As a strategy manager, articulating your ability to drive organizational change and achieve long-term goals can be a complex resume challenge. Our guide provides precise tips and examples to help you effectively showcase your strategic planning and leadership skills, ensuring your resume stands out to potential employers.
- [Job title] resume samples that got people hired at top companies.
- How to perfect the look-and-feel of your resume layout.
- How to showcase your achievements and skills through various resume sections.
- How you could hint to recruiters why your resume is the ideal profile for the job.
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Optimize your strategy manager resume format to pass the recruiters' assessment
You may be wondering just how much time you need to spend on designing your strategy manager resume.What recruiters are looking for is systematised content that is clear and coherent. Thus, your strategy manager resume needs to answer requirements and why you're the best candidate for the role from the get-go.
Often, a clear layout consists of:
- Sorting your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your most recent and relevant roles. This is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals;
- Writing your contact information (e.g. personal phone number and email address) and your portfolio or LinkedIn link in your strategy manager resume header. If you're wondering to include a photo or not, always make sure that it's appropriate for the country you're applying in;
- Use the basic, most important strategy manager resume sections - your experience, education, summary, etc. Use your resume's real estate wisely to tell a compelling, professional story and match job description's keywords;
- Don't go overboard with the length of your resume. One page is absolutely fine if you happen to have under a decade of relevant experience.
Are you still wondering if you should submit your strategy manager resume in PDF or Word format ? The PDF has a few more advantages, as it doesn't change the format and the text can't be altered upon application.
Format matters most when your strategy manager resume is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS).
The ATS parses resumes, looking for specific keywords, skills or experience that match the job description.
P.S. We recently did a study on how the ATS works and were able to demystify three of the biggest misconceptions about how it assesses candidate resumes.
To pass the ATS evaluation, select any of the serif or sans-serif fonts. Popular choices that would help your strategy manager resume stand out include Raleway, Exo 2, Montserrat, etc.
Most traditionalists go for Arial or Times New Roman, but it's often the case that many candidates choose these fonts, and you'd thus lose points on the uniqueness front.
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Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.
Traditional sections, appreciated by recruiters, for your strategy manager resume:
- Clear and concise header with relevant links and contact details
- Summary or objective with precise snapshot of our career highlights and why you're a suitable candidate for the strategy manager role
- Experience that goes into the nuts and bolts of your professional qualifications and success
- Skills section(-s) for more in-depth talent-alignment between job keywords and your own profile
- Education and certifications sections to further show your commitment for growth in the specific niche
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and implementation
- Strong analytical skills with a proven track record in problem-solving and decision-making
- Ability to communicate complex strategies effectively to diverse stakeholders
- Experience with market analysis, competitive analysis, and business intelligence
- Leadership and project management experience, including cross-functional team facilitation
Experts' advice on writing your strategy manager resume experience
While the excitement and motivation for writing your strategy manager resume was present in the first hour (or so), you now find yourself staring at the blank page.
The resume experience section is the one that allows you to make a memorable impression by matching job requirement with your past jobs and accomplishments.
To help you write this resume section, here are four mistakes you need to avoid:
- Listing every job you have had so far, including the irrelevant ones. Before that, consider each of your past roles based on relevancy to the role. It may be the case that the job you had 15 years ago may have taught you invaluable skills that are appropriate for the role;
- Including irrelevant work experience items. Those are past jobs that aren't linked with the role you're applying for (or so they seem). Consider how your past jobs will serve your professional presentation: will they be filling in a gap in your work history, or just taking up space?
- Focusing on responsibilities instead of accomplishments. Your strategy manager resume shouldn't just be telling recruiters what you did in the past - as it's most often the case that candidates have had similar responsibilities. But, rather, the experience section should showcase the success you've attained in each past role, thanks to your unique skill set;
- Consider listing just your professional experience. Any role you've had in the past - e.g. volunteering, internships, etc. - can make it into your strategy manager resume experience section. Make sure to include it alongside numbers and results.
Two more things you need to remember about your resume experience section.
The first are keywords. Or those specific job requirements that are crucial for the role . Ensure you've integrated them across your experience section to get sorted closer to the ideal candidate profile by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS).
The second are action verbs. Each of your experience bullets should start with a strong action verb, followed by your specific skill and your on the job achievements. Follow this formula to hint to recruiters what your unique value as a professional is.
Still with us? In the next section, we will show you how industry-leading professionals have avoided the four most common mistakes, while integrating keywords and action verbs in their experience section.
- Led the development and execution of a market entry strategy for a new product line, contributing to a 20% increase in market share within two years.
- Managed a cross-functional team to analyze competitive landscape and consumer trends, identifying key opportunities that led to the launch of three successful products.
- Oversaw budgeting and forecasting for strategic projects with a combined value of over $5 million, ensuring alignment with company’s long-term financial goals.
- Spearheaded a strategic partnership with a leading technology firm, enhancing the company’s SaaS offerings and driving a 15% increase in annual recurring revenue.
- Conducted comprehensive market analysis to redefine the company’s target customer segments, which improved marketing ROI by 30% through more targeted advertising campaigns.
- Collaborated with product development teams to integrate customer feedback into new product features, boosting customer satisfaction by 25%.
- Directed a company-wide cost reduction initiative, identifying inefficiencies and proposing solutions that cut operational costs by 18% without sacrificing quality.
- Implemented a strategic change management program to facilitate the adoption of new processes across the organization, reducing resistance and improving operational workflow.
- Championed a sustainability project that reduced the company's carbon footprint by 10%, aligning with both corporate social responsibility goals and creating cost savings.
- Developed a digital transformation road map that integrated AI and machine learning, enhancing data analytics capabilities and driving a 12% growth in customer insights-driven sales.
- Led the strategic planning process for a new B2B e-commerce platform, which captured a 5% market share from competitors within the first year of launch.
- Executed a training program for over 200 employees on strategic thinking and data analysis, enhancing the internal decision-making process across the company.
- Orchestrated the due diligence and subsequent integration of a $250 million acquisition, projected to double the revenue for the company’s cloud computing division in three years.
- Developed a comprehensive risk management framework that lowered the company’s risk profile by 22%, enabling more aggressive pursuit of high-value opportunities.
- Initiated and led a quarterly strategic review process with C-suite executives to ensure alignment of company initiatives with evolving industry trends and company objectives.
- Designed and launched a new strategic business unit focused on emerging markets, generating $30 million in new revenue streams within the first two years.
- Developed key performance indicators and dashboards that provided actionable insights into operational effectiveness, leading to a 17% increase in productivity.
- Fostered strong stakeholder relationships by delivering regular presentations on business strategy outcomes, resulting in increased buy-in for strategic initiatives.
- Pioneered a disruptive strategic initiative that leveraged blockchain technology to enhance supply chain transparency, reducing loss from fraud by 20%.
- Led a cross-border team in a market analysis project to identify growth opportunities in Asia-Pacific, successfully entering two new markets and achieving a 10% revenue increase.
- Collaborated with research and development to tailor products to local preferences, leading to a 35% improvement in customer satisfaction scores in targeted regions.
- Launched a company-wide initiative to harness big data analytics, boosting sales effectiveness by 22% through enhanced targeting and segmentation.
- Managed strategic alliances with key industry players, delivering a portfolio of joint ventures that contributed to a 15% revenue growth year-over-year.
- Drove a culture of continuous improvement by implementing agile methodology in strategic planning, reducing time-to-market for new initiatives by 30%.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Detail how you identified and capitalized on market opportunities, mentioning specific percentage increases in market share or revenue.
- Quantify the results of your strategic initiatives, such as growth in customer base or improvement in customer satisfaction scores.
- Describe efficiencies created through strategic planning, stating how much time or resources were saved as a direct result.
- Highlight your leadership in cross-functional projects with the number of departments or team members involved and the outcome achieved.
- Showcase the success of cost-reduction strategies with exact figures on the percentage reduced or the dollar amount saved.
- Illustrate your expertise in budget management by demonstrating how you optimized spend and the impact it had on the organization's profitability.
- Include measurable outcomes of risk management strategies you've implemented, such as reducing potential losses by a quantifiable amount.
- Exhibit your role in driving operational improvements by stating the uplift in efficiency or productivity metrics.
Action verbs for your strategy manager resume
No relevant experience - what to feature instead
Suppose you're new to the job market or considering a switch in industry or niche. In such cases, it's common to have limited standard professional experience. However, this isn't a cause for concern. You can still craft an impressive strategy manager resume by emphasizing other sections, showing why you're a great fit for the role:
- Emphasize your educational background and extracurricular activities to demonstrate your industry knowledge;
- Replace the typical experience section with internships or temporary jobs where you've gained relevant skills and expertise;
- Highlight your unique skill set, encompassing both technological and personal abilities;
- Showcase transferable skills acquired throughout your life and work experiences so far.
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If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
Strategy Manager resume skills: the essential hard skills and soft skills checklist
Ultimately, your Strategy Manager resume should hint to recruiters that you possess an array of talents that are indispensable to the role.
For example, listing the technologies and software you're apt at using (or your hard skills) and how you apply them in your day-to-day responsibilities would ensure you meet the technical requirements of the role.
But is this enough to ensure that you make a good impression on recruiters?
Go a step further by detailing the soft skills or personality traits you've attained thanks to your work and life experience.
The best way to balance hard skills and soft skills on your Strategy Manager resume is by:
- Highlighting up to three of your most noteworthy career accomplishments in a separate section.
- Listing at least one hard skill and one soft skill you've used to solve a particular challenge or problem.
- Feature niche skills and technologies that would help you stand out amongst candidates.
- Think back on the social impact your efforts have had towards improving the work environment - were you able to always maintain a professional ethic, while enhancing the team culture? Write about your contribution to the role, department, or organization itself as a metric of success.
The skills section of your resume provides you with plenty of opportunities to detail your technical and personal traits.
All you have to do is select the talents that best fit your application and expertise. Make note of some of the most prominent hard and soft skills across the industry from our list:
Top skills for your strategy manager resume:
Strategic Planning
Business Analysis
Market Research
Financial Modeling
Competitive Analysis
Project Management
Data Analysis
Performance Metrics
Risk Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Leadership
Communication
Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Adaptability
Collaboration
Innovation
Negotiation
Persuasion
Decision Making
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If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
Education section and most popular strategy manager certifications for your resume
Your resume education section is crucial. It can indicate a range of skills and experiences pertinent to the position.
- Mention only post-secondary qualifications, noting the institution and duration.
- If you're still studying, highlight your anticipated graduation date.
- Omit qualifications not pertinent to the role or sector.
- If it provides a chance to emphasize your accomplishments, describe your educational background, especially in a research-intensive setting.
Recruiters value strategy manager candidates who have invested their personal time into their professional growth. That's why you should include both your relevant education and certification . Not only will this help you stand out amongst candidates, but showcase your dedication to the field. On your strategy manager resume, ensure you've:
- Curated degrees and certificates that are relevant to the role
- Shown the institution you've obtained them from - for credibility
- Include the start and end dates (or if your education/certification is pending) to potentially fill in your experience gaps
- If applicable, include a couple of job advert keywords (skills or technologies) as part of the certification or degree description
If you decide to list miscellaneous certificates (that are irrelevant to the role), do so closer to the bottom of your resume. In that way, they'd come across as part of your personal interests, instead of experience. The team at Enhancv has created for you a list of the most popular strategy manager certificates - to help you update your resume quicker:
The top 5 certifications for your strategy manager resume:
- Certified Strategy and Business Planning Professional (CSBPP) - The KPI Institute
- Strategic Management Professional (SMP) - Association for Strategic Planning (ASP)
- Certified Management Consultant (CMC) - The Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) USA
- Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Balanced Scorecard Master Professional (BSMP) - Balanced Scorecard Institute (BSI)
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If the certificate you've obtained is especially vital for the industry or company, include it as part of your name within the resume headline.
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The strategy manager resume summary or objective: integrating keywords, achievements, and more
Deciding whether to include a resume summary or an objective in your strategy manager resume is crucial. Both serve as key introductory elements at the top of your resume, encapsulating your profile in up to five sentences and incorporating relevant keywords from the job advert.
Here are the key differences between the two:
- The resume summary focuses on aligning your achievements and experience with the job requirements. It provides recruiters with a snapshot of your expertise, helping you stand out as an ideal candidate for the role.
- The resume objective, on the other hand, centers on your career goals and aspirations, detailing how the role aligns with your career progression. It's particularly suitable for candidates with less professional experience or those new to the job market.
Below are examples demonstrating best practices in utilizing the resume summary and/or objective to make a strong first impression with your strategy manager resume.
Resume summaries for a strategy manager job
- Veteran Strategy Consultant with 12 years of experience in formulating growth-driven plans for Fortune 500 companies. Adept at merging cutting-edge data analysis with robust market research to propel revenue growth. Triumphed in expanding a client's market share by 30% within two fiscal years through strategic repositioning.
- Accomplished Marketing Director aiming to leverage 10 years of experience in highly competitive industries. Specialized in deploying market penetration and customer acquisition strategies that enhanced brand visibility by 25%. Proven track record in leadership with a keen ability to nurture cross-functional teams for optimum performance.
- Former Financial Analyst transitioning to Strategy Management, applying a five-year tenure of dissecting market trends and robust quantitative skills. Proven expertise in financial modeling and analytics, with a history of providing actionable insights that influenced a 15% uplift in investment returns for a major brokerage firm.
- Experienced Software Project Manager pivoting to Strategy Management, offering 8 years of hands-on experience in agile methodologies and process optimization. Successfully led a cross-departmental initiative to improve system efficiencies, yielding a 20% reduction in developmental cycles and faster time-to-market for new software releases.
- Recent MBA graduate eager to apply theoretical knowledge and fresh perspectives in strategic management. Focused on harnessing analytical proficiencies and a comprehensive understanding of corporate finance to drive evidence-based decision-making and operational enhancements in a high-paced business environment.
- Aspiring Strategy Manager with a strong academic background in International Business and internships at global firms. Keen to utilize strong research skills, proficiency in market analysis, and a collaborative approach to contribute to strategic planning and implementation initiatives in a dynamic corporate landscape.
Taking your strategy manager resume to the next level with these four additional resume sections
Your strategy manager resume can feature a variety of skills (both hard and soft) in diverse sections. Choose those that align best with the job requirements and reflect your suitability for the company culture.
Consider these four additional resume sections recommended by our experts:
- Languages - State any languages you are proficient in and your level of proficiency. This demonstrates your commitment to communication and potential for international growth.
- Projects - Highlight up to three significant projects you've completed outside of work, showcasing skill development. Include a link to your project portfolio in the strategy manager resume header, if applicable.
- My Time - How you allocate your time outside work can indicate your organizational skills and cultural fit within the company.
- Volunteering - Detail causes you're passionate about, roles you've held, and achievements in volunteering. Such experiences likely have honed a range of soft skills crucial for your dream job.
Key takeaways
We've reached the end of our strategy manager resume guide and hope this information has been useful. As a summary of our key points:
- Always assess the job advert for relevant requirements and integrate those buzzwords across various sections of your strategy manager resume by presenting tangible metrics of success;
- Quantify your hard skills in your certificates and skills section, while your soft skills in your resume achievements section;
- Ensure you've added additional relevant experience items, such as extracurricular activities and projects you've participated in or led;
- Use both your resume experience and summary to focus on what matters the most to the role: including your technical, character, and cultural fit for the company.
