Operations Manager Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Operations Manager resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Operations managers are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a company or department. They’re the ones who make sure things run smoothly by managing budgets, planning ahead, and coordinating with other departments to ensure that goals are met.
Operations managers need strong leadership skills and an ability to motivate their teams while keeping an eye on the bigger picture. They also need excellent people skills—operations managers are a great point of contact between departments, so they need to be able to talk to everyone from the CEO to the newest hire.
Here are some tips and an example to help you write a stellar operations manager resume that will get you noticed by recruiters.
How to Write an Operations Manager Resume
Here’s how to write an operations manager resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing bullet points, it can be tempting to focus on the responsibilities of your job. But that’s not enough to make a strong impression. Instead, you should focus on the results of your work.
For example, rather than saying you “managed inventory,” you could say that you “reduced inventory by 15% through improved forecasting and inventory management, resulting in a $150K cost savings for the company.”
Notice how the second bullet point is more specific and provides more detail about the project and its outcome.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for an operations manager role, your resume is often scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. These programs look for certain terms related to the job like “operations” and “logistics” to determine whether your skills and experience are a match for the position. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right keywords, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common operations manager keywords as a starting point to help you identify and rank the skills and experience that are most relevant to the role:
- Operations Management
- Operations
- Contract Negotiation
- Supply Chain Management
- Customer Service
- Team Leadership
- Contract Management
- Manufacturing
- Negotiation
- Program Management
- Microsoft Access
- Logistics Management
- Change Management
- Team Building
- Business Strategy
- Sales Management
- Strategic Planning
- Business Planning
- Purchasing
- Engineering
- Management
- 5S
- Six Sigma
- Lean Manufacturing
- Kaizen
- Continuous Improvement
- Project Management
- Business Process Improvement
- Budgeting
- Strategic Operations
Showcase Your Technical Skills
In order to be successful in this role, it is essential that operations managers are proficient in a variety of technical systems and procedures. Recruiters are looking for operations managers who are skilled in programs like Microsoft Office Suite, ERP systems, and manufacturing software. Additionally, it is important that operations managers are familiar with government regulations related to their industry, as they will often be responsible for ensuring that the organization is in compliance with these regulations.
