An outstanding production worker resume goes beyond showcasing your ability to assemble goods on a production line – it highlights what makes you the right person for the job. Putting the pieces of a great production worker resume together will set you apart from the pack.
Let Resume.io show you the way with this guide, our resume examples for more than 300 professions, and our resume builder. Our instructions will help you build production worker resume that will:
- Focus on the skills hiring managers find most impressive
- Show off what makes you a great candidate
- Make the most of your work experience
- Design a document that will present you in the best light.
What does a production worker do?
Production workers help build products, but they do much more than that, especially with robotic production at play. They monitor the assembly process, ensuring both safety and efficiency. They carry out quality assurance testing so that all products fall within the company’s standards.
Production workers may also be expected to operate forklifts and other warehouse machinery to move products and materials throughout warehouses. They also organize inventory and make sure it is stored properly and in the correct location.
Production worker job outlook and income
The news is not good for production workers. The need for this type of labor continues to decline as robots take over the more repetitive aspects of the work. If you are looking for an entry into the workforce, this may be a good place to start, however, long-term prospects are not good. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 5% decline in the need for this type of work and a median annual salary of $34,970.
Some companies are making the effort to retrain or help production employees learn skills they will need moving forward.
How to write a production worker resume
Before you put anything together, you need to know what parts you need. The same is true of your production worker resume. Your CV should contain:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
Choosing the best resume format for production workers
Most applicants who have some previous experience in production or another related field will find that the reverse chronological resume format is the best choice. That's because this structure focuses on the employment history section where you'll be able to list your past jobs starting with the most recent and working backward through the past ten years. This resume format is preferred by both hiring managers and the automated resume scanners in place at most large companies.
If you're looking for your first job or are making a career change, you may want to consider alternative resume formats like the hybrid or functional models.
Resume summary example
What distinguishes you from other candidates? The summary, or profile, section of your production worker resume is your chance to make that clear. With job prospects at a minimum, you really need this section to shine. Here is an outline you can adapt to develop this 100-200 word paragraph:
- Introduce yourself with strong descriptive words such as hard-working, detail-oriented, or process-driven
- Detail the highlight of your working career (or, if you are looking for your first job, a position of leadership or volunteer experience)
- Explain why you want this job
Take a look at similar production resume samples including our material handler resume sample, assembler resume sample, factory worker resume sample, machine operator resume sample, or our forklift operator resume sample to get a broader idea of how your summary should read.
Experienced and dedicated Production Worker with over six years of industry experience, helping production in major companies to carry on as smoothly as possible. Adept at operating machinery, finalizing and packaging finished products, and maintaining inventories. Bringing forth a proven track record of helping companies increase their productivity by ensuring their machinery is functioning at a high level. I possess excellent team leadership skills and a true commitment to excellence and safety in the workplace.
Employment history sample
The employment history section of your production worker resume offers employers an overview of your experience. That doesn’t mean you should list every task you were responsible for. Instead, pinpoint the skills and attributes mentioned in the job listing and show that you excel at them. How? Start with a strong, action word and follow it with what you did and the outcome you achieved. Check out the adaptable resume sample below.
The Applicant Tracking System hurdle
If you apply for jobs online, you will most likely be inputting your information into an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Focusing on the skills within the job listing and making sure you use the exact words and phrases will help you leap this hurdle.
The ATS uses algorithms to rank resumes based on what your prospective employer seeks. That means the keywords and phrases that appear in the job ad are very important to overcoming this first obstacle. It also means you need to tweak your resume for each job to give yourself the best chance of reaching the hands of a human resources person.
- Worked as a leading Production Worker responsible for creating 100+ products.
- Handled project launches and worked to solve manufacturing challenges.
- Served as the main liaison between team units regarding technical consultation and production perspective.
- Trained managers, team leaders, and technicians on the proper handling of equipment and initiating design changes.
- Upheld the highest standards for safety compliance in the workplace.
- Handled preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and problem-solving tasks.
CV skills example
Hiring managers get hundreds of CV (especially for entry-level positions or those with declining opportunities). That means that if you get past the ATS, you have only a few seconds to impress and the skills section of your production worker CV is a great place to do it.
These 4-7 attributes also serve as an eye-catching design element so make them count by highlighting the very best of your skills, making sure to match them to the job listing. Hard skills are those that you need for the specific position such as knowledge of safety procedures and soft skills are interpersonal skills such as communication and reliability. See our resume sample below.
- Safety and compliance standards
- Manual dexterity
- Excellent communication
- Manufacturing equipment expertise
- Precision
Production worker resume education example
The education requirement for a production worker is a high school diploma or GED. In the education section of your production worker resume, you can simply list your academic degrees. If you have any training that applies to production work, you should add it here.
If you are applying for your first job, think about any classes you have taken in high school that will demonstrate that you have the skills to be a quality worker. Those skills include any leadership, communication, or courses that required safety procedures or the use of tools. See our resume example below.
- 2001-2005 Detroit High School, High School Diploma Detroit, MI
- 2005-2009 Deerfield Community College, Associate of Engineering Boston, MA
Resume layout and design
The finishing touch of your production worker resume is also the first item to be noticed: the design. After you carefully crafted your text, you don’t want to fall short here. The best method for projecting a professional image in your production worker resume is to keep your layout neat with aligned columns, legible fonts, and ample margins.
Your goal is easy reading, so although it may be tempting to attract attention with a lot of color or graphic design elements, use them sparingly or not at all. Our library of expertly-designed resume templates will not only get you started with a great look, but will also take the pain out of formatting so you can get your job hunt going more quickly.
Key takeaways for a production worker resume
- Your production worker resume will have to stand out as this occupation is declining due to the increasing adoption of robotics.
- Highlight the soft skills you use to communicate and collaborate as well as your hard skills.
- Consider each job and adjust your resume for a better chance and that interview – and get a leg up on the ATS.
- Taking advantage of the online resume builder and our other resources will make building your production worker resume quicker and easier. Get started today and you’ll be on you way to a new job!
