As a travel manager, articulating the breadth of your logistical coordination skills and industry-specific knowledge in a resume can be quite challenging. Our guide provides targeted advice on how to harness the power of action verbs and metrics to vividly showcase your expertise and stand out to potential employers.
- Incorporate travel manager job advert keywords into key sections of your resume, such as the summary, header, and experience sections;
- Quantify your experience using achievements, certificates, and more in various travel manager resume sections;
- Apply practical insights from real-life travel manager resume examples to enhance your own profile;
- Choose the most effective travel manager resume format to succeed in any evaluation process.
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The importance of format and layout in your travel manager resume
Consider you're an HR professional at company X, evaluating two travel manager candidate resumes. John Smith presents a simple, traditional, and easy-to-read resume. Edward Price, however, uses a non-conventional, often illegible format. Whose resume would you spend more time on to understand their experience? This scenario underscores the importance of your travel manager resume’s design. It should be simply formatted and clearly communicate why you are the ideal candidate for the role.
Achieve this balance by:
- Listing your experience, beginning with the most recent and relevant, in reverse chronological order;
- Ensuring your header contains essential information, such as contact details, a headline, and a portfolio link. Include a professional photo in the travel manager resume header if you have one;
- Including only the most important and relevant resume sections to showcase your expertise and stand out from other candidates;
- Editing your travel manager resume to be no longer than two pages if you have extensive relevant experience. Use your limited resume space judiciously.
Also, remember that your travel manager resume might initially be scanned by an Applicant Tracker System (ATS).
When it comes to ATS:
- Opt for simple and legible fonts like Raleway, Rubik, Lato, etc., making your experience easy for the ATS to scan;
- Use serif and sans-serif fonts, both of which are ATS-friendly;
- Avoid overused options like Arial and Times New Roman, which, while suitable, may lack personality.
Contrary to a common myth, our recent study shows that the ATS can effectively process both one-column and two-column resumes. Learn more about this in the ATS myths guide.
Finally, when submitting your travel manager resume, always export it as a PDF to ensure all information remains intact, making the document easier to print, read, and scan.
Be aware of location-based layout differences – Canadian resumes, for instance, might differ in format.
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Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
The key to your travel manager job-winning resume - present your expertise with these sections:
- A header to make your resume more scannable
- Snapshot of who you are as a professional with your resume soft skills, achievements, and summary or objective
- Job advert keywords in the skills section of your resume
- Resume experience quantifying your past job successes with metrics
- A relevant education, certification, and technical sills section to provide background to your technological/software capabilities
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proven experience in travel logistics management and coordination.
- Strong negotiation skills with travel-related vendors for cost-saving opportunities.
- Experience with travel management systems and software.
- Demonstrated ability to create and manage travel policies and compliance.
- Excellent organizational skills and experience in handling multiple trip schedules simultaneously.
Creating your travel manager resume experience to catch recruiters' attention
Remember that for the travel manager role, hiring managers are looking to see how your expertise aligns with their requirements. Here's where your resume experience section can help out. Make sure you:
- Include mainly roles that are relevant to the travel manager job you're applying for;
- Don't go too far back in your experience - recruiters will only care what you did a decade ago if it's really important for the travel manager role;
- Each bullet you include should say what you did, followed by the skills you used and the actual end result of your efforts;
- Quantify each of your achievements with numbers and possibly the overall effect it had on the organization;
- Highlight transferrable skills - or personal skills you've attained thanks to past jobs - that could be applicable within your potential workplace. This would showcase your unique value as a professional.
Formatting the experience section of your resume doesn't have to be an over-the-top deep dive into your whole career. Follow the travel manager resume examples below to see how industry-leading professionals are presenting their experience:
- Directed a team of 8 travel coordinators to ensure compliance with corporate travel policies, reducing travel expenses by 15% annually.
- Implemented a new online travel booking system which increased booking efficiency by 30% and improved traveler satisfaction.
- Negotiated with vendors to secure exclusive deals, which saved the company over $200,000 in travel costs over a three-year period.
- Streamlined the travel authorization process reducing processing time by 25%, while managing a budget of $5M for corporate travel.
- Collaborated with IT to develop a custom travel analytics tool that improved reporting capabilities, enhancing strategic decision-making.
- Led the initiative to transition to environmentally friendly travel options, cutting the company's carbon emissions from travel by 18%.
- Oversaw the consolidation of travel services across international branches which resulted in an annual savings of 20% on travel spend.
- Managed crisis response for 100+ travelers during a global event, ensuring safe repatriation and minimal disruption to company operations.
- Implemented a traveler safety program that reduced travel-related incidents by 35% and strengthened company’s duty of care.
- Democratized global travel data analysis leading to a 22% reduction in average ticket prices through better vendor negotiations.
- Managed the rollout of a global travel policy across 50 countries, ensuring local compliance while maintaining corporate standards.
- Pioneered a cross-functional team to revamp the employee travel experience, resulting in a 40% increase in internal travel service satisfaction scores.
- Oversaw an annual travel budget of $10M and reduced overall travel costs by 20% through strategic supplier partnerships.
- Introduced an advanced predictive analytics tool to forecast travel trends, optimizing budget allocation and reducing last-minute booking fees by 30%.
- Executed a company-wide sustainable travel initiative, which increased the use of public transportation and shared services by employees by over 50%.
- Developed and led a company-wide training program on travel policy adherence, resulting in a compliance increase from 70% to 95%.
- Fostered relationships with airline and hotel partners to introduce a loyalty program that saved employees approximately $150,000 in a year.
- Launched a centralized travel management platform that managed over 5,000 annual corporate trips, enhancing traveler productivity and satisfaction.
- Redesigned the corporate travel policy in line with industry best practices, resulting in a 15% increase in policy adherence by travelers.
- Coordinated with the finance department to improve expense reporting accuracy by 40%, enabling more precise budget forecasting.
- Initiated a partnership with a tech start-up to integrate AI-based chatbots for travel assistance, reducing average traveler query response time by 50%.
- Strategically led a global team to manage travel for 20,000+ employees, successfully negotiating contracts that led to a yearly savings of $8M.
- Drove the adoption of a centralized travel management system across all continents, improving travel process efficiencies by 40%.
- Curated personalized travel experiences for C-suite executives, receiving a 98% satisfaction rating for bespoke itinerary planning.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the percentage by which you reduced travel expenses through effective negotiation and management of travel budgets.
- List the number of corporate travel accounts you have successfully managed and optimized.
- Specify the amount of time saved by implementing efficient travel booking systems and processes.
- Detail the volume of annual travel bookings you oversee to demonstrate your capacity for handling large-scale operations.
- Mention the percentage increase in employee satisfaction with travel arrangements due to your management strategies.
- Quantify the number of countries or destinations for which you've developed travel policies or guidance.
- Highlight the number of travel vendors and partnerships you have established and maintained to show your networking skills.
- Indicate the amount of money saved through your strategic planning and reallocation of travel resources.
Action verbs for your travel manager resume
No experience, no problem: writing your travel manager resume
You're quite set on the travel manager role of your dreams and think your application may add further value to your potential employers. Yet, you have no work experience . Here's how you can curate your resume to substitute your lack of experience:
- Don't list every single role you've had so far, but focus on ones that would align with the job you're applying for
- Include any valid experience in the field - whether it's at research or intern level
- Highlight the soft skills you'd bring about - those personality traits that have an added value to your application
- Focus on your education and certifications, if they make sense for the role.
Recommended reads:
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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.
Key hard skills and soft skills for your travel manager resume
At the top of any recruiter travel manager checklist, you'd discover a list of technical competencies, balanced with personal skills.
Hard or technical skills are your opportunity to show how you meet the essential responsibilities of the role. The ability to use a particular job-crucial technology or software would also hint to recruiters whether you'd need a prolonged period of on-the-job training - or you'd fit right in the job.
But to land your dream role, you'd also need to demonstrate a variety of soft or people resume skills . Employers care about soft skills as they show how each candidate would fit into the team and company culture.
Both types of skills are specific and to best curate them on your resume, you'd need to:
- Create a skill section within which you showcase your hard and soft skills and present how they help you succeed.
- List specific examples of projects, tasks, or competitions, within which your skill set has assisted your results.
- Soft skills are harder to measure, so think about situations in which they've helped you thrive. Describe those situations concisely, focusing on how the outcome has helped you grow as a professional.
- Metrics of success - like positive ROI or optimized workplace processes - are the best way to prove your technical and people skills.
Take a look at some of travel manager industry leaders' favorite hard skills and soft skills, as listed on their resumes.
Top skills for your travel manager resume:
Travel Management Software
Global Distribution Systems (GDS)
Expense Management Tools
Online Booking Tools
CRM Software
Data Analysis Tools
Microsoft Excel
Travel Policy Compliance Software
Itinerary Planning Software
Communication Platforms
Communication
Negotiation
Problem-Solving
Time Management
Customer Service
Attention to Detail
Organizational Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Adaptability
Leadership
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Mention specific courses or projects that are pertinent to the job you're applying for.
Showcase academic background with education and certifications' sections
Listing your education and certifications should be a rudimentary part of your resume writing.
Including your relevant academic background - in the form of your higher education degree and niche-specific certificates - will prove knowledge of the industry.
For your education section:
- Start by including your degree, followed by start and graduation dates, as well as the institution;
- You could include relevant coursework, major/minor , or GPA, only if your've just graduated from college or if this information would further support your application;
- If you have an "ongoing" degree, you can still list it in case you think your diploma can impress recruiters or it's required;
Follow a similar logic for your certifications section by listing the institution, alongside dates you've obtained the certificate. For some of the most recent and relevant industry certificates , check out the next part of our guide:
The top 5 certifications for your travel manager resume:
- Global Travel Professional (GTP) - Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)
- Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) - The Travel Institute
- Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP) - International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE) - National Business Travel Association (NBTA)
- Certified Government Travel Professional (CGTP) - Government Travel and Meetings Association (GTMA)
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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.
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Adding a summary or objective to your travel manager resume
One of the most crucial elements of your professional presentation is your resume's top one-third. This most often includes:
- Either a resume summary - your career highlights at a glance. Select the summary if you have plenty of relevant experience (and achievements), you'd like recruiters to remember about your application.
- Or, a resume objective - to showcase your determination for growth. The perfect choice for candidates with less experience, who are looking to grow their career in the field.
If you want to go above and beyond with your travel manager resume summary or resume objective, make sure to answer precisely why recruiters need to hire you. What is the additional value you'd provide to the company or organization? Now here are examples from real-life travel manager professionals, whose resumes have helped them land their dream jobs:
Resume summaries for a travel manager job
- With over 8 years of extensive experience in corporate travel management at a multinational firm, I bring a deep understanding of complex travel coordination and cost-saving strategies. I successfully implemented a company-wide travel policy that resulted in a 20% reduction in travel expenses without compromising quality or employee satisfaction.
- Having orchestrated seamless travel experiences for C-level executives for 10 years, my expertise lies in crafting tailor-made itineraries and negotiating with vendors for optimal rates. My proudest achievement was revamping the travel logistics system, improving efficiency by 30% and earning an internal Excellence in Service award.
- As a project manager with 5 years of experience in high-pressure consultancy contexts, I aim to transition into travel management, applying my robust planning skills and excellence in stakeholder communication to ensure efficient and well-organized travel arrangements that cater to diverse client needs.
- Coming from a 7-year career in event coordination, I seek to leverage my expertise in venue sourcing, logistical planning, and vendor negotiations to excel in travel management. My ability to oversee large-scale events while managing budgets and timelines has equipped me with transferable skills ideal for creating efficient travel solutions.
- Eager to start a career in travel management, my objective is to apply my passion for travel, strong organizational skills, and a keen eye for detail to facilitate smooth and cost-effective travel experiences for clients, while continuously learning from industry leaders.
- Seeking an entry point into travel management, I am determined to use my excellent communication abilities, proactive problem-solving approach, and unwavering enthusiasm for travel to ensure clients have memorable and hassle-free journeys, contributing to the company's reputation for exceptional service.
More sections to ensure your travel manager resume stands out
If you're looking for additional ways to ensure your travel manager application gets noticed, then invest in supplementing your resume with extra sections, like:
These supplementary resume sections show your technical aptitude (with particular technologies and software) and your people skills (gained even outside of work).
Key takeaways
Securing your ideal job starts with crafting a compelling travel manager resume. It should not only highlight your professional strengths but also reflect your personality. Key aspects to remember include:
- Choose a clear, easily editable format, allowing more time to focus on the content of your resume;
- Emphasize experience relevant to the job, focusing on your impact on the team;
- Opt for a resume summary if you have extensive professional experience, and a resume objective if you're just starting out;
- Include technical skills in the skills section and interpersonal skills in the achievements section;
- Recognize the importance of various resume sections (e.g., My Time, Projects) in showcasing both your professional abilities and personal traits.
