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Supply Chain Resume Guide: Tips, Examples, and Skills

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Posted On Feb 23, 2023 

When sending hiring managers your supply chain resume, keep in mind that you’ll have 30 seconds to convince them that your resume is worth a deeper look. Ignore this harsh reality and that supply chain job might go to the next candidate.

 

Hiring managers look at resumes day in and day out. When you’re applying for a supply chain job, you want it to be your resume that they notice, so it’s important that it stands out from the crowd. Kick start the process and increase your chances of getting hired by implementing these top eight supply chain resume tips:

 

8 supply chain resume tips 

 

1. Showcase relevant experience

 

Let’s say for example that your previous position was a warehouse manager within the retail industry. On your resume, you should be including the size, scope, and complexity of the warehouse that you managed. Provide details like square footage, number of direct and indirect employees, shifts, and level of automation. It’s also very important to describe any technologies you’re familiar with, like the warehouse management system (WMS).

 

2. Deemphasize unrelated experience

 
Don’t let the fact that you previously worked in a completely different field or function deter you from exploring supply chain careers. Just deemphasize this experience. You might consider leaving it off your supply chain resume altogether. In addition, if there are certain skills that aren’t relevant to supply chain, it might be best to leave them off your resume, too.
 
3. Highlight your accomplishments
 
Supply chain employees and managers are hands-on. They’re problem-solving people who are well-suited for accomplishment-based resumes. This type of supply chain-ready resume contains quantifiable information about your accomplishments.
 
4. Call attention to your ability to reduce costs
 
One of the most important duties of a supply chain professional is to reduce costs for the company. If during your career you helped your employer reduce inventory turns or save on transportation costs, make sure to include that in your resume. A great way to demonstrate your ability to cut costs is by including numbers in your resume, and providing specific data if possible.
 
5. Focus on results versus responsibilities
 
Incorporate results into your resume, use statements like “increased the supply chain team’s productivity by 15 percent,” or “improved customer satisfaction from a 3.1/5 average to a 4.3/5 average.” Words like “increased,” “improved,” “reduced,” and “saved” indicate what you achieved, not just which tasks you owned.
 
6. Add supply chain skills for resume
 
While the ability to reduce costs is a huge skill to have, a successful supply chain professional should be able to do so much more. Below are some of the most valuable supply chain skills:
  • Project management
  • Cost accounting skills
  • Solid grasp on technology
  • Financial statement literacy
  • Problem solving
  • Business ethics
  • Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
  • Risk assessment

 

7. Include supply chain resume keywords

 

If you’re an experienced supply chain professional, you may already know the best keywords to describe your unique skills, experiences and qualifications. People who are new to supply chain may need more help in this area. Run a quick search on LinkedIn—using your top keywords—to identify new, related keywords. “For example, if you search ‘supply chain,’ it yields the top-performing profiles on LinkedIn for this particular keyword,” says Apple, who tells applicants to study the top profiles and what they have in common. “The key to achieving similar success in the LinkedIn search rankings is to closely mimic the top performers.

These are some of the top supply chain resume keywords:

  • Supply chain
  • Supply chain management
  • Logistics
  • Purchase
  • Procurement
  • Material management
  • Vendor development
  • Warehouse
  • Sourcing
  • Transportation
  • Logistics management
  • Operations
  • Vendor management
  • Stock management
  • Distribution

 

8. Be concise (max two pages)

 

While someone looking for an entry-level position can fit all of their important information onto a one-page resume without much difficulty, the same cannot be said for someone with years of experience. If you’re an executive, you likely have a long work history. Fight the urge to list every detail of your experience – hiring managers just don’t have the time (or desire) to read through multiple pages. Do your best to whittle down your resume to one or two (max) pages of your most impressive, relevant skills and work experience.

 

Final thoughts on having the best supply chain resume

 

Both new and experienced supply chain professionals are in high demand, but even in a tight job market, it’s only the best and most relevant resumes that get attention. So, if you have supply chain experience, highlight it. And if you don’t, but are keen on getting into the supply chain industry, focus on career and educational accomplishments that align with supply chain and logistics. For example, pull out any “wins” that relate to innovation and problem-solving, both of which are critical to success in this industry. Do your homework, use strong keywords, present yourself in the most compelling possible manner, ace your interview, and get hired! Contact us to have a recruiter review your resume.