Machine operators also perform regular checks and inspections to ensure the machines are providing the best performance. They need to follow high levels of safety and corporate regulations to avoid machine malfunctions.
The machine operator job description includes thorough technical skills and a great machine operator resume. This highly competitive field hires the best of the best, which is crucial for the smooth operation of these plants.
This guide will help you understand how to make a machine operator resume that grabs your recruiter's attention and displays your candidature in the best light. So, keep reading to know more about the machine operator resume sections, format, and tips.
How To Make A Machine Operator Resume
Now that you've seen the example, you have a head start at creating the most effective machine operator resume.
- Keep your points short.
- Back up your machine operation experience with technical proof and tangible numbers. This is especially crucial for resumes in the engineering sector.
- Mention your machine operator education and show the employer than you have relevant certification.
- While writing about your previous machine operator position, explain how you benefited the company. This is coveted information for a machine operator employer.
Layout
Your machine operator resume should have a simple and professional design. Align all the text so that it looks clean and doesn't clash.
You can try fitting al your information normally into one page, or make two evenly sized columns.
It's best to use business-like fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman. Keep the font size between 11=13 pt. This will ensure that the machine operator resume is clear and readable, while having enough space to contain all the necessary information.
Format
Your machine operator resume can be in one of three possible resume formats. For the best results, choose the format as per your needs and qualifications.
Fresh graduates who want to dive into the machine operator job market can use a functional resume. It highlights your education and natural skills.
If you have a few machine operator internships or apprenticeships under your belt, highlight them in order of recentness with a chronological resume.
However, you may also have years of machine operator experience at various sites that honed your skills to a much higher degree. In this case, shine light on both your practical knowledge and machine operator skills with a combination resume.
Machine Operator Resume Header
Your machine operator resume header is the hiring manager's first introduction to you as a person.
Before they read your professional summary to determine whether you're a good fit, first they will notice your header. Therefore, it's crucial to have a short header that follows the usual rules.
First, write your full name. Try not to abbreviate any part of the name, unless you have a middle name or an academic honorific.
Your career path or intended position goes below the name. For this machine operator resume, you can simply write "Machine Operator."
However, some people in the industry try to fine-tune their skills and niche down for better opportunities.
If that's the case for you, mention your specific niche like plastic machine operator or food processing machine operator. Keep this section within a few words and don't make it a sentence.
Then, add your contact details such as phone number and official email address.
Skills
Here are some of the best skills that align with your machine operator duties and show the hiring manager that you are an ideal candidate. These skills apply to most jobs as a production worker.
Physical Endurance
High standards of physical stamina improve your machine operator resume. You'll be standing all day, and you need to walk fast to coordinate machine operations.
Slowing down because of tiredness can throw a wench in the smooth production process. Further, your muscles should be healthy and have enough endurance to avoid cramps or injuries.
An energetic machine operator also has the strength to lift heavy things. It includes transferring products onto the processing line and carrying raw materials in bulk.
Certain machine levers also need good arm strength.
Teamwork
A team of machine operators work together in a production factory. They bring unique skills and collaborate with each other to maintain an effective workflow.
You need to communicate with your colleagues and delegate tasks accordingly. As a beginner, you'll also be asking for help whenever you need.
Everyone in the factory helps each other out and informs others of safety and quality control concerns.
Effective communication skills in your machine operator resume mean you can make the process smoother and increases the overall output.
Familiarity With The Production Line
Anyone who has watched How It's Made Knows about the complicated yet fascinating structure of the production line.
The machines and delegated machine operators work in sequence to pass the items from their raw material state to a complete, packaged product.
These harmonious operations follow a step-by-step-procedure highly dependent on timing, group coordination, quality control, and precise measurement.
Some experience working on or around these machines will help you understand the rhythm and flow of production.
Manual And Instruction Interpretation
Production machines come with highly technical instructions for quality control. This information will be presented to you in the form of complicated diagrams and technical jargon.
Your ability to correctly interpret them is crucial to your machine operator resume.
These manuals are written using signs, symbols, and terms that make it almost a unique language of its own.
And although each corporation formats its manuals in a different way, experience with the basic language will help you adjust more easily and effectively.
Mentoring
As mentioned before, a machine operator is collaborative.
Simply knowing your tasks won't make you a good mentor. You need to properly communicate each aspect of the task to your new team member and teach them patiently.
This sharing of knowledge improves the value of the overall establishment and is a good addition to your machine operator resume.
Multitasking
Daily shifts for machine operators require the usage of several different types of machines.
For example, suppose you work at a chips production factory. You would need to toss a new batch of potatoes into the slicing machine while you oversee the frying and garnishing of the next batch.
You will also provide helpful information to those in charge of the packaging machine.
As a result, your machine operator resume must mention a strong capacity for multitasking. A strong memory and an ability to coordinate several precise tasks are essential.
Precision
Accuracy is of the utmost importance when you're working. A slight misstep or incorrect measurement can disqualify and entire batch of products, leading to a waste of raw materials or machine malfunctions.
Good machine operators uphold quality control and take great care to calibrate machines to exactly correct settings.
This makes the machines and operating systems perform better and produce the best results as per the organization's standards. It also guarantees safe and efficient usage.
Machine Operator Resume Education Section
The most basic machine operator resume education required by most employers is a high school diploma.
However, when you apply to a reputed organization, you will be competing with hundreds of other candidates, most of whom have a high school diploma in their machine operator resume.
Higher education makes you stand out and improves your chances of being recruited.
Various colleges and private institutions provide courses in relevant degrees such as metal machine operation. These will help you break into today's saturated job market.
You can also apply for certain certificates that are recognized throughout the country. These include the Heavy Machine License and the Machine Operator Certification.
One of the benefits of this field is that you can learn while fulfilling the job description. Many freshers take up an internship or apprentice with an experienced operator.
This way, you can learn the ins and out of working in the industry and gain useful practical knowledge that books can't provide. You also have the exciting opportunity to earn while you learn.
Add Experience To Your Machine Operator Resume
Building from the last point, the experience you've gained while learning is an essential part of your machine operator resume.
It's a highly technical field where having good experience can boost your place in the competition more than anything in your education section.
Suppose you're a hiring manager for a company that specializes in producing consumer products through complex, technical process.
You have a choice between two candidates, one of whom has a high school diploma but no experience with production lines like yours.
The other candidate also has a diploma, but they have spent a year being an apprentice at a similar company. Most hiring managers will stay on the safe side and recruit the applicant who knows their way around.
Other than being an assistant, you can also gain machine operator experience by joining a trade school. They provide both practical skills and a certificate at the completion of your course.
If you want more professional experience, below are some types of organizations that commonly hire a machine operator:
- Food production plants
- B2B Heavy machinery and equipment manufacturing plants
- Electronic parts manufacturing settings
- Fuel extraction or mining operations
- Managing construction projects
How Much Do Machine Operators Earn?
💰The machine operator salary approximately ranges from $34,000 to $43,000. If you have recently entered the field with lesser qualifications, your salary may start from around $31,000.
Overall, the average salary for machine operators is about $38,000. A highly skilled senior machine operator can make up to approximately $48,000 at an acclaimed organization.
Step Into The Production Field With A Solid Resume
A machine operator is always sought-after by production plants.
As the demand for consumer goods and technology increases, companies have to constantly expand their supplying ability. Thus, there is never a shortage of machine operator jobs in the market.
As you venture into this field, an assistant role is the best choice. You'll learn all the necessary skills with relatively lower pressure on your shoulders and have mentors to guide you.
So, create the best production assistant resume and get started on a satisfying career track.
Frequently Asked Questions
A machine operator can specialize for various different functions such as mobile machine (eg. forklift) operation, construction and drilling machine operator, and textile production operator. You can also be a machine operator in a chemical manufacturing or metal extraction plant.
If the hiring managers like your machine operator resume, they'll invite you to an interview where they verify your education and understand your personality. After this, you may be invited to a practical round where you demonstrate your machine operator skills in the workplace.
Getting an OSHA safety certificate will add more value to your machine operator resume and make you an asset to your employers. You can also get machine operator certificates from the Construction Industry Training Board.
