General Manager Resume Template (Guide & 20+ Examples)
General Manager Resume Template (Guide & 20+ Examples)
Ready to be the boss? This complete guide has examples and tips to help you write a boss resume, perfect for any management jobs, from retail stores to ritzy restaurants.
Results-oriented general manager with 3+ years experience as manager of medium-sized store and 2+ years supervising front lanes, guest services, and 50+ employees at large retail stores. 2+ years acting as “Manager on Duty” during shifts as assistant manager and shift supervisor. 2018 Manager of the Year, Northeast award recipient and member AMA. Increased store credit card sign-ups by 57% and reduced checkout time by 30%.
Work Experience
General Manager January 2016–March 2019 Brooklyn Big Box, Brooklyn, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Managed entire store operations and supervision of mid-size retail store with heavy foot traffic.
Coached and trained shift supervisors and department leaders on daily basis.
Utilized previous expertise at large, busy retail stores to shape the company’s future as a true competitor in the neighborhood.
Oversaw all employees and management team to ensure policies were met and training increased.
Key Achievements
Increased foot traffic by 20% and sales by 10% over a 3-year period.
Retail Assistant Manager January 2015–January 2016 Bullseye Mart, Flushing, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Assisted store manager with operations, customer service, and human resources activities and responsibilities.
Developed sales and marketing plans to increase store sales.
Ensured each customer provided positive shopping experience with the use of cheerful attitudes, team member training, and implementation of guest surveys.
Managed daily activities and operation of sales floor, front end, guest services, and cash office areas.
Key Achievements
Awarded the 2018 ”Manager of the Year” for the northeast region.
Shift Supervisor January 2014–January 2015 The Flip Flop Shop, New York, NY
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
Acted as “Manager on Duty” during shift work, being granted the authority to make all final major decisions.
Supervised a daily team member crew of 3–6 employees, with over 20 employees overall.
Ensured positive customer experience while maintaining brand integrity and mission statement.
Key Achievements
Increased sales of products by 20% in less than one year through introduction of new promotion model and loyalty system.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration
Metropolitan College of New York, New York, NY
Graduation: 2014
Relevant Coursework: Principles of Marketing, Business Management, Public Speaking, Entrepreneurship, Long Term Planning, Human Resources, Managerial Statistics, Business Law, Principles of Project Management, Advertising & Public Relations, International Business.
Key Skills
Business Planning
Accounting & Finance
Project Management
Decision-Making Skills
Communication & Listening
Certifications
2018 Professional Certificate in Management (Notre Dame)
2017 Conflict Resolution Certificate (Cornell)
Awards
2018 Manager of the Year, Northeast Region
Memberships
American Management Association (AMA)
Languages
German: Native Proficiency
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1. Choose the Best Format for Your General Manager Resume
Whether it’s overseeing a small corner deli or supervising a large retail store, general managers keep things running smoothly when they have a good structure in place.
Same here on your GM resume—
The perfect resume format ensures everything is easy for the store owner or district manager to read.
Follow these formatting rules on your general manager resume template:
Choose the best resume font, and take advantage of the white space.
A PDF resume is ideal, unless the job ad specifically requests otherwise.
Pro Tip: As you’re applying to become a general manager, you likely don’t have a resume without experience. If for some reason you do, though, try starting off at a supervisor or assistant manager level, first, and working your way up.
2. Write a General Manager Resume Summary or Objective
Your resume profile is a resume objective or summary statement.
This 3- or 4-line heading introduction gives the employer a quick look at your management background, supervisory skills, work experience, and related goals.
However—
It has to grab their attention right from the beginning.
Which one to use?
Use the resume summary if you have more than 2 years of management experience. The summary sums up your skills and experience from past management jobs. To top it off, you’ll give a numbered accomplishment to prove your managerial abilities.
Use the resume objective if you have little to no experience as a manager. You’ll give your ambitious career goals as a future general manager, while still proving your competence with a quantifiable achievement.
Pro Tip: The heading statement goes at the top of your restaurant GM resume or assistant general manager resume, but you don’t have to write it first. Save it for the end to make it easier to write.
3. Create the Perfect General Manager Job Description for a Resume
Whether you’re a retail GM or a writing a hotel general manager resume, get the work history section right.
So—
Here’s how to ace the job description on general manager resumes:
Begin with your most recent job entry, and go backwards from there.
Place your professional job title at the top, followed by dates employed, the company’s name, and 5 or 6 bullet points outlining your management responsibilities.
As you go further back, reduce the amount of management job description bullet points to include only the most relevant accomplishments.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have management experience, use the bullet points to promote some leadership responsibilities you had. Were you tasked with leading a project or training new employees? Though you didn’t have the title, that’s management material!
Follow these rules when doing your education resume section:
Got 5+ years of mgmt experience? Go basic with only your degree, major, minors (if applicable), and college name.
Newer to management? Include extras like relevant classes, Latin honors, etc.
Completed university? Don’t add high school on your resume.
Still studying? Include high school below.
Pro Tip: Relevant coursework for management jobs include business and management classes, of course. However, think bigger picture. Got a public speaking class or something in finance completed? They’ll love it.
5. Highlight Your General Manager Skills
You’re a leader, right?
Show them you got what it takes to be at the top with the right general manager resume skills section:
You can’t just copy-paste these skills and be done with it.
Do this instead:
Jot down the job skills you have related to management, including both soft and hard skills.
Bring out the general manager job ad you’re applying to.
Highlight management skills and industry-related skills (e.g., those that pertain to hotels, restaurants, etc.). Those are the best resume keywords to choose.
If one of your highlighted skills matches another on your list, add it to your GM resume!
Pro Tip: The soft skills you’ll need as a general manager are relevant for most leadership jobs (e.g., critical thinking, decision making). However, the hard skills will be those that your industry requires, such as reservation booking systems if you’re writing a hotel GM resume.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to follow up on your work application. Sending a quick email or making a brief phone call might just be the thing that gets you hired.
Got any questions on how to write a GM resume? Need more general manager resume examples? Not sure how to talk about leadership skills, manager certifications, or supervisor achievements? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!
Christian is a career expert who has been writing for Zety since 2017. From job hunting to acing interviews to settling in on the first days at a new career, his guides cover the entire career spectrum.
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