Tips for Writing Manufacturing Resumes

1. Hook them with job industry specifics

Hiring managers in the manufacturing sector are busy people and will scan your resume in less than six seconds. Reel in their attention from the get-go by including your industry experience in your job details, providing them with a clear context of your experience. The manufacturing sector consists of food, coal, plastics and rubber, wood and paper, transportation and machinery equipment, beverage and tobacco, petroleum, metals and mineral production, computer, electronic and electric products, wood and paper products and chemical companies. Be very specific regarding your technical tenure and list your employment history by date, company, and job title held.

2. Resume SEO is the way to go

Be sure to replicate the keywords from the position advertisement in your job description. Are you involved in Discrete Manufacturing processes where your facility produces final consumer goods are sub-assemblies, parts, and components? Or, is your plant focussed on Continuous Manufacturing which entails the production of raw materials or extracting minerals and elements being used to make specific compounds by using heat or power in the transformation process? Weaving the primary keywords from the job advertisement into your resume, is a smart way to dodge the screening bots and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) that is programmed to throw out resumes without specific phrases and terminologies.

3. New kid on the block

Many manufacturing facilities and factories offer fantastic opportunities for in-service training or on-the-job training via formal apprenticeship positions. Being a complete rookie you may wonder what to add under the experience section of your resume considering that you do not have formal working experience. In this case, any working experience regardless of whether it relates to the job would suffice whether gained temporary, vocational, or seasonal.

4. Top Skills to Include in a Manufacturing Resume

Preventing breakdowns, Fixing equipment, Operating machinery, Numerical Adeptness, Raw Materials Composition, Calibratint Machinery, Coding with PLC, Production Processes, Welding, Soldering, Quality Control, Safety & Sanitation, Brazing Equipment, Preventative Maintenance, Routine Maintenance, Read Blueprints & Schematics, Monitoring Gauges

5. Answer these questions for Resume Quantification

  • How many products do you assemble in a week?
  • How many safety incidents occurred in the last year?
  • What was the average time per product processing from mixing raw materials to loading completed product onto the conveyors?
  • What is the machinery breakdown cycle for the last 30 days?

6. Go Hybrid with your application process

Avoid the Big Black Hole of online applications on job boards and company career sites where you send in hundreds of resumes, only to be met with radio silence in terms of feedback.

Firstly, choose two or three recruitment agents that specialize in manufacturing placements and ask them to inform you of opportunities or, better yet, let them present your profile to their top clients. Secondly, opt for business social media sites such as LinkedIn to find roles and instantly apply with your LinkedIn profile.