Tons of different components go into manufacturing a product, and you’re ready to handle the job. You could do anything from placing parts in the production line to mentoring new workers on your optimized strategy for improving work environments and ROIs.
But how do you show your packaging prowess or attentive eye on shipments in a resume? What do recruiters really want from you to confirm your excellent fit?
We know you’re already working hard, but don’t sweat. We’ve been helping skilled professionals in manufacturing for years. Try our manufacturing resume examples and handy cover letter writing tips to help launch your career.
Why this resume works
- This is one of those instances where it’s fine to have a resume without many fancy education degrees or a plethora of skills. Having a high school diploma with around 5-6 skills can also make things work.
- Here’s how: Make your manufacturing resume shine with your progress in your career. Even being a general worker is a good start as long as you can highlight that you’ve assisted in production output and lowered misplacement incidents.
Why this resume works
- One thing that you have to get right in your manufacturing engineer resume is adding relevant job skills that show you’re more than prepared to process output and monitor all production.
- Mentioning tools like PLC or CATIA will be more than enough for your expertise in process control and designing. You can even flex your knowledge of statistics by citing key methods such as SPC.
Why this resume works
- A great way to make a lasting impression and be at the back of a potential employer mind is to add a reputed company that you’ve worked for.
- Any past role in an organization like Kellogg’s is a great addition to your manufacturing supervisor resume. You can keep on adding more great names such as BorgWarner Inc. to gain an upper hand over the other candidates, especially if you’ve got more industry-specific work experience such as automobiles.
Why this resume works
- As a manager who has to oversee every production process and ensure all equipment and employees are working efficiently, you’ll need effective and quantifiable metrics that prove your worth.
- Having points such as minimizing the average time to complete key production stages by 13% at the main facility in your manufacturing manager resume is a great way to let your employer know that you’re well-equipped to take on this role.
Why this resume works
- It’s not important to start off as a technician in the first place. Even if you’ve begun your career in material handling, it’s worth mentioning as long as you’ve reduced defects in processes such as soldering.
- You can then move forward with your more recent job roles and go over your responsibilities in handling manufacturing strategies and quality control tools such as InfinityQS ProFicient. Include a couple more such tools that you’re good with and your manufacturing technician resume will be good to go!
Related resume examples
Build Your Manufacturing Resume For the Job Description
You know well that there are tons of subsets of the manufacturing industry! So, pay attention to what skills each job description actually asks for. Are they seeking skills more like what you learned while pursuing your engineering degree? Or do they need a manager with an excellent work ethic to keep the production line moving?
Review the job description for hints on how you can make your resume into exactly what it needs to be. Where do your job skills overlap with their values? We also recommend browsing the organization’s website to look for any mission statements that hint towards the abilities they value most—and which you happen to have!
Need some starter ideas?
15 popular manufacturing skills
- Fiix
- SAP ERP
- MasterControl
- LeanKit
- Preactor
- InfityQS ProFicient
- RiskWatch
- Assembly Line
- Visual Inspection
- Quality Assurance
- Trucking
- Six Sigma
- SPC
- CMM
- PLC
Your manufacturing work experience bullet points
Now, while the ability to convey and follow instructions down to the letter is crucial as a manufacturer, you don’t want to just echo the job requirements. Don’t say you can perform a specialized task if you can show it with experience!
Substantiate your bullet points with quantifiable data, and use metrics that demonstrate problem-solving abilities that will benefit the organization. To really make the recruiter look twice at your experience section, use active verbs and language to display your enthusiasm for the job.
- Decreased production times demonstrate your quick thinking and efficiency
- Increased ROIs show how your hard work and strategies pay off in dollars
- Improved material savings exemplify your ability to negotiate contracts with suppliers
- Reduced turnover rates spotlight your ability to maintain a productive, positive workplace
See what we mean?
- Planned a preventative maintenance overhaul with Fiix, decreasing equipment breakdowns by 42% across high-priority assets
- Developed a lean manufacturing strategy that decreased package handling time by 1.6 hours, enabling the fulfillment of 278 extra orders per day
- Revamped 3M’s audit preparation process through DocuWare, decreasing the time spent on audit preparation by 1.9 hours
- Leveraged 5 Whys Analysis to resolve a recurring defect for Stanley Black & Decker’s flagship products, shrinking rework by 22% and saving approximately $16,741 in annual output
- Updated supplier deliverables and performance metrics into MasterControl, cutting supplier-related defects by 33.8%
9 active verbs to start your manufacturing work experience bullet points
- Utilized
- Leveraged
- Optimized
- Revamped
- Developed
- Planned
- Strategized
- Negotiated
- Customized
3 Tips for Writing a Manufacturing Resume Without Much Experience
- Let your layout emphasize your strengths
- If you aren’t sure at first glance which of our resume templates to pick, try several on for size! When you have limited work experience and need to strengthen your qualifications with other sections, use a layout with side columns to highlight them.
- Don’t forget your internships
- If you’ve ever had any internships that relate to manufacturing, inventory, project management, or the many other facets of manufacturing, add ’em! Experience doesn’t have to be paid in order to teach you about your job role and make you a desirable candidate.
- Academic stuff helps, too!
- You can also bolster your readiness for your next role in manufacturing with academic awards demonstrating relevant, desirable traits (think stuff like resilience, adaptability, and a strong work ethic).
3 Tips for Writing a Manufacturing Resume if You Have Some Experience
- Try leveraging a summary
- Consider a resume summary if you have plenty of experience but aren’t sure how to set your resume off as one appealing, cohesive piece! You can provide a quick overview of what’s led you to apply for the role and establish a connection with the company via mutual values.
- Include only the best past jobs
- You’re a pro at this manufacturing stuff by now! You don’t need to list entry-level jobs or previous roles in other fields of work. Stick with just three to four jobs that best exemplify your alignment with your current goal.
- List only your most recent qualifications
- The idea above also applies to your qualifying degree(s). If you’re operating at a higher-up position in your industry, you don’t need to call upon education or academic accomplishments that aren’t as current as they could be.
Stick with a one-page summary, please! Recruiters don’t have much time to spend skimming your resume, so write as concisely as you can while preserving the key details. Tailor these details to what the job description emphasizes so you’re making the most of your page space.
Absolutely! If you have anything like a Certified Production Technician (CPT) or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, list it. You can even give them their own section if you feel like it works!
Your metrics should strengthen the qualities most clearly required by the job description. Your data should also reinforce your strongest impact point from your experience instead of referring to something random like a headcount.
