Top 12 Glazier Skills to Put on Your Resume

In glazing, the right skills don’t just look good on paper—they shape safer installs, crisper details, and fewer headaches on site. Below you’ll find twelve core glazier skills, sharpened and relevant, written to help your resume speak the language of the trade and your day-to-day work sing.

Glazier Skills

  1. AutoCAD
  2. Glass Cutting
  3. Sealant Application
  4. Blueprint Reading
  5. Safety Compliance
  6. Window Installation
  7. Curtain Wall Systems
  8. Laminated Glass Handling
  9. Tempered Glass Techniques
  10. Precision Measuring
  11. Structural Glazing
  12. Project Estimation

1. AutoCAD

AutoCAD is CAD software used to draft precise 2D/3D drawings. Glaziers lean on it to detail shop drawings, embed exact dimensions, coordinate hardware, and map fits that avoid costly rework.

Why It's Important

Accurate layouts mean truer cuts, fewer site changes, and clean coordination with architects and fabricators—time saved, waste down, jobs smoother.

How to Improve AutoCAD Skills

Make the software work like your toolbox:

  1. Custom palettes tuned to glazing tasks—glass types, gaskets, anchors, fasteners—so common items drop in fast.

  2. Dynamic blocks for storefront mullions, door kits, setting blocks, and anchors with stretch/visibility parameters.

  3. Layer states and standards to keep frames, glass, sealants, and annotations readable and consistent.

  4. Scripts/LISP to batch-rename layers, renumber details, place callouts, or generate cut lists.

  5. Xrefs and sheet sets for coordinated plan/elevation/section packages and easy revisions.

  6. 3D where it counts: complex corners, sloped glazing, or transitions benefit from quick 3D checks.

  7. Templates with title blocks, dimension styles, and glazing hatches so every drawing starts right.

Small efficiencies stack up. Draw once, trust the details, move faster.

How to Display AutoCAD Skills on Your Resume

How to Display AutoCAD Skills on Your Resume

2. Glass Cutting

Glass cutting is scoring and breaking glass to exact sizes and shapes for install—clean lines, minimal chips, the right edge for the job.

Why It's Important

Fit drives finish. Tight tolerances keep sightlines crisp, hardware aligned, and field fixes off the clock.

How to Improve Glass Cutting Skills

Technique beats brute force:

  1. Choose the right cutter and keep the wheel fresh; use cutting oil for a steady, continuous score.

  2. One pass, consistent pressure. No double-scoring. Listen for that controlled sizzle.

  3. Start/stop strong: full-length score with a clean exit; relieve corners before complex breaks.

  4. Use running pliers correctly, aligned to the score; tap gently for stubborn lines.

  5. Stable surface—flat, clean, with a forgiving mat to reduce vibration and stray fractures.

  6. Match technique to thickness: heavier lites need firmer scoring and deliberate breaking.

  7. PPE always: gloves, sleeves, eye protection; edges bite.

Repetition builds feel. Feel builds control.

How to Display Glass Cutting Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Glass Cutting Skills on Your Resume

3. Sealant Application

Applying silicone or polyurethane at joints and perimeters to block water and air while allowing the assembly to move and breathe.

Why It's Important

Good seals keep buildings dry, efficient, and quiet. Bad seals come back as callbacks.

How to Improve Sealant Application Skills

Control the variables:

  1. Prep the substrate: clean, dry, dust-free; prime where required; no shortcuts at edges.

  2. Right product, right joint—silicone for UV/performance, polyurethane where appropriate; confirm compatibility with glass, metals, and finishes.

  3. Joint design: use backer rod or bond-breaker tape to maintain proper width/depth and two-sided adhesion.

  4. Apply in the window: avoid extreme heat, cold, or moisture; watch skin-over/working time.

  5. Tool immediately for wet-out, smooth profile, and clean edges.

  6. Respect cure times before loading, washing, or water-testing.

A tidy bead today saves three trips tomorrow.

How to Display Sealant Application Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Sealant Application Skills on Your Resume

4. Blueprint Reading

Reading architectural and shop drawings—plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules—to extract dimensions, materials, tolerances, and sequencing.

Why It's Important

It’s how you build what’s designed, not an approximation. Clear interpretation avoids clashes, missed embeds, and rework.

How to Improve Blueprint Reading Skills

Make drawings talk:

  1. Master symbols and linework for glass types, glazing methods, anchors, and finishes.

  2. Cross-reference constantly: plans to elevations to details to schedules—discrepancies hide in the gaps.

  3. Follow datum and control lines for consistent layout; track benchmark elevations.

  4. Study tolerances and movement joints; design intent means little if the build can’t move.

  5. Use RFIs strategically—ask clear, scoped questions with marked-up excerpts.

  6. Practice with real sets and mock takeoffs until the patterns become second nature.

Confidence grows when the picture behind the lines becomes obvious.

How to Display Blueprint Reading Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Blueprint Reading Skills on Your Resume

5. Safety Compliance

Working to published safety standards while handling, moving, cutting, and installing glass—PPE, fall protection, rigging, tools, and housekeeping all dialed in.

Why It's Important

Glass is unforgiving. Compliance prevents injuries, fines, and downtime—and keeps teams whole.

How to Improve Safety Compliance Skills

Build habits that stick:

  1. Task-specific training for lifting, cutting, overhead glazing, and aerial work.

  2. Correct PPE: cut-resistant gloves, sleeves, eye/face protection, hard hats, high-traction boots, fall gear where required.

  3. Equipment checks—suction cups, slings, lifts, anchors—inspect before every use.

  4. Job hazard analyses and daily huddles to surface risks before work starts.

  5. Regulatory alignment with applicable OSHA/ANSI and industry guidance; document and audit.

  6. Clean sites: clear paths, stable staging, controlled debris; order prevents accidents.

Safety isn’t a binder. It’s a rhythm.

How to Display Safety Compliance Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Safety Compliance Skills on Your Resume

6. Window Installation

Measuring, setting, shimming, fastening, flashing, and sealing window units so they perform and look right.

Why It's Important

A window is only as good as its install. Square, plumb, dry, and efficient—anything less shows up fast.

How to Improve Window Installation Skills

Get the sequence tight:

  1. Verify openings—dimensions, squareness, and substrate condition; correct before you set.

  2. Prep the rough opening with pan flashing, side flashing, and a head/drip detail that sheds water out, not in.

  3. Dry-fit and shim to square and plumb; don’t force frames—let shims carry the load.

  4. Fasten per spec: proper locations and torque to prevent bowing or binding.

  5. Insulate gaps with low-expansion foam or backer/caulk—no overfilling.

  6. Seal the exterior with compatible sealant and tidy tooling; integrate with the WRB.

  7. Function test: operate sashes, check weeps, and confirm glazing beads seated.

The finish carpentry will thank you. So will the punch list.

How to Display Window Installation Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Window Installation Skills on Your Resume

7. Curtain Wall Systems

Non-load-bearing exterior wall assemblies—glass, aluminum frames, gaskets, anchors—that hang off structure and manage air, water, thermal, and movement demands.

Why It's Important

They define the modern facade: daylight, performance, and sharp lines—all resting on precise glazing work.

How to Improve Curtain Wall Systems Skills

Think systems, not parts:

  1. Thermal performance: specify thermal breaks, low-e coatings, and proper spacer systems.

  2. Moisture control: pressure-equalized frames, drained and ventilated rebates, clean weep paths.

  3. Tolerances and movement: allow for live load, thermal drift, and seismic joints without pinching glass.

  4. Unitized vs. stick: choose for site conditions, schedule, and access; plan hoisting early.

  5. Sealant discipline: structural and weatherseals kept separate and properly cured.

  6. Testing and QC: mock-ups, chamber tests, and torque checks before full production.

Details at corners, slab edges, and transitions make or break performance.

How to Display Curtain Wall Systems Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Curtain Wall Systems Skills on Your Resume

8. Laminated Glass Handling

Moving and installing multi-ply glass bonded with interlayers (PVB, SGP, etc.) without damaging edges, surfaces, or the interlayer.

Why It's Important

Edges and interlayers are sensitive. Mistakes show up as chips, delamination, or safety issues.

How to Improve Laminated Glass Handling Skills

Respect the material:

  1. Plan lifts with the right gear—rated suction cups, spreader bars, soft slings, edge guards.

  2. Place cups away from edges and keep glass supported evenly to avoid bending stress.

  3. Control environment: dry storage, protected edges, avoid heat/humidity extremes that can affect interlayers.

  4. Transport upright on padded A-frames; strap to prevent vibration and rubbing.

  5. Clean handling: no solvents that attack interlayers; use approved cleaners and soft cloths.

  6. PPE and team lifts for heavier lites; communicate before every move.

Smooth handling now prevents costly defects later.

How to Display Laminated Glass Handling Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Laminated Glass Handling Skills on Your Resume

9. Tempered Glass Techniques

Tempering heats glass and quenches it to boost strength and change how it breaks—small dice instead of blades. It’s tough, but touchy around edges and holes.

Why It's Important

Stronger, safer, and often required by code. From doors to guards to showers, tempered is everywhere.

How to Improve Tempered Glass Techniques Skills

Precision before the furnace, care after:

  1. Do all fabrication first: cut, notch, drill, and edge-finish before tempering—no field alterations.

  2. Edge quality matters; polish or seam to reduce stress risers and spontaneous break risk.

  3. Cleanliness pre-temper; tiny debris can create quench marks or roller wave.

  4. Controlled processing: even heating and proper quench; verify with quality checks.

  5. Consider heat-soak testing where nickel sulfide risk or critical use demands it.

  6. Handle gently: protect edges, use soft pads, avoid point loads during install; correct gasket bite and setting blocks.

Treat edges like glass royalty. They decide the outcome.

How to Display Tempered Glass Techniques Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Tempered Glass Techniques Skills on Your Resume

10. Precision Measuring

Capturing exact dimensions for openings, glass sizes, hardware locations, and reveals so fabricated parts slip in without drama.

Why It's Important

Measure tight, fit right. Waste shrinks, quality climbs.

How to Improve Precision Measuring Skills

Aim for repeatable accuracy:

  1. Use reliable tools: quality tapes, squares, levels, and laser measures; keep them in calibration.

  2. Reference from datums and consistent control lines; record offsets, not guesses.

  3. Account for tolerances in substrates, out-of-plumb walls, and floor variation; design glass clearances accordingly.

  4. Template tricky shapes with rigid templates or digital templating for curves and out-of-square openings.

  5. Double-check criticals—hinge/backset locations, hole centers, notch sizes—before release to fabrication.

  6. Consider movement and expansion when sizing bites and gaps.

Write it down the same way every time. Consistency is accuracy’s twin.

How to Display Precision Measuring Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Precision Measuring Skills on Your Resume

11. Structural Glazing

Bonding glass to frames using high-performance structural silicone or adhesives to create sleek, all-glass facades with hidden fixings.

Why It's Important

Minimal sightlines, maximum clarity. Done right, it’s strong, weather-tight, and beautiful.

How to Improve Structural Glazing Skills

Follow the science, then the steps:

  1. Engineer the bite based on wind, dead load, and movement; confirm with calculations and mock-ups.

  2. Surface prep and primers exactly as the sealant manufacturer requires; cleanliness is non-negotiable.

  3. Use spacers and setting blocks to control joint dimensions and maintain bond-line thickness.

  4. Separate structural from weather seals; each has a job and cure window.

  5. QC and testing: adhesion tests, peel tests, and documented cure verification.

  6. Plan maintenance—inspect seals over time and address degradation early.

A flawless bond line is invisible and indispensable.

How to Display Structural Glazing Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Structural Glazing Skills on Your Resume

12. Project Estimation

Forecasting labor, material, equipment, and time for glass work—real numbers, realistic schedules, and clear assumptions.

Why It's Important

Accurate estimates protect margins, keep timelines honest, and build trust with clients.

How to Improve Project Estimation Skills

Turn guesswork into discipline:

  1. Define scope tightly: systems, glass types, finishes, hardware, testing, and warranties spelled out.

  2. Leverage historical data from similar projects to calibrate labor rates and production.

  3. Use takeoff tools and standardized assemblies to reduce math errors and speed revisions.

  4. Include the hidden costs: waste factors, protection, lifts/rigging, permits, delivery sequencing, and site access constraints.

  5. Build contingencies for risk—tolerable, but real. Note assumptions clearly.

  6. Peer review high-value scopes; fresh eyes catch misses.

  7. Close the loop: compare estimate vs. actuals and adjust your database.

Clarity up front prevents surprises down the line.

How to Display Project Estimation Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Project Estimation Skills on Your Resume
Top 12 Glazier Skills to Put on Your Resume