Do you need a resume when looking for a manufacturing job? If you want to get hired – the answer is YES! In today’s highly competitive job market, manufacturing job candidates need strong, professional resumes to help them stand out from the crowd.
Think about how many times you’ve picked up a magazine while waiting for an appointment. When you’re flipping through the pages, how do you decide what to look at and whether to continue? Studies show that most people make this type of decision in less than five seconds. The same goes for employers reviewing resumes—they’ll flip past it in a matter of seconds if they don’t like what they see.
So what’s important to include on your resume? Here are five tips to help you make the cut:
1. Include specific accomplishments that have numerical or quantitative results when possible. For example:
- “Increased productivity by __ percent via team building and increased employee involvement”.
- “Attained purchase-price reductions of __ percent for a savings of $___from suppliers via ‘win-win’ negotiations and extensive pre-negotiation research and preparation”.
- “ Reduced manufacturing scrap by __ percent through application of Six Sigma techniques”.
2. Indicate the industries you worked in and the products made or services rendered by both you and the company. Include the approximate size of your prior companies and locations in terms of number of employees, sales and the number of people you supervised, if any.
3. Include your education and any important certifications, including the institution(s) you received them from.
4. Tailor your resume to each job you apply for. Employers want to know exactly what you can do for their company. Ask yourself, “What job am I going for, and does my resume show the skills and strengths required to impress this potential employer?” Tailoring your resume to the specific job you’re going for will show the hiring manager you are serious about working for their organization.
5. Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Yes, it’s important. And there is no excuse for not doing so when every word processing program has spell check. Poor spelling and grammar will immediately land your resume in the “deleted-items” box. Re-read every word yourself and get someone else to read it as well.
Of course, one of the best things you can do when looking for a manufacturing job is to sign on with a staffing firm that specializes in the field. If you want to know more about what WorkSource can do for you, contact us anytime!