How to write a Warehouse Operative CV | Totaljobs (2023)

Writing a CV can seem overwhelming.

Our top Warehouse Operative CV tips are:

1. Triple-check spelling and grammar.
2. Emphasise your transferable skills and achievements.
3. Write in the third person, using active verbs.
4. Don’t use graphics and keep fonts simple.
5. Focus on relevant experience.

To learn more about the Warehouse Operative job role, read our Warehouse Operative job description.

Warehouse Operative CV layout and presentation

We strongly advise creating your CV in a Word (Microsoft Word) document. That’s because many employers and recruiters use an Applicant Tracking System, or ATS for short. These systems receive and sort applications. Some of them have difficulty reading other types of documents, including PDFs. Worst case scenario: the system introduces formatting errors in your CV, and the recruiter thinks you made them.

Your CV format should be professional and easy to read. Use black text on a white background, in 10 or 11 point font. Don’t use colour fonts, or a colour background.

The CV structure should be logical, with the most recent information presented first and clear headers for each section.

Begin with your contact details:

• Name.
• Location and postcode.
• Telephone number.
• LinkedIn URL.

Below we describe the sections required for your CV. Throughout, use a professional tone include facts, not opinions.

Basic Warehouse Operative CV structure

• Professional profile
• Key skills
• Experience
• Qualifications and professional development
• Further Details

Warehouse Operative professional profile

The ‘Professional profile’ section introduces you to a recruiter or potential employer. It should include a high-level, high-impact overview of what you do, how you meet the requirements of the role and why you’re a good fit.

Write between four and eight lines.

Write impersonally, for example, “Complies with health and safety policies”, rather than “I comply with health and safety policies”.

What to include in a Warehouse Operative professional profile

• Amount of previous warehousing experience.
• The qualities that make you suited to this role.
• Your experiences that would transfer well into a warehousing role.
• What sets you apart from other candidates.
• Your particular area of expertise or primary skill.

What to exclude from a Warehouse Operative professional profile

• Information that is irrelevant to working as a Warehouse Operative, for example sales experience.
• A summary of your career.
• Excessive detail – the profile is just a brief introduction.
• Graphics.
• Anything negative, for example unemployment, or a dismissal.
• Mention of salary (current or expected).
• Clichés such as ‘hardworking’ or ‘team player’.

Warehouse Operative professional profile example

A Warehouse Operative with three years’ relevant experience and a proven ability to work quickly and efficiently. Enjoys contributing to team efforts and has a reputation for meticulous attention to detail. Thrives in pressured environments and consistently works in line with health and safety policies. Takes pride in delivering high quality work to ensure customer satisfaction and possesses a forklift licence.

Warehouse Operative key skills on CV

A ‘Key skills’ section will enable a recruiter to quickly see your main Warehouse Operative skills.

By positioning this section early in the CV, you’re immediately highlighting your value to the recruiter and giving them a reason to continue reading.

To identify which warehouse operator competencies are most in demand, go through someadverts for Warehouse Operative jobsand pick out as many keywords as you can. If you can honestly say that you have that skill, include it in your ‘Key skills’ section.

Warehouse Operative CV keywords

• Accuracy.
• Record keeping.
• Picking and packing.
• Forklift driving.
• Stock management
• Equipment maintenance.
• Labelling.
• Health and safety.
• Meeting targets.
• Manual handling.

Warehouse Operative experience on CV

In the ‘Experience’ section, include any role relevant to warehousing, whether paid or voluntary.

List your roles in reverse chronological order.

For each relevant role you’ve held in the last 10 years, include:

1. Your job title.
2. Employer name.
3. Start and end date.
4. Responsibilities.
5. Achievements for every role.

For each role, add a maximum of six or seven bullet points describing your experience in the following areas:

• Loading, unloading, checking, moving, storing, palletising, picking or packing products.
• Managing received goods or goods for despatch.
• Using equipment, such as barcode scanners.

If you’ve never worked in a warehouse environment before, don’t panic. You’ll have transferable skills that you can include instead. For example, if you’ve worked in a supermarket, you can demonstrate customer service skills – ensuring each customer gets what they ordered is essential in warehousing operations. If you play in a football team you can show teamworking skills – working with colleagues is vital to the smooth running of a warehouse.

When you’ve outlined your responsibilities for each position, think about your achievements: How have you exceeded the requirements of your role? How have you added value to the company or had a positive impact?

Ideally, you have at least three examples for each of your previous roles. Examples include:

• Meeting or exceeding targets for items picked.
• Improving the efficiency of a packing line.
• Solving a stock problem which improved customer satisfaction.

Warehouse Operative qualifications on CV

There are no formal qualification requirements for an entry-level warehousing role, although English, Maths and IT qualifications will be looked on favourably.

List your qualifications in terms of level, subject and year completed.

Experience is generally valued above qualifications in the warehousing industry. So, your ‘Qualifications’ section should be positioned towards the end of your CV.

If you’ve completed any industry-related courses, whether internal training or recognised certificates, they should also be mentioned in this section. Forklift licences are particularly sought-after, but soft-skills courses such as teamwork or time management will also boost your credibility.

Don’t forget to include the year you completed the training or qualification, so the recruiter can see how relevant and up-to-date it is.

Further details on Warehouse Operative CV

As warehousing becomes increasingly automated, there’s an expectation that you’ll be confident with technology. That’s not to say a recruiter will expect you to have experience or knowledge of the specific systems they use, although that always helps, but they will want someone who’s IT literate.

Include previous experience using headsets, iPads, bar-coders, scanners and inventory management systems.

You can also strengthen your application with further details relevant to the warehousing sector. For example, physical fitness is usually very important, so say that you’re fit and healthy. If you’re a non-smoker, it’s also relevant to include that.

Recruiters will appreciate it if you to state your availability, including whether you’d be willing to work shifts, weekends or seasonally.

Finally, state how the length of your current notice period.

There’s no need to include details of referees, as employers will generally request these further along in the recruitment process.

What to exclude from a Warehouse Operative CV

• Hobbies and interests.
• Details of referees.
• Personal details such as date of birth, marital status and nationality.
• Your photograph.
• Qualifications and courses not related to warehousing.

Warehouse Operative CV template

Download our free Warehouse Operative CV sample for ideas on layout, structure and content. If you base your CV on the template, be sure to tailor it with your your personal skills and experience. A generic CV won’t impress anyone.

Warehouse Operative CV do’s and don’ts

1. Start with your contact details.
2. Write a hard-hitting profile section to introduce yourself.
3. Add 9-12 key skills that are relevant to warehouse work.
4. Include relevant work experience to prove transferable skills and responsibilities.
5. Add achievements for each role.
6. Detail the level, title and year of each relevant qualification and course.
7. Show your technical skills.
8. Mention your availability.
9. Ensure the document is presented professionally and clearly.
10. Check your spelling and grammar.

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