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Business Development Resume Examples
Use these business development samples as a guideline or visit our extensive library of customizable free resume templates.
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Business Developer Resume Example (Text Version)
[Your Name]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number LinkedIn]
Resume Summary
[Insert your summary here. This should be a brief statement highlighting your core qualifications and career goals.]
Summary of Qualifications
- [Insert qualification #1]
- [Insert qualification #2]
- [Insert qualification #3]
- [Insert qualification #4]
[Type of] Skills
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
[Type of] Skills
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
Education
[Degree Earned]
[High School Name, Location]
[Graduation Date or Estimated Graduation Date]
- [OPTIONAL: Add relevant coursework or academic achievements]
- [OPTIONAL: Add any honors or awards received]
Work History
[Job Title #1 | Club or Employer Name #1]
[Location, Year]
[Job Title #2 | Club or Employer Name #2]
[Location, Year]
How to Write a Business Development Resume
Visit our helpful how to write a resume guide and resume format article to learn how to pick the best layout and resume for maintenance workers. Use 1-inch margins, bullet points and clear resume headings for each resume section to highlight your maintenance worker job description for resumes.
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Professional header with contact info
Include your full name, phone number and professional email address.
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Compelling summary statement
Use two or three sentences to pitch business development-related skills, experience or accomplishments.
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Highlight your skills
Add a bullet-list skills section showcasing analytical skills, organizational skills, presentation skills or management skills.
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Emphasize your work history
In reverse-chronological order, add your past job titles, company names, dates of employment and key responsibilities or achievements in bullet-list form.
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Supporting education section
Mention any relevant degrees, diplomas, professional training programs or certifications obtained.
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Additional sections
You can add resume sections for licenses, certifications, industry memberships or unions, awards, volunteer experience or spoken languages.
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How to Write a Business Development Resume Summary
Most hiring managers spend an average of six to seven seconds skimming your resume — an informative resume summary can snag you more time and attention. This two- to three-sentence introduction provides a snapshot of your experience, skills and achievements related to the job opening.
These poor and good business development resume summary examples and advice teach you how to write a compelling pitch for the rest of your resume and experience.
Customize for the role
Adapt your summary to reflect the requirements and goals of the specific position. Use the job description to identify key skills and experiences the employer is seeking.
Add resume keywords
Scan the job description for business development resume keywords, AKA specific skills and responsibilities, with specialized font or text treatment like repetition, bold, italicized, bulleted or highlighted phrases.
Highlight job-relevant achievements
Focus on specific accomplishments demonstrating key business wins, such as profit growth, partnership development or market expansion.
Be brief
This short introduction shouldn’t be more than two or three sentences or bullet points.
Strong and weak Business Developer summary
“Strategic business development leader with over 10 years of experience driving $15M+ in annual revenue growth through innovative market strategies. Expert in forging strategic alliances, building high-performing teams, and exceeding sales targets by up to 200%.”
Why this works:
This summary is tailored and specific — this business dev candidate explains their clear value through quantifiable achievements and key skills like revenue growth, marketing skills, team leadership skills and collaborative interpersonal skills.
Business development professional with years of experience in sales and marketing. Looking for a challenging position to utilize my skills and experience.
How this fails:
Hiring managers might see over 100 applicants for a single job opening. This resume summary shares vague skills in sales and marketing but fails to highlight any notable accomplishments or specific technical skills related to the job. This candidate can improve their introduction by adding a noteworthy project, campaign or merger with positive outcome metrics.
PRO TIP:
If you’re seeking a career change but have relevant business development resume skills, try the resume objective. This alternative introduction pitches your transferable skills and downplays your lack of relevant experience.
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How to Add Your Business Development Work History
Your work history makes up most of your business development resume and provides the most relevant information to hiring managers.
Use action-focused language
Start each bullet point with a strong action verb to convey your contributions and responsibilities.
Highlight additional achievements
Quantify your accomplishments, such as revenue increases, sales growth or successful partnerships, to demonstrate your impact.
Be specific
Tailor the content to emphasize experience and skills most relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Highlight career growth
Organize your experience chronologically to show how your responsibilities have expanded over time, highlighting promotions or increasing levels of responsibility.
Strong and weak Business Developer work history
Business Development Manager | Mint Mobile
May 2018 – Present
- Drove 30% annual revenue growth by implementing strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies.
- Led a team of 8 to exceed quarterly sales targets by an average of 150%.
- Developed a successful expansion strategy that opened three new markets, resulting in a $5M increase in annual revenue.
- Spearheaded a customer retention initiative that improved retention rates by 25%.
Business Development Specialist | Verizon
June 2015 – April 2018
- Identified and developed relationships with new clients, leading to a 40% increase in client acquisition.
- Created and executed marketing campaigns, generating a 25% boost in lead conversion rates.
- Assisted in designing and implementing a new CRM system that streamlined the sales process and improved efficiency.
This business development resume example uses specific achievements with measurable results, highlights relevant skills and responsibilities, and shows career progression.
Business Development Manager | ABC Technologies
2018 – Present
- Managed a team to achieve sales goals.
- Identified new business opportunities.
- Developed and implemented marketing strategies.
Business Development Specialist | XYZ Corp
2015 – 2018
- Worked with the sales team to acquire new clients.
- Participated in marketing campaigns.
- Assisted with customer relationship management.
Although this candidate shares a few accomplishments, they don’t add data or information to help a hiring manager measure their potential value or financial contributions. The vague language and generalized skills mean that most hiring managers will discard this resume at first glance.
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How to Highlight Business Development Training and Education
The education section in a business development resume serves as a crucial supplement to your professional experience, highlighting the formal training that has equipped you with the knowledge and skills required for the job.
1Add your degrees and diplomas
Starting with your highest degree, list your degree, major or specialty, college name, location and graduation date.
Education formatting example
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Harvard Business School, Cambridge, MA | Graduated: 2018
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
University of California, Berkeley, CA | Graduated: 2013
2Highlight certifications
Add certifications or training programs that improved or expanded your business development resume skills, like certifications in sales management, digital marketing or project management.
Certification formatting example
Certified Sales Management Professional (CSMP)
National Association of Sales Professionals | Issued: 2020
Google Analytics Certification
Google Analytics Academy | Issued: 2019
3Add relevant classes or training programs
If your degree is not directly related to business development, highlight any coursework or specializations relevant to the field.
Relevant training examples
Bachelor of Arts in Communications
New York University, New York, NY | Graduated: 2015
- Minor in Business Administration
- Member of the Business Development Society
PRO TIP:
Focus on education and training related to the job description or industry needs. You can save additional interests or specializations for culture-fit interviews when hiring managers may ask about your interests outside of work.
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15 Skills for Your Business Development Resume
Although you’ll have a dedicated resume skills section featuring six to eight business development-related skills, it’s essential to organically fold these skills throughout your business development representative job description for resume sections.
Carefully showcase a balance of soft skills, hard skills and technical skills to show how you leverage management skills, analytical skills, presentation skills and other abilities to do your work. Additional skills you can feature include:
Soft skills
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Relationship building
- Problem-solving
- Leadership
Hard skills
- Strategic planning
- Market research
- Sales forecasting
- Account management
- Contract negotiation
Technical skills
- CRM software, e.g., Salesforce
- Data analysis, e.g., Excel or SQL
- Marketing automation tools, e.g. Hubspot or Mailchimp
- Project management tools, e.g., Asana
- Business intelligence software, e.g. SAS Business Objects
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20 Business Development Action Verbs
Impactful power words can enhance your resume by clearly conveying your contributions and achievements. Here is a curated list of action verbs, organized alphabetically, present in our business development resume examples:
- Analyze
- Assess
- Build
- Collaborate
- Develop
- Drive
- Execute
- Expand
- Foster
- Generate
- Implement
- Lead
- Manage
- Negotiate
- Optimize
- Promote
- Research
- Secure
- Strategize
- Transform
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Additional Resume Sections
Consider adding the following sections to your business development resume based on your specific circumstances and to enhance your qualifications:
Use a Cover Letter to Express Yourself
A resume is a concise overview of your skills and experience — a cover letter expands on this foundation. Add a cover letter to share one or two examples of how you excelled in similar roles or how your skills match a company’s needs. Use this sample as a guide or visit our helpful resources to boost your application.
Business Development Resume FAQ
Should I include references on my business development resume?
Although we strongly recommend having a separate reference page ready upon request, you should never add your references to your resume. Save that space for your business development job descriptions and qualifications. Visit our resume references article for advice on how to ask and list your job references.
How can I optimize my business development resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS)?
Use an ATS-optimized resume template, relevant keywords from the job description, clear section headings, and simple page formatting. Keywords should naturally fit within the context of your experience and accomplishments to ensure the ATS reads your resume correctly.
How far back should my work history go in my business development resume?
List up to 10-15 years of relevant experience. Prioritize recent positions that align with the role you’re applying for, focusing on achievements and responsibilities that directly demonstrate your qualifications.
What is the average salary for a business development role?
Your business development salary will vary depending on the state, county and industry. According to O*Net, business continuity planners and analyst employees can expect a national average salary of $79,000.
Gabriela Barcenas
CPRW, Content Writer IIGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and career adviser. With 10 years of digital media experience and five years of resume writing expertise, her publication history includes fashion, education, travel, social justice, equitable design and career advice.