A well-written resume is your gateway to the best management positions. It will determine whether you ever set foot in a company, so it must sell your skills. A list of skills won’t get you the job. You’ll need to give convincing evidence of your abilities and behaviors, as demonstrated by outcomes.  

Interpersonal and communication skills, time management, problem-solving, team building, and leadership are all qualities that a manager needs. Highlight these attributes in your resume. Take the time and effort to put together a resume that showcases your management skills. Past successes can be replicated.     

Don’t confuse quality with quantity. A resume should not exceed two pages since the person who receives it will want to find out whether you fit their criteria quickly. The company advertising the position may receive hundreds of resumes, so they will quickly scan through them. They will keep or discard them based on what they see.

It is, therefore, essential that you include only the most crucial information on the document. The best resumes communicate the most relevant information briefly.

You can then take the time you would have used to write the resume and prepare for an interview instead. The resume is not a substitute for conversation, but preparation will help you make a good impression in this very important meeting. The goal is to get the job, so you will need to sell yourself. The interviewer will want to know exactly why they should consider offering you a management position to help them achieve their organization’s goals. You must understand this company’s mission statement because it will give you insight into their culture, values, and the opportunities they are offering. Management is about effective communication; managers need to be able to express themselves clearly and convincingly in order to influence their employees. They must be able to build relationships and motivate others. Management requires good judgment. Management positions are vital to the organization; therefore, management positions cannot be filled by just anybody. Only talented people who understand what makes an organization successful will be offered these positions.

If you want to improve your chances of getting a job offer, then writing a quality resume is essential. Your resume should showcase your skills using powerful language that emphasizes your capabilities as well as actions that prove your value both to yourself and future employers. Management is about more than titles; it’s about working with groups of people towards common goals effectively and efficiently while motivating them to perform beyond expectations. If you communicate this through strong words on paper, you’ll capture the attention of any hiring manager. Management skills are learned, so you need to provide evidence of those experiences on paper as well as strong communication and interpersonal abilities. Finally, people with management skills work towards the success of the organization and enjoy what they do; they’re motivated by a desire to excel and achieve the best results possible through teamwork.

How To Make a Good Resume

As a rule of thumb, if you have less than five years’ experience, a single-page resume should do the trick. Two pages may be necessary for more senior positions or to accommodate technical or management skills in resume compilation.

To keep the resume brief, use bullet points listing your achievements. Bullet points are easy to read and evaluate. Don’t include irrelevant information about your education or experience. So, if you have a degree, there is no reason to include your final school results. Leave out working experience at entry-level.  Understand the job description before you compile the resume and then tailor it to the job requirements.

Present the information in an orderly, and don’t try to cram too much onto a page. Make sure that your resume is easy to read and understand, and appropriately formatted.

Your resume isn’t the story of your life. It is a marketing tool that you use to move up the corporate ladder. Every word on the resume should underline the value you bring to the organization and the management team. If it doesn’t add value, drop it. Take the time to express your experience when you get the interview.

Having an upcoming interview soon? Check out this interview guide!

What to include in a resume and what to leave out

So, here’s what you should include in your resume.

• Contact details
• Resume summary
• Employment history
• Skills and Education
• Any other relevant information

Name and contact details

The contact information like your name, phone, and email address are just standard. If you have a webpage that showcases your skills include the URL.

The Resume Summary

This should summarize your accomplishments over your career. If you have just graduated, include achievements through college. The summary should be no longer than two or three sentences, and it should pack a big punch. This is your sales pitch. It must state your profession and should include your career accomplishments.

A good resume summary is specific. So, if you managed a sales department, you might include the number of employees and the size of the budget. It must emphasize achievements rather than responsibilities. Include only skills that you consider relevant to the job. Be specific about the management skills you bring to the organization. The job description will point you in the right direction.

If you are uncertain about what to include in your resume summary, you will find plenty of resume summary examples on the Internet.

Employment History

List your employment history and start with your most current or present job, and moving backward in time. Focus much attention on this section as it is this section that the hiring manager will look at first. Include the position you held, the name of the company, and the dates that you worked there. Make sure to format your dates consistently. 

Don’t include positions that you held more than fifteen years ago. Compile around five bullet points per job and aim to show accomplishments rather than just listing tasks. It is this section that will attract the most attention, so make it work for you. When writing the employment section, think about how your prior experience will add value to the new job and write the bullets from this perspective.

This section must be visible even if it is opened on a computer screen. So, make sure that it is more than halfway up the page. There are no limits to how you do this, but keep in mind what will potentially be read first. A company name or your most recent job is probably the best way to start.

Make sure that you list only jobs that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. It is important to go into detail about your role and duties rather than just focusing on the results of your work (i.e., ‘increased sales by 25%’ versus ‘planned and organized team selling campaign resulting in increased sales by 25%).

Make sure that you use action verbs when describing your experiences (i.e., planned, managed, developed). 

Examples of Management Skills in a Resume

• Managed entire marketing department for a Fortune 500 company.
• Directed all aspects of new product development for a Fortune 500 firm.
• Collaborated with the food and beverage managing director to organize company picnics and events.
• Conceived, planned, and executed multiple high-profile fundraisers in under three years.
• Participated in multiple community volunteer projects, including Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, Big Brothers Big Sisters, etcetera

Do not generally include personal information such as age, marital status, and social security number since it is generally not requested and should never be included unless specifically requested by the employer.

The only other thing that belongs under this section would be a list of languages you speak (if any). It is important to note here if you are bilingual/multilingual because language skills can benefit an employer greatly, especially one who works with clients or customers who speak another language. However, if English is your only language, then do not include this section because it will provide the impression that you’re trying to overcompensate for your lack of management skills.

Education and skills

List your educational achievements moving backward in time from your most recent qualification. Include the name of the institution and your major subjects or specialization.

You should also list any technical skills or management development training relevant to the job you are applying for.  Management skills are important for any job, whether you’re working as a manager or not because they indicate that you’re capable of leading an organization. Management skills include the ability to plan and organize; time management; communication; decision making; presenting work; supporting others; motivating staff; building teams and relationships with colleagues.

Other relevant information

This information may include professional affiliations, charity work, or military service.

Customize your resume to the job description

The best way of ensuring that you get the interview is to write your resume with the job description in mind. So, you will have to change your resume to suit each application. If you’re applying for a job that revolves around servicing customers, for example, you will write a customer service skills resume. If you want a management position, then you must include your management skill in resume form.

Changing your resume to suit each job will take you a bit more time, but it will pay off when you get that call inviting you to the interview.  Management roles are highly sought after, and there is stiff competition for each one. This means that you must do everything to land the role, including presenting yourself as a skilled and experienced manager.