Machinist Resume Example

After reading this guide, you'll know what it takes to create a resume that really stands out from other machinist applicants. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your machinist resume.

What to include in a machinist resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a machinist resume being no different. A resume for candidates with little or no work experience may focus less on the work experience section, and bring sections to the fore that emphasize their skills, such as hobbies and interests, volunteer work, education, projects and skills lists.

How you choose to present your resume is up to you. There are plenty of options for a professional resume layout and format, but every application should include the following:

Resume Header

In your machinist resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.

Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.

Resume Summary

Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.

The best resume summaries reflect the job description and focus on qualities that are relevant to working as a machinist, while highlighting elements of your personality that make you an ideal candidate. They also quantify the information provided with evidence. See below for some great examples of how to approach your machinist resume.

On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.

Skills

The skills section of a machinist resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include blueprint reading, problem-solving skills or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a machinist.

Listing hard skills on your machinist resume

In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a machinist resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.

You'll make more impact with your resume hard skills list if you focus on technical skills that reflect your unique expertise and specialism, and that match the key requirements in the job description. See the graphic below for some tips on hard skills for a machinist resume.

Showcasing your best soft skills

In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for a machinist job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. Indeed, without soft skills, you may struggle to adapt to machinist roles or meet the standards expected of you. So make sure you include several key soft skills on your resume. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a machinist resume.

Education

Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for machinist roles.

You don't tend to need a degree for machinist roles, but you'll still need to list any relevant qualifications, or your relevant educational achievements. If you have NIMS Machining Level, add this here, along with any other education that shows your precision measurement tools or cad/cam software.

For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Certifications and Training

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional machinist certifications, licenses or qualifications. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as a machinist.

Below you can find several examples of certifications for a machinist resume:

Work History

Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a machinist position. Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.

Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to machinist roles.

A successful resume work experience section will always showcase skills and experience relevant to the job description, and how you put each to good use in your previous roles. Offering quantifiable evidence in a machinist resume proves you're a strong candidate for the job, such as client feedback, project outcomes, KPIs or financial results. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.

Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.

Optional Sections

If you need to provide further evidence of your suitability for the job, optional sections can be useful for a machinist resume. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.

Hobbies and Interests

Listing your hobbies and interests can reveal key qualities that some employers may value. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.

Voluntary Work

Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your machinist resume. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

References aren't a standard machinist resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.

Best action words for your machinist resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.

For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.

Sample resume for machinist positions

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your machinist resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

Guide to making your resume ATS-friendly

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When writing your machinist resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:

• Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
• Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
• Include clear headings in each section that match the traditional resume structure and format. This will make it easier for the ATS software to scan your resume.
• Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
• Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your machinist resume

The key to a strong resume is to showcase your relevant skills and achievements through your work experience and other activities. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.

Using the professional resume templates and resources of Jobseeker can help you create a great-looking resume that stands out from other applicants. Sign up today and follow the simple steps to get started. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications