How to Craft an Account Manager Resume That Gets You Hired

In today's competitive job market, your resume is your first chance to get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. Whether you're an aspiring or senior account manager, you need a resume that showcases your skills, achievements, and potential.

However, writing a compelling resume that gets you interviews and job offers is daunting, especially if you're a career starter or changer.

Fortunately, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to crafting a strong account manager resume. We'll also share expert tips to make your resume shine, which increases your chances of landing a job.

Understanding the Role of an Account Manager

Before writing your resume, you must first understand what the account manager role entails. This helps you craft the perfect resume that gets you hired.

Daily Tasks of Account Managers

As an account manager, your primary role is maintaining and growing client relationships. You're the main point of contact between the company and its customers. 

This is why the position is sometimes called a customer account manager.

Here are some of the key responsibilities of account managers:

• Meeting with clients: As an account manager, you must discuss the client's goals and provide updates as needed.
• Listening and communicating: To build strong customer relationships, you should understand clients' needs and communicate with them regularly.
• Presenting products: It's also your job to demonstrate new features or services that could benefit the customer.
• Issue resolution: You must quickly address and solve clients' problems with your product or services.
• Collaborating with teams: You should closely work with sales, marketing, and product teams to ensure deliverables are met.
• Project coordination: You must manage timelines, coordinate projects, and ensure all tasks are completed to the client's satisfaction.
• Ensuring client success: You should teach clients how to maximize your company’s products or services to ensure their success.

Key Qualifications of Account Managers

To be successful in the account manager position, you need the following:

• Industry knowledge: It's important to understand your industry and your company's products or services. This allows you to provide valuable insights and solutions to your clients.
• Communication skills: Good communication skills are essential for explaining things clearly and listening well to clients and team members.
• Organization and detail orientation: To manage multiple clients and projects, you must stay organized and keep track of details.
• Time management: You should also efficiently juggle meetings, deadlines, and unexpected client requests.
• Problem-solving: You must learn how to identify and address client issues promptly.
• Positive attitude: You should stay calm under pressure and maintain a positive outlook to build strong client relationships.

Must-Have Information in an Account Manager Resume

Now that you understand the role of an account manager, it’s time to learn what your resume should have. Below are the key sections to include on your account manager resume.

Contact Information

Hiring managers need to know how to reach you easily to ask about your qualifications as an account manager.

The first section of your resume should include your full name, phone number, and email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile, adding this link to your resume is best. This can strengthen your job application.

Professional Summary or Objective

This is a brief statement at the top of your account manager's resume.

If you have previous experience as an account manager, you should write a professional summary. You must use an objective if you’re new to the field or a career changer.

Many account manager resumes have a generic summary or objective, which hurts the chances of landing a job. It's important to craft a strong opening statement to catch the attention of hiring managers.

Work Experience

This section of your account manager resume is pretty self-explanatory. It should list your past jobs, starting with the most recent.

For each job, you must include your position, company name, dates of employment, and key responsibilities. Focus on achievements and results to show what you can bring as an account manager.

Skills

After detailing your work experience, you must highlight the skills that make you a great account manager. You need to showcase both hard and soft skills. If you're writing a technical account manager resume, you must also list your technical skills.

This section shows employers you have the abilities necessary to succeed in the account management role.

Below is a breakdown of key account manager skills you can include on your resume.

Hard Skills

The following hard skills are concrete, measurable abilities for the account manager position.

• Sales strategy and negotiation
• Client relationship management
• Project management
• Budgeting and financial planning
• Market analysis and research

Soft Skills

Soft skills refer to character traits you can use in all professions, including account management.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Organizational and time management skills
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Team collaboration and leadership

Technical Skills

The technical skills below demonstrate your ability to use software, hardware, and other tools for account management.

• Customer relationship management (CRM) software like Salesforce or HubSpot
• Data analysis and reporting tools
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Presentation software such as PowerPoint or Keynote
• Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact

Education

The education section of your account manager resume is your chance to highlight your academic background.

List your highest degree and the school you attended. Don't forget to include your graduation date.

You can also mention that if you have coursework relevant to account management.

Certifications and Professional Development

You can also dedicate a section of your account manager resume to the certifications you have earned. This could be in sales, marketing, or account management.

Additionally, you can list any professional development courses or training you have completed. This shows employers that you’re committed to learning and growing professionally.

Additional Sections

You can add extra sections to your resume if they add value to your job application. Include anything that highlights your unique skills or experiences.

For instance, if you're a volunteer for a relevant cause, you can include your volunteering experience. Doing so showcases your leadership skills and sets you apart from other candidates.

You can also mention the languages you speak. Being multilingual can be an asset to your sales account manager resume, especially if you're applying to a global company.

How to Craft a Strong Account Manager Resume

After learning the key sections to include, it's time to write your account manager resume. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to craft each section.

1. Start with a Compelling Opening Statement

Your opening statement is among the first things recruiters see. It can make your resume stronger or weaker, so you should write a compelling one.

If you have previous work experience, you should summarize your achievements and skills. Explain what you bring to the account manager role in a few sentences. Focus on what makes you unique from other candidates.

For example, you can say, "Senior account manager with over 5 years of experience managing client relationships in the tech industry. Proven track record of increasing customer retention by 15% and reducing customer churn rate. Proficient in communication, project management, and data analysis to meet client expectations."

You can write a professional objective if you're a career starter or changer. Mention why you're seeking a role in account management and what you can offer.

You can mention the following: "Recent business administration graduate with one year experience in customer service. Eager to apply academic knowledge and develop my skills further as an account manager at a forward-thinking company."

2. Detail Work Experience as an Account Manager

Your work experience section is your chance to showcase your professional journey.

Start with your most recent job and work backward. Include your job title, company name, and dates of employment.

Then, describe your responsibilities and achievements in each role. Use action verbs to describe what you did. This helps recruiters picture you in the scenario.

When discussing your accomplishments, you should add numbers to strengthen your impact in each role.

Don't forget to highlight any experience related to account management, such as managing client relationships, driving sales, or leading projects.

Work Experience Sample

Senior Account Manager

XYZ Corporation, New York, NY

March 2021 – Present

• Managed 10+ key technology accounts worth a total of $20 million.
• Implemented a customer retention program that led to a 30% increase in client renewals.
• Developed and executed sales strategies, resulting in a 25% growth in revenue.
• Led a team of 5+ account managers and provided coaching that resulted in a 50% reduction in employee turnover.
• Collaborated with marketing and product teams to launch new features, improving customer satisfaction by 15%.

3. Add Relevant Education and Certifications

After writing your work experience, you can move on to the education section.

It's important to list your highest degree first. You must specify the degree, institution, and graduation date.

If you graduated with honors or had relevant coursework, it's important to mention that to strengthen your account manager resume.

For example, you can say, "Bachelor of Business Administration | The University of Texas at Austin | May 2016."

Under your educational background, you can also add your certifications. Doing so gives you an edge over the other candidates, especially if the certifications are relevant to account management.

When listing certifications, you must include the name of the certification, the issuing organization, and the date you received it. A good example is: "Certified Strategic Account Manager (CSAM) | Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA) | 2022."

4. Include Key Account Manager Skills

As previously mentioned, skills show employers what you are capable of.

To strengthen your account manager resume, you should mention hard, soft, and technical skills.

You can list these skills in bullet points to make them scannable and easy to read.

It's also recommended that the related skills be grouped together. Listing your skills this way makes it easy for employers to see your capabilities at a glance and understand how you can benefit their company.

5. Write Additional Resume Sections

Additional sections can make your account manager resume stand out by showcasing unique aspects of your background. These can include languages, volunteer work, awards, or relevant experiences.

If you speak multiple languages, you should mention them and your proficiency levels. Here is a sample format: Languages: English (Fluent), Spanish (Conversational).

Do you have awards and recognitions? It might also be worth including them to add an extra layer of credibility. This proves that others have acknowledged your efforts.

Finally, mentioning volunteer work shows your commitment to the community. At the same time, it can highlight skills relevant to account management, like leadership or project coordination.

Tips for Writing an Account Manager Resume That Gets You Hired

If you want your resume to stand out even more, you can follow the tips below:

Use Powerful Action Verbs

Action verbs make your resume more dynamic and engaging. They show your proactive nature and the impact you've made in your previous roles.

Instead of saying "responsible for," you can use verbs like "managed," "led," "developed," and "executed." This gives a clear picture of your abilities, which can make a strong impression on hiring managers.

Insert Industry-Relevant Keywords Into Your Account Manager Resume

If you want your resume to be noticed by employers and applicant tracking systems (ATS), use relevant keywords.

You can review the job description to understand what terms to include.

Do not simply copy and paste the job posting. Make sure to insert these keywords naturally throughout your account manager resume. Doing so shows employees that you understand the industry and have what it takes to succeed.

Quantify Your Impact

Numbers make your achievements more concrete and impressive. This is why it's important to quantify your accomplishments to highlight the value you brought to your previous roles.

For instance, you can mention the number of clients you managed, the amount of revenue you generated, or the percentage increase in contract renewals.

Having quantified results makes your resume more credible and compelling to employers.

Choose the Best Account Manager Resume Template

Since hiring managers only take a few seconds to scan your resume, the template design you pick can make a big difference in how it is perceived.

You should choose a clean, professional template that is easy to read. Make sure it highlights the key sections of your resume, such as your experience, skills, and education.

Avoid overly complex designs or highly decorative fonts that can distract from your content.

Be Concise and Straight to the Point

While providing detailed information on your resume is important, you should also be concise.

You should avoid lengthy paragraphs, generic statements, and unnecessary details.

Instead, stick to relevant information that highlights your qualifications and achievements. You can use bullet points to break up text and make your resume easier to scan.

Your goal is to showcase that you’re a good fit for the account manager role.

Tailor Your Account Manager Resume to the Job Description

Many candidates submit the same resume to different job openings and wonder why they're not hearing back from employers.

To stand out, you must customize your resume for each job application.

Start by reading the job description.

Then, adjust your professional summary, work experience, and skills sections to align with the specific job requirements.

This shows employers that you have taken the time to understand their needs and are genuinely interested in the account management position.

Seek Feedback from Others

Before submitting your resume, you may want to seek feedback from others.

You can ask colleagues or mentors to review your resume and provide constructive criticism. They can offer valuable insights and catch any errors you might have missed.

Then, use their feedback to improve your account manager's resume.

Let Better Career Help You Land Your Dream Job

Need further help writing your resume? Better Career offers detailed resume guidance as part of their 1:1 coaching programs.

Better Career can also help you land your dream job in two different ways:

• 1-on-1 Career Coaching: Work closely with former tech leaders turned career coaches to land your next Sales or Sales Engineering role, or advance your career. We'll customize the program to meet your unique goals and needs.
• PreSales & Sales Tech Job Board: Connect directly with key people at hiring companies through our curated job board for B2B tech positions. This includes direct LinkedIn profiles and posts for each listing.

Haven't found what you're looking for? Fill out our contact form, and we'll get in touch with you soon!

FAQs About Account Manager Resume

How can I make my account manager resume stand out from other candidates?

To make your account manager's resume stand out, focus on your skills and achievements. Use strong action verbs and numbers to show your impact. 

Don't forget to tailor your resume to each job application and use keywords from the job description. You can review account manager resume examples for ideas on how to effectively present your professional career.

Should I include references on my account manager resume?

No, it's not necessary to include references on your account manager's resume. Instead, prepare a separate list of references to provide upon request. Simply mention that references are available upon request at the end of your resume. 

Better yet, include your LinkedIn profile, in which employers can see recommendations you received from peers or supervisors.

What are the most important skills to highlight on an account manager resume?

It's important to highlight hard, soft, and technical skills. Important hard skills include sales strategy, client relationships, and project management. 

Meanwhile, key soft skills are communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Finally, technical skills refer to proficiency in CRM or presentation software.