Business Development Resume—15 Resume Examples & Writing Guide

If you're thinking about finding a job in business development, you're in luck. In this article, we'll share all you need to know to create an impressive resume that makes hiring managers want to keep reading.

What is a Business Development Job?

Before learning how to write business development resumes, let's first understand the scope of work of a standard business development professional.

A business development role focuses on identifying and creating growth opportunities for a company. This role involves conducting market research to spot emerging trends and potential areas for market expansion, building strategic partnerships, being involved in customer relationship management, and pursuing new clients. Business development professionals play a key role in generating leads, developing strategies for market entry or product launches, and supporting sales teams to close deals. They also engage in networking to establish valuable industry connections.

Some key business development skills for success in this role include strong communication and negotiation abilities, strategic thinking, and analytical skills. Business development professionals must also be adept at project management and possess a good understanding of the sales process. Their work directly impacts a company’s long-term value, making this role vital for driving sustainable growth and ensuring the company stays competitive in its industry.

There are several opportunities for growth and advancement in a business development career. As professionals gain experience and demonstrate success in driving company growth, they can move into higher-level positions with greater responsibilities.

• Entry-Level: As Business Development Representatives (BDRs) or Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), individuals focus on lead generation and building initial client relationships.
• Mid-Level: With experience, professionals can advance to roles such as Business Development Manager or Account Manager, where they oversee client accounts, develop strategic plans, and manage partnerships.
• Senior-Level: Further growth can lead to titles like Senior Business Development Manager, Business Development Director, or Head of Business Development. These roles involve leading a team, setting company-wide growth strategies, and making high-level decisions.
• Executive-Level: At the top of the ladder, professionals may reach positions like Vice President of Business Development, Director of Business Development, or Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO). These roles are responsible for the overall growth strategy of the company, often working closely with other executives to steer the company’s direction.

Business Development vs. Sales

Business development and sales are closely related but serve distinct functions within a company. Business development is focused on creating long-term value by identifying new markets, building strategic partnerships, and fostering relationships that can lead to future opportunities. This role is more about looking at the bigger picture, conducting market research, networking, and planning market entry strategies. The outcome of successful business development is often the creation of new revenue streams, expansion into new markets, or the establishment of partnerships that enhance the company's strategic position.

In contrast, sales are focused on generating immediate revenue by converting leads into customers. Sales professionals are responsible for prospecting, pitching products or services, handling objections, negotiating contracts, and closing deals. Their primary goal is to meet or exceed sales targets and ensure customer satisfaction. The outcome of sales activities is the acquisition of new customers, the retention of existing ones, and direct revenue generation for the company.

The key difference between the two lies in their timeline and scope. Business development has a long-term focus and a broader, more strategic scope involving relationship-building and market exploration. Sales, on the other hand, is more short-term and target-driven, with a focus on closing deals. Despite their differences, business development and sales are complementary functions; when aligned, they drive a company's overall success by laying the groundwork for growth and then capitalizing on those opportunities to generate revenue.

Now that you've understood the job essence of a business development professional, let's move on to learn all the writing techniques for an outstanding business development resume.

How to Write a Resume for Business Development

It requires a discerning eye to know which sections to emphasize when creating a comprehensive Business Development resume. To help you create a resume that will get noticed by recruiters, follow these guidelines:

Personal and Contact Information

The first step in creating a resume is to fill out your personal information in the resume header. The primary purpose of this section is to provide basic information about you as a candidate. However, it is important to emphasize that there is a limit to what you should and shouldn’t include in a resume.

Listing your social media accounts on your resume is optional. If the job you're applying for involves creating social media content, it's a good idea to include it. But if not, it's best to avoid including them.

Job seekers who want to pursue a career in a social media-related field should consider creating a separate account dedicated to showcasing their portfolio. That way, personal and professional aspects are kept separate.

Business Development Resume Summary

This section provides an overview of your professional identity. The most important part of this section is to convince the hiring manager that you are a strong candidate. Therefore, the resume summary section must include experience and accomplishments, as it becomes the initial focal point for recruiters. Expressing these accomplishments in measurable form can significantly augment their impact.

However, there is an exception for fresh graduates. These new job seekers who still lack work experience can highlight their skills (both hard and soft skills) or list internships and volunteer activities.

Here are some Business Development resume examples:

Key Skills to Include in Your Business Development Resume

Two types of key skills are listed on a resume. The first is non-technical skills (soft skills). These skills emphasize character traits and interpersonal skills. Soft skills help you to build effective relationships with your coworkers and superiors. Technical skills, also known as hard skills, are the mastery of tools or systems that support work. In contrast to soft skills, hard skills are also easier to assess than soft skills.

Working Experience

The main purpose of this section is to provide a list of responsibilities, contributions, and accomplishments while working for the previous company. To enhance the readability of your Business Development resume, use concise and clear sentences, and avoid lengthy sentences.

The pro tip to make this section more impactful is to use action words. These types of words say a lot about your skills. They also highlight your achievements.

Education

Is it still relevant to list education on a Business Development resume? The answer depends on your level of experience. For business development managers with more than 10 years of experience) don't need an education section on their resume because the hiring manager primarily focuses on experience and the strength of the references.

However, there are exceptions for some positions. For example, the medical and academic sectors still require an education history. These two sectors still require people with advanced degrees (Master’s and PhDs) to apply.

Then what about Mid-Level and Fresh Graduates?

The most recent academic degree is still required for Mid-Levels. Since you have several years of work experience, it is not necessary to list your GPA unless the grade in question is above 3.0.

Academic credentials are important to new graduates. Recruiters sometimes look at the school or college's reputation and alumni network. They also need to know whether the college or school's curriculum can be applied to the company.

Additional Information

Occasionally, there is some information that is not matched to include in any of the sections. Additional information will include accomplishments and activities, both on and off the job, that support your skills.

• Awards: It's important to list your past accomplishments if they match the qualifications the company is looking for. It makes your resume stand out and adds value. Include the context and purpose of each award you want to list. Place the most recent award at the top.
• Certification: Certification signifies that your professional skills have been standardized and recognized. However, it is crucial to note that not all certifications have the same value. It is advisable to include only certifications issued by reputable and credible institutions.
• Projects: Writing a list of past projects is important for recent graduates and freelancers. Past projects are part of what recruiters look at when evaluating a candidate's performance. Choose the most relevant project to the position you are applying for. Create a reverse order from the most recent project.
• References: The advantage of having a strong network of friends and professionals is that it is easy to get referred or recommended. Make sure the referee can explain your skills well.

How to Format a Business Development Resume

Step 1: Understand the differences between a CV and a Resume

The main difference between a curriculum vitae (CV) and a resume is the number of pages. A complete CV summarizes your educational history, work experience, organizations you have belonged to, projects you have created, and volunteer activities. As a result, resumes are more often used when applying for scholarships or pursuing higher education.

Meanwhile, a resume is a concise version of a CV used for job applications with only 1-3 pages. The content is tailored to the position being applied for, so not all experience is suitable to include on a resume. For example, if you are applying for a position in business development at a company, you don't need to include your volunteer work at an animal shelter.

In some European countries, a resume is sometimes even part of a CV. However, some companies ask for a CV version instead of a resume. If the company's request is unclear, ask for clarification before sending it.

Step 2: Choose the right format for your business development resume

There are three commonly used resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination resumes. Each format has its unique advantages, and candidates can choose the format that best suits their resume needs.

• Chronological: This type of resume lists your work experience, accomplishments, education, and activities, starting with the most recent one and then your previous experience.
• Functional: A functional resume, on the other hand, focuses more on the candidate's skills, which include both soft and hard skills, rather than their work history. This format is particularly suitable for individuals seeking a career change or recent graduates with limited work experience.
• Combination: The final format combines chronological and functional resumes. Typically, skills are written at the top after the profile and then go to the work experience section. This type of resume is suitable for those with specific skills and diverse backgrounds.

Once you've decided which format you want to use, it's time to pay attention to how you put your business development resume together. Well-formatted resume uses these 4 points:

• Professional font: ATS-friendly fonts help your resume be more readable for the system. You also show that you are an organized person by using the right font. 0 fonts for your resume or CV are Ariel, Cambria, Calibri, Didot, Garamond, Georgia, Helvetica, Times New Roman, and Trebuchet MS.
• Proper margins: A one-inch margin on each side of your resume or CV is a good idea. Setting the margin in this format makes your resume more engaging and readable.
• Use headers and bullet points: The use of headings and bullet points makes each section of the resume neat and clear. Bullet points also make the information consistent, concise, and more structured.
• Keep their resume under 2 pages: There are no official rules about how many pages a good resume should have. However, some recruiters recommend that 2 pages are long enough to explain your work experience and skills. Remember that a resume is not the same as a CV, which is usually several pages long.

Step 3: Use the Business Development Resume Template as a Reference

Sometimes putting together a resume can be frustrating and tiring. That's normal because looking for a job can also impact one’s mental state. To overcome this problem, you can try to find a suitable resume template on the Internet. Websites such as CakeResume offer different types of resumes and CVs according to the needs of job seekers.

Step 4: Tailor Your Business Development Resume

The same position may require different skills for each business. The FnB business needs a business development person who knows how to develop a restaurant franchise. Meanwhile, the manufacturing company may need a business development person who understands the supply chain.

Each company may require a different resume. Before you apply, do some research about the company you are applying to so you can determine which parts of your resume to tailor to their qualifications.

Step 5: Craft the Business Development Cover Letter

The cover letter is an introduction and complement to the resume. The cover letter format is more concise and includes your key strengths, work experience, relevant skills, and reason or motivation for applying.

Compared to a resume, a cover letter is more personal and authentic. This type of writing will make your application stand out more.

When applying by email, the cover letter is usually written in the body of the email. However, if you are applying directly on the company's website, there is usually a special space for the cover letter.

6. Proofread your resume and cover letter

The last step is to check for typos, grammatical errors, incoherent sentences, poor fonts, margins, and layout. Inaccuracies in your resume and cover letter will diminish the recruiter's evaluation of your application. Check out our 15+ ATS-Friendly Resume Templates.

Tips for Writing a Business Development Resume

Tip 1: Craft for the job

According to Forbes, the average number of job seekers who apply to a job opening is 118. However, only 20% of those applicants get an interview. The numbers speak for themselves: competition among job seekers is fierce.

Therefore, it is important to pay attention to how well-written and formatted your resume is. A personalized resume will help you stand out from other candidates. It's recommended that it be tailored according to the job description, the main keywords identified, and the information in the Profile and Work Experience sections modified accordingly. This will help your resume be read by the applicant tracking systems.

Here's an example: You may find the following details in a business development job description:

So, the main keywords mentioned in the job description are fast-paced and build and maintain relationships. Here's what you should include in your resume:

Note the keywords: fast-paced, clients, partner, and relationship.

Tip 2: Make your results quantifiable

The hiring manager doesn't just want to know the candidate's scope of work at the previous company. They also want to see how the candidate's work impacted the company's growth. That's why it's important to include quantifiable results on your resume as tangible evidence.

Here's an example:

If you don't have experience or success in business development, or if you're looking to change direction, a lot of training and self-study is key. Include learning activities to show that you are making an effort.

Tip 3: Have a professional LinkedIn or Cake profile

If you ask a senior business development manager: “what is the most crucial skill a business developer must have," he/she will probably answer, ” Build relationships.”

Since a business developer has to keep seeking growth opportunities for companies, a strong network building skill can greatly enhance the probability of getting useful information and resources. Therefore, creating a good Linkedin or CakeResume profile!

Resume Samples for Business Development Positions

Business Development Associate Resume Sample

Business Development Assistant Resume Sample

Mid-level Business Development Resume Sample

Business Development Manager Resume Sample

Conclusion

1. Seeking and identifying opportunities for business growth is the mission of Business Development. Their day-to-day tasks include identifying potential markets, building relationships with partners and customers, and designing a business model that meets the company's goals.
   
2. Different types of BDs include Business Development Associate, Business Development Assistant, and Business Development Manager, each of which has its own role.
3. To pursue a career in business development, the first step that job seekers must take is to build a good resume, which consists of personal information and profile, a list of skills, work experience, educational history, and also other additional information.
4. When creating a resume, it is also important to write carefully and clearly, choosing each sentence to show your accomplishments in the job. Readability and clarity are two points necessary for a resume to be noticed by recruiters.

We hope this article will help you put together a good business development resume. If you're looking for a resume builder or tips on applying for jobs, Cake has many insightful articles. Come on, register now!

If you would like to build a more customized resume format using an online resume maker, Cake provides rich choices of resume template snippets segmented by sections. By dragging and dropping resume template snippets, building a resume template/format on your own is just like a piece of cake.

— Originally written by Erika Rizqi —