The best businesses have great operations managers. After all, they are the ones making sure every level of the organization functions effectively and efficiently.
If you want a company to hire you as their operations manager, your resume needs to show how you will implement strategy and impact success. But how does it stand up against other candidates?
Sure, you’ve mastered the cost-benefit analysis formula, but can you supervise and inspire team members? Will you follow the company’s guidelines and ethics at all times?
If your operations manager resume says all that, companies should be the ones competing for you.
Our guide will teach you how to create a resume that shows why you're the best operations manager they can recruit.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this operations manager resume guide:
- The best ways to tailor your resume to specific job applications and get hired
- 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
Operations manager resume examples
Business operations manager resume example and tips
- Be clear in your summary. This candidate uses a good formula for their summary. They introduce their title and specific experience, reference a past achievement, a show their desire for growth within their target company.
- Include relevant projects. If you’ve worked on projects that took place outside your work experience, consider creating a separate section for them. Hiring managers will be interested in reading about projects that relate to the job they’re hiring for.
Sales operations manager resume example and tips
- Explain your strengths. This candidate highlights their top soft skills as strengths and provides a specific example for each one. Soft skills can be open to interpretation. Make sure recruiters get a clear picture by providing evidence for them.
- A simple header goes a long way. Your header is the first part of your operations manager resume that recruiters will see. Make a strong first impression by including the right information in a clean, professional format.
Warehouse operations manager resume example and tips
- Add a section for language skills. Speaking additional languages can be a big advantage, especially in roles that require international communication. Adding language skills to your resume could be what separates you from other qualified candidates.
- Professional training can make an impact. Adding professional training or relevant courses can be valuable, especially if your educational background doesn’t meet the requirements of your target job.
Amazon operations manager resume example and tips
- Choose the right layout. It’s important to choose a layout for your operations manager resume that reflects your strengths. If you have a lot of experience in the industry, choose a layout that puts your work history as the main focus.
- Using metrics in your experience. This candidate uses specific numbers and metrics in their work history to reference past accomplishments. Including real data on your resume will show hiring managers how you will impact success at their company.
Senior operations manager resume example and tips
- Showcase your awards in the industry. If you’ve received awards for accomplishments that relate to your target job, consider creating a section for them. This will draw the eye of recruiters and help you stand out in their huge stack of resumes.
- Mention publications. If you have any published work that reflects your value in the industry, you may want to cite it on your resume. This will be impressive to hiring managers and give them a way to do further research on your accomplishments.
Healthcare operations manager resume example and tips
- Keyword optimization. Study the job description for your target role and use keywords so your resume won’t be filtered out by ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). Be sure to use them naturally and not just copy and paste them from the original description.
- Select your most relevant skills. If you have a lot of skills to choose from, pick the ones that are most closely related to your target job and highlight your strengths. Leave out any that are irrelevant or out-of-date.
IT operations manager resume example and tips
- Utilize industry-specific skills. The roles and responsibilities of an operations manager vary from company to company. If you have specialized skills that are specific to the job you’re applying to, be sure to include them on your operations manager resume.
- Customize your title for the job. If your experience reflects the role you’re applying to, maximize your chances of being seen by adding it to your title like “IT Operations Manager.” Be sure that it is an accurate reflection of your experience and skills.
Regional operations manager resume example and tips
- Use a simple education section. Unless you’re a recent graduate, you don’t need to add any extra details to your education section. The name of the degree, school, and years attended will be sufficient.
- Maximize readability for recruiters. Make your operations manager resume easy to read with professional fonts, colors, and layout. Easy readability is important when trying to include a lot of information in one place.
Looking for related resumes?
How to write a great operations manager resume
Operations management positions vary across industries.
Start by reading the job application over and over. Improve your understanding of what the hiring company is looking for.
Once you understand what the company needs, you can tailor your resume to showcase why you’re the right person for the job. This is key to keeping you in the running as recruiters sort through hundreds of resumes.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be ready with a resume that impresses hiring managers and gets interviews.
6 essential sections in an operations manager resume
- A header that hooks recruiters
- A summary that keeps recruiters interested
- Experience that proves your worth and shows your value
- Skills that demonstrate your ability to do the job
- Education and certifications that indicate your real investment in your career
Your operations manager resume must highlight:
- Your leadership experience in stepping up and taking responsibility when needed
- Your teamwork and interpersonal skills, that ensure excellent communication within the workplace
- Your knowledge of the company's rules and procedures, and how you're going to ensure employees' compliance with them
- Your ability to hire, train, and supervise new staff members
- Your potential in strategizing, planning, and executing new business plans
How to make an attractive header for your operations manager resume
The header may be the smallest section on your resume, but it’s one of the most important.
It is the first thing recruiters see and gives them a glimpse of who you are. The information is simple, but there is no room for error.
Make a fatal mistake in your header and hiring managers won’t waste their time reading any further.
Let's look at some examples of operations manager resume headers.
2 operations manager resume header examples
Although this example might seem okay, there is a lot that can be improved.
Including your full address on a resume is outdated and might show hiring managers that you’re out of touch. The city and state alone are sufficient.
Depending on the role you’re applying for, you might want to choose a more specific title than “Operations Manager.” Make it relevant to your target job or industry.
Be sure to include an email address and LinkedIn profile. They convey professionalism and give hiring managers a way to look into you further.
For the email address, make sure you’re using a popular provider like Gmail and not your current company or school.
The most professional email addresses are usually some combination of your first and last name like the following:
- 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
Let’s take a look at another example.
Notice how much better the second example is.
It contains all the information the recruiter needs to know about you in a quick and professional way.
Every section of your resume should be succinct and precise.
How to write an operations manager resume summary
Now that you’ve hooked recruiters with your header, you don’t want to lose them with your summary.
This is your first opportunity to present yourself as a qualified candidate and not someone mass-sending generic resumes to dozens of companies.
In your resume summary, the recruiter expects to learn a bit more about you and your value in the industry. Most importantly, keep it short and professional.
In 2-3 sentences, summarize your experience and career goals that mutually benefit both you and the company.
Include a few keywords from the job description and feature tangible results with exact metrics to highlight your greatest achievements.
2 operations manager resume summary examples
The summary above needs some work.
The candidate makes broad claims without specific examples or evidence. They also use generic terms that don’t mean anything of value.
Anyone can claim to have high leadership skills. Show recruiters proof through the use of solid metrics.
Let’s look at a better example below.
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
Does your summary look like this? Then you’re on your way to a great operations manager resume.
Now let’s move on to the experience section.
How to showcase your operations manager experience in a resume
Like every other section of your operations manager resume, you want to tailor your experience section to fit your target job.
Don’t get too creative with it, and definitely don’t lie.
The key is identifying the overlap between your experience and the company’s needs, and then highlighting them to your advantage.
Do some research on your target company. What are their goals? What are the biggest challenges they're dealing with? How can you help them?
Use the job description as a guide for your experience section, but be careful not to use empty buzzwords just to echo their language. This is transparent and not a good use of keywords.
Show the relevant experience you have in the job, along with the number of years you've been doing it.
Feature your most successful projects and past achievements. Be sure to include precise metrics and data to support your claims.
Let's look at some examples.
Hotel operations manager resume sample
02/2014 - 02/2020
- Responsible for answering inquiries pertaining to company policies and services
- Assisted with customer service and resolution of client problems.
- Maintained up to date reports, business records, and files.
If you’ve been following along, you already know what’s wrong with the bullets in the example above.
This is basically a list of generic job responsibilities for an operations manager.
Every qualified applicant is going to have an experience like this. You need to demonstrate your unique achievements and success. Use real examples of specific projects, awards, and metrics.
Let’s make some improvements and take a look at the example below.
02/2014 - 02/2020
- Made recommendations for customer service improvements that lead to $2M increase in annual revenue.
- Supervised all planning and budgeting procedures to keep expenses within budget guidelines and ensure compliance with company policies
- Increase staff productivity by 18% while reducing turnover rate staff by 25% through continuous teamwork and collaboration training
This is a huge improvement.
The title has been updated to match the target role.
The sentences begin with direct action verbs that show clear causality. The bullets are specific to the position and convey past success.
Each sentence contains a metric along with the exact job duties and skills that lead to a measurable achievement.
Here's another excellent example of an operations manager resume experience section.
02/2014 - 02/2020
- Improved profit margins by 6% while cutting production losses by 14% through strong service and sales approach
- Hired, trained, and supervised 18 employees to comply with company procedures and security measures
- Recommended business changes to higher management through customer feedback analysis and daily reports.
Writing a strong operations manager resume skills section
The skills you list on your resume will vary based on the target job and industry.
There are skills that are important for all operations managers to have and others that are industry-specific. Include a mix of both as you write your skills section.
Operations management requires leadership, problem-solving, and communication.
If the job you’re applying for is in the tech sector, it may be valuable to show software and programming skills.
Your job skills reflect your style of management in the workplace, as well as the results you'll be able to achieve.
Successful operations management is about order and responsibility. It enhances productivity and ensures high-quality work is delivered.
You should also differentiate between hard skills and soft skills.
Like every other section on your resume, tailor your skills to match your target job.
Below is an example of how to format your skills on a resume.
How to list core skills on an operations manager resume
If you can’t decide which of your skills to focus on, choose the ones that are most relevant to the job and highlight your strengths.
Most important operations manager core skills for your resume
- Planning and reporting
- Budgeting
- Supply chain management
- Product design
- Product management
- Data processing
- Strategic analysis
How to describe soft skills for an operations manager’s resume
Soft skills generally require more explanation than hard skills. Be sure that the soft skills you list are supported with evidence.
For example, if you list “time management” as a soft skill, you might want to include an example in your experience section like “Managed operations for 3 departments that exceeded production goals by 17% in the last quarter.”
Best operations manager soft skills for your resume
- Leadership
- Communication
- Creativity
- Customer-oriented
- Detail-oriented
- Problem-solving
- Analytical skills
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Negotiation
- Critical thinking
What to include in an operations manager education section
Always include your educational background in your resume, even if the hiring company doesn’t specifically request it.
The education requirements for operations management positions will vary depending on level and industry.
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
Industry-specific degrees may be required depending on the field. For example, an engineering background might be required for a company that specializes in manufacturing solutions.
Senior roles might require a bachelor’s, an MBA, or some combination of education and work experience.
Here is an example of how to format your education section.
09/2007 - 11/2009
As seen in the example above, the education section is fairly simple.
In most cases, just the name of the school and degree is sufficient. You might want to consider omitting the dates attended depending on how long ago they were.
The best way to list operations manager certificates in a resume
Certificates can be a huge plus to your resume, especially if you’re lacking in the educational background or industry knowledge.
Including a certification in a niche field that you’re entering shows dedication and willingness to learn.
Only list certificates that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Certificates promote you as a dedicated operations manager and show that you're working hard to advance your career.
Here is an example of certificates on an operations manager resume.
The format is straightforward. Include the name of the certification, the issuing authority, and the date.
Below is a list of the most popular certificates for operations managers:
Top #5 operations manager certificates for your resume
- Principles of Operations Management (APICS)
- Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB)
- Certified Operations Manager (COM)
- Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
- Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
Just like every operations manager position is different, everyone has a unique combination of skills and experience. Sometimes they don’t fit perfectly onto a standard resume.
If you have the experience that helps you stand out from other candidates like language skills, volunteer work, or even relevant hobbies, you might want to consider adding other sections to your resume.
Now you’re ready to apply what you’ve learned from this guide and create an operations manager resume that gets interviews!
Key takeaways for creating an outstanding operations manager resume:
- 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
- Highlight your operations management experience section by using solid metrics and real examples
- Showcase your strongest soft and hard skills and keep them relevant to the target job
- Always feature your certificates and career achievements to stand out from the rest of the competition.
