Debt Collector Resume

Debt collectors research and contact debtors, pursue debt repayment, file reports with the credit bureaus and other financial institutions, and follow the rules established by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

To be a successful debt collector, you need to be organized, diligent, and an adept communicator — skills that you can effectively highlight in your resume by following these three debt collector resume writing tips.

1. Include a range of hard and soft debt collecting skills

Landing a debt collector job isn’t just about listing the right credentials on your resume. An eye-catching debt collector resume should include a variety of relevant hard and soft skills that showcase your customer relations prowess and paperwork management abilities.

Hard skills

Debt collectors need to have technological and clerical hard skills, including how to operate a computer, specific types of software, and telephones.

Responsibilities of a debt collector include keeping accurate records of customer contact information, writing large volumes of letters, and filing reports. To do so, you should be familiar with these software tools:

• Microsoft Excel: You may need to use Excel to keep accurate records of customer information, transactions, and other relevant data
• Microsoft Word: Word is a common software program for writing letters to customers, financial institutions, and other organizations

Debt collectors are also responsible for reporting information like transaction histories and debt statuses to the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion) in Metro2 Format. Knowing how to use FCRA-compliant credit reporting software that provides data in Metro2 Format is, therefore, a huge boon for your resume. You may be familiar with the following software:

• DataArc360
• Credit Manager
• M2 Reporter

If so, highlight this knowledge on your resume.

Soft skills

As a professional debt collector, a large part of your job is handling difficult customers who are reluctant to pay back their debts, and may have complaints and issues to resolve.

According to the FDCPA, if debtors file a cease and desist letter, you can no longer contact them except to confirm that you’re ending communications or notify them that you’re filing a lawsuit. So it’s important to communicate with debtors without exhausting them.

Therefore, having strong interpersonal skills is a big selling point on a debt collector resume, as it indicates that you’re good at handling conflicts effectively.

Here are some relevant interpersonal skills to add to your resume:

• Communication: Show that you’re an attentive listener with excellent verbal communication skills
• Negotiation: Convey that you’re persuasive, understanding, and firm when necessary
• Creative and critical thinking: Some tough customers may require a creative approach — hiring managers seek dynamic employees who can think on their feet
• Time management: Debt collection is extremely time sensitive, so hiring managers value applicants who won’t let deadlines slip by (and lose them money in the process)

2. Customize your debt collector resume to match the job post

A crucial point when writing your resume is to incorporate language (like skills- or experience-related keywords) from the job description. This is because:

• hiring managers will look for skills that align with their unique job requirements.
• many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to search for ideal candidates. These systems will automatically reject applicants if their resumes don’t contain enough keywords relevant to debt collection

Here are some common keywords that may appear in a debt collector job description:

• Collecting payments
• Maintaining relationships with customers
• Negotiating skills
• Great interpersonal and communication skills
• Team player
• Time management skills
• Handle customer phone calls
• Assertive and persuasive personality

Browse each job description before tweaking your resume to make sure you’re including keywords relevant to that specific listing.

3. Quantify your debt collecting experience

An efficient way to prove your achievements and qualifications is by adding hard numbers to the bullet points of your work experience section. To hiring managers, data is often more convincing than descriptive words when they’re trying to determine your capabilities.

For instance, instead of writing:

processed and followed up on NSF checks, set up job accounts, and posted customers’ account

You should quantify your achievements by adding figures to it:

processed and followed up on 70+ NSF checks, set up 60+ job accounts, and posted 70+ customers’ accounts monthly

The second description displays your abilities more concretely and is more effective at convincing the hiring manager that you can efficiently carry out tasks.

While keywords are crucial, hiring managers also appreciate quantifiable assessments in a resume. Providing data gives a clear picture of your qualifications and shows that you can achieve your professional goals.

Debt collection may not be the most glamorous occupation, but it’s a legitimate trade that can teach a number of hard and soft skills that are transferable to other jobs. If you’re rejected from one company, there are hundreds of debt collection agencies in the United States that you can apply to instead. In fact, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many debt collection jobs are now remote, making it easier than ever for you to land work-from-home employment as a debt collector.