How to Write a Resume for a Director of Operations

Recruiters will want to see that you have the business administration and business development expertise to excel in the role. They’ll be looking for a mixture of hard and soft skills to cover the broad range of activities related to the position. Since this is a leadership position, they’ll be hoping to see successful project management and leadership skills. They’ll also want to see evidence of mentoring and a proven track record of successful operations management.

 

Above all, your professional resume should build a picture of you as a beneficial addition to the company; you’ll need to share whatever relevant evidence you can to prove your worth as an asset.

The main resume formats are the chronological format which emphasizes work history, the functional format, which emphasizes skills and the combination format, emphasizes both. You’ll use all the same sections; the only thing that may change is the order. The choice is yours here; candidates tend to put their strongest section first. So, if you have several years of experience in related roles, then you might go with that.

 

 

Your resume header always sits at the top of your resume. You should include your contact information, including any links to social media and your LinkedIn profile. This information should be visible so the hiring manager can easily contact you.

 

 

Your resume summary is a clear and concise paragraph stating your career background and shouldn’t be longer than three sentences. Alternatively, you can opt for a resume objective. This is slightly different in that it details your career goals and ambitions, the idea being that you can imply that your goals align with your potential employer. Check out our tips for writing a clear resume objective.

 

 

Your skills section is your opportunity to list the soft and hard skills that will help you in your future role. To help you select the right skills it’s good to check the job description or job posting for some specifics. You can use that information to tailor your skills section and show that you are an ideal candidate. Hiring managers are looking for the following skills in a director of operations job candidate:

• Excellent leadership skills
• Time management skills
• Knowledge of industry regulations, company policies and operational guidelines
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Knowledge of forecasting and performance evaluation metrics
• Negotiation skills
• Numerical literacy for financial management
• Microsoft proficiency

Remember that the skills you list should show that you can perform the role’s duties, whether it be upholding quality standards or implementing process improvements. If you have many skills that you want to share, then list them in bullet points to keep them neat and concise.

 

 

Your experience section is your chance to display why you are perfect for the role through your previous relevant experiences. The perfect resume work experience section will help draw the line between your work history and the advertised role.  Alongside each role, you can briefly outline some achievements using action words. For example, use phrases like “Improved customer satisfaction rates by 12%” or “Increased staff retention rates by 17%”. These phrases quantify your achievements while also sharing evidence of your performance. 

 

 

List your degrees, certifications and qualifications in the education section. A director of operations typically holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, management or any related field. You can also include professional certifications in data analysis or supply chain management, for example. 

Do:

• Ensure your resume is error-free. Many hiring managers will simply dismiss resumes if they are littered with mistakes. Take the time to check for punctuation, grammar and spelling mistakes.
• Use the job description provided. Director of operations jobs have many different duties, so you should check to see if there is an emphasis placed on a specific aspect in the job advert.
• Use relevant industry jargon and terminology to demonstrate your expertise. 

Don’t:

• Write your resume without getting expert help. That’s what ResumeHelp’s resume builder is for.
• Overfill your experience section. Choose a select few relevant roles to establish your credibility. The recruiter can ask you more during the interview. The best resume will provide just the right amount of information for the hiring manager.
• Make claims you can’t provide evidence of achieving. If you lack leadership experience, then don’t make anything up; just focus on your strengths instead of falsifying information.