Safety Manager Resume Example
Pursuing a career as a safety manager provides opportunities for career progression and responsibilities involving training staff regularly and conducting safety audits. For a successful safety manager application, you'll want to submit a professional resume that showcases your relevant skills. In this article, we'll highlight tips and examples for creating a safety manager resume that makes a winning impression on recruiters and hiring managers.
After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a safety manager resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your safety manager resume.
Main elements of a safety manager resume
The key sections to include in a safety manager resume are similar to those for any role or profession.
For junior and entry-level safety manager positions, you may be short on work experience to include in your resume. Select a resume layout that emphasizes your skills and qualifications, such as a functional format. Draw attention to your soft and transferable skills, as employers will value these highly for entry-level roles. You could also mention any internships, training or volunteer work that helps you showcase skills relevant to the position.
For those with some prior experience as a safety manager work experience is the most important element of a resume. Use a traditional, reverse-chronological resume format to emphasize your career timeline and achievements. Your resume should focus on your career achievements, and the role you've played in successful projects and activities for your employers. Consult the job description for guidance on what to showcase, and provide evidence to support your claims.
For senior safety manager applications, concentrate on your work experience and any accolades or achievements that prove your status as a highly experienced candidate. Use a reverse-chronological resume format with additional sections. It's likely that your senior resume will be longer than a standard resume of one-to-two pages. This is because you'll be listing additional achievements beyond your work experience, such as awards, publications and professional memberships.
Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:
Resume Header and Personal Information
A safety manager resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.
Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.
Isla Gutierrez
isla.gutierrez@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
Bag End, Hobbiton, Shire, TX
linkedin․com/in/isla–gutierrez123
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. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for safety manager roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect 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.
A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. The graphic below showcases some good examples of what to include in your safety manager resume summary.
Good example:
Accomplished Safety Manager with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health and extensive experience as an Occupational Health and Safety Manager. Proven track record in developing and implementing comprehensive safety programs, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Adept at fostering a culture of safety, reducing workplace incidents, and leading training initiatives to enhance employee safety awareness and performance. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence
Bad example:
Safety manager with some background in safety and health. Worked in roles where I helped create safety plans and checked for risks. Have worked on making sure rules are followed and tried to keep incidents low. Focused on improving safety culture and leading training sessions. Good at looking at data and solving problems, always trying to make things better
On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.
Work Experience
Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a safety manager position. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.
In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.
An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to safety manager jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.
Good example:
Occupational Health and Safety Manager, January 2022 - Present
Guardian Safety Solutions, Baton Rouge
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive safety training program, reducing workplace accidents by 40% within one year
- Achieved ISO 45001 certification for the company, improving safety standards and compliance across all departments
- Led hazard identification and risk assessment initiatives, successfully mitigating potential risks and improving overall workplace safety culture
Bad example:
Occupational Health and Safety Manager, January 2022 - Present
Guardian Safety Solutions, Baton Rouge
- Improved safety protocols to enhance workplace safety
- Enhanced compliance with safety regulations
- Conducted safety assessments to identify potential risks
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.
Education
In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to safety manager roles.
Opportunities as a safety manager and similar roles in the sector usually require a specialist degree. If you have a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health degree, be sure to mention this in your resume. You might also want to list any qualifications that highlight your hazardous materials management or osha compliance knowledge.
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.
If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health, 2017 - 2020
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Skills
The skills section of a safety manager resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include incident investigation techniques, problem-solving abilities or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, refer to the safety manager job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.
Listing hard skills on your safety manager resume
Hard skills are the key technical skills required for safety manager positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in a safety manager resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.
For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for a safety manager resume are listed below.
- Osha compliance knowledge
- Risk assessment expertise
- Incident investigation techniques
Listing soft skills on your safety manager resume
Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
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 safety manager resume.
- Effective communication skills
- Problem-solving abilities
- Team leadership skills
Relevant Certifications and Licenses
Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, add any professional licenses or certifications, along with valid dates that show they're still valid.
Take a look at some example certifications for a safety manager resume below:
- CSP - Certified Safety Professional, 2022
- CHST - Construction Health Safety Technician, 2022
- SMS - Safety Management Specialist, 2022
Optional Sections
In addition to the core sections of a safety manager resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.
Personal Interests
Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. Your hobbies and interests are useful for a safety manager resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.
Volunteer Work
Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for safety manager roles. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.
References
Standard safety manager resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.
References are available upon request.
Best words to use in a safety manager resume
Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.
- Supervise
- Inspect
- Enforce
- Train
- Audit
- Investigate
- Implement
- Coordinate
- Assess
- Develop
If you need help creating a resume that impresses HR managers, take a look at Jobseeker's professional resume templates. You can also access beautiful cover letter templates that help your application stand out.
Example of a safety manager resume
Using each of the sections above, we've created this example safety manager resume, to help guide you when creating your own:
Bag End, Hobbiton, Shire, TX
•
isla.gutierrez@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/isla–gutierrez123
Highly skilled Safety Manager with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health and extensive experience as an Occupational Health and Safety Manager. Proven track record in developing and implementing safety protocols, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Strong leadership abilities with a focus on fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement in workplace environments.
Occupational Health and Safety Manager
2020
-2022
SafeGuard Solutions Inc (Kansas City)
- Implemented a comprehensive safety training program, reducing workplace accidents by 35% within the first year
- Developed and enforced new compliance protocols, achieving a 100% pass rate in all safety audits over 3 years
- Led the installation of ergonomic workstations, decreasing repetitive strain injuries by 40% among office staff
Osha compliance knowledge
Risk assessment expertise
Incident investigation techniques
Effective communication skills
Problem-solving abilities
Team leadership skills
CSP - Certified Safety Professional
CHST - Construction Health Safety Technician
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Do's and don'ts of a safety manager resume
Tips for best resume practices
- Use a clear resume format with professional elements, including suitable headings, line spacing, fonts and margins, to make your resume as readable as possible for hiring managers.
- Create a positive impression with a well-written resume summary or objective that highlights your key strengths for safety manager roles.
- Use action verbs to showcase how you've put your safety manager skills to use in your career (e.g. 'supervise', 'inspect', 'enforce').
- Adapt your resume depending on the job you're applying for. Take a look at the job description and make sure you reference all the required key skills and experience.
- Make your safety manager resume short and to-the-point. A length of one page is ideal for junior roles, while two is acceptable for senior applications.
Keep away from these common resume mistakes
- Don't list irrelevant work experience as it will likely do nothing for your chances of success.
- Don't lie or exaggerate any information on your safety manager resume, as this can cause you problems further down the line.
- Don't fill up your safety manager resume with unnecessary information that contributes nothing to your chances of success.
- Don't use an email address that contains unprofessional content, and if necessary create a new, more professional email address.
- Don't use overly decorative formatting and layouts that can detract from the content and make your safety manager resume harder for scanning by applicant tracking systems (ATS).
How to make your resume ATS compliant
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 safety manager 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.
Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:
- Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
- Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
- Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
- Adopt a clean, unfussy design that gives your content enough white space to breathe. Use professional, readable fonts and subtle use of color and other design elements.
- Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions for a safety manager resume
As well as writing a professional safety manager resume, you'll need a cover letter to introduce yourself and emphasize your credentials.
Firstly, think about whether you want to write a full, formal cover letter or whether a brief email to introduce yourself and draw attention to your resume will suffice.
If you decide you want to write a traditional cover letter, follow the standard letter-writing conventions around layout and structure. In the main body of the letter, write an opening paragraph to introduce yourself and explain why you're applying for the safety manager role. Your second paragraph is typically where you highlight your key relevant skills and achievements. Finally, close by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and leave a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to make contact with you.
Jobseeker's tried and tested cover letter templates were created by experts to help you make a strong impression with your applications. Follow the simple steps to create a winning cover letter today.
There are plenty of ways to still make a positive impression with your safety manager resume, even if you lack relevant work experience. Use a skills-based resume format to highlight your relevant skills and education. This is more suitable for junior or entry-level roles where you might not have much work experience to showcase. Optional sections at the end of your resume can play a stronger role if you're lacking relevant work experience. Use certifications and training, hobbies and interests, volunteer roles and internships to show you've got the necessary skills for the job.
A resume headline can catch the attention of the reader and give them a strong first impression about your suitability for safety manager jobs. A well-constructed resume headline can help your resume rank highly with ATS screening tools by referencing some of the key information from the job description. Write a few words to set the tone for your resume, including the job title, your experience or track record and one or two key skills that make you stand out.
See an example resume headline below:
- Junior Safety Management Professional
- Dedicated Safety and Compliance Expert
- Experienced Senior Safety Management Professional
The top resume format for your applications will vary according to a couple of factors. First, how much professional experience you have. Second, what type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For entry-level roles, or situations where you're changing to a new career, a functional resume is often the best option. This places your skills and education above your work experience. Once you have some relevant work experience, and for senior positions, a reverse chronological resume format is typically best. This emphasizes your work experience, which will probably be the key thing employers want to know about.
Takeaways for a winning safety manager resume
Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in the job description.
Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.
Sources:
(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
