Resume example: Hands-on work

This is what a strong resume looks like in this field, and why it is built that way.

Starter in operational work

You show up when it matters, even at five in the morning, and you get stuck into whatever needs doing. That's exactly what an employer is looking for, but they'll read something else first. In this line of work, the first reader doesn't look at your profile text but at your papers. So your certificates go at the top, with type, year obtained and valid until: an expired VCA is a rejection before anyone's read the rest. Below that, your availability and transport, shown separately and clearly, because with shift work 'can start at five' often counts for more than three years' experience. And per language, your level, because you do need to be able to follow safety instructions.

8+ years of experience in operational work

You know how the warehouse floor runs, even when two people are off sick and the lorry's early. Ten years ago you started order picking, now you run the evening shift. That's the story this CV should tell, not the list of everything you do in a day. So your education can sit at the bottom on one line, while your certificates go at the top. Back the rest up with numbers like team size, shipments and absence, because everyone claims to be a 'grafter' and no one can check it.

The people, employers, and results in these examples are fictional.