Chief Operations Officer Sample

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) in any organization plays a vital role in the success of that enterprise. The COO is typically second only to a company’s Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for overseeing everything from marketing and sales efforts to the day-to-day operations of the business. They collaborate with and manage department heads, supervisors, and other team leaders to effectively support their workforce as they pursue the company’s defined mission goals.

Of course, landing a job as a COO requires a stellar Chief Operations Officer resume that showcases your key skills, experiences, and achievements. As a result, learning how to create an effective resume can be essential for ensuring that your career advancement stays on course. That’s why we’ve created this Chief Operations Officer resume guide, packed with vital tips, insights, and visual examples that you can rely on to craft a resume that’s sure to make a great impression on prospective employers.

How to write a resume

When you’re creating a COO resume, the first thing you need to consider is what employers are looking for in a great job candidate. Obviously, they want to see that you have the right qualifications, which means that your skills and experience align with the role’s needs. But the most important thing they’ll be looking for is an ability to add value to their company’s bottom line. That’s why it is vital that your resume focuses attention on quantifiable achievements that showcase your unique value proposition.

To achieve that goal, you need to deliver a compelling narrative. The success of those efforts will depend on the format you use, the way in which you structure information, and how you highlight achievements to demonstrate value.

Format

If you’re seeking a role as a COO, there is only one option to choose for your Chief Operations Officer resume format: the reverse-chronological resume. This format offers the best opportunity to showcase your career progression by providing a chronological overview of your overall career journey. To use it, list your jobs in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent role. That will enable any employer to easily see how your career has advanced over the last ten to fifteen years.

Structure

Structure matters too, since the way in which you organize your resume details will directly impact an employer’s ability to find the information they’re seeking. We recommend a simple structure that separates information into various sections. That will enable employers to locate areas of interest quickly by simply scanning to the section they want to see. Some common sections that you can use include:

• Contact information: You want to make sure that the employer knows where to reach you, so include your full name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn URL.

• Job headline: Don’t just insert the desired job title here, but instead use this headline to capture the hiring manager’s attention. For example, you could say “Dynamic Chief Operations Officer Focused on Transformative Change and Growth.”

• Summary paragraph: The summary paragraph is a three to five-sentence statement highlighting your key qualifications and potential value. Try to include several skill keywords and one or two notable achievements that show that value.

• Core competencies: This is your skills section. We’ll discuss this in greater detail later in the guide.

• Professional experience: Use the reverse-chronological format to list each company you’ve worked for, along with the dates of employment, job title, and three or four bullet point examples of quantifiable achievements.

• Education: Include the name of your school, the dates you attended, coursework, and earned degree. You can also add details about certifications, continuing education, and other training.

Value

You might be wondering how you can demonstrate value in a COO resume. A couple of brief examples should help. The key is to use real numbers in the achievements that you highlight in your summary statement and work experience sections. These numbers will help the employer understand how your skills and actions can create value for their enterprise. For example:

• Streamlined and reorganized operational processes, reducing costs by 32% and promoting the facilitation of employee professional development.

• Created and implemented business strategies that contributed to a 22% increase in profits and a 9% expansion in market share.

Chief Operations Officer resume example

One of the easiest ways to understand how these different resume elements work together to create a cohesive narrative is to see an example with your own eyes. That’s why we’ve included this COO resume sample for your consideration. Hopefully, it will provide the inspiration you need to help you craft a powerful resume that can meet your job search needs. Alternatively, you can use it as a template by simply inserting your own resume details into each section.

Key hard & soft skills for a Chief Operations Officer

When employers begin to scan your resume, your list of relevant skills and competencies is likely to be one of the first areas they examine. That makes sense, of course, since they will want to ensure that you have the necessary skills to meet the job’s requirements. You can help them make that determination by including a mix of both hard and soft skills in your core competencies section. But which skills should you include? Below, we’ve compiled lists of some common COO resume skills that you may want to cite in your resume.

We always encourage job seekers to spend some time reviewing the job posting and role description to see which skills the employer cites as qualifications for the job. The terms used to describe those skills are typically keywords that the company’s applicant tracking system will be looking for as it screens candidate resumes. Make sure that you use those exact terms as you list your skills.

Hard skills for your Chief Operations Officer resume

Hard skills are specific knowledge-based abilities and technical talents that you need to perform your Chief Operations Officer duties. These skills are often learned through formal education but can also be developed in other ways over time. Below are some of the most relevant skills you’re likely to need as you pursue a role in this highly competitive field.

• Business development

• Marketing strategy

• Project management

• Operational expertise

• Industry-specific knowledge

• Growth strategies

• Change management

Soft Skills for your Chief Operations Officer resume

Soft skills may seem less job-focused than those hard skills, but nothing could be further from the truth. Those soft skills include all those traits that make you who you are, as well as key interpersonal abilities that you’ll use every day to collaborate with others, communicate ideas, and perform your duties. Moreover, when hiring managers compare resumes with equal hard skill qualifications, those soft skills can be the determining factor in whether you get the job. Some examples include:

• Strong written and verbal communication

• Negotiation

• Conflict resolution

• Emotional intelligence

• Leadership skills

• Time management and prioritization

• Problem-solving

Summary & last words

Competition for Chief Operations Officer positions can be intense, and your COO resume will play a vital role in your ability to stand out from rival candidates. To ensure that your resume makes the right impression on prospective employers, you need to create a narrative focused on the value that you can provide in that role. By following the tips and advice in this COO resume guide, you should be able to deliver the right message to those employers and land the interviews you need.

Introduction to ZipJob: Professional resume writers

Of course, many executives prefer to rely on professional resume-writing services for their job search needs. If that sounds like your preferred path to a compelling resume, then we have you covered. The resume experts at ZipJob have helped thousands of professionals just like you take the next step on their career journey, by providing powerful resumes and cover letters that can give you a real advantage over your competition. Reach out to us today to learn more about how our services can benefit you.

Why you should make use of our resume writing services to land your next job as a Chief Operations Officer

There’s more to writing a resume than just filling in the blanks on a template. Our writers understand the importance of industry knowledge and familiarity with specific job roles. When you partner with a ZipJob writer, you can rest assured that they have the insight and knowledge needed to speak directly to any prospective employer’s needs. Moreover, we’ll work with you every step of the way to deliver a truly personalized and unique resume that you’ll be proud to submit to employers.

Resume writing service for Chief Operations Officer: Let us write your resume

Your COO resume may be the most important investment you can make in your own career success. You owe it to yourself to ensure that your resume is a powerful testament to your skills, experiences, and measurable achievement, and a partnership with ZipJob can be a critical step toward accomplishing that goal. Contact us today to learn more about how our services can help you get the resume you need to make the right first impression on hiring teams and secure interviews and job offers.