to Display Plasma Cutting Skills on Your Resume

7. SMAW

SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) is the classic stick process: a flux-coated rod, constant current power, and an all-terrain attitude.

Why It's Important

Portability, simplicity, and adaptability make SMAW foundational. It teaches puddle reading, heat control, and discipline.

How to Improve SMAW Skills

For instructors, hone your craft and your teaching.

1. Practice Consistently: Refine arc starts, rod angle, travel speed, and restarts until they’re second nature.

2. Stay Current: Track updates in electrodes, coatings, and procedure qualifications.

3. Safety: Reinforce PPE and fume control every session. No shortcuts.

4. Incorporate Feedback: Ask for peer reviews and student input. Adjust demos and drills accordingly.

5. Visual Aids: Use macro-etch samples, cut-and-etch cross sections, and live cams on puddles to make invisible cues visible.

6. Encourage Certifications: Guide students toward code testing and position quals that match local industry needs.

7. Active Learning: Short lectures, long labs. Structured practice beats passive listening.

How to Display SMAW Skills on Your Resume

8. GTAW

GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode and inert gas shielding to deliver clean, controlled welds across a spectrum of alloys.

Why It's Important

High-end precision for thin sheet, reactive metals, and sanitary requirements. When defects aren’t tolerated, GTAW steps in.

How to Improve GTAW Skills

Control the fundamentals relentlessly.

1. Equipment Check: Keep torches, cables, and power sources in top shape. Bad connections show up as unstable arcs.

2. Consumables: Choose tungsten type and size wisely; match filler to base metal chemistry and specifications.

3. Gas Flow: Set appropriate flow rates and use gas lenses for coverage. Shield the back side on stainless and titanium when required.

4. Arc Length: Short and steady. Erratic arcs create contamination and porosity.

5. Travel and Angle: Keep a low torch angle and consistent speed. Let the puddle tell you what it needs.

6. Practice: Build dexterity with torch-in-dominant-hand, filler-in-off-hand drills before chasing precision on parts.

7. Ongoing Training: Workshops, procedure reviews, and code updates keep teaching sharp.

8. Safety: Protect eyes and skin from UV, and manage ozone and fume exposure with ventilation.

How to Display GTAW Skills on Your Resume

9. GMAW

GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) uses a continuously fed wire and shielding gas to join metals. It’s the technical umbrella for what many call MIG.

Why It's Important

High travel speeds, less cleanup, and broad application—from thin sheet to thick plate—make GMAW a teaching staple.

How to Improve GMAW Skills

Refine the variables that steer the puddle.

1. Optimize Parameters: Tune voltage, wire feed speed, and gas flow to joint type and thickness. Record settings that work; repeat success.

2. Match Gas and Wire: Pair ER70S wire with C25 for mild steel, argon mixes for stainless and aluminum with proper liners and drive rolls.

3. Technique: Hold a steady push angle, keep stick-out consistent, and avoid weaving unless specified.

4. Maintenance: Clean contact tips, liners, and drive rolls. Good grounds prevent arc wander.

5. Quality Consumables: Don’t cheap out on tips and wire. Consistency shows in the bead.

6. Practice and Feedback: Run procedure-based drills and review bead profiles together. Peer critique accelerates growth.

How to Display GMAW Skills on Your Resume

10. FCAW

FCAW (Flux-Cored Arc Welding) feeds a tubular wire packed with flux and delivers strong, fast welds. Self-shielded for outdoors, gas-shielded for cleaner shop work.

Why It's Important

High deposition rates, positional versatility, and stout mechanical properties make FCAW a must-teach for heavy fabrication and structural work.

How to Improve FCAW Skills

Make consistency your north star.

1. Wire Selection: Choose wire for base metal, position, and required properties (E71T-11 vs. E71T-1, etc.). Store dry.

2. Machine Setup: Set voltage and wire feed to wire diameter and thickness. Confirm polarity for self-shielded vs. gas-shielded.

3. Technique: Control stick-out, steady travel, and a slight drag angle. Watch for worm tracking and porosity; correct immediately.

4. Surface Prep: Clean joint areas thoroughly. FCAW tolerates more, but cleaner still wins.

5. Ventilation: Prioritize fume extraction. Especially with self-shielded wires.

6. Reps and Reviews: Practice and inspect. Cut-and-etch to verify fusion and penetration.

How to Display FCAW Skills on Your Resume

11. AWS Certification

AWS certifications validate proficiency across welding processes, inspection, and education. For instructors, they signal competence, credibility, and familiarity with current codes and standards.

Why It's Important

Credentials reassure employers and students that your methods align with industry expectations. They also keep your knowledge current.

How to Improve AWS Certification Skills

Think in cycles: learn, apply, verify.

1. Stay Updated: Track code changes, new processes, and position requirements. Keep a renewal calendar.

2. Advance Your Skills: Take higher-level courses, cross-train on new alloys and procedures, and document procedures (WPS/PQR) where applicable.

3. Hands-On Depth: Accumulate varied projects—different positions, materials, and joint types. Range builds judgment.

4. Network: Connect with local sections, shops, and inspectors. Shared insights cut learning curves.

5. Exam Prep: Use official study materials and timed practice tests. Build a plan, then stick to it.

6. Mentor: Teach to learn. Coaching others cements your own understanding.

7. Recertify On Time: Track expirations and log continuity.

8. Specialize: Add endorsements or inspection credentials to broaden your value.

How to Display AWS Certification Skills on Your Resume

12. Safety Protocols

Safety protocols cover PPE, ventilation, electrical and fire controls, equipment maintenance, and clear procedures that prevent injuries from burns, UV exposure, fumes, and shocks.

Why It's Important

Safety isn’t paperwork. It’s culture. It protects people, preserves equipment, and keeps learning uninterrupted.

How to Improve Safety Protocols Skills

Make safety visible and routine.

1. Risk Assessments: Audit hazards regularly—fire, electrical, fume, mechanical—and close the gaps you find.

2. Updated Training: Refresh training on PPE, lockout/tagout, hot work permits, and fume risks (hexavalent chromium, manganese).

3. PPE Enforcement: Helmets with proper shade, leather gloves, FR clothing, safety boots, and hearing protection when needed.

4. Ventilation and Extraction: Local fume extraction, general ventilation, and respiratory protection for high-fume tasks.

5. Emergency Preparedness: Post evacuation routes, maintain first-aid kits and fire extinguishers, drill responses for burns and eye injuries.

6. Equipment Maintenance: Inspect leads, clamps, cylinders, torches, and guards. Fix issues before they escalate.

7. Clear Signage: Mark hot work zones, cylinder storage, and eye protection areas. Keep floors clear and grounded.

How to Display Safety Protocols Skills on Your Resume