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Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic resume example

A resume for a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic needs to show the work itself: set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock. Day to day that means work like this: adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances; move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • CNC Lathe Operator
  • Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator
  • Lathe Operator
  • Machine Operator
  • Setup Operator
  • CNC Setup Operator
  • Computer Numerical Control Setup Operator
  • Numerical Control Operator
  • NC Operator
  • Screw Machine Operator
  • Screw Machine Tool Setter
  • Turn Operator
  • CNC Turning Machine Operator
  • CNC Turning Operator
  • Automatic Screwmaker
  • Automatic Spinning Lathe Operator
  • Automatic Spinning Lathe Setter
  • Axle Turner

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What people in this job call themselves

Titles reported by people actually doing this work, which is often not the title on the job posting.

  • CNC Lathe Operator (Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator)
  • CNC Setup Operator (Computer Numerical Control Setup Operator)
  • Numerical Control Operator (NC Operator)

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
  • Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
  • Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.
  • Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.
  • Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.
  • Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.
  • Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.
  • Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.
  • Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments.
  • Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Program computer numerical control machines.
  • Refill, change, and monitor the level of fluids, such as oil and coolant, in machines.

18 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Autodesk HSMWorks
  • Computer numerical control CNC editor software
  • G-code
  • Inventory tracking software
  • M-code

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • 1-2-3 blocks
  • Allen wrench sets
  • Automatic tool changers
  • Automatic turret lathes
  • Ball peen hammers
  • Bar feeders
  • Bench grinders
  • Bevel protractors
  • Bore gauges
  • Boring heads
  • Capstan lathes
  • Carbide cutting inserts

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Operations Monitoring
  2. 02Operation and Control
  3. 03Active Listening
  4. 04Equipment Maintenance
  5. 05Monitoring
  6. 06Quality Control Analysis
  7. 07Reading Comprehension

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • Production and Processing
  • Mechanical
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Education and Training
  • Administration and Management
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Mathematics

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 32%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
  • 29%Some College Courses
  • 18%Less than a High School Diploma

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do?
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock. Day to day that includes work like adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances and Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
What skills should a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic put on a resume?
O*NET rates Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Active Listening, Equipment Maintenance, and Monitoring among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Autodesk HSMWorks, Computer numerical control CNC editor software, G-code, Inventory tracking software, and M-code. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic work?
O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including CNC Lathe Operator, Computer Numerical Control Lathe Operator, Lathe Operator, and Machine Operator. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 32% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.