Writing a standout CV for manufacturing and supply chain

As a professional in the manufacturing and supply chain sector, you likely experienced first-hand the turbulence caused by Covid-19 and Brexit over the last few years. The sector was turned completely on its head across not only the UK, but the majority of the world. 

However, the industry is now in full recovery mode and there’s been a significant uptick in the number of jobs on offer. With companies looking to grow and expand in 2022, it’s the perfect time to put yourself out there and find out more about the exciting new opportunities on offer. Before you get to help you get started, we’re going to run through some of our top tips on creating a supply chain and manufacturing CV that will make you stand out to businesses currently hiring. 

Name, location, contact information 

On every CV, you need to include basic information such as your name, location and contact information including phone number and email address. If you are willing to relocate for a potential new role, make sure you state this on your CV so that your location doesn’t automatically put businesses off from bringing you in for an interview. 

Introduction

A CV introduction paragraph should be no more than a few sentences long and incorporate a clear overview of your current work situation. It’s a great opportunity to showcase some of your key competencies as well as a chance to show personality, any passions out of work and extra qualifications.

Here’s an example:

I currently lead the supply chain team for a medium-sized food manufacturing business and in total have 10 years of experience within procurement and supply chain. Since I started as a graduate in 2012, I have been able to showcase my drive and ability to build relationships with a range of stakeholders and suppliers. I enjoy working in a collaborative team environment and since a young age have played a multitude of sports. Currently, I also captain a Saturday cricket team during the summer months in the Surrey cricket league.

Career history

The career history section of your CV should be in reverse chronological order. Your most recent jobs should have more context, while those further in the past may only need a few bullets points.

It’s important to also give a brief overview of the companies you worked for, whether that’s the sector they were based in, key operations, turnover stats or number of employees. This should be no more than a short paragraph, but it will help to give a bit more context to the role and the wider business. It’s also worth mentioning which products and services the business owns or provide, as this helps to resonate with the hiring manager reading your CV.

The explanation of your role should be succinct and to the point, probably no more than about six lines. Include a bullet pointed list of key responsibilities so it’s easier to read, rather than a long paragraph. Also include any unique responsibilities or business wide initiatives you’re involved in. Highlight the top achievements that are relevant and are relatable to the job you are applying, probably no more than about 5 lines. 

One of my key pieces of advice is to always be specific. It’s essential you are not generic when talking about your core responsibilities. Make sure your knowledge of the industry is clear and use numbers to show the size and scale of those responsibilities.

- Jordan Collins, Senior Manager, Michael Page Procurement and Supply Chain

Here’s an example:

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Head of Supply Chain & Operations (Operations Director)
The Pudding Company (FMCG), London, June 2017 to present

The business has a turnover of £50m and over 500 employees within the UK. They provide personal and sharing deserts into all major retailers, including Tesco and Waitrose. I manage the end-to-end supply chain for the UK and am responsible for the following:

• Managing a team of 16, with four direct reports (Technical Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Logistics Manager, Procurement Manager)
• Leading the monthly sales and operations planning (S&OP) meetings and enabling an accurate demand forecast.
• Ensuring full delivery and inventory of all products on time. 150 SKUs in total.
• Managing the spending of £10m on ingredients (cocoa, flour & wheat) and packaging (corrugated and plastic)
• Building strong relationships with suppliers from all over the world (including Spain, China and Kenya)
• Part of the project team, working closely with NPD.
• Helping train new starters and upskilling those within the wider business outside of supply chain.

Achievements:

• Improved forecast accuracy by 10% by increasing the number of weekly meetings we had with our sales team.
• Saved £100,000 on corrugated packaging by finding a new UK supplier after a 3-month tender process.
• Implemented a new ERP system in 2018 and helped train all new users.
• Hired and upskilled 4 members of my team over the last 12 months.
• Created a strong team ethos and had 0% attrition rate in 2019 by regularly participating in out of work team social activities.

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Qualifications and skills

Additional qualifications can show how you’ve developed your skills over time and gone above and beyond your day-to-day responsibilities. It can also show that you’re passionate about your career development and have worked hard to perfect your skills. 

In the skills section, it’s important to include keywords that you know are important in the industry right now.

Here are some of the most relevant skills in the sector that are sought after in the manufacturing and supply chain sector: 

• Stakeholder management
• Negotiation
• Global sourcing
• System development, integration, and implementation
• Infrastructure development
• Risk mitigation 

For more exclusive insights into what employers are looking for and how much you could be earning, download our free 2022 Salary and Skills Guide today.

What’s next? 

Now your CV is up to scratch, search through all our open procurement and supply chain jobs or jobs in manufacturing to find the one that’s right for you. Not sure what your next move is? Submit your CV today and one of our expert consultants will be in touch to talk you through the open roles they’re working on and see where you’d be a good fit.