6 Quality Control Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

You know that feeling when someone asks you to describe what you do for a living? And you can’t, for the life of you, explain it in one short sentence?

It’s not like you can say:

“I build houses”

or

“I mow lawns”.

You’re a quality inspector. Your duties are regulated by the industry, place, and type of product(service) you analyze.

Now, imagine doing this, but for a hiring manager. How do you describe quality control on your resume?

You can’t explain the outcome of your work, if your audience is not the intended user.

What’s more, you may get too existential by answering questions such as “What does quality mean to you?”.

And although this is a very good question (for a job interview), you risk losing the recruiter’s attention. You don’t want that, but you feel stuck.

Well, we’re here to help you get out of the existential void and win the hiring managers on your side!

This comprehensive guide will teach you

• Which resume format is the best based on your level of expertise
• Which skills to highlight in your quality control resume
• What education and certificates will make the right impression with recruiters
• What other sections you can add to show credibility
• How to include more evidence of expertise without overstuffing your resume

How to write an exceptional quality control resume

As we mentioned, QC specialists cover a wide range of industries. Everything from food and medicine to aerospace products. Apples and oranges, you might say.

But they must have something in common, right? When asked, industry experts had this to say:

So it goes without saying that listing responsibilities alone won’t do much for your resume.

You need to have that inherent strive for achieving high standards.

Daily tasks records don’t showcase work performance. Employers need to know the benefits you will bring to their company if they onboard you.

You need to focus on the results. After all, your responsibilities are tightly-knit to KPIs.

So, what would be the appropriate resume format to use in this case? You have a few options:

• Reverse chronological resume
• Functional resume
• Hybrid resume

If you have lots of experience, use the standard reverse chronological layout. Start with your most recent employment and go back no more than a decade.

Describe how each position has contributed to your development as a QC professional.

If you have spent most of your time in research, it’s best to use the functional resume. This format will help you explain gaps in your employment history. At the same time, it will highlight all the complex skills you have.

That's why the functional resume is also suitable for high school and college grads.

Your final option - the hybrid resume - is the perfect way to balance experience and skills.

It allows you to show a thorough understanding of the particular niche you have expertise in. And list a few past employers for reference.

With that in mind, here is what your resume needs to have:

Keep in mind to filter and add only what’s relevant to the job position. Hiring managers don’t want to read essays.

There are other ways to show further expertise, so don’t worry if you can’t list all your talents. But more on that later.

For now, consider the following questions when building your quality control resume:

How to frame the header on your quality control resume a

nd Keep Them Reading

First things first, your resume header needs to look professional. It is your business card.

Not only does it have to have your contact information, but it has to look well and be error-free.

Attention to detail is key for a quality control professional. Let’s see if you can spot what Jon did wrong with his resume header:

• His professional title does not specify the niche he’s operating in
• It lacks the attention to detail we were talking about. Is he based in the City of New York or generally somewhere in the state?
• There is no contact number. What if Jon can’t look at emails? What if he's traveling between different production sites?
• There is no link to a personal work-related website or a LinkedIn profile

With so many missing pieces, Jon's resume may not even pass the ATS screening process. Let alone reach hiring managers.

How can Jon make it better?

Notice the difference?

We now know Jon specializes in on-site quality control in the pharmaceutical industry. We also know he is based in Brooklyn, so this is another talking point for the interview.

What’s more, there are three ways to contact him - phone number, email, and LinkedIn.

Even if he is on the go, Jon has made an effort to provide ample options to reach him.

Now that’s informative!

How to flaunt your achievements in your quality control resume summary

Typically, this is the place where you put your best foot forward. If you don’t impress the recruiters with your summary, you risk not getting the interview.

The various resume formats are meant to highlight different aspects of your career:

• The reverse chronological format is perfect to boast personal achievements, awards and certifications.
• If the hybrid resume is your thing, put an emphasis on your training and certifications
• The functional resume frame focuses on your skills. So in this case it’s best to use the summary to list the names of previous employers

The resume summary is the highlight reel of your career. Remember to provide supporting information. Hiring managers want to learn more about your accomplishments.

2 Quality Control Resume Samples - Summary

Here is what you need to avoid:

What’s wrong with it? It lacks conviction.

• There are too many buzzwords, yet nothing to corroborate them
• No information about the type of specialization or years of experience is disclosed
• Plus, there is no evidence of formal education or certification

In short, important data is missing.

Let’s revise it.

Yes, there is a buzzword at the beginning. But you can get away with it, because the job candidate:

• Has been working in the industry for almost a decade
• Has indicated the niche and the products they specialize in
• Adheres to the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations
• Is versed in two informatics systems
• Has experience with the TQM management framework

A well-balanced story hiring managers will believe. This will prompt them to look further down your resume to see if everything checks out.

Demonstrating a Wealth ofExperience on Your Quality Control Resume (Even If You Don’t Have Much)

A general rule for writing the experience section of a resume is to stick to the last 10 years of your career. Why is that?

Industries and business practices change over time. Quality control management frameworks are no different. You need to show you are up to date with current standards.

Despite their experience, senior-level QCs sometimes fall into the trap of long-winded descriptions.

Be concise.

Focus your efforts on displaying a progression of your career. Make sure you show how each place of employment has helped you develop your skill set.

If you can't boast extensive work history, don't jot down past projects as a to-do list. Draw attention to what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown.

2 quality control resume experience examples

Going back to Jon’s resume, what do you think he can do to improve the experience section of his resume?

Managed, worked, maintained…This is boring, where are the action verbs?

These are day-to-day tasks Jon needs to complete anyway. What’s the outcome of his work?

Not bad for a first draft, but recruiters are not searching to hire robots to do menial tasks. They want to see proactive behavior.

Here’s an edited version of the experience section.

Jon may not have used the best action verbs, but the results speak for themselves. Which company wouldn’t want reduction of costs and waste disposal on top of revenue increase?

More notably, Jon has outlined his work ethics - he is environmentally-conscious. And his methods have worked for the past two years.

This is a great way to hint at your character traits.

So what would the skills section contain? The next part explores this in detail.

What key skills are required for quality control?

There is no right answer here. Again, you need to take the industry you’re specializing in to make a relevant skill list for the job position.

How to feature technical and hard skills on your resume

If you’re analyzing software, then you may be required to understand Agile principles. Or be knowledgeable of JIRA and Azure DevOps.

By contrast, if you’re operating in the food and drug industry, a good grasp of cGMP regulations is a must.

Here are some of the technical skills required from QCs, starting from the more common ones.

To that end, read job descriptions carefully, but don’t lie on your resume. It’s easy to test for technical skills and detect false information.

Instead, it’s better to show an enthusiasm for learning.

Which soft skills impress hiring managers?

Soft skills are hard to quantify, but easier to attest when put into context. They can also be linked with your technical skills and education.

Let’s see how Jon has described his soft skills.

Not bad at all. He has linked his blueprint interpretation skills with his experience at university.

His abilities were quite possibly peer-reviewed, so Jon gets bonus points for this.

What’s more, Jon has connected each of his skills to quantifiable outcomes. Altogether a very well-put resume.

What are the education requirements for quality control specialists?

Any formal training requirements for QC positions depend on your business niche. Some of the most common qualification include:

• Vocational high school diploma
• BA/BS degree in a specific degree
• An Associate degree in a relevant field
• A MSc in Industrial Engineering or similar
• An equivalent training course

Research job ads or talk to experts within your chosen QC field. Verify whether your education and certifications make you an eligible job candidate.

Speaking of certificates…

Check out our article on how to approach the education section of your resume for more ideas.

Do you need a certificate section on your resume?

Yes, because it shows willingness and determination to improve. Expanding your skill set is always beneficial to your employer.

Scan if any third-party vendors are listed on the job ad. Hiring managers are searching for candidates familiar with specific platforms or software.

Applicants with such credentials usually have a higher chance to secure an interview.

What else can you add to your quality control resume?

Considering QCs' diversity of skills, you can include any of the following sections:

• Language skills
• Significant professional achievements
• Publications and awards
• Projects
• Hobbies
• Volunteer work
• Cover Letter

None is more important than the other. It really depends on the type of quality control you will have to do.

So, when tailoring your QC resume, customize the supplementary sections, too.

Key takeaways: the quality control resume cheat sheet

• Customize your resume for each position you’re applying to
• Make sure each section clearly shows your career development
• Use a resume format based on your level of expertise and business niche
• Don't forget to carefully choose the complementary sections for each individual resume
• Ensure recruiters have plenty of ways to contact you
• Connect your soft and hard skills, but balance them out
• Create a believable story - don't let one skill section overshadow the other