Your Ultimate Guide to the Best Resume Formats
Want to choose the best resume format? First, you must understand the differences between the three main types. See examples of various resume formats and make an informed choice.
Business Development Resume—Examples and 25+ Writing Tips
You spot new opportunities like Michael Dell and bring them to reality. Prove you’ll grow revenue, programs, and partnerships with your business development resume.
You’ve found the perfect business development resume sample.
But—
This is high stakes.
You’ve got talent like Og Mandino, and you drive Netflix-level growth.
But it’s all for nothing if they don’t let you into the negotiation room.
Without a standout business development manager resume, your job search will stagnate.
Don’t worry. In a few minutes, you’ll have a resume Daniel Goleman would appreciate.
In this guide:
- A business development resume sample better than most.
- How to write a business development director resume that sparkles.
- How to craft the perfect business development job description.
- Why you can’t just list business development skills (and what to do instead).
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Are you sure a business development manager resume is right for you? See our guides and examples:
- Account Manager Resume
- Consultant Resume
- Business Manager Resume
- Business Owner Resume
- Business Analyst Resume
- Entrepreneur Resume
- Salesforce Resume
- Loan Officer Resume
- Business Administration Resume
- Management Consultant Resume
- Entry Level Business Analyst Resume
- Program Manager Resume
- Operations Manager Resume
- Project Manager Resume
- Product Manager Resume
- Purchasing Agent Resume
- Executive Resume
- MBA Resume
- CEO Resume
- Manager Resume
- Social Work Resume
- Production Manager Resume
- Chief Financial Officer / CFO Resume
- Pharmaceutical Sales Resume
- Business Resume
Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Any Job.
Business Development Resume Sample You Can Copy and Use
Mary Wender
Business Development
Personal Info
Phone: 619-203-7714
Email: maryzwender@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/maryzwender
twitter.com/maryzwender
Summary
Results-driven business development director with 6+ years of experience growing business massively for tech firms. Seeking to double sales at Arias Tech Solutions in 1 year. Grew sales 50% in 15 months at ScreenRoom 3D through 2 new product lines.
Experience
Director of Business Development
ScreenRoom 3D, Inc.
2016–2019
- Led development of 2 new programs in $4M 3D printer enterprise.
- Grew sales by 50% in 15 months by adding two new business lines, including a CAD scanner and metals printer.
- Worked with cross-functional teams of engineers, technicians, and sales personnel to identify 10 new potential product lines.
- Held informational interviews with 50+ key customers and conducted surveys to assess current market and customer needs.
- Outsourced conceptual engineers to liaise with internal stakeholders to develop new products that filled unmet client needs.
Key Achievement:
- Created 2 new programs that increased revenues by $2.2M annually, saved 20+ jobs, and created 10 new jobs.
Business Development Manager
Duskenkin Electronics
2013–2016
- Led teams of 25+ sales and marketing employees.
- Landed 20 global accounts in 8 months through new account strategy.
- Cut costs by $1.1M yearly through redesigned marketing spending.
Sales Manager
IntelliRounds Global, LLC
2011–2013
- Collaborated with corporate leadership, engineering, and marketing teams to develop new offerings that raised sales $500K in 1 year.
- Increased customer retention by 30% through facilitating the addition of new product lines unexplored by competitors.
Education
MBA
University of Southern California
2009–2011
- Daniel M. Potter Scholar for business strategy & leadership.
- President, Entrepreneur & Venture Management Association.
BS in Product Design
University of California, Berkeley, 2005–2009
Additional Activities
- Head of Volunteering, NBDA.
- Board of Directors, MAR Student Observatory.
- Mentor group of 25 sales professionals in business growth.
Hard Skills: omnichannel processes, D2C ecommerce, financial planning, product development
Soft Skills: interpersonal skills, leadership, communication, analytical skills
Here’s how to write a business development resume with the right fit:
1. Use a Clean Business Development Resume Format
Disaster.
You wrote a flawless business development resume, but the BoD deleted it.
Why?
Your clumsy formatting made you look like you came up with New Coke.
Resume formatting is like a watch by MVMT or a Tom Ford suit. It has to show professionalism and capability.
Use these tips:
Business Development Resume Format
- Craft a 1–3 page resume depending on your achievements.
- Set margins at one inch.
- Choose a resume font like 11–14pt Lucia Sans or Bell MT.
- Add plenty of white space.
- Write resume sections for Heading, Summary, Work Experience, Education, and Skills.
- Put jobs in reverse-chronological resume order.
- To look your best on all devices, submit a PDF resume.
2. Write a Business Development Resume Objective or Summary
Here’s the good news:
The board will only skim most resumes.
Wait—that’s bad news. Isn’t it?
Nope. Because they won’t skim yours. You’ll write a catchy resume objective statement or resume summary statement that gets to “Yes.”
Include:
- One adjective (energetic, versatile)
- “Business development manager” (or job title from the posting)
- Years of experience (5+, 8+)
- What you’ll do, for whom (double sales at Arias Tech Solutions...)
- Best business development manager resume accomplishments (Grew sales 50%...)
See these director of business development resume examples:
Business Development Resume Summary—Example
The last of those business development resume samples says “trust me.” But—
The BoD would rather trust the 50% sales increase in example #1.
Put a fact like that in your business development manager resume and you’ll look Momo-level.
But what if your business development experience is still conceptual?
You can still boost your bottom line. See these entry-level resume samples for business development jobs:
Entry-Level Business Development Resume Objective
Smell-test results?
The second of those entry-level business development resume examples with no experience fails.
It says you have a track record, but doesn’t show it like the first example.
3. Right-Size Your Business Development Job Description and Skills Sections
What skills are vital in a business development resume?
Here are sample skills to put on a resume for business development jobs:
Business Development Resume Skills
Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
Financial Planning | Interpersonal Skills |
Sales Management | Leadership |
Product Development | Collaboration |
D2C Ecommerce Solutions | Communication |
Logistics | Time Management |
Budgeting | |
Team Building and Management | Problem Solving |
Customer Acquisition | Critical Thinking |
Omnichannel Processes | Creativity |
Social Media | Relationship Building |
Here you can find even more technical skills.
But pump the brakes—
Don’t ever list the lot in a resume for business development jobs. Nobody will buy it.
Rather, customize your resume. How? With the right choice of resume keywords from the position posting.
These business development manager resume samples show how:
Let’s say the job wants skills in developing business lines, working with cross-functional teams, market assessments, and outsourcing.
Business Development Job Description for a Resume [Sample]
Experience
Director of Business Development
ScreenRoom 3D, Inc.
2016–2019
- Led development of 2 new programs in $4M 3D printer enterprise.
- Grew sales by 50% in 15 months by developing two new business lines, including a CAD scanner and metals printer.
- Worked with cross-functional teams of engineers, technicians, and sales personnel to identify 10 new potential product lines.
- Held informational interviews with 50+ key customers and conducted surveys to assess current market and customer needs.
- Outsourced conceptual engineers to liaise with internal stakeholders to develop new products that filled unmet client needs.
Key Achievement:
- Created 2 new programs that increased revenues by $2.2M annually, saved 20+ jobs, and created 10 new jobs.
- Tasked with landing new global accounts through account strategy improvements.
- Responsible for cutting costs through redesigned marketing spending.
- In charge of co-marketing strategy and vendor management.
- Handled off-shoring efforts and streamlining of sales service.
Wow.
The second of those business development manager resume examples says handled, responsible, in charge, tasked—the death knell!
You want specific business development achievements that rocked the boat.
But—
What if you’re a new business development professional?
A resume with no experience needs business development proof from other jobs.
See these entry-level business development resume examples with no experience. They’re for a job that needs collaboration and new product lines.
Entry-Level Business Development Resume Job Description [Sample]
Sales Manager
IntelliRounds Global, LLC
2011–2013
- Collaborated with corporate leadership, engineering, and marketing teams to develop new offerings that raised sales $500K in 1 year.
- Increased customer retention by 30% through facilitating the addition of new product lines unexplored by competitors.
Sales Manager
IntelliRounds Global, LLC
2011–2013
- Led sales team of 14 associates to improve KPIs.
- Monitored sales metrics, pinpointed challenges, and developed new solutions.
- Mentored and coached 5 sales associates whose numbers were substandard.
- Worked with marketing to improve branding message.
Well, well.
The last of those business development resume bullets lists targets a sales job!
But the first could be a young Eric Ries.
Expert Hint: Research by Harvard Business School shows the Northeast (39%) and West Coast (21%) have the most business development jobs, followed distantly by locations in the rest of the US. Key industries include the tech field (39%), health care (14%), media (11%), consumer products (11%), and manufacturing (11%).
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4. Create a Winning Education Section
Everyone knows—
Your education in a business development manager resume doesn’t matter.
Everyone is wrong.
Your resume education section needs to pull its weight.
Don’t just show your degree and school.
Put business development skills in it—especially if you’re relatively new.
See this business development resume sample:
Business Development Resume Example—Education
Education
MBA
University of Southern California
2009–2011
- Daniel M. Potter Scholar for business strategy & leadership.
- President, Entrepreneur & Venture Management Association.
BS in Product Design
University of California, Berkeley, 2005–2009
Classic.
You didn’t just earn a sheepskin. You ruled it.
5. Add Deal Sweeteners to Your Business Development Resume
Be afraid.
If you look like everyone else, you don’t have a business development resume.
You have a lottery ticket.
Let’s even up the odds.
Do it with added sections in your business development manager resume.
You can include:
- Certifications
- Volunteering
- Awards and honors
- Board memberships
- Professional associations (NBDA, etc.)
- Conferences
- Speaking engagements
- Publications
- Media mentions
- Foreign languages
- Additional activities
- Fitness
See these business development resume examples:
Business Development Resume—Other Sections
Additional Activities
- Head of Volunteering, NBDA.
- Board of Directors, MAR Student Observatory.
- Mentor group of 25 sales professionals in business growth.
Additional Activities
- Sailing
- Skating
Amazing.
The first of those director of business development resume samples overflows with competence.
Expert Hint: Make sure you know how to write a cover letter for your resume for business development jobs. It should show how your passions and past wins fit the company mission.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Key Points
Here’s how to write a business development director resume:
- Use a good business development resume template. Stock it with your best business development accomplishments.
- Include business development skills like product development or team leadership. Use metrics to show those skills are Nvidia-sized.
- Write a business development resume summary to provide a window into your best attributes.
- Add “special” sections with an NBDA membership or a position on a charitable BoD.
Got questions on how to write good resumes for business development jobs? Not sure how to put business development on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
