Business Resume Template with Examples, Skills, & Tips

Ready to make your business resume the ultimate power move? 

It's time to channel your inner shark and swim laps around the competition. But crafting a killer resume can feel like navigating a conference call with a spotty connection. Fear not, ambitious go-getter! Our guide will help you create a business resume that'll have hiring managers and investors alike begging to join your team.

This guide will show you:

• A business resume template better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a business resume even if you have no experience.
• Business resume examples that show how to highlight your skills and achievements.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for company positions to get any job you want.

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Looking for more specific business resume examples for your position or industry? See one of our dedicated guides here:

• Business Administration Resume
• Business Analyst Resume
• Entry Level Business Analyst Resume
• Business Development Resume
• Business Intelligence Resume
• Business Owner Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Entrepreneur Resume
• Relationship Manager Resume
• The Best Resume Examples for All Jobs

For general tips on how to write *the* perfect business resume, read on!

Business Resume Example

1. Use the Right Business Resume Template

Imagine you’re trying to land a deal with a strategic client.

Would you meet them at a Burger King, wearing tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt, then go on and write your email address and a phone number on a napkin saying “Sorry dude, lost my business cards somewhere?”

You know the old saying. In business, it’s about both what you say and how you say it. The same applies to your business resume template. Make it elegant and transparent.

How to format a business resume for company positions:

• Begin with choosing the proven, reverse-chronological resume format. It will help you get your value proposition across fast.
• Use clear, legible resume fonts and big section headings. Be generous on white space.
• Include the following sections in this order: Contact information, resume objective or summary, work experience in reverse-chronological order, education, skills, additional sections (certifications, awards, volunteer experience, or hobbies and interests)
• Save your professional business resume in PDF. This will keep your layout intact.

For more information on how to make your business resume format work best, read: The Best Resume Format: Chronological, Combination or Functional?

2. Write a Business Resume Summary or a Resume Objective

Even if you get your formatting right, chances are, recruiters or other potential stakeholders won’t actually read your business resume in full.

The good news? You can make them.

At the top of your professional business resume, put a carefully crafted resume summary or a resume objective. Get it right, and whoever puts their eyes on your resume will be dying to find out more about your career.

Which one to go for?

Got years of business experience? Choose the resume summary. Outline your professional path in business and highlight your most impressive wins.

Just starting out in the world of business? Pick a business resume objective. Discuss what skills you’ve mastered so far and valuable a hire you’ll be.

But enough theory. Have a look at some business resume examples. Let’s begin with summaries.

Business Resume: Examples of Summaries

The difference is striking, right? The first example lists verifiable achievements backed by solid numbers.

The second one? That’s a business tall tale. Anyone can claim to be “skilled in X, Y, and Z.” Remember: on your business resume show, don’t tell.

Specialize in business development?

In your summary, you have to show that the “Director of Business Development” on your resume is more than just a title: that your expertise can help any business thrive. Have a look:

Business Resume Example: Summary for Business Development Jobs

Now let’s see two very different sample business resume objectives.

Business Resumes: Examples of Career Objectives

The right corporate resume example makes an offer. This is key to writing a good business resume objective—make it about your employer’s gain, not your personal profit.

The wrong one? That could as well be paraphrased as “I don’t have much expertise yet, but I want to learn from you.” Sure, constant learning is the name of the game in business. But you need to offer your mentors something in return.

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

For more expert tips and actionable examples of great resume summaries and objectives see: Resume Summary: Step-by-Step Writing Guide and Resume Objective Examples for Every Profession

3. List Your Experience on a Corporate Resume

Business resume summary or objective works like an appetizer. Now it’s time for the main course. What matters most to hiring executives is your experience.

The trick? No one cares what you did. They want to know how well you did it. In your business resume experience section, you need to highlight your achievements.

Here’s what you need to do in your business resume work experience section, step by step:

1. Use the reverse-chronological order: start with your current or most recent position. Follow it with your previous job and the one before that, and so on.
2. For each position, add up to 5 bullet points describing your business duties and, more importantly, your achievements.
3. Quantify whenever possible. Instead of saying “significantly increased sales,” go for “increased sales by 45% in 4 months.”
4. Use action words. No more droning on about being “responsible for …” Instead, begin your resume bullets with verbs like “spearheaded,” “led,” “managed.”
5. At the bottom, add a “Key achievement” subsection where you show off your best win.
6. Last but not least—pick phrases from the job ad, and refer to them in your work experience section. List only what’s most relevant for the position or contract you’re trying to land. It’s called tailoring a resume and it’s super effective. Want to learn more about it? Go here: How to Tailor (Target) Your Resume to Match the Job Ad

Let’s see how it works on a practical business resume example:

Corporate Resume Examples: Work Experience  

Elon Musk would make this candidate his CTO on the spot.

Don’t have that much experience? Relax. You can use the same techniques on your entry-level business resume. Check this out:

Business Resume for Company Jobs: Work Experience Examples

That’s the way the cookie crumbles. Numbers, achievements, action words. All check.

You might have heard that a proper business resume has to be one-page. If you’re very experienced, this is not necessarily the case. If you’re finding it hard to make a one-pager, learn how to make the most of your 2-page resume here: Two Page Resume Format: Examples that Prove It’s OK

4. Put Your Degree on a Business Resume

Good news: here comes the easy part. For business professionals with at least a couple of years of experience, listing education on a resume is easy as one-two-three.

Here’s what you have to include in this section:

• Degree type,
• Your major (and minors, if you’ve got them),
• Institution name,
• Graduation date.

If you’ve just graduated and feel anxious about your lack of on-the-job business experience, you can make up for it in your business resume education section.

Include extra details such as:

• Relevant coursework
• Favorite fields of study
• Academic achievements
• Extracurricular activities

These will prove your sense of purpose in pursuing a business career: a surefire way to impress recruiters.

Unsure what academic details to put on your business resume? See: Education on a Resume: What to Include and What to Leave Off

5. List Your Business Skills on a Resume the Right Way

There’s one word to keep in mind when creating your business resume skills list: Relevance. You need to make sure you list skills that match the opening you’re eyeing.

But on its own, that won’t do. Anyone can claim to have a certain skills set. To stand out, prove you have the right business skills for a resume.

For example, let’s say there’s an opening for a Director of Business Development position in a tech company you always wanted to join.

You know they value leadership qualities and innovative approach to business management. Here’s a sample business skills list that shows these:

Business Resume Example: Skills for a Business Resume

Voila! There’s no questioning this candidate is both an inspired leader and a skilled manager.

So, which business skills are essential? If you want to succeed in the corporate world, make sure to include the following business skills on your resume:

Sample Skills for a Business Resume

• Attention to Detail
• Critical-Thinking Skills
• Decision-Making Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Marketing Skills
• Microsoft Office Skills
• Organizational Skills
• People Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Project Management
• Time-Management Skills
• Verbal and Written Communication Skills

For more ideas on what skills to put on a business resume, see our beast of a guide: Best Management Skills Employers Want and Need

6. Add Extra Sections to Prove Your Value

I can’t stress that enough—business is about verifiable data, not empty promises.

Whatever your resume promises so far, you need to punch it up a notch to be truly believable.

That’s where additional sections come in. Use them to give proof of your best assets. Have a look at some ideas of what to include in that extra section of your business resume:

Additional Sections for a Business Resume—Examples

• Industry awards
• Certifications
• Publications
• Industry blog
• Influencing on social media
• Additional training and participation in conferences
  
  

Don’t have any of the above?

Well… Get some! Apply for conferences, consider taking a course, get more active on social media. You’re not going to succeed in business if you’re at a standstill.

For more ideas on what to add to your business resume to spice it up, give this handy guide a read: Resume Sections to Include on Your Resume

7. Write a Business Cover Letter

Someone might have told you that cover letters are no longer important. That’s half-true. Around 50% recruiters and hiring managers don’t read cover letters anymore.

But—Another half won’t even look at your stunning resume if there’s no cover letter attached. High risk, high reward? More like high risk, no reward.

Whether you’re writing a business development manager resume or a resume for other corporate and business jobs, attaching a cover letter to your application doubles your chances for success.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

To have the best business resume in the pile, use these key strategies::

• Open your resume with a resume summary or objective. Give an outline of your best business wins.
• In your experience section, focus on your accomplishments, not just your duties.
• List only the most relevant skills. Prove them in bullet points, with metrics.
• Finally, add "other" sections that tell the story of your competence.

All check? Well then—I’m sure your career will be headed in the right direction!

Got any more questions? Need further help? That’s great cause I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll get back to you double-quick. Let’s chat!

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