How to Write an Inventory Specialist Resume That Lands the Job

Overview

• Learn what an inventory specialist does
• Find out what education, certifications, and skills inventory specialists need
• Get a step-by-step guide to formatting and writing a winning inventory specialist resume

Inventory specialists help businesses track and organize the raw materials they use for production or sales. They monitor incoming and outgoing physical inventory, ensure secure inventory transportation, and maintain inventory management systems. They may also manage inventory budgets. Everyday duties might include receiving inventory, recording inventory cycle counts, auditing returned goods, and generating reports on inventory levels.

If you’re looking for work as an inventory specialist, you might apply to a chain store, warehouse, or independently owned business. You can find work in a diversity of fields, from health care to fashion, retail, manufacturing, building, and more. The top industries employing logisticians — a term encompassing inventory specialists — are:

• The federal government
• Professional, technical, and scientific services
• The wholesale sector
• Company and enterprise management services

Most inventory control specialists work full time, although overtime might be needed to keep up with accurate inventory measurement. Your hard work will be well-rewarded. The median pay for the role is $76,270, although salaries vary widely depending on the industry. For example, those employed by the federal government earn $88,280 on average, while those in the wholesale sector earn $66,130 on average.

Finally, you can expect good job prospects as an inventory specialist. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), logisticians will continue to be in demand in the years to come, with job growth of 4% predicted until 2029. If you want to enter the field, now is a good time.

To get a top-paying job as an inventory specialist, you’ll have to build a strong resume that reflects relevant work experience, educational credentials, and core skills. This article explains how to write a professional resume that will help you get the gig and includes inventory specialist resume examples.

Before you start writing your resume, decide on a format. Choosing the best resume format beforehand will make it easier to structure information and help ensure the details you provide are well-organized and easy to read. There are three main types of formats used to organize the information on a resume:

• Chronological. This type of resume emphasizes a person’s work history. It puts the current job first and then lists previous jobs in reverse chronological order.
• Functional. Also called a skills-based resume, this type of resume highlights key competencies and strengths relevant for the job the person is applying for. It places less emphasis on work history.
• Combination. This style of resume combines the chronological and functional resume templates.

Which one is right for you? It largely depends on your work experience. If you already have a professional background relevant for an inventory specialist role, a chronological format is ideal. It allows you to showcase your relevant experience. In contrast, a skills-based or functional resume is better if you don’t have a lot of experience. It allows you to introduce relevant skills and abilities first.

Always include your contact information at the top of your resume. This ensures that the employer or recruiter knows how to contact you in case they’re interested in interviewing you for the job position. Include your full legal name, your city and state, telephone number, and an email.

Directly under your contact information, add a brief professional summary. This gives the person reviewing your resume a quick top-line overview of your experience, skills, and achievements that make you a good fit for the job description.

Including a professional summary can help you stand out from the competition because it allows hiring managers to get a quick impression of your suitability for the role without having to peruse your entire resume. It’s like an elevator pitch for why you should get the job.

It consists of a short paragraph, encompassing no more than five bullet points of information. First, highlight your current job title and years of experience. Then, highlight three to four achievements relevant to the role. Whenever possible, use statistics and figures. Remember, this is your teaser. The hiring manager should want to read more.

Below is a quick example:

Your work experience is a critical part of your inventory specialist resume. While you don’t have to include every job you’ve ever worked in, you should emphasize relevant roles. For the position of inventory specialist, relevant previous roles may include warehouse worker, material handler, cashier, sales associate, or customer service representative.

When discussing former jobs, give a quick top-line overview of relevant duties. For example, if you worked as a stockroom manager, you might specify that you took daily inventory to monitor stock levels, generated inventory reports using Microsoft Office like Excel, and further handled procurement, submitting purchase orders to keep warehouse inventory stock levels up.

You should also include your educational credentials on your inventory specialist resume. The requirements for this role aren’t very stringent. Some people have only a high school diploma or GED and nothing else. Others may have a bachelor’s degree in a field like business administration.

If you have any relevant credentials or certification, include this alongside your education. For an inventory specialist, this could include a certification through the International Society of Logistics (SOLE) or the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).

In addition to work experience and educational credentials or certifications, your resume should include professional skills relevant to the inventory specialist job. These might include the following:

• Math abilities
• Good interpersonal skills
• Teamwork ability
• Organizational talents
• Communication skills
• Budget management skills
• Leadership abilities
• Problem-solving skills
• Ability to stay calm in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with data entry and inventory forecasting or merchandising management tools (e.g., ERP software, enterprise resource planning inventory)

Providing a bullet point list of your skills will help them stand out. Whenever possible, back up these points with concrete statistics or facts. For example, instead of just saying you have good leadership skills, specify that you were in charge of coordinating and motivating 10 team members. Instead of just saying you are proficient in inventory management software, specify that you have five years of experience using SAP ERP.

Before you submit a resume, take the time to review it. Does the information make sense? Is it organized in a logical manner? Is the document free of typos and formatting inconsistencies? Is the resume objective clear? You can ask a friend or family member to review your resume if you want. Finally, your resume should be accompanied by a cover letter tailored to the job description.

Ready to find your inventory specialist job? Joblist is here to help. Check out the Joblist search platform to find a role near you. You can also take our online quiz to discover more positions that fit your current situation, occasion, education level, and work experience. Our goal is to give you the tools you need to find your next great job!