Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Operations Manager job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Operations Manager posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Customer Service, Operations Management and Strategic Planning are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Operations Manager job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are common soft skills that appear on Operations Manager job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills. Instead of listing these phrases on your resume, try to show them through your bullet points like in the examples below.
Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
Business operations managers may have more senior or executive roles at some companies than other operations managers. This resume showcases extensive experience within the field and accomplishments that demonstrate a high level of ability. Past promotions look good on any resume, but they’re especially important for business operations managers because they show leadership and proactivity.
This resume template mentions being promoted with a past employer, which is a mark of outstanding performance and professional growth. Both of these factors are crucial for senior-level job candidates.
To be considered for a business operations management role, you need to establish yourself as an expert in managing people. Leading resume bullet points with verbs like “overhauled”, “managed”, and “developed” underscores your management abilities, especially when you back them up with specific results that you achieved.
Technical operations managers work closely with technical teams to ensure that projects run smoothly and are completed according to all necessary specifications. They need to balance technical concerns with the interests of the company as a whole. If you’re applying for one of these jobs, use a resume like this one to showcase a blend of technical and managerial abilities.
This resume does a good job of highlighting operations management expertise, and it also includes technical experiences such as the architect and analyst positions. Having a strong background in technical roles can make you a stronger candidate for a technical operations manager position.
Technical work is specialized and requires specific hard skills. The skill section on this resume lists competencies such as programming or big data tools (e.g. Amazon Web Services). If you’re proficient in any of these areas, mention them by name to show evidence of your technical expertise.
Some companies employ sales operations managers to oversee their sales teams. These managers have a myriad of responsibilities, including training new sales staff, fostering communication between employees and clients, and streamlining sales processes. When you’re seeking one of these roles, your resume should show that you have some background in sales as well as management.
This resume sample focuses on the right kinds of work experience for the job. In addition to a previous sales operations management position, there are two sales manager positions, which suggest a strong foundation in sales. There are also plenty of examples within the bullet points that show management skills.
Operations managers get evaluated on the results they achieve, and the same is true for sales professionals. Having concrete figures to show for your work (e.g. “increased overall departmental sales by 10% in a single year”) helps quantify what you accomplished and shows potential employers what you may be able to do for their companies.
A marketing operations manager supervises and optimizes companies’ marketing efforts. They may plan and implement campaigns, manage social media accounts, analyze performance, and ensure that all projects and messaging align with the company’s brand. A resume like this one is a strong choice for aspiring marketing operations managers -- it emphasizes skills specific to marketing and work experience in related positions.
Desirable skills for marketing operations managers include marketing areas such as strategy, B2B, campaign management, and analytics -- and this resume uses its skills section to feature these competencies.
The work history bullet points here all begin with strong verbs such as “collaborated”, “managed”, and “developed”. Words like these show your initiative and clearly illustrate what you achieved in your former roles.
Operations associates can learn about business operations as they work to support the day-to-day functioning of a company. While you do need to be organized and conscientious for this type of role, you don’t need management experience for this entry-level role -- so use your resume to underscore your education and internship history, as shown in this resume.
As an entry-level applicant, you won’t have a lot of work history to discuss -- so start your resume off with what you have accomplished in school and internship experience. If you’ve done coursework in relevant areas such as data analytics or operating systems, it’s great to mention that up-front.
This resume points out accomplishments at internships that directly relate to being an operations associate. The bullet points show that even though you’re early in your career, you’ve already made an impact with your work.
A Customer Success Operations (CS Ops) Manager provides tactical support to the CS team by helping it improve its efficiency and KPIs. To better understand what CS Ops is, think of "success operations" as a product that optimizes processes for Customer Success Managers (CSMs). CS Ops managers establish baseline productivity using various metrics (e.g., net MMR churn) and assess the hindrances to learning about new product features. They evaluate the pain points CSMs face in their daily work and conceptualize how processes work. CSMs identify consistent issues affecting the CS team, break them down into manageable components, and tailor solutions with quantifiable results. In startups and small companies, the CSM mostly doubles as the CS Ops manager. But the need to separate this function into a dedicated role is increasingly apparent. Mostly, the CS Ops manager is a promoted CSM, which means the role calls for extensive experience to immediately build visibility into the CS team's business outcomes, identify areas for improvement, and earmark projects that should be prioritized for Customer Success.
Most organizations hire a CS Ops manager when they have 4-5 CSMs. Naturally, they are looking to bring in someone with extensive experience in project management-like positions to streamline CS processes, create a consistent customer experience, and align everyone under the organization's vision.
When you've had a long career (10+ years), focus on the most recent years of work experience. So, in addition to an Area of Expertise and Professional Summary, create a Career Highlights section of 3-5 bullet points headlining your 10+ years career on the first page. These should be highly brag-worthy and relevant to the position you are pursuing.
On top Operations Manager resumes, skills like Operations Management, Management, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Change Management, Customer Service, Business Development and Project Planning appear most often.
Depending on the exact role you're applying to, skills like Teaching, Contract Management, Budgeting, Sales and Procurement can also be effective keywords to include on your resume.
If you are writing a Laboratory Operations Manager resume, try to emphasize skills like Life Sciences, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Biotechnology, Laboratory Medicine, Analytical Chemistry, Hematology, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Hospitals.
Similarly, if you are writing a Recruiting Operations Manager resume, emphasize skills like Recruiting, Applicant Tracking Systems, Human Resources (HR), Sourcing, Interviewing, Temporary Placement, Operational Planning and Talent Management.
Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:
Examples of Operations Manager soft skills include Laboratory Skills, Culinary Skills, Negotiation, Customer Satisfaction and Team Building.
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
