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Machinist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Miles Free
Machinist example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical machinist skills. We ranked the top skills for machinists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.9% of machinist resumes contained grinders as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a machinist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 machinist skills for your resume and career

1. Grinders

Here's how machinists use grinders:
  • Operate Manual surface grinders to exact specifications.
  • Experience running cut off saws, Milling Machines, Lathes, Surface Grinders, Cylindrical Grinders and other Machine Shop Equipment.

2. CNC Machines

Here's how machinists use cnc machines:
  • Operate CNC machines first and secondary operations to enhance production requirements.
  • Operated conventional and CNC machinery.

3. Micrometers

A micrometer is a measuring instrument used in various laboratories to measure even the tiniest components in-depth with great precision and accuracy and to make precise linear measurements of dimensions such as diameters, thicknesses, and lengths of solid bodies. They are essential measuring instruments used by mechanical engineers, machinists, and workers in other technical professions. They allow workers to take extremely precise measurements, which can be viewed either in imperial or metric format. Most micrometers are designed to measure within one-thousandth of an inch! It's a snug fit. Accurate measurements like this are needed when even the smallest distance between objects can cause problems or difficulties.

Here's how machinists use micrometers:
  • Measure and examine completed units in order to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments such as calipers and/or micrometers.
  • Verified dimensions of products for accuracy and conformance to specifications using precision measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges and micrometers.

4. Calipers

Here's how machinists use calipers:
  • Emphasized the ability to use dial calipers and micrometers to provide consistent repeatable measurements.
  • Used micrometers and calipers to ensure ordinance is within government specifications.

5. Machine Shop

Here's how machinists use machine shop:
  • Repaired and operated auxiliary machinery, including calculating time and material needed for machine shop work and repair of auxiliary machinery.
  • Machine operator at family owned machine shop making parts for Automobiles and other mechanical applications.

6. CNC Lathes

Here's how machinists use cnc lathes:
  • Set up of CNC lathes and mills, foreman of the floor, programming, prototyping of parts, and employee training
  • Programmed and operated multiple machines to include CNC Lathes, Machine Centers, Mills, Turret Punch and Press Breaks.

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7. Hand Tools

Here's how machinists use hand tools:
  • Operate hand tools/other machinery as necessary to complete production.
  • Read and understand blueprints, Use a variety of hand tools and measuring instruments while holding tight tolerances on work piece.

8. Math

Here's how machinists use math:
  • Position required shop math, ability to use moderately complex mathematics and handbook formulas.
  • Excelled in math and architectural blueprints interpretation at the local technology center.

9. Shop Equipment

Shop Equipment refers to the collection of items and tools that a (usually brick-and-mortar) business keeps and utilises in providing their services, maintaining their surroundings, or when selling their wares. While this equipment might consist simply of just some fridges, a till, and some cleaning supplies like in everyday grocery shops, more specific and specialised businesses might also make frequent use of saws, lawnmowers, freezers, bikes and cars, and heavy machinery such as rollers and cranes.

Here's how machinists use shop equipment:
  • Operated various machine shop equipment and tools for parts fabrication and machined items for retrofit of maintenance department3
  • Cleaned and maintained shop equipment to ensure machines operated properly.

10. Machine Operation

Here's how machinists use machine operation:
  • Scheduled machine operations for specific parts, insured timely availability of needed materials, and documented compliance with part specifications.
  • Inspect and measure finished product according to quality specifications to determine accuracy of machine operation.

11. Gas Welding

Here's how machinists use gas welding:
  • Performed with welding operations when needed either electric arc or gas welding
  • Can perform stick welding and gas welding.

12. Aerospace

Aerospace refers to the physical science focusing on designing and developing, testing, and producing systems that aid in navigation to space or traverse through the earth's atmospheric zone.

Here's how machinists use aerospace:
  • Worked closely with management and engineering staff to ensure efficient and safe methods were utilized in producing high quality aerospace components.
  • Machined and inspected metal parts used in aerospace industry under military contract (Federal Aviation Administration).

13. Operate CNC

Here's how machinists use operate cnc:
  • Operate CNC machinery measure parts and make necessary adjustments record measurements for quality purposes.
  • Operate CNC lathes, using conversational controls with limited supervision

14. Drill Press

A drill press refers to a device used to produce holes in hard substances. When drilling the holes, you need to clamp the workpiece on a table and hold the drill in a rotating spindle and feed it into the workpiece.

Here's how machinists use drill press:
  • Have experience working with the surface grinder, mill, vertical horizontal band saw, drill press, and fork lift.
  • Operated mills, drill presses and lathes to manufacture parts for Logan lathes and safety device parts for mine shaft lifts.

15. Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting is the process of analyzing and fixing any kind of problem in a system or a machine. Troubleshooting is the detailed yet quick search in the system for the main source of an issue and solving it.

Here's how machinists use troubleshoot:
  • Worked closely with customers to determine job requirements, troubleshoot equipment problems and answer customer questions.
  • Build custom hydraulic cylinders from blueprints, troubleshoot hydraulic system failures
top-skills

What skills help Machinists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What type of skills will young machinists need?

Miles FreeMiles Free LinkedIn profile

Director, Industry Affairs, Precision Machined Products Association

Skills are essential, but most of our precision machining shops hire for attitude. We will help reliable candidates develop the skills that they need. If we look at employers having wants and needs: want - someone that knows their software. Needs - someone that knows how to adjust code; we'll teach them our software. Wants - excellent math skills. Requires the ability to do high school algebra, geometry, and trig.

Needs - people that can communicate an issue verbally and in writing.
That's where we see it. Critical thinking, ability to understand problems and their potential causes, ability to work well with others, without this, even a super-competent technically skilled person will probably find themselves changing jobs many times.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about machinist

List of machinist skills to add to your resume

Machinist skills

The most important skills for a machinist resume and required skills for a machinist to have include:

  • Grinders
  • CNC Machines
  • Micrometers
  • Calipers
  • Machine Shop
  • CNC Lathes
  • Hand Tools
  • Math
  • Shop Equipment
  • Machine Operation
  • Gas Welding
  • Aerospace
  • Operate CNC
  • Drill Press
  • Troubleshoot
  • Preventative Maintenance
  • GD
  • Surface Grinders
  • CAD
  • Haas
  • G Code
  • Aluminum
  • Manual Lathes
  • Engine Lathes
  • Jigs
  • Shop Mathematics
  • FANUC
  • Reference Points
  • Manual Machines
  • Mazak
  • CMM
  • Dial Indicators
  • Mastercam
  • Stainless Steel
  • Cad Cam
  • EDM
  • Overhead Cranes
  • Perform Routine Maintenance
  • ISO
  • Comparators
  • Jig Borers
  • Okuma
  • MIG
  • Aided Design
  • Grinding Machines
  • Quality Checks
  • Precision Instruments
  • Machine Tools
  • Vernier Calipers
  • Blueprint Specifications

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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