Businesses run on products and services, anything that they can offer to their clients. This range from physical products to online portfolio. There is a large chain of supply and fulfillment to ensure that not only an intended item reaches the client’s address but also has a steady supply in the warehouse.
This is where the role of an inventory manager comes into the picture. As a senior person in the inventory and warehouse system, he oversees and manages operations and ensures that all the issues of the product and its supply are taken care of.
Before moving on to the corporate ladder, it is another thing to secure a highly rewarding job in the first place. A resume should be the best calling card to start a conversation with a hiring manager!
Role & Responsibilities of An Inventory Manager
An inventory manager is at the helm of daily transactions of a product warehouse. Apart from ensuring that a certain level of volume for the product is available, it is necessary to have a solid line of supply in place.
The best way to understand the role is to understand the range of responsibilities it entails. In this section, we will take a look at the key job responsibilities of an inventory manager.
- Develop new methods to take control of the inventory control procedures
- Identify and anticipate shortages, professionals need to inspect the warehouse for business supplies
- Make sure that the product stock is adequate to the demand and the direct customer needs can be satisfied accordingly
- Record daily transactions of the shipments and volume
- Employ a software application to monitor and forecast demands
- Place orders to the main warehouse for replenishing low levels of inventory
- Evaluate suppliers to identify loopholes in the cost-effective cycle
- Collaborate with other staff to ensure everything is right on the mark
- Report to higher management for stock, product, and other issues
After going through the list, you can identify the extent of responsibilities that are entrusted with an inventory manager. You can choose to add and incorporate different key terms in your resume for better reach and scope.
Requirements & Skills Associated With Inventory Manager
As a standard practice, many companies list the required skills and requisites in the job description of the advertisement. This allows prospective professionals to tally their level of skills and then make a case for them in the resume.
To help inventory managers with the process, we will go through a definitive list of the requirements and skills of the position:
- At least 3 to 5 years experience as an inventory manager or a similar position
- In-depth and hands-on knowledge of data analysis and forecasting strategy
- Operational knowledge of inventory management application (e.g. ERP)
- Faculty to accurately track inventory and create reports
- An analytical and mathematical mind with strong accounting and tallying skills
- Excellent organizational, planning, and administrative skills
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities
- Reliable and trustworthy personality
- BSc/BA in Business Administration. Logistics or similar major
- Additional qualifications or certifications (e.g. CPIM) will be a plus
How To Write Your Inventory Specialist Resume
After going through the skills and responsibilities of the position, you might be wondering: I possess many of those skills and am ready to serve an organization. But how can I let them know that I am that capable? Despite the rise of many online platforms and portals, like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and so on, the typical resume is still alive and thriving in the commercial world. Recruiters are not only relying on this piece of paper but also making strides in adding value to the whole experience using ATS.
This section is dedicated to helping professionals develop an inventory specialist resume by going through each of the major parts.
-
Choosing The Right Style
A right style of a resume is the overall look and feel of the document. You can either go for a simple paragraphs and bullets option, or you can go to an infographics mode where key skills and responsibilities are defined through stars and points. There was a time when recruiters and professionals were more inclined toward exaggerated design. Today, simple and sleek is the right way to go.
-
Formulating A Header
A header comes at the top of the document. It carries the latest contact information for the professional in the resume. The common items in a header include:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Address (if the job is area specific)
-
Work Summary With Achievements
Right under the header comes the most important part of the resume – its summary. According to many experts, recruiters rely on this summary to make the initial call to the professionals. This has to be razor-sharp and relevant. The best way to write a work summary is by starting with the years of experience and introduction of the professional. Then, it is about showing ambitions for the future and then highlighting the place where people want to work and grow.
-
Job Experience(s)
Inventory managers need to keep tabs on multiple issues while going about their job duties. In this way, they have to showcase the level of responsibilities and achievements in the section. The best way to write a job experience in the resume for an inventory specialist is as follows:
- Name of the job or designation
- Years of serving
- List of job responsibilities
- Achievements and milestones covered in the stay
-
Academic Qualifications
Unlike other creative and technical fields, inventory managers require a solid line of academic qualifications to land a job in the first place. In the previous sections, we have gone through the skills and qualifications that are found ideal in inventory managers. If you have the relevant qualifications, including 16 and 18 years of education in administration, logistics, and supply chain. Here is a simple template to follow for writing and optimizing the academic qualifications section:
- Name of degree/ diploma
- Years of attendance
- College/ university name
- Major courses and subjects studied during that degree
-
Special Skills & Certifications
There are more than just academic qualifications that are cherished in the inventory manager resume. The special skills often encapsulate the core and soft capabilities. These include the range of faculties that are required for the dispensation of duties. As for soft skills, these cover communication, and interpersonal capabilities.
-
References & Accolades
In the accolades section, you can cover the merits, certifications, and awards from credible sources. These can ensure that they are in the sight of the recruiters and make the decision of choosing the right candidate for the job. In the line of inventory management, the awards can include organizational, administrative, and other fields of work. Again, the best way of doing so is by adding that to the section and then providing the necessary details including awarding authority, time of issuance, and so on.
Final Thoughts
Writing a resume for an inventory manager is a tough nut to crack. There are many issues and pitfalls in the process, but they can be overcome using this guide. In this blog, we have shed ample light on the position of the inventory manager, including the key responsibilities and obligations. We have also covered the requirements and skills that professionals must hone and highlighted them in the relevant section. We hope that professionals will find the resource enough to compose a well-deserved resume.
But if they are not up for the challenge, they can find an online resume-building service that can help them with developing and then connecting the resume with the recruiters.
FAQ
What is the best way to describe and explain inventory management on a resume?
Inventory management may seem like an art with more subjective input than any other field, but this cannot be farther from the truth. In reality, it is a full-fledged objective vocation where a professional has to manage the inflow and outflow of the product accordingly. While developing a resume, it is necessary to highlight the advantages and skills of the professional.
What are inventory management skills?
The list of inventory management skills is as follows:
- Organizational capabilities
- Interpersonal and overseeing skills
- Reliability and meticulous in dealings
- In-depth knowledge of data, analytics, etc.
- Operational prowess of inventory tracking software
What are the duties of an inventory manager?
The duties and responsibilities of the inventory manager differ from one field or company to another. Still, there is a range of duties that are common in all fields and that can help professionals identify and endorse their resumes. Here are some of the common duties in the inventory manager position:
- Development of methods and techniques for inventory management
- Making a record of daily transactions
- Overseeing and assisting employees in maintaining critical levels of inventory
- Connecting with the higher management for reports, issues, etc.
What should be the highlight of an inventory specialist’s resume?
The inventory specialist resume is not different from any other profession when it comes to developing a resume. The major sections of a resume for an inventory specialist include the header, the job summary, the work experience, and academic qualifications. The contents will be different and relevant to the field, the person, and the role available at the time.
How do I add inventory skills to my resume?
Organization and data handling are the key skills in the resume of an inventory manager. There is a lot of stress on the data collection, processing, interpretation, and storage for further insights. The best way to add the relevant skills is to research and incorporate the keywords from the job advertisement and then add them to the resume.
