Operations Manager Resume Sample and Guide

Operations managers oversee the production and daily work of a company or organization. They work in many different fields, where their tasks may include overseeing the hiring and training of employees, monitoring organizational production and suggesting process improvements to increase productivity. Understanding how to effectively highlight your experience as an operations manager on your resume may help you secure your next position. In this article, we describe how you can write an operations manager resume in seven steps and provide two resume samples to help you prepare. To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

How to write an operations manager resume
(in 7 steps)

Here are seven steps you can follow to showcase your operations manager qualifications on a resume:

1. Write an effective header

To begin your resume, you can add a clear and attention-grabbing header. In your header, you can add your full name, phone number, professional email address, location and professional website. This can make it easier for a hiring manager to contact you if they have questions or want to make an interview request.

2. Add a professional summary tailored to your operations manager experience

The next element is a professional summary. With this one- to three-sentence statement, you can describe your skills, education and professional experience that are most relevant to the role of an operations manager. You can also briefly describe what you're looking to achieve with your new position, especially if it matches the new position's requirements. Related: How To Become an Operations Manager (With Salary and Job Outlook)

3. Describe your relevant work experience

After your professional summary, you can focus on the work experiences that most qualify you for the role of operations manager. Consider selecting two or three of your most relevant professional roles and listing them in reverse chronological order. As you add each entry, you can also include the position title, start and end dates, company name and location. If you've recently had an internship experience that helped you develop skills, you can also include that role. As you add each entry, you can also describe your job duties and their impacts with brief, bulleted statements. Consider filling your statements with strong, actionable verbs like "oversaw" or "monitored."

Common operations manager responsibilities you may have had could include:

Overseeing the hiring of employees
Implementing operational policies and procedures
Reviewing staff performance and providing guidance when needed
Developing strategies to improve operational efficiency
Maintaining compliance with local and national laws and regulations

You can also include specific, quantifiable data surrounding your impacts, like the number of employees you hired or the impacts certain policies had on efficiency. Your experience sections can also include specific requirements from the job posting to show that you match the profile of the ideal candidate. Related: Learn About Being an Operations Manager

4. List your skills

A brief list of your skills, especially as they relate to an operations manager's duties, can be another way to highlight your fit for the role. Consider selecting three or four of your strongest operations manager traits. This can include hard, industry-specific skills like policy development or soft skills for management like organization and leadership. You can add any other job requirements from the position description. Related: The Best Job Skills To Make Your Resume Stand Out

5. Include educational information

Next, you can list any degrees you've achieved throughout your career. In many cases, operations managers hold at least a bachelor's degree in a field like business administration. For each entry in this section, you can include the degree name and institution. If you graduated within the last three years, you can also include that date. If you have more than one degree, you can begin with your most recent degree and work backward. Related: How To List Education on a Resume

6. Use a section for operations manager certifications

To finish your resume, you can include a section for your operations manager certifications. Some types of certifications you can pursue include those in specific and relevant areas like inventory planning or general, operations management designations. With each certification, you can also add the name of the institution and the date you received your designation. Related: 20 Operations Manager Certifications To Enhance Your Career

7. Proofread

Before distributing your resume to your desired organizations, consider proofreading it. This can help you locate any small errors and ensure that you've effectively described your qualifications. Some methods you can use to proofread include reading your resume out loud, printing out your document and marking errors by hand or having a trusted friend or family member offer feedback. Related: 27 Proofreading Tips That Will Improve Your Resume