Inventory managers are supply chain specialists who ensure shelves are stocked with the products customers have come to know and love. The rise of e-commerce and quick delivery means inventory managers are also responsible for making sure warehouses have plenty of items ready to ship at a moment’s notice.
The inventory manager role isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, companies are constantly looking for highly qualified supply chain experts who can work across internal teams. If you’re ready to land your next job as an inventory manager, you’ve come to the right place. This resume guide along with the corresponding inventory manager resume example will cover the following topics:
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Inventory managers are logistics and supply chain experts who know how to source items and get them on store or warehouse shelves. Inventory manager roles can look different depending on the company’s operations but there are a few key tasks that are generally found across positions. Some of the common duties of inventory managers include:
Inventory managers need a variety of skills to understand the markets, logistics, and supply chain structures that affect their industry and company. While the role is not customer-facing, they’ll also need a good sense of the needs and wants of their consumer base in order to stock the right products in the right quantities.
The very first step in writing your inventory manager resume is understanding what sections to include. Your CV should contain the following elements:
Before you begin to write your inventory manager resume, it’s important to consider the job description of the exact position you’re applying to. While there may be overlapping duties between inventory manager roles, you’ll want to take the time to tailor each resume you submit to the needs of the particular company. This could mean anything from updating your skills section to adjusting the bullet points of your employment history section to highlight examples of your experience that are most relevant to the new job.
Your inventory manager resume should be no longer than one page in length meaning you’ll need to make every sentence count. Focus on action verbs that describe your leadership and decision-making skills. Offer numbers and concrete information that show your impact and get a hiring manager excited about the results you could create for their company.
Consider the ATS
If you’re applying to a medium or large-sized company, there’s a strong likelihood that your resume will be scanned by an Applicant Tracking System. ATS, as they are known, search for keywords (usually skills programmed from the job description) and then rank your resume against other candidates. Only the top-scoring move on to the hiring manager for review. Follow these steps to reduce your chances of being filtered out:
Inventory managers should generally opt for the reverse chronological resume format. This is considered the “standard” structure since it focuses on the employment history section where you’ll be able to highlight the relevant experience you’ve gained from previous roles. The employment history section should begin with your most recent (or current) position and work backward through the past ten years, or all the relevant experience you have.
While other resume formats such as the functional or hybrid models exist, we generally recommend them for recent grads or those with specific technical skills. Supply chain and logistics professionals, like inventory managers, should stick with the reverse chronological structure, otherwise, they may come across as inexperienced in their field.
At the top of the page, the resume header is the place to include your name and contact information so the hiring manager can easily get in touch with you to set up an interview. The header should be easy to read and contain your name, phone number, and email address (a street address is no longer considered necessary.) A LinkedIn profile can also help your header to stand out. See our adaptable inventory manager resume sample to help you get started.
Beneath the header, you’ll want to include a professional resume summary. This section is where you’ll introduce yourself and your experience in order to catch the hiring manager’s attention and encourage them to read the rest of your resume. The summary should describe your most prominent attributes and highlight the names of any reputable employers that you don’t want the hiring manager to miss. You may choose to mention major job-related accomplishments here but save the other details of your work experience for further down on your resume. You can see how this is done in our adaptable summary resume example.
High-energy inventory and logistics professional known for expertly leading sourcing, purchasing, and warehousing processes to ensure optimal inventory levels. Proven capacity for coordinating with diverse teams and stakeholders to identify and meet supply demands. Strong insight into customer needs, leveraged to proactively shape inventory strategy.
Expert tip: Find more inspiration for your resume summary in our related guides including our:
The employment history sample is likely the section that the hiring manager will pay the most attention to, so it’s important to customize this section for the exact inventory manager role you are applying to. To do this, start by creating subheadings with your previous job title, the employer name, the dates worked, and the location. Under each subheading, add four or five bullet points describing your responsibilities and accomplishments in that role. As an inventory manager, it’s important to include numbers and data that clearly demonstrate your impact on the company. This could be anything from impressive quantities ordered to record sales numbers. Make sure to show a hiring manager what you could bring to their organization if hired. See our adaptable resume sample below for more insight.
Inventory Manager, Portland Computers, LTD Portland, OR
January 2020 - May 2023
Inventory Manager, Seasons Plumbing & Lighting Portland, OR
December 2018 - December 2019
Inventory Clerk, Suzannah's Books Portland, OR
January 2017 - December 2018
As an inventory manager, your supply chain skills and market knowledge are essential to the work you do. The CV skills section is the best place to communicate your areas of expertise and highlight the abilities that would make you a great fit for your prospective employer. Think of the skills section as a “greatest hits” list and focus only on the most relevant information. While you’ll want to include a handful of hard skills mentioned in the job description, you’ll also want to toss in a few soft skills to round out your CV. See our skills resume example below.
Wondering what the difference is between hard skills and soft skills? Hard skills are technical abilities and are generally job-specific. Examples of hard skills for an inventory manager may include barcoding and inventory management software.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are the innate qualities and personality traits that make you a great colleague and effective team member. Some examples for your inventory manager resume may include cross-team collaboration and organization skills.
While inventory managers may not be required to have a degree, most companies will look for candidates with some educational experience in a related field of study such as supply chain, logistics, business, or management. Therefore, you’ll need to include an education section on your inventory manager resume. As with your previous jobs, make sure to list your schooling in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent degree and working backward through all relevant education. Be sure to include the degree name, school, dates attended, and location.
The education section is also a great place to mention any continuing education courses, leadership positions, awards, or memberships that are relevant to the role.
Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Portland Portland, OR
January 2013 - May 2017
Bachelor of Science in Business, University of Portland Portland, OR
August 2008 - December 2012
While inventory managers won’t need a flashy or brightly-colored resume, that doesn’t mean your layout should be an afterthought. The design of your resume helps communicate your level of experience and seriousness about the opportunity. For logistics professionals like inventory managers, a clean and clear layout will get the job done. Opt for one accent color in the header or a neutral color scheme. Use bold font for your header and for the section titles to help them stand out. Here are a few more tips for your resume layout and design: