Operations Manager Resume: Examples & Writing Guide

An operations manager is like a fighter pilot. Being one takes superhuman competence and confidence. You must master a million moving parts. And your operations manager resume has an awful lot to prove if you want to get that job.

A job-winning operations manager resume aims to show you know your way around redesigning business operations, have the industry knowledge and leadership abilities, and are an efficient problem solver. Well, let’s find out how to write one, and that’s the first problem out of the way.

This guide will show you:

• An operations manager resume sample better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write an operations manager resume that lands more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on an operations management resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for an operations manager to get any job you want.

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Looking for general management positions, too? We've got you covered:

• Assistant Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Project Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Program Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Program Coordinator Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Product Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Supply Chain Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Supply Chain Analyst Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Logistics Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Inventory Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Production Supervisor Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Consultant Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Director of Operations Resume Sample & Guide
• IT Manager Resume Sample & Guide
• Chief Operations Officer (COO) Resume & Complete Guide
• Supervisor Resume & Complete Guide
• Call Center Supervisor Resume & Complete Guide
• Management Consultant Resume & Complete Guide

Not to mention our general business-related guides:

• MBA Application Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Business Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

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

Here's how to write an operations manager resume:

1 

Format Your Operations Manager Resume

Meet the board of directors. Nice roundtable. Their biggest fear is hiring someone who'll crash their company. They won't even think about applicants with sloppy operations manager resumes.

Select a trusted format like reverse-chronological. It shows your most recent management successes first.

Use clear, legible resume fonts, big headings, and white space to soothe the eye.

Next, save it as a PDF. Operations manager resumes in Word format may look nice on your machine. But they can turn into a brush fire in transit.

Just make sure the job description doesn't clamp down on PDF resumes. Some do. Always choose the format suggested in the ad.

Pro Tip: Proofread your business operations management resume twice, on different days. Have a trusted friend check it as well. Sloppy work will get the boot.

Not convinced reverse-chronological is the best operations management resume format? See this guide: 3 Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One [Examples]

Picture a big, smooth wall 100 feet high. It stands between you and the board of directors, and it's called a "recruiter." Her name is Anne. She'll skim your resume in mere seconds.

To engage her, you'll need a substantive sales pitch.

It's called a resume summary (or an operations manager profile summary). It needs to be the most compelling thing you've ever written.

The good news is, you've already got the assets.

Let these senior operations manager resume examples show you what I mean.

Operations Manager Resume Objective Example 

Seems like possibly a good fit, right? But the board won't hire "possibly."

A winning resume for an operations manager shares impressive metrics.

Operations Manager Resume Summary Example 

That's job-ready. With a resume like that, you'll pull down an Amazon operations manager salary in no time.

Those measurable accomplishments make it sing.

Note that we say "resume summary.” An operations manager resume objective is for those with no experience. That won't work for a director level job.

Pro Tip: Got writer's block? Don't start with your operations manager resume summary. Write your experience section first, then cherry-pick the best parts.

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.

Ready to give your bank operations management resume a paradigm shift? See these guides:

How To Write A Resume Summary: 21 Best Examples You Will See and +20 Resume Objective Examples - Use Them on Your Resume (Tips)

Pretend you're buying a cake. One baker says he's passionate. He's got a degree. The other has ten years of experience. She's made cakes for royals and celebrities. She's been written up in glossy magazines.

Your operations manager resume must show you're baker #2.

These two sample director of operations resume clips will light the way.

Look at the difference in these two director of operations resume examples.

Operations Manager Job Description for a Resume

That shows synergy between your duties and achievements. The recruiter can't help but share it with the board.

But look at this non-viable operations manager resume example:

The granularity has vanished. So has any chance at getting interviewed.

Pro Tip: Don't have quite that much experience? Stuff your business or transportation operations management resume with duties from supporting roles.

Don't bore the board with your resume for operations manager jobs. Fill it with action words. Need some? See our guide: +80 Examples of Resume Action Words for Every Profession

Your education section needs to show at least a bachelor's degree.

But it can do so much more.

If you only list your degree and GPA, it's like building a task force, then just using it to improve your golf grip. Instead, make your education section work like a Swiss Watch.

Start with:

• College Name and Location.
• Years in School.
• Degree.

Then add achievements that plug into the job description.

These two logistics manager resume examples show the basics.

Resume for an Operations Manager Examples [Education]

Here are two warehouse operations management resume examples.

That's not an operations management job applicant. It's Jack Welch in disguise. It fits the job offer like a Rolex.

It shows a special kind of leader who is dedicated to the job at hand.

But what about the next of our operations manager resume examples?

That's as empty as a vacant boardroom. It shows you graduated college, but nothing more.

But add achievements, and you're back in the winner's circle.

Pro Tip: Writing a retail operations manager resume? Highlight any retail operations classes or projects you did in school. Even general leadership experience works great.

Want to make your vp of operations resume crackle like a bull market? See our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

Let's look in on the board again. They've got two piles of operations manager job resumes. They're labeled, Second Look, and Trash. The ones in the Second Look pile all have one thing in common.

They prove their claims.

Operations Manager Resume Examples [Skills]

It's easy to create a laundry list of operations manager skills:

That's kind of like saying "I know how to be a good operation manager." Sounds nice, but how exactly are you great?

To do it right:

First list skills shown in the operations manager job description. You may have a thousand. The job description tells you which ones matter most.

Next, show you've used them. Check out the next of our operations management resume samples below.

The board lists these skills in the job description:

Lean thinking, supply chain management, inventory reduction.

So, add those, plus a few more:

Inventory reduction, cost cutting, collaboration, revenue generation.

Then prove them with bullet points like this:

You just went from good to great. It's so much more than just an operations manager resume skills list.

To get started, use the skills below.

List of Skills to Put on an Operations Manager Resume

Let's launch your job search.

Pick from these business operations resume keywords and skills.

Then get more from other operations manager job descriptions online.

Operations Manager Resume Skills

Follow the SOP above, and your resume for operations manager jobs will shine like it was written by Jamie Dimon.

Pro Tip: Skills for a warehouse operations manager resume will differ from bank, security, or IT operations manager resume skills. That's why a careful read of the job description is so important.

Need to restructure your operation resume skills list? See our guide: +30 Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips)

"If you want something done, ask a busy person."

That's you.

You're passionate. Involved. Always pushing personal boundaries.

Convince the board with additional sections in your director level resume.

Do it right, and all the other resumes they see will fade to grey.

Let's look at two operations management resume examples.

Operations Manager Resume Examples [Other Sections]

The first of our operations manager resume sample "other" sections will get dehired.

There's nothing wrong with golf, Jaguars, or sailing. But they don't make you a better operations manager.

For contrast, scan the next of our operations management resume examples.

Hole in one, right? Any of those achievements shows operations manager qualifications.

Obviously you don't have to list them all. But they give an idea of what a great "other" section looks like.

With a bit of elbow grease, anyone can have that kind of VP or plant manager resume.

Pro Tip: List conferences on a transportation or security operations manager resume. It works especially well if you participated on a panel.

Need some inspiration for a supply chain manager resume or distribution center manager resume? See this guide: +20 Best Examples of Hobbies & Interests To Put on a Resume (5 Tips)

Let's eavesdrop on the board one more time. They're shucking cover letters off a stack of resumes.

Will they even read your operations manager cover letter?

Not if it's boring.

Don't say: Here's my operations manager resume. (They know that.)

Do say: Here's how I can help you meet your goals.

Check out this operations management cover letter sample:

That works because it's personal, passionate, and offers proof.

First, it drops the hiring team lead's name.

Next, it shows passion for this specific job offer.

Last, it gives measured proof of how you'll help.

Close it with a call to action. "Can we set up a time to discuss ideas for raising revenue by 25%?" works great.

Pro Tip: Follow up on your resume and cover letter while they're fresh. Don't wait more than a week for your first nudge.

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.

Want a use case for your operations manager cover letter? Check out our guide: How To Write A Cover Letter [Complete Guide With Examples]

Did you make a big mistake?

Most do when adding contact info.

Lead with the basics:

• Full Name
• Updated Phone Number
• Professional Email Address

Like this:

Shaun Parvelu, Operations Manager, [email protected], 773-457-1564

But add your LinkedIn address too. Fully 87% of recruiters hire from LinkedIn.

If you leave your profile off your resume, you're passing up a big chance to impress.

Pro Tip: Want to make sure your LinkedIn profile follows best practices? Snap it into line with our guide to LinkedIn excellence here.

Want more tips to make the best operations manager you can? See this article: "6 Proven Tips on How to Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description"

This guide shows you how to make an operations manager resume that soars. Follow these key tips to do it right:

• Read the job description carefully. Stuff your operations manager resume with measurable wins that match it like a custom Hickey-Freeman.
• Show Jeff-Bezos-level competence on a resume for operations jobs. To do that, add dedicated "other" sections that share your indispensability.
• Write your operations management resume summary last. Build it from the best bits from your resume to make it shimmer.

Do you have questions on how to write a great resume for an operations manager? Not sure how to describe your skills or achievements? Give us a shout in the comments! We love to help!