Resume For Shipping Clerk | The Ultimate Writing Guide + Tips
A shipping clerk job is a great way to get your foot in the door if you want to work in a warehouse or manufacturing environment. The jobs will vary depending on the company but having a resume for shipping clerk that describes your qualifications puts you ahead of your competitors.
Dedicated shipping and receiving clerk with five years of experience in warehouse operations, shipping and receiving goods. Proven ability to work efficiently with warehouse management to ensure inventory accuracy and implement effective and cost-reducing strategies. Excellent communication and organization skills.
Work experience
TNT Express Shipping Clerk January 2015-May 2017
Performed inventory checks in the shipping dock every three hours, identified items that were sold and still in warehouse stock, and followed up on discrepancies with the shipping department.
Inspected contents of incoming shipments and outbound deliveries and matched customer orders to invoices and manifests.
Coordinated all shipping and delivery of customer orders with carrier representatives and issued shipping instructions.
Morgan Logistics Shipping Clerk June 2013-December 2014
Carefully packed, sealed and labeled outgoing shipments in preparation for shipping.
Prepared and processed purchase orders, sales orders, route information, and bills of lading in preparation for shipping.
Contacted various shipping companies to arrange for replacements of items that were damaged or missing in delivered goods.
You can start a career as a shipping clerk in an entry-level position and advance to a management position as you gain experience. This field has many opportunities as most industries require shipping clerks giving room for growth as you advance your skills and experience.
If you’re wondering how you can write a resume that allows you to get your next job as a shipping clerk, we’re here to help. This guide will give you tips and examples that will be easy to follow to help you write the perfect resume. Here are some of the topics that we’ll cover:
How to add your shipping clerk experience.
The right format for your resume.
The most-valued skills in shipping clerks.
How to write a professional summary/objective.
Additional Information About the Job Market for Shipping Clerks
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the industries with the highest levels of employment in Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks include:
Warehousing and Storage
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
Employment Services
Couriers and Express Delivery Services
Food and Beverage Stores
The average salary for a shipping and receiving clerk is $33,000. The typical range is between $30,000 and $36,000, depending on the level of education, skills and experience.
How to Make a Shipping Clerk Resume
The first step to getting any shipping clerk position is creating a resume that details your top achievements. However, you must know how to present these achievements on your resume to stand out. Check out our resume examples to get some ideas.
Hiring managers get many resumes and will not have much time to go through each resume. Keep it short and summarize your qualifications on one page. Also, use the job description to find the keywords and action verbs that will help your resume get past the ATS systems.
Shipping clerks can get jobs in many industries, so you’ll need to tailor each resume you send. Using one generic resume will put you at a disadvantage and cause you to miss out on some great opportunities.
The format, layout and structure of your resume are also crucial. Here are more details on these.
Best Format for your Resume
Choose any of these formats for your shipping clerk resume.
Reverse-chronological format - This format is perfect for candidates with experience working as shipping clerks because it highlights your professional experience.
Functional resume format - This format focuses on skills and is perfect for recent graduates and career changers who don’t have much industry experience.
Hybrid/combination resume - This format is perfect if you have the perfect blend of shipping skills and experience.
The layout or design you choose for your resume should be easy to follow and understand. Recommended fonts include Arial, Cambria, Calibri, Georgia, Times New Roman and Verdana. The font size should be 10-12pt.
The structure of your resume should have the following sections:
The header
The resume summary/resume objective
Work experience section
Education section
Skills section
An additional section(Languages, interests, computer skills and certifications)
Start With the Header and Contact Information
The first section of your resume, known as the header, contains your personal and contact information. Always ensure that this information is accurate before sending the resume to the recruiter to allow them to reach you easily. The details in this section include the following:
Your full name
Your job title
Phone number
Professional email address
Location
A link to your LinkedIn profile
Correct example
CORRECT
Cleo Johnson
Shipping and Receiving Clerk
364-947-003
cleojohnson@gmail.com
Albuquerque, NM
linkedin.com/in/cleojohnson
Incorrect example
INCORRECT
Cleo Johnson
Shipping and Receiving Clerk
364-947-003
cleojohnson@gmail.com
2215 Byrd Lane
House number 25
Albuquerque, NM
Date of birth 02/08/1977
linkedin.com/in/cleojohnson
📌The header section should not have too many personal details. Focus on the relevant details the recruiter needs to contact you.
Highlight Your Work Experience As A Shipping Clerk
Most recruiters will go to this section first when they get your resume to see what you can do. Detail your work experience, starting with the most recent job and prioritize the relevant experience.
You want to showcase your knowledge of shipping procedures by listing your job duties and quantifying them with figures and facts. Once you list the name of the workplace, your job title and the employment details, you’ll add three to five job duties. The figures and facts show the hiring manager the results you could achieve and the value you bring to the company.
If you’re applying for an entry-level position, you may not have relevant experience. Add your experience from other jobs and internships and highlight the transferable skills that will be useful in the shipping clerk job.
Example for entry-level shipping clerk
Sheffield Cargo
Shipping and Data Entry Clerk
May 2015-June 2017
Maintained accurate records of ship orders and input information on weights, charges, and discrepancies into the warehouse management system.
Reorganized storage areas to create space for incoming shipments and assisted in preparing shipping labels.
Resolved shipping methods for materials according to the customer's purchase order and checked shipping information to ensure accuracy before sending out the shipment.
Example for an experienced shipping clerk
Aircom Cargo
Shipping Clerk
August 2016-July 2020
Implemented cost-effective shipping procedures and monitored incoming and outgoing shipments to increase efficiency.
Collaborated directly with two shipping departments to eliminate damage and ensure that defective materials were replaced on time.
Supervised a team of ten warehouse personnel as they performed duties such as loading trucks and packing materials in wooden or cardboard containers to ensure all the shipping documentation was accurate.
Describe Your Educational Background
Most shipping clerk jobs don’t require formal education, but you need to have a high school diploma for most of the positions. Highlight any educational qualification that will allow you to stand out in this section.
If you have a college degree, you don’t have to add a high school diploma. Also, always start with your most recent qualification when adding your academic background. Add the name of the degree/diploma, the name of the school and the graduation year.
Correct example
High School Diploma
Highland Park High School
2013
Shipping Clerk Skills to Include in Your Resume
The skills section lists the unique abilities that allow you to excel in the shipping clerk position. Adding the right skills to your resume will increase your chances of landing an interview. This is because hiring managers use software to filter out resumes that don’t have the required skills, among other requirements.
List your hard and soft skills in two separate sections using bullet points. This makes it easier for the recruiter to see them as they read through your resume. Hard skills are technical and require time to learn through apprenticeships or school. Soft skills are interpersonal traits that make it easy to interact with people in the workplace.
The job description will help you determine some of the skills the hiring manager is looking for. Check it out and add them to your resume using the correct wording/language. Use our resume templates to structure your resume and ensure you don’t leave out any important sections, including this one.
Hard skills
Inventory control procedures
Data entry
Quality assurance
Inventory management
Statement Billings
Warehouse management system
Route planning
Record keeping
Soft skills
Good customer service
Time management
Communication skills
Attention to detail
Interpersonal skills
Multitasking skills
Problem-solving
Customer satisfaction
Write a Professional Summary
The professional summary is the second part of your resume, which summarizes your experience, skills and top accomplishments. It also introduces your shipping clerk resume giving the recruiter an idea of what to expect in your resume. It’s a short section, but it has to be interesting to get the recruiter’s attention and keep them engaged.
Correct example
CORRECT
Efficient shipping and receiving clerk with eight years of experience and proven proficiency in handling complex tasks in warehouse operations. Expert at preparing shipping orders, inventory management and tracking shipments by ensuring stencils identifying shipping information are added to the right packages. Increased customer referrals by 25% by ensuring that all shipments for internal and external customers were dispatched on time.
💡The example above describes the candidate’s experience and skills and highlights an achievement at the workplace that sets them apart from the other candidates.
Incorrect example
INCORRECT
Dedicated shipping clerk with extensive expertise in maintaining records of shipping documents and monitoring outgoing and incoming shipments.
💡The example above fails to highlight the skills and experience that make the candidate the best person for the job.
Professional Objective
A professional objective describes the candidate’s career goals and expresses their interest in the position. It’s used to introduce the resume just like the professional summary but is suitable for candidates who don’t have experience, like recent graduates and career changers.
Correct example
CORRECT
Dedicated and detail-oriented shipping clerk with experience recording customer orders and inventory control. Data entry specialist with comprehensive knowledge of the latest shipping procedures. Looking for an opportunity to work in a multi-national company like Rolling Cargo to share my skills and learn from industry experts.
💡The example above describes the candidate’s interest in the position and highlights the skills that make them perfect for the position.
Additional Sections for Your Resume
Every candidate should have an additional section that details their extra qualifications and skills. These qualifications set them apart and allow them to stand out. Highlighting them in this section makes it easy for the recruiter to see them.
Let’s look at some of these sections.
Computer Skills and Certifications
Shipping clerks need to input information into computer systems, so basic computer skills are essential. Add them under this section of your resume instead of the general skills section to make them more visible.
Most shipping clerk positions require one or multiple certifications. Therefore, if you have one, you don’t want the recruiter to miss it on your resume. List all your relevant certifications in this section. Here are some that will help your shipping clerk resume stand out:
Certified Professional in Inventory Management(CPIM)
Certified Professional in Supply Management
Certified Supply Chain Professional
Languages
List your language skills in this section. Hiring managers are always looking for bilingual candidates, especially in this career that requires the candidate to interact with people from different cultures. Use the official language reference as follows:
IELTS/TOEFL for English
DELF for French
Goethe Zertifikats for German
Interests
Not all recruiters are interested in this section. However, some would like to know who you are outside of work. Do some research on the company you want to apply to and determine whether you’ll add this section or not.
Tips to Boost Your Resume
Always use a simple layout that’s easy to read and understand.
Tailor each resume and ensure that it matches the recruiter’s requirements.
Avoid using one job title for multiple job applications.
Optimize your shipping clerk resume with the right action verbs and keywords.
Introduce your resume with a strong resume summary/objective.
Proofread your resume and give it to another person to check to ensure it has no errors before sending it to the recruiter.
Summary: Writing a Professional Resume for Shipping Clerk Jobs
Start with a header containing your personal and contact details.
Describe your professional experience working as a shipping clerk in the work experience section.
Quantify your achievements at the workplace with figures and facts to show the value you bring.
Focus on the relevant experience when you’re listing your previous jobs.
Choose the format that brings out your best qualifications first.
List your skills in two sections to separate the hard and soft skills.
Complement Your Resume With A Cover Letter
Your application should have a resume and cover letter to be complete. The cover letter allows you to showcase your personality and writing skills as you describe your qualifications in a more detailed manner. Some hiring managers don’t require a cover letter, but unless they have stated this, you should always accompany your resume with one. Check out our cover letter examples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are some of the industries hiring shipping clerks?
CORRECT
INCORRECT
