How to Write a Winning Customer Success Manager Resume

If you're aiming to land a role in customer success, your resume is your ticket to standing out in a competitive job market.

But where do you start? How do you write a compelling resume that wins you interviews and job offers?

We know how overwhelming it is to craft a winning resume, especially if you're a career changer. So, in today's article, we'll share tips for creating a standout resume tailored specifically for customer success manager (CSM) positions.

Understanding the Customer Success Manager Role

Before writing a customer success manager resume, you need to understand what this role means. Knowing what the position entails will help you craft a more effective resume.

As a CSM, you focus on ensuring the success and satisfaction of customers throughout their journey with your company. 

Think of yourself as a bridge between the customer and various internal teams. You advocate for the client's needs, which drives customer retention and business growth.

Key Responsibilities of Customer Success Managers

Below are the daily tasks customer success managers handle:

• Develop and maintain strong customer relationships: CSMs regularly communicate with customers to understand their needs and solve their problems. Doing so helps increase customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty.
• Conduct customer onboarding: CSMs guide clients through the onboarding stage and ensure a smooth transition.
• Collaborate with internal teams: To improve the customer experience, the customer success team must collaborate closely with other internal departments, namely tech sales, product, and support.
• Analyze customer data: An experienced customer success manager must review customer usage data to identify potential issues and suggest areas for improvement.
• Manage customer success strategies: CSMs must review customer success initiatives and track customer satisfaction scores to reduce churn rates.

Qualifications of Customer Success Managers

To excel as a customer success manager, you should possess the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree: Most companies require candidates for the customer success manager position to have a college degree in business, marketing, or a related field.
• Customer success experience: You should have relevant work, internship, or volunteering experience as a customer success manager.
• Customer service skills: You should be able to understand and address customer needs.
• Communication skills: You must have excellent communication skills to work effectively with different clients and teams.
• Technical skills: Knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) software and customer support systems is important if you want to succeed as a customer success manager.

How to Craft a Winning Customer Success Manager Resume

Hiring managers scan through hundreds of customer success manager resumes every day. How do you catch their attention and move on to the next hiring process? Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write a successful customer success manager resume:

1. Write a Compelling Customer Success Manager Resume Summary

After hiring managers notice your name and contact information, one of the first things they'll read is the summary portion of your resume. This is your chance to introduce your professional background and career objectives.

Think of it as an elevator pitch—you have 30 seconds or less to explain why you're a good fit for the job opening.

Begin with a strong opening statement that highlights your years of experience and relevant skills in customer success management.

Then, mention your key achievements from your previous role as a customer success manager.

If you're an entry-level candidate or a career pivoter, you can focus on demonstrating your passion for customer satisfaction. Explain why you want a job in customer success and what you can bring to the table.

Keep your resume summary concise. Aim to write three to four sentences that perfectly capture your career.

Resume Summary Sample

A good resume summary sample is something like this: 

"Results-driven Customer Success Manager with over five years of experience in the tech industry. Proven track record of increasing customer retention by 20% and enhancing client satisfaction scores. Adept at building strong client relationships and providing strategic solutions to meet customer needs."

2. Add Customer Success Manager Work Experience

The work experience section is where you can showcase your accomplishments in previous roles.

Start with your most recent job and work backward, listing each position you’ve held. For each role, you must include the job title, company name, location, and dates of employment.

In the bullet points under each job, focus on your accomplishments and the impact you had. Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities and quantify your results whenever possible.

You can also highlight specific projects or initiatives you led and the positive outcomes. This could include increasing customer retention rates, implementing new customer success strategies, or resolving major customer issues.

By focusing on your accomplishments, you show potential employers the value you can bring to their customer success team.

Work Experience Sample

Here's an example of how to write the work experience section on your resume:

Customer Success Manager

XYZ Company, Austin, TX

June 2019 – Present

• Lead a team of 10 customer success specialists, improving overall team performance by 25%.
• Increased customer retention rates by 20% through strategic account management and proactive customer engagement.
• Developed and implemented a customer onboarding program that reduces onboarding time by 30%.
• Conducted regular customer feedback sessions, resulting in actionable insights that lead to product improvements and higher user satisfaction.
• Collaborated with the sales and product teams to ensure a seamless customer journey.
• Resolved complex customer issues efficiently, achieving a 95% resolution rate within the first contact.

3. Include Relevant Education and Certifications

The education section of your customer success manager resume is your opportunity to highlight relevant degrees, courses, and certifications.

When writing this part of your resume, you should list your highest level of education first. Include the degree title, major, institution name, and graduation date.

If you have completed any certifications that are relevant to the job, be sure to include them. For example, certifications in customer service, data analysis, or software related to your industry can be very valuable. These demonstrate your commitment to professional development and your expertise in specific areas.

Even if you don’t have formal education in business or customer success, you can still include any relevant training or courses you have completed. This shows that you are continuously learning and improving your skills, which is a valuable trait for customer success managers.

Education Sample

For example, you can showcase your educational background using this format: 

Bachelor's Degree (BS) in Business Administration | University of Southern California | May 2017

When including relevant certifications, you can write something like: 

Cisco Customer Success Manager Certification | Cisco | 2020

4. Highlight Key Skills and Proficiencies

Skills are a crucial part of every resume. You need a mix of hard skills, soft skills, and technical skills to succeed in this role. Make sure to highlight the skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.

Hard Skills

Hard skills refer to specific, teachable abilities that you have gained through work experience or training as a customer success manager. Examples include account management, client onboarding, customer data analysis, and project management.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are interpersonal skills and character traits that help you interact effectively with others. To succeed as a customer success manager, you must showcase communication, problem-solving, relationship-building, collaboration, and empathy.

Technical Skills

Technical skills show that you have knowledge of the software and tools you'll need to perform a job effectively. If you're seeking a customer success manager position, you must know how to use Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, and other customer relationship management systems.

5. Consider Additional Customer Success Manager Resume Sections

To make your customer success manager resume stand out even more, consider adding extra sections that highlight your unique qualifications and experiences.

• Volunteer experience: If you have volunteered in roles relevant to customer success, you can include this experience. It shows that you are dedicated and have valuable skills that can help you excel in a CSM role.
• Awards and achievements: List any awards or recognitions you have received from your previous jobs to showcase your excellence in your field. This can include employee of the month awards, sales achievements, or customer service recognitions.
• Professional development: You can include any workshops, seminars, or courses you have attended that are relevant to customer success. This shows that you are committed to continuing your education and staying up-to-date with industry trends.
• Language proficiency: If you are fluent in multiple languages, be sure to mention this in your resume. It can be a valuable asset in customer success roles, especially if you work with a diverse customer base.
• Memberships: You can list any professional organizations or associations you are a member of. This shows that you are engaged in your professional community and have access to additional resources and networking opportunities.

Expert Tips for Writing a Standout Customer Success Manager Resume

Now that you have the foundation of your CSM resume in place, it's time to refine it to truly stand out. Follow the tips below to help you polish your resume:

Use Action Verbs to Describe Customer Success Experience

Using action verbs can make your resume more dynamic and engaging. These words clearly convey your responsibilities and make your experience unique against other customer success manager resumes. They also help paint a vivid picture of your contributions and successes in previous roles.

So, instead of saying you were "responsible for 5+ customer accounts," mention that you "analyzed and managed 5+ customer accounts." This small change makes your role sound more active and impactful.

Here are ten more action verbs you can use to describe your responsibilities or experience:

1. Collaborate
2. Coordinate
3. Direct
4. Enhance
5. Implement
6. Influence
7. Orchestrate
8. Resolve
9. Strategize
10. Spearhead

Quantify Achievements and Results

Numbers make your achievements tangible and more impressive. They provide clear evidence of your capabilities and the value you can bring to a new role.

This is why you should quantify your accomplishments and outcomes whenever possible. Whether it's the percentage increase in customer retention, the number of clients you managed, or the time you saved with a new process, adding specific metrics highlights your effectiveness.

Avoid vague and general statements such as "improved customer satisfaction." Instead, mention how much you contributed.

For example, you can say something like, "Improved customer satisfaction scores by 15% within six months." 

Optimize for Keywords

Today, most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to reduce the workload of hiring teams. If you want your resume to catch the eye of hiring managers, you must first pass ATS.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume.

Do not simply copy and paste. The recruiter will find you lazy if you do so, which hurts your chances of landing a job.

Instead, insert relevant keywords naturally throughout your resume, especially in the summary and work experience sections.

For a customer success manager role, keywords might include "customer retention," "onboarding," "relationship management," and "CRM software."

Highlight Conflict Resolution Skills

Conflict resolution is a critical skill for customer success managers. You need to demonstrate that you can handle difficult situations and turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones.

When writing your resume, mention specific examples in which you have successfully addressed conflicts and the positive outcomes that resulted from this action.

For example, in the work experience section, you can write something like, "Resolved customer complaints by implementing a new feedback system, resulting in a 30% reduction in complaints."

How to Land an Interview With Your Customer Success Manager Resume

Crafting a standout resume is just the first step. To increase your chances of landing a customer success manager interview, you need to take a few additional steps. These tips will help you present your resume in the best possible light:

Tailor the Customer Success Manager Resume to the Job

Each job application is unique, and your resume should reflect that. Tailor your resume for each job by emphasizing the skills and experiences most relevant to the specific role. Carefully read the job description and adjust your resume to highlight the qualifications the recruiters are seeking.

By customizing your resume, you're showing that you understand the company’s needs and that you are genuinely interested in the CSM position. 

This attention to detail can set you apart from other candidates and make a strong impression on hiring managers.

Keep Your Resume Clear and Concise

No one wants to read a cluttered resume. You must keep yours clear and concise to catch the attention of recruiters.

You can use bullet points to break up large blocks of text and make your resume more readable.

Avoid long paragraphs or overly complex language. Instead, focus on conveying your qualifications and achievements as clearly as possible.

Choose a Clean and Professional Template

Select a clean resume template that reflects your professional career. You should also stick to a classic layout with clear headings and consistent formatting.

Do not pick overly flashy designs or excessive use of colors because they can distract recruiters from the main content of your resume.

When you use a professional-looking resume, you demonstrate that you are serious about the role. You're also making it easier for hiring managers to find the information they need quickly.

Proofread Your Resume

Errors and typos on your customer success manager resume can make a negative impression on potential employers. You must carefully proofread your resume to catch any mistakes.

Consider using tools like Grammarly to spot errors you may have missed. Or you can ask a friend or colleague to review your resume and suggest areas for improvement.

Submit a Cover Letter with Your Customer Success Manager Resume

While most jobs do not require you to submit a cover letter, writing one can provide additional context for your application.

Use this document to expand on key points in your resume and explain why you're interested in the role.

You should also tailor it to each job to make a strong case for why you should be considered for the position. It's another way to highlight your communication skills and enthusiasm for the role.

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 Job Accelerator and 1:1 coaching programs.

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

• 1-on-1 Career Coaching: Work closely with former tech leaders and 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.
• B2B 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 Customer Success Manager Resume

What should I include in the customer success manager resume summary section?

When writing the summary section of your resume, you should add key qualifications, significant achievements, and skills that make you an ideal fit for the role. Keep it concise and impactful by using powerful action verbs.

What skills should I put on a customer success manager resume?

You must include a mix of hard skills (like account management), soft skills (such as communication and empathy), and technical skills (Salesforce) relevant to the role.

What are common mistakes to avoid when writing a customer success manager resume?

Avoid using vague language, choosing overly flashy designs, neglecting to quantify achievements, and failing to proofread for errors.