Writing a compelling manager CV is a tall order. In this one-page document, you need to let employers know that you are a natural-born leader — with the skills to prove it — and that you’re an expert in your chosen sector too. Weaving an interesting and consistent career narrative takes pizazz and know-how. Luckily, we’re here to help you along the way.
Here at Resume.io, we have all the tools you need to climb the career ladder. We provide CV writing guides, backed by 65+ CV examples, templates, and even an easy-to-use CV builder. In the following guide and the corresponding Manager CV example, we will cover:
- What a manager does and how much you can expect to earn
- Expert tips on how to write your manager CV (plus a CV sample)
- Advice on each section of your CV (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional design and layout tips to make your CV shine.
What does a manager do?
Managers are in charge of making sure their team gets the job done. That involves planning, directing, scheduling, and working towards goals. However, there is so much more to this leadership role than those baseline tasks. You need to inspire, motivate, and support your department.
Top managers know how to get what they need out of team members while also being their brothers in arms. They stand by their fellow employees, pull their weight, and lead by example. For that reason, if you want to make it as a manager, you need to have a high level of empathy and the ability to relate to every member of the team.
Taking a step up the career ladder won’t hurt your bank balance!
The average salary for a manager in the United Kingdom is £45,516, according to Reed. When you compare that to the national average salary of £33,000, it’s a substantial leap.
Of course, the exact wage you take home will depend largely on the sector in which you work, how many years of experience you have, and your company. When you are offered a managerial position, it’s worth negotiating for the salary that you deserve.
Unless you’re the top dog, you will also be reporting to a manager above you. They will expect you to meet certain targets and deadlines. To become a successful manager, you need the ability to manage your stress levels and push your team towards their targets.
How to write a manager CV
Before you can apply for the next step on the career ladder, you need to make sure that you know what it takes. Your expertly-written manager CV should include the following:
- The CV header
- The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The CV skills section
- The education section
Avoid opting for a one-size-fits-all approach if you are applying for multiple managerial roles. A little research can go a long way! It’s worth looking into each of the businesses to which you are applying. What are their values, goals, and processes? Learning as much as you can will help you to tailor your manager CV to meet the criteria of the job at hand.
Unleash your inner wordsmith. As a manager, you should have a wide lexicon or, simply put, a way with words. Swap simple words for synonyms to elevate your status. Don’t use industry-specific jargon or uncommon words. Getting the balance right can be tough but — when you do it — it will make your manager CV a joy to read.
Optimise your manager CV now!
Your CV has to navigate software before a human lays eyes on it.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filter incoming applications and rank them by how closely they fit the job specification. They do this by matching the content of each CV to keywords and phrases. The more matches you have, the more likely you are to pass.
Picking out specific words from the job advert and peppering your CV with them is the way to go. You can also read our complete guide on creating an ATS-optimised CV.
Choosing the best CV format for a manager
Make the hiring manager’s job easy by opting for a reverse chronological CV format. It’s the most common structure for applications and it’s what employers expect to see. That means you start at the top of the page with your most recent experiences. As you move down the page, you simultaneously work your way back in time. When the reader glances at your application, they can quickly and easily understand your career story. Simple!
Of course, there is another option. If you’re a career changer, this standard CV format may not be the ticket. You may want to turn the spotlight to your robust skill set if you are lacking in managerial experience. In that case, you can use a functional approach instead. This alternative structure puts more weight on your specific talents than your work history. For more inspiration, take a quick look at our complete CV format guide and CV examples.
Planning your manager CV doesn’t have to be hard. To help you get started, take a look at some similar examples. Check out our project manager CV sample, HR manager CV sample, operations manager CV example, or customer service manager CV sample.
CV header
First things first, your CV header is located at the top of the page and can set you apart from the crowd. This section includes your basic contact information. We’re talking about your name, address, email address, and phone number. While that may not sound like the most exciting snippet in the world, it is vital that you display this information clearly. Should a hiring manager review your application, it needs to be a cinch to get in touch with you.
CV summary example: your elevator pitch
Can you “wow” the recruiter in a couple of sentences? Your CV summary gives you the opportunity to do just that. It is the most freeform part of your manager application — a place where you can creatively state what it is that makes you the perfect candidate.
You don’t have a whole load of space to make your case. With that in mind, you might want to draft a longer version of your summary first and then edit it down. Focus on the leadership strengths you are bringing to the table… and then back them up with evidence. For example, rather than merely stating that you are a “confident leader,” you can expand and say that you are a “confident leader who has increased team productivity by 10%.”
To save yourself some space, you can ditch any openers such as “I am,” “I have,” or “I can.” These words don’t add to the content of your summary so you can omit them. Get straight to the point as we have done in our CV sample. That way, hiring managers don’t have to sift through all of the fluff to understand what you’re trying to say here.
Dedicated management professional with a passion for delivering top-calibre business performance. Motivational leader able to inspire teams to achieve ambitious weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets. Strong experience in optimising retail environments to drive revenue and value growth.
Employment history sample: your career story
Chances are, if you’re applying for a managerial position, you already have years of experience under your belt. Your employment history section allows you to show it off. If you are using the reverse chronological approach, start with your most recent job post.
When outlining each position, start with the role and the company name at the top. You can include your dates of employment below that. Next, you may want to bullet point your highest achievements or the core job duties. This gives you the chance to weave in some of your key leadership strengths and add some context to each of them. Try to think of relevant examples for each of the competencies you have and include each of them.
General Manager at Sea Mobile, Edinburgh, UK
June 2016 - Present
- Oversee retail operations to ensure achievement of store and corporate targets.
- Lead store team, shaping incentive plans to motivate performance excellence and
- foster an environment of healthy competition.
- Identified sales and new business opportunities, shaping business strategies to
- increase monthly and quarterly store revenues.
- Participated in regional management events as store ambassador, engaging with
- leadership colleagues to assess performance and brainstorm approaches.
Assistant Manager at Topshop, Edinburgh, UK
March 2008 - April 2016
- Provided support for day-to-day retail operations, partnering with senior leadership to ensure the streamlined execution of general business processes.
- Monitored inventory and stock movements, preparing detailed reports for upper-tier management.
- Trained and mentored sales staff in brand-aligned customer service quality standards to a high level.
- Managed the full scope of employment activities, building a strong and engaged workforce culture through clear management expectations and effective employment practices.
Retail Associate at Topshop, Edinburgh, UK
May 2007 - March 2008
- Delivered exceptional customer service, ensuring positive experiences.
- Managed customer disputes or conflicts with a high success rate, earning regular praise from management and guests.
- Performed merchandising in alignment with brand standards and seasonal trends to entice shoppers.
CV skills example: showcase your talents
Expert leadership skills are at the heart of your manager CV. In this section, you can slide in a handful of the keywords that you noted in the job advert (so long as they apply to you). For example, you may want to include “people management,” “vision,” “adaptability,” “delegation,” “organisation,” and “responsibility.”
While you may have a list as long as your arm, keep your CV skills to a maximum of eight. You don’t want to fatten your application up with a long list of talents and zero context. Keep in mind that you can include hat tips to your skills in other sections of your CV too.
- Customer Service
- Retail & Sales Environments
- Communication
- Team Leadership
- Multitasking
- Sales Strategies
- General Management
- Recruiting & Training
- Merchandising & Promotions
Mix up your managerial skill set!
It goes without saying that you should include leadership skills on your manager CV . However, you don’t want to skip over industry-centric talents. For example, if you work in sales, you need to include skills such as “lead generation,” “customer relations,” and “cold calling” as well. Make sure you keep a balance between these two sets of skills.
Manager CV education example
The education section of your manager CV should be relatively straightforward. You should list any degrees or other qualifications you have in a simple reverse-chronological structure. Now, it's a common misconception that you need to write a paragraph for each qualification. You don’t. However, if you have won an award or honours, you should include it in this section.
Have you taken a managerial training course? Whether it was an online course or an in-person away day, don’t be afraid to shout about it under the main education section.
Bachelor of Science , Edinburgh College, Edinburgh, UK
January 2003 - December 2006
CV layout and design: first impressions
Getting the content of your manager CV right is one thing. However, if this document is a real mess, the employer may pass over it sooner than read it. Check out our top tips here:
- Choose a consistent style for your CV and use no more than 2-3 colours throughout the document.
- Pick a couple of fonts to use on your CV — one serif and one sans serif. Make it look uniform.
- Ask a friend or someone you trust to take a look at your CV before sending it to potential employers.
- Try to squeeze too much information onto your CV. It should fit neatly onto one document.
- Include graphics or charts on your CV. These can look overwhelming to any hiring manager out there.
- Go for a wild or “out there” CV template. The tone should be clear, easy to read, and professional.
Key takeaways for a manager CV
- Whenever you’re making big claims, make sure that you back them up. The more evidence you provide, the more trustworthy you will be in an employer’s eyes.
- Weave your leadership skills through every part of your CV to give them colour. You don’t want to confine them to your CV skills section.
- Check your CV to make sure you don’t have any spelling or grammar mistakes!
- You can use one of our field-tested CV templates to help make it easy.
