Operations Manager Resume Samples + Tips [2021]

You deserve the operations manager position you want.

Do we even have to explain why?

You're a critical piece to the growth of any company. You're responsible for key duties that have a direct impact on the success of any organization.

You handle all sorts of tasks – from strategizing and implementing to making a huge influence on others.

That's why all hiring companies should be competing to hire you.

Your resume must be made with a clear end goal in mind.

Use it to prove that you're everything they're looking for.

Here's the deal:

Companies want to hire an organized, hard-working candidate to keep the organization moving forward efficiently.

And for that:

They prefer a professional with proven records of managing people and operations.

They need you to inspire and supervise other team members so they can deliver the best work while maintaining high standards.

Most importantly:

They're looking for an operations manager who will respect the company's guidelines and ethics at all times when occupying the position.

To prove all that, you'll make a new operations manager resume template and tailor it to the position.

And that's why we made this comprehensive guide for you.

We'll teach you how to create a resume for an operations manager that shows why you're the best operations manager they can recruit.

What you’ll learn in this operations manager resume guide

• The best ways to tailor your resume to specific job applications and get hired
• Real operations manager resume examples to inspire you and get you started with your job hunt
• How to write an experience section that sets you apart from the competition
• What skills are most valuable when it comes to applying to an operations manager position
• Why education and certificates are important and how they can help you land jobs

Looking for related resumes?

• HR Manager Resume
• Office Manager Resume
• Project Manager Resume
• Program Manager Resume
• Assistant Manager Resume
• Account Manager Resume

How to Write a Resume for Operations Managers

To write a strong resume that gets you hired, you need to look at the process with different eyes.

Forget that you're a candidate for a moment, and instead, put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes.

How?

You must start by reading the job application over and over. Improve your understanding of what the hiring company is looking for.

What are their goals? What are the biggest challenges they're dealing with? How can you help them?

Once you get all that answered, start looking for operations manager resume keywords.

In the job offer:

You'll find the words and expressions the company uses to communicate. So, you'll use those keywords and phrases in writing your resume.

That will show the recruiter that you understand what the company wants. That's how you'll promote yourself as the solution through your resume.

That may seem like a small step.

But, you've now made a big leap towards landing the job you're dreaming of.

You're approaching this opportunity with a different mindset from everyone else. You understand what the company needs, and you'll tailor your resume to showcase how you'll help.

Excited enough to get started?

Keep reading.

By the end of this guide:

You'll create your own operations manager resume sample. And it will help you get many interviews, which will eventually land the job you always dreamed of.

How to make an attractive header for your operations manager resume

The header is the smallest section in your resume. But its size doesn't reflect its importance.

No one was ever hired by having a powerful, compelling header.

Yet:

A good resume header serves as a crucial stepping stone in your job hunt journey.

Headers ensure that the recruiter is going to keep reading and move to the next important section. And that's where all the persuasion happens.

Your goal by making a resume header is to give hiring managers a glimpse of who you are.

You'll keep them interested by standing out - just a little bit. Once they decide your resume is worth it, you'll be on the right path of getting hired.

Let's look at some examples:

2 Operations Manager Resume Header Examples

Although this example might seem okay, it’s not what often gets people hired.

You want to make a perfect resume empty of minor mistakes.

So, let’s start with the address.

You don’t have to include the full address and the zip code in your header.

Unless the job is super specific to a precise location, the city and state are enough.

Also:

If possible, use a more specific job title than “Operations Manager”. Try to pick a title that’s more related to the job you’re applying to.

Specific job titles make you look like an expert, which helps you capture the recruiter’s interest within seconds.

There are a lot of possibilities to tweak your job title to make it look unique.

However:

Be sure not to sacrifice specificity to uniqueness. Don’t get too creative with it. After all, you want every bit of information in your resume to match the job description.

Finally:

Be sure to include an email address and LinkedIn profile. They make you a professional.

For the email address, use the most popular email providers such as Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud.

And, stick to a professional format such as:

• firstlast@domain.com
• first.last@domain.com
• flast@domain.com
• firstl@domain.co
• first.last@domain.com
• f.last@domain.com
• first.l@domain.com

Be sure not to use your current work address. It just shows that you still haven’t moved on and gives a negative image of you to the recruiter.

Also:

Including your LinkedIn profile comes in handy in many situations. It shows your credibility and gives the hiring manager a chance to learn more about you when needed.

Notice how much better the second example is.

It's specific and professional. And It contains all the information the recruiter needs to know about you quickly.

Avoid the simple mistakes from the previous example. You'll easily double your chances of being noticed.

The right way to write an operations manager resume summary/objective

Want to know a secret?

Recruiters treat all candidates the same until they read the summary.

It’s here where they start to differentiate between a qualified candidate and someone hopelessly sending generic mass emails to dozens of companies to get hired.

There are endless ways you can fail to get a new job.

But the only way you’ll be hired is this:

Keep recruiters interested in your resume by giving them what they’re looking for.

In your resume summary, the recruiter expects to learn a bit more about you. But they don’t want to read hundreds of words of you describing every bit of your personal life or work history.

A long, vague resume summary is a recipe for disaster.

Instead:

They want to see what experience and skills you have and what your career plans for the future are.

So:

You must try to address all those aspects in your summary. But, keep it short and professional.

You must say a lot while writing less.

The next important thing to keep in mind is relevance.

Generic summaries do the opposite of getting you hired. In fact, since you’re super qualified for the position, you already have the opportunity in your hands. We could argue that it gets you fired.

Before you even start the job…

Now, here’s how you’ll avoid that:

Include a few of the keywords you gathered by reading the job offer. And feature tangible results with exact metrics to highlight your greatest achievements.

Recruiters will love you for it.

2 operations manager resume summary examples

Does your resume summary look like that?

If it is, then it's time to change.

Here's what's wrong with it:

It tells but barely shows anything.

First off, it's generic and only features unspecific information about you. And it's not showing your future career plans and goals.

Even worse:

It doesn't sell your skills and experience.

Anyone can claim to have strong leadership skills. But how does the recruiter evaluate that?

It's through the use of solid metrics.

To make your resume summary better, you must address each of those points individually. Once you're done, put everything together into a few sentences - and keep them in order.

Here's a better example:

Although it seems short, this summary shows everything the recruiter needs to know.

This summary is much better because it:

• Highlights the overlap between your work history and the new job position
• Features your most powerful skills and work experience
• Includes exact metrics to give hiring managers a better picture of your expertise
• Show that your plans for the future are aligned with the company's best interest

That's how you write a resume summary that gets you interviews.

How to showcase your operations manager experience in a resume

Operations management is a complex role that not anyone can fit. It doesn't allow for any time-wasting. And the margin for error in the job is too small. At the same time, a successful operation manager has to be fast and consistent in the work he or she delivers. They must be able to make quick, accurate decisions to keep the company moving. Because of that: Hiring companies prefer to stick to candidates with the best experience in the role. Recruiters want to hire an applicant who can quickly adapt and understand how to operate the business. So: In this part of your resume, you'll highlight your operations manager qualifications. You must show the relevant experience you have in the job, along with the number of years you've been doing it. And… To be more interesting, you'll feature your most successful projects and past achievements. You'll also include precise metrics and numbers to support your claims. Everything you mention here needs to be in perfect alignment with the job offer. You need to understand the company's needs and demonstrate how you are the solution. Lastly: You'll include keywords and exact terms the hiring company uses in the job application, then use them to describe your job experience. Let's look at some examples.

Hotel operations manager resume sample

The responsibilities in this section may seem accurate at first glance.

But they're way too far from the ideal.

This example violates the basic rules that make an experience section strong.

Thus, it's not appealing to recruiters.

For starters:

The duties don't show precisely how the candidate was responsible for any of the success in the company. There's no clear causality between updating files and helping the business grow.

Also:

The tasks are so basic, and anyone without much experience can handle them. They're not specific to any job application, which makes the resume look even more generic.

Recruiters will think that it was a copy-paste from Google.

Even worse…

The example lacks solid examples and precise metrics, which we confirmed to be super important in proving your experience to recruiters.

Now, let's make some improvements to make this more attractive.

Hotel operations manager resume

Notice how this example checks every item from our "top-notch experience section" conditions above.

The sentences begin with direct action verbs that enhance clear causality. And the language includes plain and precise words.

Also…

The tasks mentioned there are super-specific to the job position.

Each sentence contains a metric along with the exact job duties and skills that lead to ts' achievement.

Here's another excellent example of an operations manager resume experience section.

What are the roles and responsibilities of an operations manager?

• Ensure compliance with company's rules and procedures
• Demonstrate top-level leadership with regards to business operations
• Ensure effective training programs are in place and develop new ones where necessary
• Support senior managers with establishing new business plans and objectives
• Hire, coach, and develop high-performance work teams within the organization
• Supervise staff and provide continuous feedback to improve productivity and performance
• Support and improve staff communication with upper management
• Develop new marketing initiatives to attract more customers and increase brand visibility
• Identify and assess customers' needs to boost sales and achieve satisfaction

Operations manager resume skills section

The skills you list on your resume vary a lot based on the job description.

Companies differ in the way they operate.

Two operations managers working at different companies might handle entirely different work tasks.

Your job skills help you identify and solve operational problems.

They reflect your style of management in the workplace, as well as the results you'll be able to achieve.

Successful operations management is all about order and responsibility. It enhances productivity and ensures high-quality work is being delivered.

At the same time:

You must prove that you can keep an enthusiastic atmosphere to open doors for creativity and collaboration.

That brings us to this question:

What are the most important skills for an operations manager resume?

There are two types of skills you can include on a resume skills section:

Soft skills and hard skills.

Soft skills are the skills you learn on the job, and they help you thrive in the workplace. They can't be measured, But without them, your work can never be efficient.

Hard skills, however, are the skills necessary for your specific job position. They're teachable, and they can be measured through closer inspection of your job performance.

Although the two types differ, they are what will get you hired.

You must feature both in your resume.

Now:

You know your skills must be specific to fit your current job offer.

So here's where to start:

First, identify which duties you'll be handling in the new job from the job application. Then, think about the most critical skills to help you succeed.

Next:

Try to find keywords for the skills required in the job within the job offer. And make a list of a few ones to use when listing your skills.

Here are some examples of operation managers skills on a resume:

How to list core skills on an operations manager resume

Try to pick the skills most relevant to the position, and never lie about what you can and can’t do.

How to describe soft skills.

for an operations manager’s resume

We’ve gathered a long list of soft skills for operations managers. However:

You only need to include a few in your resume.

Do your operations manager resumes need an education section?

As an entry-level candidate, the answer is straightforward:

Yes.

You must include your educational background in your resume, even if the hiring company didn't ask for it.

After all, your profile needs to be as convincing as possible.

Yet:

For a senior operations manager resume, things are a little different.

You can always make up for your lack of education by having experience. If you've been an operations manager for many years, your educational background won't matter as much.

Unfortunately…

Some hiring managers prefer to play it safe and stick to the script. They're only willing to hire candidates with an educational background.

The majority of hiring companies require at least a bachelor's degree in one of these fields:

• Operations Management
• Business Administration
• Finance
• Accounting
• Logistics and operations
• Supply chain management

Any other related field might do as well.

However:

Things depend to a large degree on which industry the hiring company operates in.

For example:

You may be required to have an engineering background if the hiring company specializes in manufacturing solutions.

Now:

How do you feature education on your operations manager resume?

It's simple.

The best way to list operations manager certificates in a resume

Certificates can be a huge plus to your application. They'll boost your chances of getting noticed in a pile of hundreds of resumes.

That's why we always recommend featuring them whenever you're hunting for a job.

One thing to keep in mind is the certificates you list must be relevant to the job you're applying to.

Simply because:

The importance of certificates lies in the way they promote you as a dedicated operations manager. And they also show that you're working hard to advance your career.

Now, let's get to the important part:

How do you list certificates on an operations manager's resume?

All you have to do is follow this professional format:

Name of Certification, Certifying Authority, Date

And here's an example of how this looks on a resume:

We’ve gathered a list of the most popular certificates for operations managers:

Key takeaways

• Read the job offer carefully and try to identify the most essential keywords to use in your resume
• Make your header and summary sections short yet engaging to keep recruiters glued to your resume
• Your operations management experience is what will get you hired. Highlight it use solid metrics and real examples
• Showcase your strongest soft and core skills and keep them relevant to the new job position
• Always feature your certificates and career achievements to stand out from the rest of the competition