If you are looking to take the next step in your business career journey, crafting a strong resume can help you catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. Business encompasses a variety of positions and skill sets. Focusing on your key qualifications and accomplishments and demonstrating how you can benefit your next employer can help you land interviews.
Key Takeaways:
Your business resume should showcase your professional experience. Also, highlight key skills that align with the job description to show hiring managers your capabilities are exactly what they’re looking for. Include your education, along with advanced degrees and certifications that establish you as a professional in your field. Begin your resume with a concise, dynamic profile that quantifies your value as a business leader.
The following are the essential components of a business resume and some guidance for writing one that will grab recruiters’ attention.
Include your location, email, phone number, and a website or LinkedIn profile if you developed an online presence for your career. Your name and contact information should appear at the top of your business resume.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
City, State Abbreviation Zip Code
LinkedIn | Portfolio
The profile is a snapshot of your business career and successes that hiring managers read in seconds to gain a big-picture perspective of your background. Start by listing your job title, years of experience, and three to four specializations that align with the job posting.
A strategic and result-oriented senior strategy consultant with extensive experience in key decision-making, leadership, team management, and stakeholder management for leading firms such as McKinsey & Company. Armed with an MBA, career highlights include driving growth, optimizing stakeholder relationships, and boosting productivity. Holding a credential as a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) displays proficiency in financial management, market analysis, and strategic planning.
Highly driven business professional with experience in business analysis and administration, and strong customer service, data analysis, and operational skills to optimize business strategies and customer satisfaction. Certifications by the International Institute of Business Analysis, Project Management Institute, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers demonstrate skill development and willingness to develop as a business professional.
Write a success-driven professional experience section with bullet points that emphasize your business career achievements. Include data, metrics, and monetary figures to demonstrate how your skills add value to a company.
Senior Strategy Consultant, McKinsey & Company, Boston, MA | January 2019 – present
Business Analyst, Boston Financial Management, Boston, MA | December 2016 – December 2019
Junior Business Analyst, E&J Consultants, Jacksonville, FL | June 2022 – present
Administrative Assistant, Guardian Accounting Group, Tampa, FL | May 2021 – May 2022
Data, metrics, and monetary figures quantify your business experience, so include these measures of your success in your business resume. Companies seek candidates who will increase results and revenue. Your resume should showcase how you help organizations save money, improve client retention, and drive efficiency. Including specific numbers adds more credibility to your resume.
Check out our example for a better idea of how to do this:
Though it’s convenient to have one master resume, tweaking it for each job you apply for can increase your chances of being noticed and landing an interview. Feature some of the same target keywords used in job descriptions, and choose which skill sets to focus on based on how the employer describes the ideal candidate.
If you lack expertise in your field, rather than focusing only on skills, your resume should emphasize academic projects, internship experience, or volunteer work. Focus on any leadership roles you have held in those capacities, such as serving as treasurer for a nonprofit organization or running the marketing campaign for a campus event.
Detail your educational experience by listing the institution and its location, the dates of your time studying business, and the formal name of the degree you earned. If you hold an advanced degree, such as a Master of Business Administration, list this first, followed by your undergraduate degree. Should you have certifications such as a designation from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), note this in the Education and Certifications section of your resume.
Template:
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example:
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Business Administration
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA | 2015
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Examples:
Business leaders resolve complex issues, analyze data, and identify solutions for improving a company’s performance, customer retention, and operational processes. Roles related to business vary depending on a company’s needs. Your resume should list key skills in the job description to show a hiring manager you’re an ideal candidate – and pass ATS filters. Below are some common key skills that can support success in business roles:
Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
---|---|
Business analytics | Client relations and retention |
Coaching and mentoring | Cross-functional collaboration |
Forecasting | Project management |
Reporting and documentation | Supplier relations |
Strategic business planning | Team leadership |
Action verbs add impact to your experience section, but you can quickly run short during the resume-building process. It’s easy to become redundant by overusing words like “performed” or “analyzed.” When writing your business resume, use concise language, avoid the passive voice, and vary your action verbs.
Here is a list of common action verbs for business resumes:
Action Verbs | |
---|---|
Coordinate | Create |
Drive | Enhance |
Execute | Generate |
Grow | Launch |
Lead | Pioneer |
The best resume template for a business role should be clean, organized, and content-focused while illustrating your leadership skills and experience that align with the job description. White space and proper formatting will allow hiring managers to scan your resume with ease to understand your accomplishments and capabilities.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
City, State Abbreviation zip code
Highly driven with experience in business analysis and administration, and strong customer service, data analysis, and operational skills to optimize business strategies and customer satisfaction. Certifications by the International Institute of Business Analysis, Project Management Institute, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers demonstrate skill development and willingness to develop as a business professional.
Junior Business Analyst, E&J Consultants, Jacksonville, FL
June 2022 – present
Administrative Assistant, Guardian Accounting Group, Tampa, FL
May 2021 – May 2022
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL | 2021
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports business and finance jobs are projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032, mostly to replace the retiring workforce. Business practices are constantly changing because of technology and other factors, so it’s critical to illustrate why your skills and talents are a good match for particular employers and their roles. Read the job description carefully, and connect the dots to your experiences and accomplishments to show the recruiter you are the kind of applicant they are seeking.
A reverse-chronological order format is ideal for business resumes — a template that lists the most recent positions first. This is the most common format, and hiring managers for business positions may be put off if you get too creative. Stick with the tried and true chronological format.
When you finish your resume, craft a corresponding cover letter. Take the opportunity to talk about the specific value you could bring to the organization and the ways in which you are a strong candidate match. This personal touch can set you apart from other applicants. Read our business cover letter guide for some inspiration. Other cover letter examples to explore include our human resources and MBA guides.
ResumeTemplates offers free, HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.