Your next Machine Operator job is one job description away.

Getting a job for the role of Machine Operator is often a fairly informal process. Even when that's the case, having a stand-out resume in your job search toolkit can help set you apart from other job seekers. 

In order to ensure your resume will support your career goals, use this Machine Operator job description to collect the right keywords and phrases you need to highlight on your resume, get past the applicant tracking system, and impress a hiring manager. After all, the goal is to prove that you understand the key roles and duties required of you in the job. 

Why the Machine Operator job description is such a big deal

As a Machine Operator, you use schematics and blueprints as a part of your job. Just like blueprints give details about building plans, the Machine Operator job description provides a detailed plan for what to expect when you apply for a new role – making it just as critical for your job search as the schematics you use as part of your daily job. 

The Machine Operator job description is a detailed plan

By reviewing job description examples, you'll be able to identify what technical and soft skills, credentials, and work experience matter most to an employer in your target field. This is the insight you need to get your resume past the applicant tracking system – the first stop in the job application process.

When you use keywords and phrases directly from the Machine Operator job description, you're tailoring your resume. This is critical and will serve you a lot more than throwing the same resume at a bunch of jobs, hoping something will stick. 

How to tailor your resume to the Machine Operator job description

Countless employers – from Fortune 500 to mom-and-pop establishments – use an applicant tracking system to weed through candidates. It's been suggested that the ATS is the bane of most job seekers' existence. When you use the Machine Operator job description to properly tailor your resume, then you remove that obstacle and have a better chance of getting your resume into the hands of a human being. 

Here's what to do using the Machine Operator job description later in this article:

1. Use keywords

As you read the job description, make a list of key tasks the company wants you to complete. You'll want to use the exact phrasing in the Machine Operator job description when you write your resume. As you review the job description in this article, you'll notice in the first paragraph that there are at least four major things they want you to do:

  • Perform preventive maintenance

  • Inspect parts

  • Make adjustments or tool changes

  • Maintain quality specifications

These are considered keywords/phrases. You'll want this language to appear in your resume. 

One major thing to note about incorporating keywords into your resume, you'll want to do so naturally. If you just stuff the keywords into your resume in a big list, that's a red flag to employers and can cause your application to be rejected. So, be prepared to do a little wordsmithing. 

2. Quantify your achievements

Not only do you have to inject the right keywords into your resume, it's crucial that you quantify your achievements. 

Question: Well, what does that mean?

Answer: Use numbers as often as possible. 

For example, instead of writing that you “Performed preventive maintenance to increase machine efficiency or reduce downtime,” you could say that you “...reduced machine downtime by 15%.” 

Employers use the impact you have made at previous jobs to judge the value you'll bring to their team, and quantifying achievements provides them with tangible evidence of your qualifications. 

3. Place keywords strategically

You can technically weave keywords from the Machine Operator job description anywhere in your resume that makes grammatical sense. However, there are a few key places that are the easiest to focus on when it comes time to tailor the language to a particular job. 

It all starts with choosing the right resume format. Generally speaking, you'll want to use the reverse chronological resume format. This is the most traditional resume format, and it's what hiring managers expect to see. 

The structure of this format is broken down into easily identifiable parts that make customizing it super simple:

  • Contact Information – your name, location, email, and phone number

  • Title or Headline – a nod to what you want to do next in your career that mirrors the job description of the job you're applying for

  • Profile Paragraph – a three to five-sentence paragraph that describes your experience level and skills that prove you're the best at your job

  • Core Competencies/Skills – a list of 9-12 keywords/phrases that match what you find in the Machine Operator job description that will help you get past the ATS

  • Professional History – up to 10 years of experience that boasts as many quantifiable achievements as possible

  • Education and Credentials – your degrees, continuing education, professional development, and certifications/licenses

When it comes to tailoring your Machine Operator resume, the easiest places to focus your customization on are the Title, Profile Paragraph, and Core Competencies sections. 

Now that you have the tools to understand how to dissect the Machine Operator job description, here it is. 

Machine Operator job description

The Machine Operator will be responsible for performing various tasks to set up, operate, monitor, troubleshoot and perform preventive maintenance on assigned machines. The Machine Operator will also be responsible for inspecting parts to specifications and making adjustments or tool changes as necessary to maintain quality specifications.

Sets up and operates a production machine in accordance with established procedures and guidelines. Reads and interprets blueprints and diagrams to select, position, and secure machinery. Adjusts machine settings to complete tasks accurately, according to specifications, and in a timely fashion.

Requires a high school diploma or its equivalent. May have to complete an apprenticeship and/or formal training in an area of specialty with 0-2 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Has knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Rely on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job. Work under immediate supervision. Primary job functions do not typically require exercising independent judgment. Typically reports to a supervisor/manager.

Responsibilities:

  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-speed environment, follow standardized work, and adhere to safe work practices in a continuous improvement environment

  • Experience in a manufacturing environment is a plus

  • Perform necessary pre-operation activities to ensure proper equipment startup and operation on multiple pieces of equipment

  • Operate/monitor multiple pieces of equipment during operation to ensure quality production and minimal unplanned stops

  • Communicate with team members and support teams to ensure continuous production of the correct product at high-quality levels with minimal wasted time and materials

  • Housekeeping and sanitation

Machine Operator top skills & proficiencies:

  • Experience as a Machine Operator

  • Knowledge of Production Procedures

  • Ability to Read Blueprints, Schematics, and Manuals

  • Analytical Skills

  • Attention to Detail

  • Teamwork

  • Physical Stamina and Strength

  • Handle Heavy Equipment

  • Work Independently

  • Multitask

Don't forget to proofread

You've combed through the Machine Operator job description with a fine-toothed comb. Your resume is perfect, and you're ready to start submitting it to jobs. 

But wait! Have you edited it? Did you have a trusted friend read through it to make sure there were no typos? 

It's easy to miss a grammatical error or a typo on your own resume because your brain interprets what's supposed to be there rather than what actually is there. Sadly, typos are so common that employers don't even bother reading resumes that contain them. 

If you doubt that, go to LinkedIn and do a search for “Manger” to see how many results you get of people who misspelled “Manager” in their online profiles. 

Editing and proofreading your resume is critically important.

Machine Operator job description is your roadmap to success

Most people need a well-paying job these days, and even in positions that have relatively informal procedures for onboarding new hires, a well-written resume can make or break your candidacy. When you use the Machine Operator job description to craft your resume, you'll significantly increase your chances of landing the job you want. 

Before you start sending your resume to different Machine Operator jobs, let TopResume look it over for you. We will offer free advice on some resume best practices and can even rewrite it for you, if you choose for us to do so.

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