As a job seeker, you want to highlight your best attributes and top skills when crafting a resume for a manufacturing and logistics (M&L) job. You’ll need to pay attention to certain tactics and strategies to make your light industrial or warehouse background stand out against the competition.
This article explains how to create a resume that grabs the attention of companies you want to work for.
1. Understand and Use a Basic Resume Format
Before you dive into the qualities, characteristics, and skills that set you apart from other candidates, you’ll need to sketch out the basic format of your M&L resume. In this respect, things haven’t changed all that much over time on how to put together a strong resume.
List your contact information at the top of the page and then summarize who you are and what you’ve done in prior light industrial jobs. These days it’s not mandatory to include a career objective, but you should cite your goals if they mesh closely with a specific job description.
Another section of your resume should contain your work history, including company names, employment dates, and an overview or bulleted list of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Underneath your work history, you can list your academic background.
It’s important to note that some manufacturing and logistics employers may be more interested in your hands-on experience and tailored training than they are in college degrees. So, if you have ISO certifications or training on certain equipment or machinery, list those credentials here.
2. Don’t Be Intimidated by Language Barriers
Don’t let a language barrier deter you from applying for a position for which you’re well-qualified. Hands-on experience is highly valued in manufacturing and logistics facilities, so be sure to highlight your expertise operating high-tech or specialized equipment.
To catch the attention of recruiters, try to use the same words that appear in the job description to describe your skills and abilities. Many companies use automated applicant tracking systems that look for keywords to select top candidates, so don’t be shy about using the same words to describe your experience if they are accurate.
3. List Temporary Job Experiences with Confidence
Some people aren’t sure if they should list part-time or temporary jobs, which might suggest job hopping or an inability to succeed with previous employers. Don’t sweat it. Recruiters understand that some jobs are truly temporary.
What recruiters will want to know, however, is whether you gained valuable skills from your temporary jobs. Don’t hesitate to let recruiters know what you learned and how you will apply those skills to the job you’re applying for. You can also highlight your abilities to work on a team and collaborate with workmates.
If you do decide to include temporary positions on your resume on your resume, be prepared to explain the circumstances during an interview with the prospective employer. Remember, interviews are the time to let your likeability and reliability come across, whether you’re meeting in person, on the phone, or by a video call.
4. Showcase Relevant Skills and Achievements
So, how do you display your credentials in written format? Following are some examples of how to make your accomplishments and skills pop on a resume:
- Flaunt your achievements. If you led a department that had a lengthy streak of safe days in the workplace, add that information as a bullet point in your Achievements section. If your group shattered production milestones, include it in the same section.
- Be specific. With a little research, you might be able to learn what kind of machinery the potential employer uses so you can align your skills with their needs. For example, if the company uses a computer numerical control milling machine, and you’ve mastered the same or similar machine, be sure to put that information on your resume.
- Get personal. Manufacturing and warehouse employers want skilled employees who get along well with fellow workers and thrive in a team atmosphere. The summary section is a good place to let recruiters know you have the soft skills they’re looking for. Again, review the job description and use the same words so your credentials quickly stand out.
5. Tailor Your Resume to Specific M&L Job Titles
Although you’ll want to tailor your resume to each specific job opening, be sure to review these explore dos and don’ts for greatest impact:
- Do list both the hands-on and supervisory experience you’ve gained in production facilities with current or evolving technologies such as robotics or vertical machining centers.
- Do list skills that include computer language or programming prowess. Inside the manufacturing industry, this knowledge will become even more important as the influence of Industry 4.0 pervades M&L jobs in factory settings.
- Don’t emphasize the jobs that do not pertain to the position you’re applying for. For example, if you want to secure an interview for a forklift driver, don’t emphasize the job you held caring for animals in a shelter. While that job reflects your humane side, it is not relevant to a forklift position. Use your allotted manufacturing and logistics resume space wisely.
- Don’t fret too much about a lack of formal education. Companies want employees who can get the job done regardless of how they achieved their abilities.
Key Takeaways
Focus on the quality of your skills, not the length of your work history or the irrelevant tasks you performed in other jobs. By doing so, you’ll be more likely to minimize the concerns of manufacturing employers and be better positioned against your competition.
If you apply the tips we’ve provided when creating or overhauling your current resume, you’ll be on the road to catching the attention of employers during your job search. And that’s your ultimate objective!
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