INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forklift Operator positions are at a 7% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 710,800 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 53,100 to 763,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Forklift Operator jobs was $37,450 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $27,070, and the highest 10% more than $57,620.
Our conclusion? The Forklift Operator job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Forklift Operator sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Forklift Operator resume experience section
Forklift Operator Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Forklift Operator resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Operating a Forklift both High Reach & Counterbalance
- Pick & Packing
- Unloading & Loading Trucks and Containers
- Receiving & Despatching
- Putting away stock onto the shelves
- Working as a team to meet task completion
- Data entry/Stock inventory
- General and manual duties within the warehouse
- Adhering to heath and site safety protocols
- Forklift operations
- Loading and unloading of Trucks
- Picking and packing
- Labelling all products
- Working in dispatch ensuring all orders are correct to the customers order
- use of an RF scanner and General duties within the warehouse
- Everyday checking material every morning and afternoon
- and clean the area.
- New material check after check den go to location
- And claen all areas and issue material
- Operated stand up/reach truck forklift loading and unloading product in sub-zero freezer
- RF scan gun for put aways
- Selected orders from itemized slot picking tickets and loaded trucks with product as directed
- Pulled products from the warehouse to various locations
- Located customer orders in the warehouse and supplied them with their order in a timely and safe manner.
- Located transfer orders in between helping customers to stack onto pallets and load onto transfer trucks later.
- Operated a forklift to help get orders and load the transfer trucks.
- Maintained safe weight and loading procedures of the transfer trucks.
- Kept a clean and safe environment for me and my coworkers.
- CNC Mill operator, Haas VF6 machine
- CNC Water jet, operator Flow machine
- CAM nesting programmer for plasma tables
- CNC Plasma table operator, 400 amp Messer machine
- Minor fabrication, deburr parts, finishing/graining stainless/aluminum, use of grinders, dial calipers, tape measures, hand taps and etc
- use of Drill presses, iron workers, cold saws, rollers, press brakes and jib cranes
- Sit down Jungheinrich high reach forklift operator in 45 600m² warehouse.
- Big warehouse with very busy environment.
- Also had overtime as a picker with voice picking and picker forklift.
- Responsible for receipt and dispatch of hundreds of items in a single shift
- Performing stock take for all produce and inventory remaining in the warehouse, in particular, the freezer
- Monitoring and maintaining all stock movements to ensure complete and accurate recording of inventory
- Ensuring that stock is clearly labelled, pallets are maintained and general housekeeping is presentable
- Demonstrating my versatility by
- Maintained a 100% quality standard
- Promoted and trained for back up lead Operator
- Achieved production goals Annually above the 95th percentile
- Responsible in handling all receive goods and ensure they are in good condition.
- Handling material issues to production (e.g. inks, chemicals, plates, etc.).
- Maintaining all materials inventory and updating daily the stock report for material purchasing.
- Responsible for organizing materials arrangement in the warehouse rack for easy-access and quickly locating the materials for issuance purposes.
- Handling container loading for delivery of import materials
- Performing stock take for all produce and inventory remaining in the warehouse, in particular, the freezer.
- Extensive experience in warehouse operations including; ensuring optimal inventory levels reducing operational downtime and also maintaining accurate stock levels
- Ensuring that stock is clearly labelled, pallets are maintained and general housekeeping is presentable
- Assisting with pick and pack duties when there is a shortage of staff or as required.
- Operated forklift for daily warehouse operations.
- Worked as dispatcher for warehouse and maintained smooth and seamless operations for the warehouse.
- Provided excellent customer service to the customers while fulfilling and preparing customers' orders.
- Managed team members and production associates.
- Successfully achieved all production targets.
- Assembled goods on production line and operated forklift.
- Created orders, and prioritized deliveries.
- Accurately, and efficiently delivered multiple orders in each run.
- Unloaded furniture at destinations, and assisted customers with
instructions, and assembly.
- Kept storage areas organized, clean and secure to fully protect company assets
- Moved boxes using utility dolly and truck ramp
- Assembled orders and packed items for shipment, conveying orders to shipping personnel
- Delivering high levels of customer service and demonstrating a high standard of communication and interpersonal skill set within the work environment
- Using of problem solving skills to resolve any complications that may arise
- Efficient time management and delegation skills
- Punctual, approachable, responsible and diligent in all tasks performed
- Proficiently check stock, audit and locate stock within the warehouse
- Working effectively within a team to meet strict deadlines
- Demonstrated versatility with the use of a forklift
PRO TIP
Check the Forklift Operator job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action Verbs for your Forklift Operator Resume
Recommended reads:
Forklift Operator Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your Forklift Operator resume
- Expert in packing
- Warehousing
- Forklift Driving License
- Boom Loader Driving License
- Autodesk Inventor
- Communication
- Attention to details
- Caution
- Organisation
- Punctuality
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Recommended reads:
Forklift Operator Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Forklift Operator Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Forklift Operator resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Forklift Operator Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Forklift Operator resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Forklift Operator experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your Forklift Operator resume
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Forklift Operator. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Forklift Operator Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Forklift Operator Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Forklift Operator resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Forklift Operator resume:
Forklift Operator Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Forklift Operator resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great Forklift Operator Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
