Turn inspiration into your own evidence
Do not copy the career. Learn how the career is communicated.
Read the evidence
Notice where the example uses scale, change, ownership, and context.
Replace every fact
Write from your real work, even when your numbers or setting are different.
Check the result
Make sure the document remains readable, truthful, and aligned to the role.
Key Skills
Use only the skills you can support with real experience. The example shows the vocabulary; your evidence makes it credible.
Full Machinist Resume Example
This is a complete fictional sample. Study the structure and evidence patterns, then replace every name, employer, number, skill, and accomplishment with information that is true for you.
Professional Summary
Precision machinist with 8 years of CNC milling and turning experience following a 3-year tool-and-die apprenticeship, holding tolerances to +/-0.0002 inches on titanium and Inconel aerospace parts. Programs in Mastercam and edits at Fanuc and Mazatrol controls, sustains 99.5% first-pass yield across 20,000+ parts, and cut cell scrap from 3.9% to 1.5% in under a year. Works comfortably inside AS9100 quality systems with CMM-based first article inspection.
Work Experience
CNC Machinist / Programmer
2021 – PresentKestrel Precision Machining — Wichita, KS
- Program and run a 5-axis cell (Mazak Variaxis i-600, Haas UMC-750) producing aerospace structural components to +/-0.0002 in, holding 99.5% first-pass inspection yield across 20,000+ parts
- Cut average changeover time from 95 to 58 minutes by building standardized tool libraries and proving programs offline in Mastercam before they reach the floor
- Drove cell scrap from 3.9% to 1.5% within 8 months by adding in-process checks tied to tool-change intervals
- Complete AS9100 first article inspection packages using CMM and surface-plate methods, with zero customer rejections in 3 years of submissions
- Machine titanium 6Al-4V, Inconel 718, and 15-5 PH stainless, selecting speeds, feeds, and coolant strategy to meet tool-life and surface-finish targets
CNC Machinist
2018 – 2021Flint Hills Aerocomponents — Wichita, KS
- Set up and operated 3- and 4-axis mills and a live-tooling lathe (DMG Mori, Okuma) for short-run aerospace and oilfield jobs of 5 to 200 pieces
- Edited G-code at the control to correct tool-pressure deflection on thin-wall parts, recovering a job trending 12% scrap to under 2%
- Held +/-0.0005 in positional tolerances verified with micrometers, bore gauges, and height stands under SPC charting
- Proved out lights-out runs on stable jobs, adding roughly 20 unattended spindle hours per week to shop capacity
Machinist Apprentice
2015 – 2018Prairie Tool & Die Works — Salina, KS
- Completed a state-registered machinist apprenticeship combining 6,000 shop hours with technical-college coursework in GD&T and metrology
- Progressed from manual mills, lathes, and surface grinders to first CNC setups under a journeyman mentor
- Built and repaired stamping-die components to print, learning fixture design and heat-treat allowances firsthand
Education
- AAS, Machining Technology — Salina Area Technical College — Salina, KS · 2017
- Registered Machinist Apprenticeship (6,000 hours) — Kansas Department of Commerce Registered Apprenticeship Program · 2018
Certifications
- NIMS Machining Level II — CNC Milling and CNC Turning
- Mastercam Certified Professional — Mill
- ASME GDTP — Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Professional (Technologist)
- OSHA 10-Hour General Industry
Achievement bullet patterns
Adapt the sentence pattern to your work. Never copy an employer, number, tool, or outcome that is not true for you.
- 1
Programmed and operated 5-axis CNC milling centers (Haas UMC-750, DMG Mori DMU 50) to produce aerospace components to tolerances of +/-0.0003 inches, maintaining a 99.6% first-pass inspection rate across 15,000+ parts
Adapt the pattern; do not copy facts that are not yours.
- 2
Reduced average setup time by 35% through standardized tooling packages and offline programming in Mastercam, increasing machine utilization from 72% to 89% and adding $180K in annual shop capacity
Adapt the pattern; do not copy facts that are not yours.
- 3
Performed first article inspections using CMM (Zeiss Contura) and hand gauges for AS9100-certified aerospace production, processing 200+ FAI reports with zero customer quality escapes over a 2-year period
Adapt the pattern; do not copy facts that are not yours.
- 4
Trained 4 junior machinists on CNC programming, setup, and GD&T interpretation, reducing the team's average scrap rate from 4.2% to 1.8% within 6 months
Adapt the pattern; do not copy facts that are not yours.
Practical writing guidance
- 1
Specify your tolerance capabilities — 'Routinely held tolerances of +/-0.0005 inches on aerospace components' immediately communicates your precision level
- 2
List the specific CNC machines and controls you operate (Haas, Mazak, DMG Mori, Fanuc, Siemens) — these are critical keywords for job matching
- 3
Include CAM software proficiency (Mastercam, Fusion 360, SolidCAM, GibbsCAM) as programming skills are increasingly required
- 4
Quantify your production impact: parts per hour, scrap rates, setup time reductions, and machine utilization percentages
- 5
Highlight any aerospace (AS9100), medical (ISO 13485), or automotive (IATF 16949) quality system experience
- 6
Mention your GD&T knowledge and experience with CMM (coordinate measuring machine) inspection
How to write a machinist resume
Lead with tolerances, materials, and controls — the three screening facts
Prove process ownership with scrap, yield, and setup-time deltas
Mirror the quality system of the shop you want, not the one you left
Build a machinist resume in Guul
Keyword screening often happens before a person reads your resume. These are the terms and credentials worth backing with real experience, not stuffing in.
Skills hiring software likely screens for
Keyword filters often match terms literally. Use the posting’s exact wording.
- CNC Milling (3-, 4- and 5-Axis)
- CNC Turning
- Machine Setup & Tool Offsets
- G-Code Editing at the Control
- Blueprint Reading
- GD&T
- First Article Inspection
- Precision Measurement (Micrometers, Bore Gauges, CMM)
- Manual Mill & Lathe
- Fanuc, Haas, Mazatrol & Siemens Controls
Certifications worth naming
List each one with its issuing body.
- NIMS Machining Credentials (e.g., CNC Milling, CNC Turning) — National Institute for Metalworking Skills
- Journeyworker Machinist — registered apprenticeship (U.S. Department of Labor or state apprenticeship agency)
- GDTP (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Professional) — ASME
- Mastercam Certification — Mastercam
- OSHA 10-Hour General Industry — OSHA Outreach Training Program
Software and tools to name
Name only the tools you have actually used.
- Mastercam
- Autodesk Fusion
- ESPRIT CAM
- SolidWorks
- PC-DMIS
- ZEISS CALYPSO
- VERICUT
How Guul builds it
Lead with a skills block split into a few plain lines: machines (for example, Haas VF-2 or an Okuma lathe), controls (Fanuc, Haas, Mazatrol, Siemens), CAM and inspection software, and materials. Then say clearly whether you operate, set up, program, or do all three, because shops hire and pay for these separately. Credentials come next: NIMS credentials by their full names, a completed registered apprenticeship, and any GD&T or CAM certificates, each with the issuing body. One-Page Compact and ATS-Optimized keep the page short and in one column, which suits a trade where the reader wants facts, not layout. Word Doc Ready is useful when a smaller shop asks for a .docx file by email. Give each job two to four bullets tied to shop measures: scrap rate, setup time, first-article results or parts run per shift. Add your safety record and any lockout/tagout or OSHA 10 training in one line. Guul's tailoring compares the posting's machine, control and quality-system terms with your history and suggests matches only where they are true.
Templates that fit this role
What the ATS checker looks at for machinist resumes
- Machine and control names written out (Haas, Fanuc, Mazatrol) rather than a bare "CNC experience" line
- Operator, setup and programming duties stated separately so the level of the role is clear
- NIMS and other credentials listed with full names and issuing body, not initials alone
- Skills laid out in a grid or table that a parser may flatten into run-on text
- Tolerance, material and scrap figures missing from bullets that describe machining work
Frequently Asked Questions
What certifications should a machinist list on their resume?
NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) credentials are the most recognized machining certifications — list your specific credentials (CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Measurement & Inspection). Also include any Journeyman Machinist certification, AWS welding certifications if applicable, quality auditor training (AS9100, ISO), and CAM software certifications.
How do I describe CNC experience on a machinist resume?
Be specific about machine types (3-axis, 4-axis, 5-axis), controller brands (Fanuc, Siemens, Haas), and CAM software used. Include the materials you machine (aluminum, titanium, Inconel, stainless), tolerances you hold, and production volumes. Mention whether you do your own programming, setups, and first article inspections to show your full range of capability.
Should I include manual machining experience on a CNC-focused resume?
Yes. Manual machining skills (lathe, mill, surface grinder) demonstrate foundational understanding of cutting principles that make CNC operators more effective. Include manual experience especially if you are targeting tool and die, prototype, or job shop positions where manual skills complement CNC work. Many employers value the versatility.
How important are quality system certifications for a machinist resume?
Very important for aerospace, medical, and automotive machining. Mention experience working within AS9100 (aerospace), ISO 13485 (medical), or IATF 16949 (automotive) quality management systems. If you have performed internal audits, managed nonconformance reports, or conducted root cause analysis (8D), highlight these — they show you understand quality beyond just making parts.
Which NIMS credentials should a machinist list?
List each credential you hold by the exact name NIMS uses, such as the CNC Milling or CNC Turning credentials at the level you earned. Write out National Institute for Metalworking Skills once, so a screen can match either the full name or the initials. If you finished a registered apprenticeship, add the journeyworker certificate and the agency that issued it.
Should a machinist resume be one page?
Usually, yes. Shop leads want to see machines, controls, tolerances and credentials quickly, and a second page tends to repeat duties rather than add new ones. A long career can still fit if older jobs get one line each. Guul's One-Page Compact template is designed around that kind of editing.
How does Guul match my machinist resume to a posting?
Paste the posting and Guul picks out terms like 5-axis, Mastercam, GD&T, first article inspection or AS9100, then compares them with what you entered. It suggests using the posting's wording where your experience supports it. It will not add a machine, control or certification you have not listed, and you approve every change.
Can Guul promise a manufacturer's ATS will read my resume correctly?
No. Each employer configures its own system, and no outside tool can see those settings. Guul simulates likely parsing across six named ATS families and shows the evidence for each result, which catches common problems such as skills tables that scramble or credentials that do not extract.