Guide to Writing an Operations Manager Resume

To sell yourself in operations, your resume must not only state what you did, but also how you did it.

According to Kristen Jacoway, a certified professional resume writer, don’t ignore the process.

A successful resume for an operations executive must explain how you did it, not just what you accomplished, according to her.

“When it comes to previous jobs, most resumes I see are missing either the action or the result,” Jacoway said. “Some will claim that they saved the company $100,000. That’s fantastic, but tell me how you got there. What was the project, and what did you do to save money? ”

Value must be demonstrated.

Demonstrating your competence – and even your level of excellence – is absolutely necessary, but it may not be enough, according to Tim Noble, president and managing partner of The Avery Point Group, Inc., an Alpharetta, Ga.-based search firm that also specializes in efficiency expertise.

Demonstrating that you are a ‘A’ player who was laid off, rather than a ‘C’ player who was let go, is only half the battle. You must be able to demonstrate on your resume and in your interview instances where you acted creatively to save money or time, solved a problem, or demonstrated persistence in continuing to improve a process even after seeing some results.

Speak the appropriate language

According to Jacoway, operations executives are typically devoted to a single process or discipline, such as Six Sigma, and speak only that language. HR managers and recruiters who write job listings are likely to use the same language. Unless your resume follows the same discipline and uses the same terms and language, recruiters and the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software that sorts resumes will most likely reject your resume.

“When you read the job postings, look at the keywords that the company is using, then go back and customize that resume with those keywords,” she explained. “Apply them to your experience, put them in your keywords section, and weave them into the text of the resume. You must ensure that the description is accurate, but the words you use make a significant difference.”

Compile a list of your core competencies.

Jacoway usually saves the first section of the resume for last, which is a list of the candidate’s core competencies. “It helps me get to know the person a little better, but you also have to be sure there is evidence in the statement describing the job duties that supports that core competency. You don’t just leave it up because someone is looking for it. They’ll read further down, and you’ll have to demonstrate why it’s a true competency.”