INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Vendor Manager positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 189,300 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 10,000 to 199,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Vendor Manager jobs was $108,790 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $67,100, and the highest 10% more than $181,220.
Our conclusion? The Vendor Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top vendor manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Things to remember when writing your vendor manager experience section
Vendor manager experience section checklist:
- Keep it short: use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep recruiters engaged;
- Focus on relevant job experience that will enhance your application;
- Describe your experience using the C-A-R (challenge, action, result) methodology;
- Ditch buzzwords and go for power words instead.
To illustrate it more clearly, we’ve collected some of the best experience section examples from real Vendor Manager resumes. Check them out below!
- Effeciently managed and delivered the entire sales cycle of Fortinet new business in 2021
- Increased Gross Profit achievement by 20% from 2020 to 2021
- Strategic planning and account mapping sessions with top resellers across ME
- Proactively seeking internal approvals on expected closures in terms of finance, logistics, channel to ensure smooth processes
- Adding value by supporting in POC requests and involving in pre-sales activities
- Preparing and maintaining pipelines and quarterly forecasts
- Preparing presentations and presenting to Fortinet and EXN management teams on performance, plans, goals and strategies to support vendor business
- Focused on enhancing fulfillment business and to grow SMB business by 25% in 2022
- Managing a vendor team of 2 members with project roadmaps and development
- Led & launched SMB chat team in a new vendor site
- Established pulse crowdsource process & product feedback to optimize agent and user flows
- Implemented WFH BCP process for 2 sites due to Covid-19
- Continued design partnership with chat activation teams to scaleautomated & human interactions
- Full P&L ownership of >€100MM revenue business (B2C & B2B)
- Leading a team of 6 Brand Specialists
- Lead for Pan-EU senior level negotiations
- Buying, category management, strategic business development, customer experience, logistics, coaching & development
- Full P&L ownership of categories Medical/Massage (>€60MM revenue)
- Leading a team of 3 Brand Specialists
- Buying, category management, strategic business development, customer experience, logistics, coaching & development
- Category management for perishable product categories
- Overarching ownership and management of delivery (Coordination with Carrier Management (DHL Team), Category Management, Operations Teams, Senior Management, Software Teams, Customer Service)
- Leading one Brand Specialist
- Ownership of the marketing strategy of perishable categories
- Lead all aspects of ebay’s Structure Data outsourcing operation
- Source, test and recommend new potential vendors and professional service providers
- Lead multi million dollar negotiations and related contractual work
- Forecast creation and Budget management of ~$12M, Including Budget allocations, track spend, own POs and invoicing process
- Manage dynamic resource allocation of ~600 agents to ~30 projects and ~10 teams based on project requirements and business goals
- Define & Monitor operational KPIs and SLAs, using data analysis of large data sets, gather insights and detect potential issues
- Build, Design & Deploy new policies and work procedures
- Advisory to the planning committee for all SD/Content projects feasibility of production
- Create dashboards and reports that allow clear visibility of the operation
- Increased vendor performance by 11% vs last year by ensuring planning and execution were aligned to client needs.
- Creation of KPIs dashboards at all levels to measure productivity and trigger actions to attack main opportunity areas.
- Communication alignment between internal stakeholders and vendor partners reducing client escalations by 50%.
PRO TIP
Check the Vendor Manager job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your vendor manager resume
Recommended reads:
The Best Way to Write Your Vendor Manager Resume’s Skills Section
Vendor manager resume: skills section checklist
- Scan the job advert for keywords worth including in your resume;
- List both hard and transferable skills;
- Leave room for discussion: include some of your skills in other sections of your resume;
- Focus on skills that prove your expertise and leave the irrelevant ones behind.
Top skills for your vendor manager resume
Digital Fluency
Microsoft Office
Program Manufacturing Devices
Machining
Fabricating
Communication
Attention to details
Caution
Organisation
Punctuality
PRO TIP
Avoid getting sidetracked by Applicant tracking software by including a tech skills' section matching the job description and your own qualifications.
Recommended reads:
Vendor manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your vendor 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
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Vendor Manager resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Writing a strong vendor manager resume summary
Vendor manager resume summary checklist:
- Mention your position and total years of experience in the field;
- Highlight 1-2 of your top achievements;
- Go for shorter sentences and keep them to the point – don’t include anything that doesn’t support your application;
- Add 2-4 keywords present in the job description.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a professional taster. Use it wisely. Effectively convey your professional profile and let the hiring manager know that if they hire you, they won’t be disappointed. Make sure to include keywords from the job description too! Elaborate on your abilities further in your experience section. Again, cater to the job description.
Recommended Reads:
Adding education, courses, and certifications to your vendor manager resume
Education section tips and tricks.
- Add info about your highest degree level, incl. year of graduation, place of study, and degree subject;
- Mention some education-related awards you’ve received;
- Share a bit more about your certifications (if they are relevant);
- Entry-level applicants: Tailor your education section by including classes that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Top Certifications for Your Vendor Manager Resume
The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager
Vendor Selection in 8 Steps
Learn how to select quality vendors for your organization in 8 easy steps!
ServiceNow Vendor Risk Management
Vendor Risk Management ( Third Party Risk Management )
Become a Product Manager | Learn the Skills & Get the Job
The most complete course available on Product Management. 13+ hours of videos, activities, interviews, & more
Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
The best format for your vendor manager resume
Choosing the right format for your resume might seem difficult, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a master. In short, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The choice you make depends on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for.
The reverse-chronological resume format is great for you if you have at least 10 years of experience, no employment gaps, and are not looking for a career change. Here, you are expected to list all your previous jobs in a reverse-chronological format, starting from your most recent position and going back to the oldest one. It’s perfect for experienced individuals who are looking for a straightforward way to highlight their expertise.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is great for recent graduates or professionals with large employment gaps. It focuses on skills and education, rather than experience. This makes it ideal for showing you’re the right fit without putting too much emphasis on your lack of (relevant) experience.
If you’re looking for something a bit more creative, go for the combination resume format. It’s a mix of the reverse-chronological and the functional skills-based formats, which makes it ideal for all types of applicants. What’s more, it’s considered modern and innovative, and isn’t this what you want your application to feel like anyway?
After choosing the right format for your Vendor Manager resume, it’s time to perfect the layout and style.
- Go for traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Choose a simple resume font, sized 10-12p;
- Make sure that the length of your resume matches your applicant profile: try to fit in a one-page template; two-page templateare suitable only for candidates with over 10 years of experience.
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid issues around formatting and unauthorized editing.
Looking for more ways to make your application stand out? Read this article!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Vendor Manager resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company, your position, and your general desire to experiment and showcase your creative side, you might want to add some additional sections to your resume. Some examples include:
Creating a memorable vendor manager resume
You want your resume to put you in front of other candidates even when the competition is high, right? Right!
One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding a drop or two of creativity. You can choose a colorful and out-of-the-box template, or maybe even put a ‘what my typical days look like’ section at the bottom of your resume
It’s totally up to you. Just make sure to match the level of creativity to the industry, the position, and the company.
What makes a great vendor 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.
