INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Benefits Manager positions are at a 9% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 161,700 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 14,800 to 176,500 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Benefits Manager jobs was $121,220 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $71,180, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Benefits Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top benefits manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to write in your benefits manager experience section
Perfecting your benefits manager resume experience section:
- Focus on results, not responsibilities;
- Use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List only positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Include at least some form of quantitative data – it can be linked to the number of people you’ve managed or the - percentage decrease in costs that’s followed from your work - you decide;
- Choose action verbs over buzzwords.
We’ve collected some of the top resume experience sections from real Enhancv users. Check them out when drafting your own Benefits Manager resume!
- Educate and advise employees on healthcare, voluntary and retirement benefits
- Reduced US benefits administration costs through pricing and fee negotiation and implementing a HDHP plan, saving $250k+ annually
- Partner with local brokers and regional managers to mature benefits offerings from a pre-IPO, 700-person company to a public, 4000-person company
- Introduced global tuition reimbursement policy, LOA platform and enhanced parental leave, wellness program with 60% utilization, 401(k) employer match and after tax plan
- Ensure compliance with ACA, ERISA, and regional laws
- Started as Global comp&ben : responsible for the international compen&ben policies and processes. Provide guidance and recommendations to business and HR managers on all compensation and benefits issues (11.000 employees)
- Additional role gained as HR Business Partner in support of the Inkjet business of Agfa Graphics (300 employees)
- Succeeded in creating a first time working relationship with the VP and the business managers.
- 1 direct report, the HR manager of the Agfa plant in Canada
- Established a self service Payroll procedure
- Updated our Benefits offering and services
- Increase employee engagement, promoting transparency.
- Payroll and Benefits for National and International staff
- Bradken: July 2017 to present - key focus on Reward, Global Mobility, Remuneration, Job analysis, Performance Management, Benefits & HR Systems. Delivered a new global STI/LTI program and employee recognition program
- Queensland Health: February to June 2017 - Provided coaching services to the Head of HR focusing on developing a high potential team member
- FourPL: February 2017 to July 2017 - Casual contract consulting for change management projects to Essential Energy & SuperAmart
- Uniting Care Queensland - September 2016 to February 2017 - Fixed term contract to manage a shared services design and consult on Remuneration and Benefits market assessment
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Benefits Manager, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your benefits manager resume
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Benefits manager resume skills section to impress recruiters
Checklist for a perfect benefits manager resume skills section:
- Make sure to include most if not all essential skills for the job;
- Check the job description and add some keywords to pass ATS;
- List both hard and technical skills;
- When it comes to soft skills – elaborate on them in other sections of your resume (e.g. the experience section).
Top skills for your benefits manager resume
Microsoft Office
Project Management
Jira
Slack
Taleo
Workday
Organisation
Communication
confidentiality
Time management
Team work
Adaptability
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
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Benefits manager resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your benefits manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Benefits Manager resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Writing an effective benefits manager resume summary
Impressive benefits manager resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
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Drawing the attention to your benefits manager resume education section
Crafting a job-winning education section.
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your degrees;
- Tailor the classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying for if you’re an entry-level candidate;
- Mention the awards and honors you’ve received;
- Add your certifications (but only those relevant to the position).
Top certifications for your benefits manager resume
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PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Benefits Manager. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Choosing the best format for your benefits manager resume
The content of your Benefits Manager resume is what will get you hired, right?
But even when your content’s amazing and you’re a true over-achiever, recruiters might not think you’re a good fit if your resume looks messy or is not formatted the right way.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Deciding which one to use depends on your experience, the industry, and the company. In short — you need to know what your applicant profile is.
For instance, reverse-chronological resumes are great for people with over 10 years of experience and no employment gaps. Here, you need to list all your relevant experience in a reverse-chronological format, starting from the most recent and going back to less recent positions.
Functional skills-based resumes, on the other hand, are great for entry-level applicants, graduate students, or people who have different kinds of experience. It focuses on skills, education, and character traits, rather than experience.
If none of these work for you, and you dream of adopting a more creative approach that makes a difference, the combination (or hybrid) resume format is exactly what you’re looking for. It allows you to focus on both your experience and your skills, making it a ‘best of both worlds’ format. It’s also suitable for those who want to spice things up by adding different creative sections (e.g. ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my day looks like’).
Here are some additional tips on perfecting your resume layout and style:
- Go for a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Use standard 1-inch resume margins for increased readability;
- Make sure your resume fits on a one-page template. In case you’ve got 10 years of experience or more, your resume’s length can reach two pages;
- Avoid unwanted editing and plagiarism – save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiters.
Want to take it a step further? Learn how to make your resume stand out without relying too much on creativity.
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Want to include something more to your benefits manager resume?
So you’ve already listed details about your education, experience, and skills. You’ve also crafted an amazing summary.
But now you feel a creative urge to showcase your personality and not just your expertise.
We’ve got you! Thanks to our modern templates, you can now include a chart of what your typical day looks like or even a word or two about your life philosophy. All this without sacrificing your Benefits Manager resume’s professional feel.
Some non-traditional sections for your resume include:
Making your benefits manager resume stand out
You want to make a strong first impression to all recruiters that get a hold of your resume. Sure you do! But how?
Well, the easiest way to stand out is by adding a bit of creativity to your Benefits Manager resume. You could do this by going for a colorful layout or adding a creative section or two. It all depends on the industry and the position you’re applying for!
For instance, a position in design would allow for a more colorful resume, while a position in finance would probably not.
What makes a great benefits manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
