Production

Shift foreman CV: example and template

This example is for shift foremen at continuously operating plants: paper mills, steelworks, cement plants, combined heat and power plants and chemical plants, and for operators and team leaders who want to run a shift.

The employer wants to know which process you run, how many people are on your shift, how you respond to breakdowns and start-ups, how you hand over the shift and how you look after safety. We show you how to describe this on your CV.

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Example CV: shift foreman

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Rafal Witkowski

Shift foreman

Kwidzyn +48 123 456 789 rafal.witkowski@example.com

Professional profile

Shift foreman with 13 years in the paper industry, the last 5 running a paper machine shift in continuous operation. I head a team of 18 operators and assistants and am responsible for process parameters, paper quality, response to breakdowns and safety. Downtime after a web break is on average 9 minutes shorter, and the shift has had no accident for 4 years.

Work experience

Shift foreman

03.2021 - present

Paper mill, continuous operation, Kwidzyn

  • Running a shift of 18 operators and assistants on a 4-crew system.
  • Overseeing process parameters and paper quality with the laboratory.
  • Responding to breakdowns and web breaks, downtime on average 9 minutes shorter.
  • Machine start-ups and shutdowns after maintenance stops with the maintenance team.
  • Shift handover, shift reports, permits to work and 4 years with no accident.

Paper machine operator

06.2012 - 02.2021

Paper mill, Kwidzyn

  • Running the wet end of the machine.
  • Checking parameters and samples for the laboratory.
  • Standing in for the shift foreman.

Education

Papermaking technician

2007 - 2011

Technical School in Kwidzyn

Skills

  • Running a shift in continuous operation
  • Overseeing process parameters
  • Responding to breakdowns
  • Plant start-ups and shutdowns
  • Shift handover and reports
  • Permits to work and safety

Qualifications

  • SEP qualification certificate, operation of thermal equipment
  • UDT overhead crane licence
  • Health and safety training for people managing workers, 2023

Languages

  • English: B1

Additional information

  • 4-crew system, including nights and public holidays

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write a shift foreman CV

Professional summary

Write which process you run, on which shift system, how many people are on your shift and what you are responsible for. Add a result, for example shorter downtime or years with no accident. The employer is looking for someone who will make a good decision alone at night, with no manager around.

Machine operator with 8 years of experience at a continuously operating plant. I run part of the plant, check parameters and stand in for the shift foreman. I am looking for work as a shift foreman.

Experience: duties and achievements

Describe the process, shift, people, parameters, breakdowns, start-ups and shift handover. Show results in numbers. Add your work with the laboratory, maintenance and the control room.

Weaker: Running the shift.

Better: Running a shift of 18 operators and assistants on a 4-crew system.

Weaker: Breakdowns.

Better: Responding to breakdowns and web breaks, downtime on average 9 minutes shorter.

Weaker: Start-ups.

Better: Machine start-ups and shutdowns after maintenance stops with the maintenance team.

Skills worth listing

List running a shift, the process, breakdowns, start-ups, reports and safety. In your soft skills show independence, calm during a breakdown at night and clear instructions.

Professional skills

  • Continuous operation
  • Process parameters
  • Breakdowns
  • Start-ups
  • Shift reports
  • Permits to work

Personal skills

  • Independence
  • Calm during breakdowns
  • Decisiveness
  • Communication
  • Responsibility

Qualifications

List qualification certificates for operating equipment, UDT licences and health and safety training. At chemical plants add training in hazardous substances.

How to become a shift foreman

Most people move up from experienced operator who knows the whole plant. On your CV show your cover and the situations when you run the shift.

Add the start-ups and breakdowns you work on. A shift foreman decides alone when the rest of management is at home.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A paper mill looks for running the machine and paper quality, a steelworks for work at high temperatures and with cranes, and a power plant for operating boilers and turbines. Move to the top what the job ad is about.

The most common mistakes on a shift foreman CV

Questions and answers

What should a shift foreman put on a CV?

The process, shift system, people, parameters, breakdowns, start-ups, reports, safety and qualifications.

How does a shift foreman differ from a shift manager?

The titles are sometimes used interchangeably. A shift foreman more often works at continuously operating plants and runs a process, a shift manager more often in discrete manufacturing and warehouses.

Which results are worth giving?

Downtime, plan completion, product quality and workplace accidents.

Should night work be on the CV?

It is worth stating the shift system, because in continuous operation it is a condition of employment.

Create a shift foreman CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

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See also

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Career guide

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