The most common mistake in a manager CV is listing duties instead of results. Employers want to see how well you did the job, not just that you were assigned it. This guide shows how to write the profile summary, work-experience bullets and skills section for a manager role, with examples you can copy and adapt.
Order and length
Put your name, title and contact details at the top, a short profile summary beneath, then work experience, education and skills. With little experience (recent graduate, internship) move education and projects ahead of work history. One page is enough for most applications; a second page is acceptable beyond roughly ten years of experience.
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) read plain, single-column CVs with standard headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills) best. Pick a more designed template for the version you hand to a recruiter.
Profile summary examples for a manager
Keep it to two to four sentences: years of experience, strengths and goal. Take one draft below and replace each [X] with your own information:
- Results-driven manager who leads teams to their goals and balances strategy, budget and people management.
- [X] years in management leading teams of [X] and improving performance.
Work-experience bullets for a manager
Start each bullet with an action and, where you can, include a number: how many people, items, what percentage, how fast. Wherever you see [X] below, insert your own real figure; if you don't know it, leave that bullet out.
- Led a team of [X] and achieved [X]% of targets
- Planned and monitored an annual budget of [X]
- Cut costs by [X]% through process improvements
- Ran performance reviews and development plans for team members
- Reported regularly to senior management
- Strengthened cross-department collaboration
Only write what you actually did. If you couldn't explain a bullet in an interview, it shouldn't be on your CV.
Skills section for a manager
Mirror the job ad's wording: if it says "Excel", write "Excel" rather than "office software". These are commonly requested for this role; select only what you genuinely know:
- Team Management
- Strategic Planning
- Budget Management
- Performance Management
- Leadership
- Decision-Making
Checklist before you send it
- Fill in the numbers: No [X] placeholder should remain anywhere.
- Check the dates: No overlaps or unexplained gaps; the Analysis tab in CV Maker calculates this for you.
- Tailor to the ad: Where true, use the ad's keywords; the job-ad matcher shows which are missing.
- Export a PDF: Send a PDF with selectable text; add a photo only if the ad or local custom expects one.