What To Include in an Operations Manager CV (With Examples)

An operations manager is an important role in any company. During the job application process for this role, your CV may only have a few minutes in front of an employer, so you want to make sure that it stands out in comparison to the other applicants. There are a few guidelines you can follow on writing the perfect CV for a job as an operations manager. In this article, we identify best practices for you to help you write your CV, with examples and tips.

What to include in an operations manager CV

An operations manager CV can include key terms that show an understanding of the job. Duties for this role include, among other potential tasks, performing HR duties and helping a company promote and communicate operating policies, customer issues and safety measures.

Here are some essential duties and key terms that you may wish to include on your CV:

• taking on HR duties, such as recruiting

• helping the company to communicate operating policies, customer issues and safety measures

• performing financial predictions

• preparing budgets

• scheduling expenditures

• analysing and initiating corrective actions

• developing operations policies

• ensuring compliance with laws and regulations

Related: Operations Manager Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

How to write a CV that stands out

Understanding what to include on your CV is important for creating interest from a potential employer. Keywords are helpful to use on CVs as employers often use applicant tracking software to identify relevant skills and qualifications. Employers may also use those same keywords when they proactively search for candidates on Indeed CV. Ensure your CV matches an employer's keywords by following the four simple steps below:

1. Read job descriptions and personal specifications carefully. These can help you identify the required skills and experience for the role. Refer to these key skills when writing your CV.

2. Keep it simple. Write your contact details at the top of your CV and include a short summary or objective statement under this section.

3. Use a standard format. List your work experience, skills and education. Tracking systems can sometimes find complicated CVs difficult to process.

4. Keep it brief. A good CV can have a maximum of two A4 pages, but try to keep it at one page.

Related: How To Write a CV Employers Will Notice

Formatting your CV

Decide on how you want to format your CV before diving into achievements and awards. Whether you opt for a standard Arial font sized 12 points or one-inch margins, these small decisions are important in making your CV look tidy, smart and professional. Here is an example of what you could use for a professional operations manager CV:

• Margins: Use 1 to 1.5-inch margins on all sides.

• Font: Pick a professional font such as Arial or Times New Roman.

• Font Size: Use a font size of 10-12pt for the body of the text. You can bold or use a larger size for headings.

• Line Spacing: Line spacing on a CV is optional. If you choose to use line spacing, opt for 1 to 1.5.

As an operations manager's work involves a lot of responsibility, it's important to demonstrate a degree of experience managing responsibilities on a CV. An effective objective statement outlining keywords, skills and achievements can help you do this effectively. For example, prior experience in managing budgets can help a company increase profit and reduce costs.

Operations manager objective statement examples

Here are some operations manager objective statement examples:

• Operations manager position sought to enable me to utilise my skills in managing large budgets to help a company reduce expenditure and increase profit margins.

• Highly motivated operations manager with an MBA in management and several years of managerial experience seeking employment at Times Ltd, Inc. to use my abilities and knowledge to meet and exceed company goals.

• Budget-driven operations manager seeking a position at Parity Resources Ltd to use my data analysis expertise to increase productivity through streamlined processes.

• Operations manager seeking employment at Best Phones Unlimited. Offering over five and a half years of experience managing operations and coordinating processes to meet and exceed target goals.

• Award-winning operational manager seeking to improve profit margins and staff productivity at Stream Fans Limited. Offering over ten years of experience in both business-to-business and Med Tech.

What to include on your CV

Here is what you can include on your CV to help you demonstrate a keen interest in a job and stand out from other candidates:

Show you understand the expectations of the job

Make a list of duties and daily tasks and use these for your CV. For example, duties may include managing people, planning and managing budgets, establishing processes, filling out visa documents for overseas workers and liaising with stakeholders. Try to match your information to as many required skills on a job description as you can.

Explain what you hope to accomplish

Operations manager jobs are competitive, and a hiring manager wants to know why to hire one candidate over another. If you have clear goals that you hope to achieve in the role, it's a good idea to outline them to your potential employers. A great way to address this is through a vision or mission summary at the top of a CV.

Example 1: I'm a responsible operations manager who excels at budget planning. I hope to use this skill to bring increased revenue to John Smiths Automotive Ltd.

Example 2: I'm currently an assistant operations manager at a blue-chip firm with several years of experience and am looking to take on greater responsibility in an operations manager role at a small but impactful company.

Add education

Qualifications can be as important as experience on the job so it's a good idea to include them, especially if they're of Master's degree level or above. You can also include awards, extra-curricular activities and certificates gained alongside your studies to help impress an employer. Start with the highest qualification first and make sure to include any high grades you earned.

Example:

Master's degree in operating systems

Distinction

Staffordshire University

September 2019 to June 2021

• Awarded Best Budgeteer for final major project competition between 6 universities

BA(Hons) Philosophy

Teesside University

September 2016 to July 2019

• Part of the campus brass band

Add awards and achievements

Certificates and achievements can look impressive on a CV. For example, if you gained a certificate in operational HR or took part in in-house first aid training in past roles, it's a good idea to include this. When adding achievements, awards and certificates to job applications, be short and succinct by utilising bullet points.

Example:

Deputy Operational Manager

Best Motorways

July 2021 to present

• Overseeing operational teams and HR

• Completing annual budgets

• Increased productivity by 45% in September 2021

• Participating in in-house first aid training sessions

Add a portfolio

Adding your portfolio to your CV can be as simple as including a link to your website or blog under your contact details. This helps give the recruiter a clear picture of your past work and clients. If you don't have a professional website or online portfolio, you can link to a professional social media profile instead.

Example:

Saif Kaye, Operations manager

Email: saifkaye@email.co.uk

See my portfolio at www.saifkaye.co.uk

Add languages

If you still have space on your CV, you may wish to include any other languages you speak. Try to avoid taking up too much space by making short bullet points for each language with your proficiency in each.

Example:

Languages:

• English (Native)

• French (Intermediate)

• Spanish (Beginner)

• Italian (Beginner)

Related: Listing Hobbies and Interests On Your CV (With Examples)

Add interests and hobbies

You can show your personality on your CV. Interests and hobbies can indicate whether or not you may get along with peers and coworkers. If you want to include this information in your CV, use a short bullet list of your most interesting hobbies that help show who you are without taking up too much space.

Example 1:

Hobbies and interests

• Plays basketball in the local league

• Listens to Classic FM

• Once flew a jet plane

• Taking lessons in the French Horn

Example 2:

Hobbies and interests

• Table tennis player

• Enjoys sky-diving

• Likes black and white films

• Owns two bulldogs

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

Disclaimer: The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

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