Manager CV Example & Writing Guide

Job-winning CVs don’t just happen by accident. To build a successful CV, you’ll need to highlight your leadership abilities, accomplishments, and professional experience to align with the requirements of the managerial role you seek.

That’s where we come in. At cvapp.nz, we believe in empowering our users to create professional, polished CVs that get them hired faster. 

With our online CV builder, manager CV samples and expert tips, we make creating a manager CV a breeze.

How to write a manager CV

Before you get started, it’s important to know what to include in your CV. 

Ensure your CV has the following sections: 

• The CV header
• The CV personal statement
• The employment history section
• The skills section
• The education section

Your CV should be customised to the industry and role you are applying for, but all manager CVs should follow these four important tips: 

1. Highlight your leadership abilities, such as team management, decision-making, and strategic planning, to showcase your competency in manager roles.
2. Include specific keywords from the job description to help your CV bypass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
3. Use specific metrics and achievements to demonstrate the impact of your work, such as increasing sales by a certain percentage or reducing costs by a particular amount.
4. Remember, your CV is your personal brand. Customising it for each manager position you apply for shows your dedication and helps you stand out from the competition.

Select an appropriate CV format for managers

Managers are recognised for their leadership, strategic thinking, and organisational skills. Your CV should mirror these traits, appearing neat and structured to help highlight your managerial skills effectively. 

Since the reverse chronological CV format presents your career progression over time, this format is typically considered the best CV format for managers. 

With this format, your employment and education sections are listed in reverse chronological order to help highlight why you’re an ideal candidate for the role. 

Include essential contact details

Your header should include the following information:

• Full Name & Title: Include your full name and indicate the specific role you are seeking.
• Professional Email Address: Provide a professional email address that includes your name, such as 'hayden.han@xtra.co.nz.’
• Contact Number: List your phone number, ensuring your number has an appropriate voicemail message.
• Location: Specify your city and mention your willingness to relocate if applicable, for example, 'Hayden Han, Whangarei (Open to Relocation).'
• LinkedIn Profile: Provide links to relevant professional platforms like LinkedIn for additional insight into your professional background.

Refrain from including private or unnecessary details unrelated to the manager role, such as personal relationship status, IRD numbers or ethnicity. 

Create a compelling personal statement

The personal statement is your opportunity to make a solid first impression. In 2-4 concise sentences, summarise your professional experience, managerial skills, and significant achievements, tailoring it to the job description to show your suitability for the role. 

Emphasise skills that underscore your proficiency in leadership, strategic decision-making, and operational excellence.

For example: "Skilled in driving team performance and achieving operational efficiencies to elevate organisational success."

Highlight your employment history: spotlighting your career journey

When detailing your work history, use bullet points to underscore your achievements in past roles, providing details on responsibilities and accomplishments within each position. 

To help highlight the impact of your contributions, include action verbs and use measurable data, such as figures, percentages, and performance metrics. 

For instance, consider the following examples:

• "Developed and executed business strategies to drive revenue growth."
• "Led and motivated diverse teams to achieve operational excellence."
• "Implemented process improvements resulting in increased efficiency and cost savings."

These duties can be enhanced with quantifiable results, such as: 

• "Crafted strategic initiatives that boosted revenue by 20%."
• "Enhanced team productivity by 15% through effective leadership and motivation."
• "Implemented operational enhancements leading to a 30% reduction in costs."

By integrating measurable data and tangible outcomes, you can effectively demonstrate your qualifications and accomplishments for manager roles. 

List your relevant managerial skills

When developing the skills section of your CV, prioritise relevant managerial skills such as leadership, strategic planning, and team management. 

Tailor the skillset to align with job requirements, emphasising skills that showcase your aptitude for overseeing operations and driving organisational success.

More examples of managerial skills include: 

Showcase these skills with relevant examples to highlight your expertise in managerial roles. 

For example: 

• Strategic planning: Discuss your ability to use data to make informed decisions, such as implementing marketing strategies based on consumer trends and competitor analysis.
• Financial management: Elaborate upon your budgeting and forecasting techniques and any improvements in profits.
• Performance evaluation: Expand upon your ability to identify areas of improvement and include any measurable increase in productivity.

Detail your education & relevant managerial certifications

Since managerial roles span across a wide range of industries, it’s important to highlight any specialised courses, certifications, or training relevant to your industry. 

List positions in the order of most recent to least recent, prioritising entries that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for. 

We recommend including the following: 

• Qualifications: Highlight your academic achievements and qualifications, including your Bachelor's and postgraduate degrees.
• Certifications: Include certifications related to your industry, specifying the hours practised and any professional qualifications acquired.
• Memberships: List memberships in industry-related organisations, such as the Institute of Managers New Zealand (IMNZ) to demonstrate your commitment to personal development.

Select a professional design layout for a manager CV

Focus on a clean, well-structured and organised CV layout to ensure your key career highlights stand out. Use sensible fonts and colours to allow achievements to shine effectively. 

It’s best to tailor your CV’s style to the company you’re applying to. Whether you’re looking for a simple, professional, creative, or modern template, cvapp.nz has a CV template for managers across all industries. 

Customise your CV by choosing a suitable template and adjusting the sample sentences to suit your managerial style and experience.

H4: Manager text-only CV example

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