Warehouse operative CV example

What a shift manager looks for

Warehouse jobs are often filled quickly, through agencies or a short online form, and the person reading your CV is usually a shift manager or an agency consultant with a site to staff. They want four things answered on the first half of the page. Can you work the shifts they need? What equipment are you trained on? Can you keep up with the pace? And will you work safely? A CV that answers those four in plain lines will get a call before a longer one that talks about "passion for logistics".

Keep it to one page unless you have supervisory experience across several sites. Use one column and plain headings, because agency and employer systems often read the file automatically before a person sees it.

Forklift training and equipment: be exact

People say "forklift licence", but in the UK there is no state licence for lift trucks as there is for driving on the road. What you have is a training certificate, and HSE guidance says employers must make sure operators are trained to the standard in its approved code of practice. That is why the detail on your CV matters. An employer needs to know which type of truck you were trained on, when, and whether the course went through a recognised accreditation scheme.

List each truck separately using the truck type and category exactly as your certificate shows them, such as counterbalance or reach, and the month you passed. Then add anything else you are trained or experienced on:

• Powered pallet trucks, stackers, order pickers or very narrow aisle trucks.
• Handheld RF scanners, wrist scanners or voice picking headsets.
• The warehouse management system, if you know its name, and what you did on it: booking in, stock moves, cycle counts.
• Manual handling training, a first aid certificate, or a fire marshal role.

Do not claim a truck you have only driven on the odd shift without training. The employer will ask for the certificate, and many sites give a practical assessment before you are allowed on their trucks.

Pick rates and accuracy, in your own numbers

Most warehouses measure performance, and a manager trusts a CV that talks their language. If your site tracks pick rate against a target, give your average as a percentage of target and the period it covers. Add your accuracy, or the number of errors found at checking, if you know it. Units per hour, cases per hour or parcels packed per hour work too, but always say what kind of goods, because 150 small parcels an hour is a different job from 150 cases of drinks.

Use numbers you could explain if asked. If you do not know your exact figures, a line such as "regularly above pick rate target and chosen to train new starters" is honest and still useful.

Shifts and availability

Warehouses run days, lates, nights, continental rotas and four-on four-off patterns, and many need extra hands during peak. Say in your personal statement which patterns you can work: "Available for nights, weekends and overtime, including peak" is short and does the job. If you can only do days, say that too. It saves a call about a night role you would turn down.

Transport matters on sites outside town. If you drive or live on a bus route to the site, a few words in your contact line, such as "Own transport", can help, because a manager covering a 10pm start needs to know you can get there.

From agency work to a permanent contract

Many warehouse operatives start through an agency, and it is fine to show it plainly. Give the agency as the employer, then name the type of sites you were placed at, such as "three e-commerce and parcel sites", with dates. If you spent a long stretch at one client, write that as its own line so a reader sees stability rather than a string of short jobs. If the client offered you a permanent contract, say so. It is one of the strongest lines a warehouse CV can have.

When you apply direct for a permanent role, stress what agency work proved: you learn a new site quickly, you turn up for short-notice shifts and you hit targets from the first week. Agency workers applying to become permanent at the same site should mention the supervisor who can speak for them, and any extra duties they already cover.

Stepping up to shift lead or team leader

For a shift lead role, the example CV moves supervisory work to the top of the current job. Put the times you ran the shift or covered for the lead, how many people you allocated, and what you did about a problem: a late trailer, a short-staffed aisle, a near miss. Training new starters counts. So does being the person who does the start-of-shift briefing. A manager promoting from the floor is looking for someone the team already listens to.

Right to work and the checks that follow

Employers must check that every new employee has the right to work in the UK before they start, and agencies do the same before your first assignment. You do not need to put your passport or share code on your CV. Bring the documents when you are asked. If you have settled or pre-settled status or a visa that allows work, you can add "Right to work in the UK" to your contact line, but it is not required.

Pay

The National Careers Service gives average pay for warehouse workers of £21,000 a year for starters and £30,000 for experienced workers. Night shifts and roles that need lift truck training often pay more, so it is worth making your training and shift availability clear.