Call Center resume examples & templates

A call center resume is like a ringing endorsement for your excellence as a candidate. An upbeat, dynamic message is like a happy ending to a customer interaction—everyone is satisfied. You get your next job and the recruiter fills the position. Answer the call for a job with a resume that quickly dials you in for an interview!

What elevates a resume? Voice, clarity and energy.

As the voice of the company, your tone, attitude, and ability to sell the customer on a solution make for a first impression that can lead to a long-term relationship. Your call center resume is that first impression for the hiring manager. Make a first impression that leaves them wanting to know you better with a call center resume that resonates.

Resume guide for a call center resume

Get on the fast track with Resume.io. Our guides and resume examples cover over 500 professions, and our resume builder provides everything you need to create an attention-getting resume in no time.

This resume guide and accompanying call center resume example will cover the following:

• How to write a call center resume
• Choosing the right resume format for a call center position
• How to add your contact information
• Making the most of summaries
• Adding your call center experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right resume design/layout
• What salary you can expect from a call center job

How to write a call center resume

Just like a call center job that starts out with a script, a resume for a call center position begins with a structure. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Excellence in a call center requires selling the caller on your ability to provide guidance or assistance. Show off your sales skills by selling your qualifications within your call center representative resume. To do that, research the company and its needs so you know what type of customer you will be assisting and for what issues. Use this knowledge to develop a sales pitch directly linked to the company’s needs.

Follow this scripted outline for a winning resume:

• Emphasize achievements, not tasks. Of course you answered customer calls, but how did you resolve them? How long did it take? How many customers a day did you help? Apply this tenet to your summary and work history sections to show employers how you will add value to the call center.
• Customize. Address the needs of each employer by treating them individually, just as you do customers. A call center for a financial institution has different needs than one for a children’s clothing store.
• Choose a resume layout that matches the tone and culture of the industry. Keep it professional, but not boring.
• Remember to add keywords from the job listing when you apply online. This tactic will help you pass through the applicant tracking system (ATS) filter.

Choosing the right resume format for a call center representative

Your resume needs to get to the point in a friendly manner, just as you do as a call center rep. 

The best call center resume format is reverse chronological order. This is the best organization in which to describe what you are doing now and craft the story of how you got there. 

If you are looking for a call center job without experience or are looking to move into a new field, a format such as the functional format, which highlights your skills and education over your direct employment history, may be a better option.  

When you are ready to choose from among the dozens of  resume templates in our resume builder, take into account the format as well as the design. View resume examples for all three formats to find the one that’s right for you.

A call center resume should get the point across without any wasted flourishes. We suggest one of our simple templates, which communicate clearly and professionally. 

Include your contact information

Every section of your resume contributes to the impression recruiters make of you. That includes your contact information. Use the header of your call center resume to present your data professionally and to add a graphic element to your document. 

Here’s what to include, and what to leave out:

• Full name and title. List your first and last name and “call center representative” or the title from the job listing.
• Professional email address. By professional, we mean a format such as  [email protected]. Leave out silly email addresses meant for friends.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be readily contacted. Your voicemail greeting is particularly important because it speaks to your phone etiquette, so make sure it’s professional
• Location. List only your city and state. Don’t list a street address or zip code. It’s outdated and relays too much information about you. Many call center jobs are remote, so it’s especially irrelevant in those cases.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: Not necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details: Marital status, social security number, passport number, etc.

Make use of a summary

How do you answer a customer call? While some centers may provide you with a detailed script, others may give you more freedom. A call center resume summary should open the same way you start an interaction with customers: with a friendly introduction.

The 2-3 sentences that compose your summary tell the employer just why you are the right person for the job. A strong case consists of a great achievement or highlight from your call center work and a description of your customer service personality.

Be bold, using action verbs like brainstormed, resolved, reconciled, and converted and include what you achieved with those actions. 

A resume is a concise document. Each element adds to the whole. Repeating information from your work history takes space you could use to enhance your profile. Use it to provide the big picture and answer the question: “Why should I hire you?” A sentence such as “Call center representative with track record of taking on and resolving escalated customer issues with grace and calm” tells the recruiter that you can handle even the most difficult of personalities without losing your cool.

The summary defines your professional image your way. Focus on the skills and attributes that are most likely to make you a desirable candidate for each job. Consider these questions:

• Do you pride yourself on speedily handling calls?
• Are you immune to angry customers yelling at you?
• Have you developed streamlined problem resolution processes?

These are the overarching qualities and accomplishments that shape your professional profile. 

You can find adaptable call center resume examples summary below:

Outline your call center work experience: glad to be of service

Focus the employment history section of your resume on your call center achievements. This detailed listing of your work experience should not be a dry list of your responsibilities. Beginning with your most recent position, list all your jobs related to call center work.

Beneath each employer you’ve had for the last 10-15 years, create dynamic bullet items that detail your call center successes. Begin each with a strong action word and follow it with what you achieved through that action. Include data such as number of calls you completed in a day, how much you were able to reduce call time or an increase in customer retention you spearheaded.

A listing of tasks such as the one below is unlikely to spark interest.

• “Answered customer calls”
• “Described products in detail”
• “Used CRM system to log all interactions”
• “Worked with team to improve customer service”

These generic statements could apply to anyone who has worked in a call center. They are missing the details that paint a picture of what you really did. What type of customer calls did you answer? What products did you describe and why?

Employers want to know what value you will bring to the company, so tell them what results you have already achieved. Review the enhanced statements below:

• “Acted as first point of contact for 100+ customers a day calling with questions about order processing.”
• “Informed customers about all wholesale garden machinery including providing comparisons of different models and converted 85% of calls to sales team.”
• “Spearheaded update of customer interactions in Freshworks CRM software, leading to 10% reduction in lost sales opportunities.”
• “Collaborated with sales and call center garden team to streamline product descriptions and manuals, reducing call time by average of 2 minutes each.”

Take a look at the call center employment history resume sample below:

How to write a call center resume with no experience

Writing a call center resume with no experience requires a focus on skills you have that you have learned in other ways or through other jobs. These transferable skills can make a strong case that you have what it takes to provide excellent customer service.

If you have worked as wait staff in a restaurant or been a retail cashier, you have customer service and communication skills. These jobs probably entail learning a point-of-sales system. That demonstrates ability to learn and computer savvy. 

The variety of industries that operate call centers is enormous. When applying for work in an industry you have knowledge of, either through work, hobbies or education, highlight that knowledge as well.  Use your summary to explain why you want to be a call center representative.

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great call center rep

In your call center resume skills list, showcase the abilities that, when combined, make you the most qualified candidate (while taking into account the ATS keywords). That means customizing for each position and developing a list that blends both hard and soft skills.

Call centers rely heavily on soft skills like customer service, communication, problem-solving and an even temperament, but hard skills such as knowledge of the industry, customer service best practices, and call center CRM software complete the package.

The resume builder provides a list of skills you can choose from, but are not limited to. You can also rate your proficiency level, if you so choose. 

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our call center resume template. 

The box above furnishes a quick glimpse of skills, but the hiring manager will want to know how you apply those skills. Take every opportunity throughout your resume to demonstrate the successes you’ve achieved by using your great skill.

Here are some ideas for placement:

• Stress management by describing a difficult customer interaction and how you resolved it or by detailing how many calls you handled in a high-volume workplace
• Sales talent by showing that you passed on most of your calls to the sales department
• Tech savvy by highlighting your input into a streamlined CRM process

The job listing will guide you in deciding which skills to showcase.

Detail your education & relevant call center certifications 

The educational bar for entry into a role in a call center is a high school diploma or its equivalent. List your diploma and any degrees you have earned in your education section.

While employers may list only a high school diploma, you may include other educational experiences in this section since they demonstrate your desire to learn and improve. Consider any of the following:

• Training and certifications. Customer service training, CRM or other related software certifications, or training in products or services the company sells are valuable.
• Internships. Any internship that required customer service or a summer stint in a call center elevates your candidacy.
• Professional development. This includes any groups that show you are eager to learn more about the industry.

If you’re a recent high school graduate or have impressive industry-related training, highlight this section by moving it above your employment history. 

Call center resume layout and design principles

Your voice may be the first contact callers have with your employer and it needs to reflect the company’s culture and public image. In the same way that you represent the company with care, you need to represent yourself with care in your layout.

What image do you want to project? Friendly, efficient, calm? All of the above? Whatever your professional personality, the layout of your resume needs to be both eye-catching and professional without veering toward dull. 

Aim for clean lines, easy-to-ready fonts and clearly labeled sections. Our resume templates are customizable, but keep these principles in mind:

• Maintain even margins throughout. Keep them within 0.5-1.0 inch. Too small and your resume looks cramped, too large and it looks like you have nothing to say.
• Think carefully about color use. If you choose to use color, go easy and make sure the text is still readable. Consider using the logo colors of the company if they aren’t too bold.
• Your name should be the largest type on the page.
• Small icons are fine, but avoid other graphics or pictures.

Compiling a job-winning resume can be time-consuming, but taking advantage of Resume.io’s templates and resume builder will have you answering job ads more quickly.

Call center text-only resume example

What type of salary you can expect in a call center

Because call center jobs are often entry-level positions, the starting salaries fall around minimum wage, but there is room for growth. The salary range for call center representatives is $26,242-$50.900.

Key takeaways for building a call center resume

Working a call center job requires excellent customer service skills and a friendly demeanor. Project these qualities in a resume that grabs the attention of recruiters with details of how your attributes will improve their customer retention or sales conversions. No experience? This job is soft-skill heavy, so make use of transferable skills and an alternate resume format when entering this market. Choose a layout that’s professional and organized, but retains a spark of personality.

Start assisting customers more quickly by streamlining the resume creation process with our online resume builder. The sooner you complete your resume, the sooner your next journey begins.