Business Development Resume Examples & Writing Guide
Written By Lauren Mastroni
Reviewed By Lisa DeanUse our business development resume examples and writing guide to help you put together a job-winning resume. When you’re finished writing your resume, pair it with a business development cover letter to complete your application.
Searching for a different design? We have even more resume templates to choose from.
Business Development Resume Template (Text Format)
This template uses a clear and effective resume format to emphasise key achievements and qualifications.
[Your Address] [City, State]
[Your Email Address] | [Your Phone Number]
[LinkedIn Profile] (optional)
Business Development Manager with 6+ years of hands-on experience in business development, key accounts management, and strategic relationship development. Proven history of driving significant revenue growth and profitability within highly competitive markets. Adept at building strategic partnerships and identifying opportunities to maximize value for all stakeholders.
- Bilingual in English and Chinese, proficient in Spanish
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, MS Access, and Eloqua
- Adept at business forecasting, B2B sales, relationship management, and proposal writing
- Spearhead marketing and business development activities to achieve breakthrough performance and acquire new business
- Develop and execute effective business development strategies to generate leads, close multimillion-dollar deals, and win new business
- Oversee the maintenance of corporate properties by negotiating with contractors which saved $100,000 in maintenance work
- Coach and lead 5+ technical and business teams on developing complex and comprehensive proposals for global clients
- Boost revenue over $1M per year and achieve sales growth of 10% through new business acquisition and implementing growth strategies
- Directed sales and business development functions, including new product introduction, key account management, customer relationship development, and contract negotiations
- Established and managed strategic relationships and alliances with 3rd party companies dealing with the purchase and sale of electronics equipment
- Won two $5M contracts with key accounts and closed over $10M in high-risk business
- Collaborated with multiple vendors/partners and value-added resellers to deliver the best fair market value to global clients
- Successfully achieved 100% of margin quota and 113% of revenue quota in FY 20XX
- Secured over $3M of sales, averaging 30% gross profit in FY 20XX
Resume Genius University
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Graduation Date: May 20XX
Business development manager resume
Check out our business development manager resume example to use as a reference when writing your resume:
Business development manager resume highlights
- Active language: Entries begin with strong action verbs like “develop,” and “mentor,” emphasizing the candidate’s leadership, initiative and tangible contributions.
- Compelling summary: The opening statement immediately highlights the candidate’s experience driving revenue growth and profitability in competitive markets, grabbing the reader’s attention.
Sales development representative resume
Reference our sales development representative resume example to help you write a resume that grabs the attention of hiring managers and lands you your next SDR role:
Sales development representative resume highlights
- Highlights leadership: Noting leadership skills like training and mentoring new team members demonstrates the candidate’s leadership capabilities beyond their individual contributions to their team.
- Showcases adaptability: The candidate has experience with both inside sales and field sales roles, which shows their versatility and ability to wear many hats.
Business development representative resume
As a business development representative, your resume needs to effectively communicate your ability to identify new business opportunities, build strategic relationships, and drive revenue growth. For example:
Business development representative resume highlight
- Focuses on impact: The bullet points in the work experience section don’t just list job duties, but emphasize the impact, results, and value the applicant generated for the company.
Director of business development resume
Our director of business development resume example demonstrates how to showcase your strategic acumen, team leadership, and proven track record of success:
Director of business development resume highlights
- Relevant skills: The Additional Skills section includes skills that are highly applicable to a business development director role, such as strategic planning and contract negotiation.
- Progressive responsibility: Showing a clear progression from Business Development Manager to Senior Business Development Manager to Director of Business Development conveys career advancement and leadership potential.
Average business development manager salaries in the US
The following table includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license, this data is pulled from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment & Earnings report (as of 10/16/2024), featuring the top states by use.
Average business development manager annual salaries by state
| State | Salary / Year |
|---|---|
| Texas | $60,700 |
| California | $76,230 |
| New York | $91,610 |
| Florida | $59,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,980 |
| Illinois | $62,530 |
| Ohio | $60,220 |
| Georgia | $60,240 |
| North Carolina | $62,150 |
| Michigan | $70,160 |
| National Average | $62,592 |
How to write a business development resume
An effective business development resume should show that you have the confidence, leadership, and business expertise necessary to improve growth and bring an organization to the next level.
Here are four expert tips for writing the best business development resume possible:
1. Highlight your business development skills
To show hiring managers that you’re capable of steering a business in the right direction, you need to demonstrate your ability to innovate and drive results.
That’s why including a detailed skills section that showcases your business development expertise is essential.
Business Development can be a rewarding career if you love talking to people and are organized. But it has its challenges, too. A couple that come to mind are finding the right leads and facing rejection. If you are confident in these areas, you’ll find success. During the interview process, be sure to verify that the company provides thorough training so you have all the tools you need. – Lisa Dean, Director of Internal Business Operations & Recruiting
As a business development professional, you’ll be responsible for identifying new markets, arranging meetings with potential clients, and developing growth strategies depending on the company’s needs.
In this video, Patrick Dang goes over the top three soft skills business development professionals need and that you should showcase on your resume:
And here’s a list of additional skills to include:
- Business forecasting
- B2B sales
- Relationship management
- Microsoft Office
- Problem-solving skills
- Sales experience and strategy
- Communication skills
- Public speaking
- CRM Software (Oracle Eloqua, Salesforce)
- Proposal writing
- Account management
- Vendor management
2. Quantify your business development contributions
Your work experience bullet points let the hiring manager know that you have the job knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in the role you’re applying for.
Consider adding some descriptive examples and quantifiable achievements to your business development resume to show hiring managers what you can accomplish.
For example:
- Generated over $2.3 million in new annual recurring revenue through strategic partnerships and B2B sales initiatives
- Identified and closed 12 new enterprise-level clients, resulting in a 17% increase in the company’s total customer base
- Exceeded quarterly sales quotas by an average of 18% over a 3-year period
Here are some other metrics you can add to your business development resume:
- Increase in revenue/sales
- New customers/clients acquired
- Increase in customer/client base
- Contract value
- Strategic partnerships or vendor agreements
- Sponsorship revenue
- Improvement in lead conversion rates
- Qualified leads generated
- Reduction in administrative overhead
- Ranking or performance among sales team
- Number of sales presentations delivered
- Average contract value per new client
- Percentage of sales quotas exceeded
- Return on investment (ROI) of new initiatives
3. Open with a strong business development resume summary
As a business-savvy professional seeking a career growing profit margins, you need to know how to give a great pitch.
Think of your resume summary as an elevator pitch for your resume.
Done well, a resume summary will grab the hiring manager’s attention and convince them to keep reading the rest of your resume.
Here’s an example of what a strong business development resume summary looks like:
Example:
Business development professional with 8+ years of experience managing multi-million dollar construction projects, coordinating a team of 90+ subcontractors, and performing new client acquisition projects and analysis. Boosted company’s quarterly sales by 20% while reducing costs by 15% annually.
4. Fill in your education section
In your education section, highlight any relevant degrees, certifications, or business development training that demonstrate your qualifications.
When listing your education, include the name of the institution, the degree or program, and the graduation year. You can also mention your GPA if it was particularly strong (3.5 or above).
Here are some examples of how to structure the education section on a business development resume:
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Villanova University
June 20XX
Certified Sales Professional (CSP)
Sales Management Training Program
Certified: December 20XX
Resume examples for different industries
Not sure what your resume should look like? The best way to learn is by taking inspiration from resume examples written by other candidates in your industry.
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Business Development Resume Examples & Writing Guide
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