Business Resume Template (20+ Professional Examples)

You came to the right place to write a professional business resume:

In business, your resume is what defines you: both the document and the achievements it showcases.

Mess up the document and all those actual accomplishments will never shine though.

Whether you’re applying for that once-in-a-lifetime business job or trying to convince a potential VC that you’re worth investing in, you need a business resume that puts all other business resumes in the red.

And in 10 minutes, you’re going to learn how to write one. Keep reading this guide and I’ll 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.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a business resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for business positions to get any job you want.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Use this resume template

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:

• Accounting Resume Resume
• Accounts Receivable Resume
• Administrative Assistant Resume
• Business Administration Resume
• Business Analyst Resume
• Business System Analyst Resume
• Salesforce Business Analyst Resume
• Entry Level Business Analyst Resume
• Business Development Resume
• Business Intelligence Resume
• Business Owner Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Internal Auditor Resume
• Data Analyst Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Financial Analyst Resume
• Human Resources Resume
• Investment Banking Resume
• Marketing Resume
• Market Research Resume
• Office Assistant Resume
• Office Manager Resume
• Product Owner Resume
• Public Relations Resume
• Real Estate Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Buyer Resume
• Entrepreneur Resume
• District Manager Resume
• Management Consultant Resume
• Private Equity Resume

If you’re more interested in a resume for business executives and managers, find your business resume example here:

• Assistant Manager Resume
• Executive Resume
• Manager Resume
• Operations Manager Resume
• Product Manager Resume
• Property Manager Resume
• Sales Manager Resume
• Store Manager Resume
• CEO Resume
• Supervisor Resume
• Production Supervisor Resume
• The Best Resume Examples for All Jobs

And, finally, if you’re a business student writing their resume, check out this Student Resume

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

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.

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:

Business Resume Format

1. Contact information
2. Resume objective or summary
3. Work experience in reverse-chronological order
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Additional Sections (Certifications, Awards, Volunteer Experience, or Hobbies and Interests)

Finally, 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?

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 Summary Example

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 Development Resume Summary Example

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

Business Management Resume Objective Examples

The right 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.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and 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 Business Experience on a 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:

Business Experience on a Resume  

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:

Sample Entry-Level Business Management Resume Work Experience

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

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.

But—

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

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 skills you put on your business 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:

Director of Business Development Resume Example: Skills List

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

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

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

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!