Business Development Resume: How-To Guide & Bonus Template

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Working in Business Development, you know exactly how to coordinate and implement a plan. But, are those skills not transferring over to resume writing? If so, use our resume templates to put your resume-building vision into action and get hired in no time.

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ResumeGiants » Examples » Business Development Resume

Business Development Managers pride themselves on enabling companies to grow and conquer new markets. Having a good strategic plan and knowing the right time to capture the right business opportunity is one of the many talents to possess. 

It takes experience and training to develop marketing and sales plans. Monitoring and finding solutions to improve and increase customer service require the right skills. 

How does one get HR managers to notice them? Translating your qualifications and knowledge on paper is a tough task and it’s important to learn how to write a resume.
A well-structured business development specialist resume can open many doors and get you noticed. 

Learning to write a top resume can be easy if you follow this guide. We’ll provide the best business development resume sample and a guide to land you the job you want. 

A well-written business development representative resume should be clean, sharp, and strategically oriented to reflect the mind and characteristics of the candidate. Attention to detail is necessary both in the daily work tasks of a business development manager and in preparing the resume for the next desired position.

By using the right resume templates you’ll be sure that you have the correct format, content, and structure. Below is a detailed sample of what a business development resume should look like:

Resume Example

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[Samantha Sepe]

[Business Developer Resume]

[1759 Simpson Drive, New York, NY   |   101-303-4455   |    samantha.sepe@mail.com]

Summary

A professional and experienced Business Developer with over six years of experience in management, product testing, and market research. Proficient in growing customer bases, evaluating growth strategies, and conducting business introductions. Organized target achiever with excellent presentation and communication skills.

Experience

Business Development Manager

Pronto Tech | New York, NY

2013 – 2020

• Created competitive concept proposals in cooperation with product, development, and marketing departments;
• Real-time analysis of client behavior in the post-purchase phase
• Increased sales by 20% following an activation campaign
• Doubled first-year sales as a result of a valuable DataOps platform.
• Negotiated and concluded strategic partnerships with top retail companies

Education

MSc in Economics and Business Administration

New York University

2008-2012

Skills

• Marketing research and analysis
• Strategic planning
• Public speaking
• Contract negotiations
• Sales and marketing
• Social Media Advertising

Others

• Business English – B2
• Spanish – B1

Strategizing and planning are the core talents in business development. The use of these talents needs to be reflected in the business development resume sample. 

When beginning to structure your resume, the first thing to choose is the right resume format. Use the format to disclose the professional background and industry proficiency.

The internet is filled with resume formats to suit many candidates. What you should be looking for is a format that is most suitable to present your background and expertise.
At the same time, keep in mind that companies are strict about resume formats and avoid lengthy and non-essential candidates. 

Seven to ten seconds is all it takes for a recruiter to skim through your resume and decide if they’ll give you a chance. Long, unstructured, and dull resumes usually end up in the bin.

Choosing one of the three most widely accepted resume formats is crucial if you are to be considered for a job. 

• Reverse-chronological resume – this is the most commonly known and used format preferred by recruiters. It uses reverse chronological order of presenting the professional working experience starting from the most recent to the oldest. 
• Functional resume – this format is preferred by those who wish to emphasize their skills over their working experience. The reason is that they don’t have much experience to include in their resume. 
• Combination resume – combine the two previous formats and give the working experience and your skills the equivalent attention.

The trick to a solid business development resume summary or objective is a good presentation. Presentation is one of the most demanding parts of the resume that will either put your CV on top of the pile of considered candidates or be discredited at first glance. 

Many don’t feel confident enough to prepare this section by themselves. This is fine because there is always the option of turning to professional resume builders to guide you and assist you. 

Before brainstorming on information to put in the summary or objective, decide on what you’ll be writing. The decision between writing an objective or summary depends on how much working experience you have. 

Professional resume builders recommend using a resume objective if you lack the experience and are applying for entry-level positions. Write about your aspirations and goals, and find the right keywords to convince the recruiter that you’ll be a valuable asset to the company. List all the skills you possess to shine on paper and showcase your potential and the contribution you can make as a candidate.

A business development resume summary is recommended for those who possess enough working experience to showcase. But having experience doesn’t mean you should make the summary an essay. Use no more than 5 lines to present your special skills and extensive experience. Convince the recruiter why they should choose you as the perfect candidate for the position they are looking to fill. Briefly present your career progress and present yourself transparently.

An unwritten rule about writing resume summaries and objectives is using fewer words to say more. Put the spotlight on you and don’t hold back. Be precise and make good use of those few sentences to convince the recruiter that you are the candidate they are looking for. Action words can help you summarize your point in a few sentences. 

Business Development Resume Objective Example

Entry-level position candidates should use resume objectives in their resume. Lack of experience is the last thing that should stop you from applying for the position you want. In many cases, you are just the right candidate that recruiters are looking for. 

Make wise use of the resume objective to demonstrate the contribution you can make to the company. Convince the recruiter you are eager and willing to expand your knowledge and learn more. 

Focus your attention on using well-constructed sentences and captivating keywords. Most important – don’t be shy or hold back in promoting yourself! Use your key skills and achievements as selling points.

Look at this example of how NOT to write a resume objective:

If you notice, this sample lacks the depth of information, steers away from the subject, and does not pay attention to details such as the university name, and including actual numbers that point to the candidate’s success. 

Now take a look at the example of how you can prepare your business development resume objective:

The job market is a very competitive industry and having an extensive professional portfolio doesn’t guarantee you’ll be landing the job. Keep in mind that hundreds of applicants are competing for that same position. The trick to outsmarting them is knowing how to best present the working experience you possess. 

The key is knowing how to dosage the information and stick to those that attract the attention of the recruiter. Don’t burden a business development representative resume with unnecessary trivia, since recruiters will deem it fluff and irrelevant to consider. 

Even if you don’t have much experience to show, there are still business development resume skills worth including. Being picked for a certain position doesn’t always require experience. It’s all about knowing how to market your in-born talent and knowledge. 

Candidates with a thirst for knowledge and an analytical mind get noticed by recruiters. Hiring someone with less experience may just be what recruiters are looking for to model them to meet the company’s needs.

Follow these few simple tips and you will know exactly what this section of your resume should include:

• Always use the reverse-chronology format to showcase your experience right;
• Never use meaningless content to fill blank spaces under experience. A business development resume must contain relevant, useful, and well-structured information. A recruiter doesn’t need to know you worked as a salesperson six years ago;
• Provide information about your previous employment. Focus on achievements rather than responsibilities and quantify them;
• Bullet points are an acceptable way to present your professional experience.
  The use of endless paragraphs for the presentation of professional experience is a big no – recruiters favor clean and precise wording;
• Carefully read the job description and use keywords that you will match in the experience section.

Business Development Resume Examples: Experience

Finding the right candidate for the business development department is not easy. Companies want the best on the market and it is your job to convince them that you are the right one. Using crisp and meaningful sentences will make a huge difference. 

Show the recruiter that your skills may be fruitful if they decide to hire you. The following business development resume example of the experience section shows how an experience section should NOT look:

Now here is an example of how to make an impact on the recruiter:

The education section is just as important as any other section in your resume. Many rule out this section but forget that this is the section that highlights their relevance to the job. You are creating a resume for an experienced profile so use this section to show that your educational background matches the professional one.

A business development candidate is usually required to have a Bachelor’s degree in the business field. Having a Master’s is a bonus.

Thinking the education section is irrelevant and leaving it out will only raise suspicion. Recruiters will feel you are trying to hide something or simply don’t have what it takes to do the job. Include whatever level of education you have and let the recruiter be the job if that is enough to hire you.

Business Development Resume Education Section

When writing the education section, follow the reverse-chronological order of presenting your education. Start with the latest degree first and work your way back. Those with higher education can skip their high school degree.

The below example shows what an education section should NOT look like.

This is the correct way that you should present your education:

Moving on to the skills section, it’s important to remember that the list of skills shouldn’t be endless. Listing every skill you have will not get you the job. Rather, concentrate on choosing the specific skills that will show recruiters you have what it takes to be a part of the company. 

Business development positions are diverse and may require candidates to have different skill sets. Some require marketing skills, other knowledge of sales, or deep analytical skills. 

Compare the skills you possess with those in the job description and see what you can use. But be careful! You must possess every single skill you list in your resume. If you are chosen for the position based on your skills, you will have to demonstrate them. 

The skills should be relevant to the job position and show your proficiency.

If you wish to impress the recruiter even more than the Other Section is where you do this. This section alone may not get you the job, but it may convince the recruiter that there is more to you than just what they see in the education and experience section. 

The Other Section of a business development associate’s resume may include a list of certifications, honors, and awards related to the industry. Let the recruiter know how many languages you speak. This might be useful if the company needs someone who uses a specific foreign language.

Other things that may be covered in this section are interests and hobbies. They are not important to the job, but they will show the recruiter that you have interests outside of your profession. It will allow them to paint a complete picture of you as a professional and a person of many interests. 

Business Development Resume Sample Extra Sections

When deciding on which information to include in this extra section, see how you can link them to the job description. Are any of your hobbies or interests related to the requirements for the job? 

Follow the example below of how this section should be presented:

OTHER

Certification:

Salesforce Sales Consultant Certification, May 2018CBDM Certified Business Development Manager, March 2016PRINCE2Google eCommerce Analytics Training
Languages:English, Spanish, Italian
Hobbies:Kayaking, bicycling, hiking

To prepare a resume for business development or any other similar profession, follow the advice provided in these guidelines, you will have a compelling business development executive resume ready in no time. 

To make sure that you have covered all aspects of a well-structured resume, we prepared a short summary of the main points that you must follow:

• Use a professional font with the most popular reversed-chronology resume format and include carefully chosen strong keywords;
• Capture the attention of the recruiter by creating a captivating business development resume summary or objective. Use it to put the spotlight on you and don’t be modest;
• When creating the experience section, put the focus on your achievements rather than your responsibilities. This shows you have made a significant contribution to the company;
• Always use bullet points to showcase your previous experience. Writing endless paragraphs with responsibilities will never be read by recruiters. 
• Tailor your skills section to fit the requirements listed in the job description, but always list skills that you actually possess;
• The other section should be used to list any certification you possess, along with hobbies and interests that may somehow relate to the job. 
• Let recruiters know if you are fluent in more than just one language. This may be an asset if the company has clients who are not so fluent in English. 

Now that you have finished your job-winning business development resume, you are ready for your next business venture – we wish you great luck!