How to Create the Perfect Machinist Resume (with Sample)

What are the job duties and responsibilities of a machinist?

• Handle and monitor lathe and milling machines.
• Assess blueprints, sketches, instruction manuals, or samples to guarantee an error-free production process.
• Ensure the accuracy of measurements for cutting and shaping.
• Determine the proper machinery and settings for a certain task.
• Arrange an ideal sequence of tasks to complete a given project or assignment.

What’s the importance of writing a professional machinist resume?

But before you get the job, you first need to write an eye-catching machinist CV, so that the hiring manager can see your full potential in just a few seconds and call you in for an interview. 

Now, it’s time to dive into the topic  for today: how to create the perfect machinist resume!

Keep in mind that “resume” and “CV” represent the same thing here and these two terms will be used interchangeably throughout the article.

🖋 Q1: Which resume format is the best for a machinist job?

Let’s begin by picking out a suitable machinist resume format. Continue reading for a brief introduction to 3 common resume formats.

1. Chronological Resume Format

This is the most commonly used format, also known as the reverse chronological format. The history of employment and relevant accomplishments are listed from the most recent to the oldest. 

This resume format is popular among general job applicants, which means that it is suitable no matter how far along you are in your career. It highlights your progress in the work field. You can consider using this format to write your own manual machinist resume. 

2. Functional Resume Format

This format highlights the skills of the job applicant, rather than the employment history. This is a resume format suitable for those who have some gaps in their careers, or those who don’t have much relevant work experience. 

This resume format is suitable if you are a fresher trying to create a resume for entry level jobs like CNC operator or machinist. 

If you happen to be changing careers, it’s a good idea to use this format to showcase your skills to make up for your lack of relevant work experience in this particular industry. 

3. Combinational Resume Format

This format is the combination of the chronological and functional resume formats. The hybrid/combination resume format highlights the candidate’s outstanding qualifications, while also showing employment history. 

In the combination resume, the qualifications (relevant skills and experience) are listed first, followed by the work experience written in reverse chronological order.

If you are trying to write an experienced CNC machinist resume or senior machinist resume, you can utilize this format to showcase your professional achievements in the industry. 

🖋 Q2: What format should a machinist CV be sent in? 

There are 2 most common formats to send your CNC operator CV to the hiring manager: PDF format and Word format. Don't send your machinist CV as a Word document, unless it’s requested by the hiring manager. 

It’s recommended to send your resume in PDF format, instead of in Word format. Here’s why:

1. PDF format can be viewed properly on all devices, whether it’s a phone, a tablet, or a computer.
2. The layout  on your creatively designed CNC operator resume will stay in place in the PDF format.
3. The hiring manager might have a different  version of MS Word and cannot access your machinist resume in MS Word format. 

🖋 Q3: How should I create a resume format as a fresher?

If you are planning to create an entry level CNC operator resume or an entry level machinist resume, there are a few tips to keep in mind. 

✅ Advice 1: Use skill-based (functional) resume format.

As  mentioned above, it is recommended for freshers to use a skill-based (functional) resume format. The functional resume will highlight your skills to make up for your lack of work experience as a machinist.

✅ Advice 2: Adopt a career objective statement.

A career objective statement (also known as a resume objective statement) lets the hiring manager understand the motivation of your application quickly upon looking at your machinist resume.

If you’re having trouble thinking of a resume objective for a machinist job, you might want to ask yourself the following 2 questions: 

• Why do I want to apply for this job?
• Why am I the best person  for this specific job opening?

Be sure to adopt a clear career objective statement to make up for your lack of relevant work experience, stating the position you are applying for and what goals you would like to achieve once you are hired. 

✅ Advice 3:  Highlight your educational qualifications.

Look through the machinist job description and see what kind of soft skills they are looking for in a potential candidate. Try to prove your competency to the  recruiter by listing out impressive academic achievements that demonstrate the transferable skills the HR is looking for. 

1. Resume Profile (Personal Information)

A resume profile is an important part of your CV for a CNC machine operator, because it includes your personal information that is crucial for the hiring manager to learn more about you.

Here’s a list of information you should provide in your machinist resume profile. 

• Full Name
• Professional Title
• Contact Information (Phone Number, Email Address, Home Address)
• Optional: Cake or LinkedIn Profile

2. Resume Headline

A resume headline is one of the first sections a hiring manager looks at to determine whether they will continue looking through this specific resume.

It’s a short phrase that summarizes how you are the ideal candidate for this specific job opening. It’s important to write an eye-catching machinist headline, so the  recruiter will be able to see your ability to handle this job in just a few seconds. 

3. Resume Summary

A resume summary is usually a short paragraph or a list of bullet points below your resume headline to summarize the highlights in your entire resume in a few sentences. 

After writing an impressive machinist headline, elaborate on your qualifications by writing an informative resume summary of you as a promising machinist. 

A concise yet powerful resume summary will surely grab your potential employer’s attention. 

4. Resume Objective

As mentioned in a previous section, a resume objective helps the hiring manager understand the  motive of your applying for a machinist job.

To write a persuasive machinist objective on the resume, consider asking yourself these 2 questions:

• What is my purpose of applying for this specific job opening?
• What skills do I have that can prove my ability to handle this job?

5. Skills

If you’ve searched online for the keywords “machinist resume skills” or “CNC machinist skills resume”, but still aren’t sure what to put on your resume for CNC operator or programmer, we’ve got you covered!

6. Work Experience

As for work experience, list your relevant work experience in reverse chronological order, from the most recent job to least recent ones. 

7. Education

Include your education background (i.e., degree, year of graduation, the name and location of the school, even GPA, if it is above 3.7, etc) and any academic achievements that are relevant to the desired job opening or demonstrate transferable skills on your machinist resume. 

8. Additional information 

Last but not least, is there any additional information that you want to include? Remember to only include any certificates, projects, awards, hobbies, and references you have that are relevant to the job position you are applying for.

👍 Tip 1: Tailor the resume to the job description.

Before you start on your CNC machinist CV, don’t forget to search online for the machinist job description, so that you can adjust the content on the resume according to the required qualifications,  which increases your opportunity of landing an interview. 

👍 Tip 2: Make it concise and relevant to the job.

Do keep in mind that hiring managers have to go through many different resumes every day, so be sure to keep your CNC operator resume concise and relevant to the job.

This is also important to ensure that your machinist resume is ATS friendly, so it gets past the ATS software that most hiring managers use before they manually go through a resume. 

👍 Tip 3: Refer to online resume examples.

You can consider looking for online resume examples if you’re struggling while customizing your machinist resume template. Cake offers a wide variety of machinist resume examples. 

👍 Tip 4: Keep the formatting consistent. 

Keep in mind that consistent formatting is very important when it comes to your CNC operator CV. Pay attention to the consistency of the style of your CV, the color schemes you use, and the font style/size. If your CNC operator CV lacks consistency, it might look unprofessional. 

👍 Tip 5: Make your machinist resume specific.

There are a wide variety of machinist jobs. So when you write your own machinist resume and search online for CNC machinist resume for reference, be sure to narrow down your choices by typing in the specific job role you are applying for.

For example, if you are searching for a job as a CNC operator, remember to type the keywords “CNC operator resume sample” or “CNC operator CV sample” in the search box to exclude irrelevant search results. In that way, you can make your machinist resume as specific as possible.

🖋 Q1: Should I use a resume template?

✅ Pros:

• It will make your machinist resume look professional. 
• Templates are easy to follow, and you can save time. 

❌ Cons: 

• A resume made from a template lacks originality and might leave a negative impression on potential employers. 
• Most resume templates have similar designs, so there’s no much room for you to exhibit your creativity.

Overall, whether or not to use a resume template depends on what careers you are pursuing. If you are applying for a job that requires creativity, perhaps designing one from scratch is the best way to showcase your ability. 

🖋 Q2: What is the best resume template for a machinist?

If you’re a fresher with no work experience, who is looking for the first job, it’s recommended to use a skill-based (functional) resume format to highlight your skills  and de-emphasize your lack of relevant work experience. 

If you’re an experienced candidate, consider using the most common chronological format for your machinist resume or a hybrid/combination resume format to highlight both your skills and work experience. 

🖋 Q3: Where can I get a free resume template?

1. Online Resume Builders

There are many online resume builders available to use for free, including Cake. Cake offers tons of resume templates for you to choose from, so you can easily customize your CNC machinist resume. 

2. Microsoft Word/Google Docs

You can also find resume templates on both Microsoft Word or Google Docs., but keep in mind that most of the designs might be generic or outdated.