Supervisor Resume Examples (Supervisory Experience on CV)

You’re about to write a supervisor resume that gets that lower-management job.

Listing experience, skills, and education like the other applicants will not get you the role.

You’re meant to be a leader, not a follower.

Show them who’s boss by writing the best supervisor resume the recruiter has ever come across.

It’s not as hard as you think—

This supervisor resume guide will show you:

• Supervisor resume examples better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a supervisor resume that gets more interviews.
• Tips on how to put skills and achievements on a shift leader resume.
• How to describe your management experience to get any of the supervisor jobs you want.

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Looking for specific resume samples for supervisory positions? We've got you covered:

• Account Manager Resume
• Assistant Manager Resume
• Executive Resume
• Manager Resume
• Operations Manager Resume
• Product Manager Resume
• Project Manager Resume
• Store Manager Resume
• Retail Manager Resume
• Consultant Resume
• MBA Application Resume
• Business Resume
• Office Manager Resume
• Property Manager Resume
• Marketing Manager Resume
• Customer Service Manager Resume
• Customer Success Manager Resume
• HR Manager Resume

Targeting a more specialized supervisory job? See:

Sales & Marketing:

• Call Center Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Retail & Customer Service:

• Customer Service Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Help Desk Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Retail Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Manufacturing & Warehousing: 

• Warehouse Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Machine Operator Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Mechanic Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Transportation:

• Logistics Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Construction: 

• Architecture Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Construction Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Still need more examples? Check Sample Resumes to Land Any Job.

Now, here's how to write a supervisor resume:

1

Format Your Supervisor Resume

Without a good leader, your team will fail.

Well—

Without a proper structure, your resume will fail, as well.

Use the reverse-chronological format. HR managers love and are all familiar with this resume layout, and that’s who you need to impress first.

Here’s what to put in a resume for supervisors:

• Open with a brief and captivating introduction statement.
• Add relevant work experience and education in reverse-chronological order.
• List the most appropriate management skills.
• Use additional sections to stand out as a leader.

If you are only starting out as a supervisor or coming from another field, place your education over your work history section.

Also, make sure to use legible fonts, white space, and headings to guide the recruiter through all of the valuable sections of your resume.

Pro Tip: Save your supervisor resume as a PDF. A PDF ensures it renders correctly so the HR manager sees it how you meant for it to be seen.

Not convinced using the reverse-chron format for an operations supervisor resume is right for you? See our guide: Best Resume Format & How to Choose It [Guide with Examples]

To paraphrase Mandela, effective leaders lead from behind.

However, an effective resume must lead from the top.

How?

By penning a compelling heading statement to begin your supervisor resume.

It comes in two forms, a resume summary or a resume objective, but they both follow a similar structure. Write an opening paragraph 3–4 lines in length, which is about 2–4 sentences.

If you have lots of supervisor experience or some management experience from a similar industry, use a resume summary.

This summarizes your relevant supervisory jobs, skills, and accomplishments so the recruiter can easily picture you as their next team leader.

Also, give a key win or achievement with numbers to prove your resume is B.O.S.S.—Based On Significant Success.

Supervisor Resume Resume Summary Example

In the wrong example, you give just some standard responsibilities and you don’t prove how awesome you handled those supervisor task.

In the right supervisor resume summary example, you make your skills as a supervisor apparent with the numbers.

Now, let’s move on to a different scenario:

Never been a supervisor, or you have, but in a completely different industry?

Write a resume objective.

Again, provide numbers to back up any claims, just like in the resume summary. Here, though, show the recruiter what you’ve got, what your goals are, and how they can profit hiring you as their new supervisor.

Supervisor Resume Objective Examples

The wrong example is just weak. All it says is “I had a low-level job and I finally want to have a higher position.”

The right example is much stronger. It gives a personal win related to a managerial position along with your goal.

And, you mentioned the company’s name—an easy way to score points at the very start!

Pro Tip: Resumes for supervisors start with your objective or summary, but don’t write it first. Instead, save writing it for the very end so you have a better idea of what to highlight after completing the other resume sections.

Want more advice on writing a career summary or career objective on a resume for supervisor positions? Check out our guides: Professional Resume Summary: 30 Examples of Statements [+How-To] and 20+ Resume Objective Examples for Any Career [+General Proven Tips]

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

3

Describe Your Supervisory Experience

Management positions are projected to grow 8% between 2016–2026. This will result in nearly a million new leaders required.

The rivalry for manager roles is getting crazy.

Want to land that cushy supervisor job?

Then write a work experience section that is the clear leader of all sections of your supervisor resume.

Look at these supervisor duties resume examples:

How to Describe Supervisory Experience\

The right example?

It’s got carefully-selected duties and key accomplishments with numbers to prove you’re the one with all the management skills they need.

The wrong one?

Well… Basic responsibilities tell them you’ll be a basic hire—not management material. Also, no numbered accomplishments on your manager resume is a surefire way to fail.

And what if you’re writing a resume job description section for a management position with no explicit supervisor experience?

No worries.

You can still have experience related to management that can help you land that supervisor job.

Here’s how to show it in the work experience section of your resume:

Supervisor Job Description for a Resume

This example gives relevant achievements and transferable management-related skills and responsibilities. Just remember—

If you really have supervisory experience, it is relevant on your supervisor resume. If you don’t have it, don’t include it. Lying on a resume is always a bad idea.

Pro Tip: Keep the job ad open in front of you as you create your supervisor responsibilities resume section. Relevance is crucial, and this way you’ll only list duties and achievements which match the job description (this is called tailoring your resume and it works miracles).

Doesn’t matter if you’re writing a Starbucks shift supervisor resume or one for construction supervisors—

A well-crafted education section is a must.

Here’s how to list a completed degree or certificate:

Still working on it?

Here’s how to add it:

Only high school?

Include high school education on a resume like this:

If you’ve completed a degree, don’t add high school. In all other cases, you may.

Have no work history but some management coursework under your belt? Move education to just below the resume heading statement.

Finally, remember to go reverse-chron, putting your most-recent education first.

Pro Tip: The term “supervisor” is quite broad—leaders exist in every trade. So, on a supervisor resume education section, relevant coursework includes industry-related classes too, not just management curricula.

Got something other than these common educational scenarios? Check this guide out: Education Resume Section: How to List High School & College Education

At one point, middle- and high-level managers who’ll be your bosses were just supervisors, too.

This means they know who they’re looking for as a new leader.

How to satisfy them?

By having the best supervisor skills resume section that exists.

Whether it’s a nursing supervisor resume or a construction supervisor resume, give them skills they’re looking for.

Which ones?

First, make a basic list of essential management skills.

Here are sample supervisor skills:

Supervisor Skills for a Resume

• Leadership Skills
• Management Skills
• Dedication
• Communication Skills
• Empathy & Compassion
• Time Managemennt Skills
• Persistence
• Problem Solving
• Confidence
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Positivity
• Accountability
• Work Well Under Pressure
• Results-Oriented
• Attention to Detail
• Conceptual Skills
• Fair & Humble

But—

Don’t just stuff your supervisor resume with every supervisor skill you have.

That’s not a boss resume.

Instead, refer to the job description.

Here’s an example restaurant shift leader job description for resumes:

See that?

You know what they need, so make a restaurant supervisor resume skills section customized uniquely for them:

Supervisor Resume Skills Section—Sample

There’s a job ad out there looking for someone with these wrong skills—

But it’s not this one.

The job ad tells you exactly which skills the company is seeking so include them in your supervisor resume skills section, too.

Don’t go rogue or get lazy as in the wrong example.

Finally, satisfy the ATS.

Applicant Tracking Systems are software which aids larger companies. Hiring managers scan resumes in, tell the software which keywords to search for, and get results back based on each candidate’s match.

Easy for them, but harder for you.

To beat the ATS, use keywords on your resume which the job ad requests. Write them word-for-word so the algorithm has no problem scoring you as the perfect fit for the supervisor job.

Pro Tip: Supervisor skills combine soft skills and hard skills. To find hard skills to add to you resume, check what’s listed in the supervisor job ad but include specific industry skills, too.

Want more tips for writing the supervisor skills for resumes? See our guide: 99 Key Work Skills for a Resume (Best List of Examples for All Types of Jobs)

The supervisor resume sections above are core—

—but you can give them even more.

To rise above the other potential supervisors applying for the same job, add some relevant extra sections.

Here are additional resume sections to consider:

Supervisor Resume Sample: Extra Sections

1. Certifications

Program certificates are very helpful in becoming a supervisor. If you got ‘em, flaunt ‘em!

Here are excellent certifications for supervisors and managers:

• Supervisory & Leadership Certificate (University of the Pacific)
• Leadership Essentials Certificate (eCornell)
• Professional Certificate in Management (Notre Dame Online)
• Conflict Resolution Certificate (eCornell)
• Endorsement Program for Supervisor Certification (Rutgers)

2. Volunteer Work

Don’t have supervisory experience? Don’t have any experience at all? Volunteer work works wonders, especially gigs where you played a management part.

3. Languages

Having another language in your arsenal only makes you a stronger supervisor—especially if you lead a multicultural team.

4. Hobbies & Interests

Your interests and hobbies say you’re a great leader without actually saying it. Choose relevant ones (e.g., coaching the football team), not irrelevant ones (e.g., stamp collecting).

We’ve got a great guide on the right things to add to a resume, as well as a complete guide on resume sections and categories. Make sure to check them out!

Pro Tip: Certificates are super useful to add to a supervisor or management resume. If you don’t have one, get one! You can take many online for little money, or even free. Check out edX and Coursera, for starters.

A supervisor resume without a supervisor cover letter?

Not so super.

You need a cover letter, especially when applying for a position of leadership. 53% of employers say a resume isn’t enough.

Here is how to write a cover letter for supervisor jobs that’ll make them swoon:

• Write a tailored cover letter for a specific job ad, not a generic one sent everywhere.
• Open with a strong introductory paragraph to compel them to read further.
• Show them how you will benefit the company more than the other candidates.
• Explain how the company is perfect for you.
• End with a powerful closing statement and call to action.

Pro Tip: Add a postscript to the end of your supervisor cover letter. A P.S. always draws the attention of the reader, so it’s a great way to add one more item to make your case.

Did you know our resume builder will also help you write a professional cover letter for supervisory positions? See these articles: 35+ Successful Cover Letter Tips, Advice & Guidelines (With Examples) and How to Write a Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps (12+ Examples)

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Remember about these tips when listing supervisory experience on a resume:

• Use a reverse-chronological structure which is easily understood by hiring managers.
• Create a captivating heading statement at the top of your supervisor resume.
• Write a supervisor job description section with quantifiable accomplishments.
• List supervisor skills which are relevant. Keep an eye on the job ad to guide you.
• Add extra sections to make it unique, particularly certifications.
• Include an intriguing cover letter along with your supervisor resume.

Now THAT’S a supervisor resume with an emphasis on the “super!”

Got any questions on how to write a supervisor resume? Not sure how to talk about your manager skills or leadership achievements? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!