Choose from a wide range of CV templates and customize the design with a single click.
Use ATS-optimised CV and resume templates that pass applicant tracking systems. Our CV builder helps recruiters read, scan, and shortlist your CV faster.
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact CV rules employers look for.
Create CV
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact CV rules employers look for.
Create CVA manager-level resume is not just a stronger version of an individual contributor resume.
It is a different category entirely.
At the manager level, hiring decisions are no longer about execution. They are about leadership, ownership, and business impact.
If your resume still reads like you “did the work,” you will not be considered a manager. You will be seen as a senior individual contributor at best.
This guide breaks down how to build a manager resume that aligns with how recruiters, hiring managers, and ATS systems actually evaluate leadership candidates.
A manager resume must answer a completely different set of questions:
Can this person lead people?
Can they drive business outcomes through others?
Can they make decisions under uncertainty?
Have they owned results at a team or department level?
Recruiter Insight: At the manager level, your value is not what you do. It’s what your team achieves because of you.
ATS looks for:
Managerial titles (Manager, Lead, Head, Director)
Leadership keywords (team leadership, cross-functional, strategy)
Industry-specific competencies
Tools and systems relevant to leadership
Recruiters scan for:
Team size managed
Scope of responsibility
Before writing anything, define:
What type of manager you are
What you manage (people, processes, revenue, operations)
What outcomes you drive
Examples:
Engineering Manager (team + systems + delivery)
Marketing Manager (campaigns + revenue + growth)
Operations Manager (efficiency + cost + scalability)
Recruiter Insight: A vague “manager” profile is weak. A clearly defined leadership identity is strong.
Budget ownership
Business impact
Career progression into leadership
Hiring managers care about:
Decision-making ability
Strategic thinking
Ability to scale teams and processes
Leadership under pressure
Real ownership of outcomes
If your resume does not clearly demonstrate these, you will not move forward.
Your summary must reflect authority, not participation.
Include:
Years of leadership experience
Type of teams managed
Business outcomes delivered
Leadership style or specialization
Weak Example:
“Experienced manager with strong communication and leadership skills.”
Good Example:
“Operations Manager with 8+ years leading cross-functional teams of up to 25 employees, driving operational efficiency improvements of 30% and reducing costs by $2M annually through process optimization and data-driven decision-making.”
Manager resumes must focus on:
Team outcomes
Strategic initiatives
Process improvements
Business metrics
Not:
Tasks
Tools used
Daily activities
Use this structure:
Leadership Action + Scope + Business Result
Weak Example:
“Supervised a team of employees.”
Good Example:
“Led a team of 18 sales representatives, increasing quarterly revenue by 27% through performance coaching, pipeline optimization, and strategic territory planning.”
Every manager resume should explicitly show:
Number of people managed
Departments or functions led
Budget or revenue responsibility
Geographic or operational scope
Example:
Managed team of 12 engineers across 3 regions
Owned $5M annual budget
Led operations for 200+ retail locations
Recruiter Insight: Without scope, your leadership is assumed to be small.
Managers are judged on outcomes.
Strong metrics include:
Revenue growth
Cost reduction
Team performance improvement
Efficiency gains
Retention improvements
Weak Example:
“Improved team performance.”
Good Example:
“Improved team productivity by 35% and reduced turnover by 22% through structured coaching and performance management systems.”
Managers are expected to:
Build strategies
Make decisions
Influence stakeholders
Your resume must reflect this.
Examples:
Developed go-to-market strategy
Led digital transformation initiatives
Designed operational frameworks
Your skills section should include:
Leadership and management competencies
Strategic and operational capabilities
Industry-specific expertise
Examples:
Team Leadership
Strategic Planning
Budget Management
Stakeholder Alignment
Change Management
Hiring managers want to see:
Promotion into management
Increasing responsibility
Expansion of scope
Example progression:
If your growth is unclear, your leadership credibility drops.
Top candidates show:
They enable others to perform better
They scale systems, not just execute tasks
Instead of:
Show:
Managers rarely work in isolation.
Highlight:
Collaboration with other departments
Influence across teams
Stakeholder management
Use language that reflects ownership:
“Owned”
“Directed”
“Led strategy”
“Drove execution”
Managers are evaluated on:
Profitability
Efficiency
Growth
Show alignment with business goals.
This is the biggest mistake.
If your resume focuses on what YOU did instead of what your TEAM achieved, you will be down-leveled.
Without context, your leadership appears minimal.
Managers must show strategy, not just execution.
No metrics = no proof of impact.
Managers are not evaluated on tools alone.
Focus on outcomes.
Name: Sarah Mitchell
Target Role: Operations Manager
Location: Chicago, IL
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Results-driven Operations Manager with 10+ years of experience leading high-performing teams across logistics and supply chain environments. Proven ability to optimize processes, reduce operational costs by up to 25%, and scale operations supporting $100M+ in annual revenue.
CORE SKILLS
Team Leadership
Process Optimization
Budget Management
Supply Chain Strategy
Performance Management
Data Analysis
WORK EXPERIENCE
Operations Manager | Amazon | 2019–Present
Led a team of 45+ employees across warehouse operations, achieving a 32% increase in productivity and reducing fulfillment errors by 18%
Managed operational budget of $8M, identifying cost-saving initiatives that reduced expenses by $1.5M annually
Implemented process improvements that decreased order processing time by 25%
Senior Operations Supervisor | DHL | 2015–2019
Supervised 20+ staff members across logistics operations, improving delivery efficiency by 22%
Introduced performance tracking systems that increased employee productivity by 30%
Coordinated cross-functional initiatives with transportation and customer service teams
Operations Analyst | FedEx | 2012–2015
Analyzed operational data to identify inefficiencies, contributing to a 15% reduction in delays
Supported management in implementing process improvements across regional operations
EDUCATION
MBA, University of Chicago
Bachelor’s in Business Administration
If you are not yet a manager, position yourself as one.
Highlight:
Leadership responsibilities
Mentoring or coaching
Project ownership
Cross-functional collaboration
Recruiter Insight: You don’t need the title to show leadership. You need the evidence.
Use keywords like:
Team leadership
Performance management
Strategic planning
Operations management
Cross-functional collaboration
But keep it natural and readable.
Before applying, confirm:
Is leadership clearly demonstrated?
Is team size and scope visible?
Are there measurable business results?
Does the resume show progression?
Is the positioning aligned with the target role?
If not, your resume will not compete at the manager level.
Most manager resumes fail because they:
Focus on activity instead of outcomes
Lack leadership clarity
Do not show business impact
Fail to differentiate from senior individual contributors
Hiring managers are not looking for someone who can manage tasks.
They are looking for someone who can:
Lead people
Drive outcomes
Solve business problems
Your resume must prove that you can do all three — clearly, quickly, and credibly.
Upload CV
Import from Linkedin
