Warehouse Operative CV example and ATS keywords

Keywords employers screen warehouse operative CVs for

Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that look for the words in their job advert. Use the ones that are true for you, in your skills section and in your experience. Always check the advert itself too, because each employer words things slightly differently.

Skills

• Picking and packing
• RF scanner
• Warehouse management system (WMS)
• Goods in
• Despatch
• Stock rotation (FIFO)
• Pick rates
• Loading and unloading
• Pallet truck
• Stock counts
• Health and safety
• Manual handling

Qualifications and checks

• Counterbalance forklift licence
• Reach truck licence
• LLOP licence
• RTITB or ITSSAR accreditation
• Full UK driving licence

Personal qualities

• Reliable
• Physically fit
• Accurate
• Hard working
• Team player

Example warehouse operative personal statement

Your personal statement (or profile) sits at the top of your CV. Keep it to 3 or 4 sentences: who you are, your experience, your strongest skills and what you're looking for. Make it your own: these examples show the shape, not words to copy.

Example experience bullet points

Start each bullet with an action verb and add a number wherever you can. Recruiters remember results, not duties.

• Picked and packed an average of 180 units an hour, 110% of target, with 99.8% accuracy.
• Operated counterbalance and reach trucks safely to load and unload 20+ trailers a shift.
• Booked in goods using the WMS and RF scanner, flagging damages and shortages to the supervisor.
• Rotated stock using FIFO, reducing out-of-date write-offs in the chilled section.
• Completed 4 years with no safety incidents and trained 6 new starters on the scanner.

Mistakes that get warehouse operative CVs rejected

• Not listing licences with the type and accrediting body (for example, "Reach truck, RTITB, expires 2027").
• Leaving out pick rates and accuracy: they're the numbers warehouse managers care about most.
• Not saying which shifts you can work.

How to lay out your warehouse operative CV

1. Contact details: name, phone, email, town and (optionally) LinkedIn. No photo or date of birth needed in the UK.
2. Personal statement: 3 or 4 sentences, like the examples above.
3. Key skills: 6 to 10 skills from the keyword lists that are true for you.
4. Experience: most recent job first, with 3 to 5 bullet points each.
5. Education and training: qualifications, certificates and checks.

Use one column, standard headings and no tables, text boxes or graphics, so applicant tracking systems can read every word. Save it as a Word file unless the advert asks for a PDF.