Crafting your CV to reflect the extensive experience and high-level expertise you've gained as a senior account manager can be a daunting task. Our guide offers tailored advice and strategic insights to help you distil your professional narrative into a compelling and concise format that will catch the eye of top-tier employers.
- Answer job requirements with your senior account manager CV and experience;
- Curate your academic background and certificates, following industry-leading CV examples;
- Select from +10 niche skills to match the ideal candidate profile
- Write a more succinct experience section that consists of all the right details.
Do you need more specific insights into writing your senior account manager CV? Our guides focus on unique insights for each individual role:
How complex should the format of your senior account manager CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your senior account manager CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
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Incorporate a touch of colour in headers or section breaks, but keep it professional and ensure it doesn’t detract from readability, especially in more conservative industries.
The top sections on a senior account manager CV
- Professional Summary showcases your top achievements and relevant skills.
- Key Account Management Experience highlights your history with major clients.
- Sales Targets & Results section demonstrates your ability to meet and exceed goals.
- Client Relationship Skills emphasise your expertise in maintaining and nurturing client relations.
- Industry Expertise indicates your knowledge and experience within the specific sector.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your proven track record in sales, account growth, and client retention by quantifying your achievements with metrics such as percentage growth or revenue targets met.
- Demonstrate your expertise in strategic planning by outlining successful initiatives you have led that resulted in increased client satisfaction or market penetration.
- Showcase your leadership skills by mentioning teams you've managed, cross-departmental projects you've overseen, and how you've fostered collaboration to achieve business objectives.
- Emphasise your proficiency in client relationship management by providing examples of complex issues you have resolved and how you’ve tailored solutions to meet client needs.
- Include any industry-specific knowledge or technical skills relevant to the role of a senior account manager, such as familiarity with CRM software or advanced data analysis competencies.
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Making a good first impression with your senior account manager CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for senior account manager:
- Senior Account Manager | Client Relationship Maestro | Strategic Sales | MBA | 10+ Years’ Progressive Expertise
- Senior Account Manager | B2B Sales Specialist | Digital Marketing Expert | CIM Certified | 12 Years in Industry
- Senior Account Manager | Tech Industry Leader | Key Account Growth | PMP | 15 Years’ Professional Ascension
- Senior Account Manager | FMCG Sector Authority | Market Penetration | Negotiation Pro | 8 Years’ Target Smashing
- Senior Account Manager | Financial Services Guru | Relationship Building | CFA Holder | 13 Years of Advancement
- Senior Account Manager | Global Markets Navigator | Multilingual Communicator | 10-Year Success Trajectory | CIMA Qualified
What's the difference between a senior account manager CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your senior account manager CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a senior account manager job:
- Seasoned Account Manager with over 10 years of experience in the advertising sector, possessing extensive expertise in client relationship building, complex negotiations, and strategic account growth. Noteworthy accomplishments include expanding key accounts by 60% within a two-year period through innovative solutions and steadfast client advocacy.
- Dedicated Account Management professional with 12 years in pharmaceutical sales, displaying a proven track record of spearheading client accounts, increasing revenue by 75% over three years. Leverages strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of market dynamics to exceed sales targets and foster long-term client partnerships.
- Former Senior Software Developer transitioning into Account Management, bringing a unique blend of technical acumen and exemplary communication skills gained over 8 years of creating bespoke client solutions. Excels at translating complex technical concepts into client-friendly language, leading to a 40% increase in client retention rates in previous roles.
- Highly experienced in educational program coordination, transitioning into Account Management with a commitment to leveraging 7 years of client engagement experience, curriculum development skills, and an outstanding ability to build trust and rapport with diverse stakeholder groups to drive account success.
- Entrant to the field of Account Management with over 5 years of experience in customer service, eager to apply a commendable aptitude for strategic planning and relationship-building to foster client growth and retention. Highly motivated to learn industry-specific skills and contribute to achieving significant account expansions.
- Recent Business Management graduate aiming to leverage theoretical knowledge and an energetic approach to begin a career as an Account Manager. Keen to apply exceptional interpersonal skills and a strong foundation in business analytics to help clients achieve their goals and strengthen their market presence.
The best formula for your senior account manager CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Developed and maintained relationships with key clients, resulting in a 30% increase in account retention and successfully upselling products, enhancing client investment by an average of 20% annually.
- Orchestrated the negotiation of contracts and service agreements, ensuring that terms were favourable for both the client and the company while boosting long-term client engagement.
- Strategically identified new business opportunities by analysing market trends, leading to a consistent pipeline growth of 15% quarter-over-quarter.
- Provided bespoke client presentations to highlight the value and ROI of services, which led to a 40% increase in cross-functional services uptake within my portfolio.
- Collaborated with cross-departmental teams to ensure that client deliverables were met on time, contributing to a client satisfaction rate of over 95%.
- Utilised CRM systems to track client engagement and sales metrics, offering precise forecasting that informed business strategy and resource allocation.
- Implemented feedback mechanisms to gather insights from clients, driving product development and service enhancement based on data-driven client needs.
- Mentored and coached junior account managers, fostering a high-performing team culture that exceeded sales targets by an average of 10% every financial year.
- Conducted quarterly business reviews with senior leadership, providing detailed reports on account status, challenges, and strategic plans to secure and expand client relationships.
- Led a team of account executives to increase the customer portfolio by 35%, achieving a significant market expansion for high-profile clients within the financial sector.
- Orchestrated the rollout of a new CRM system, improving the sales cycle efficiency by 25%, which allowed for enhanced forecasting and reporting capabilities.
- Pioneered a customised client success strategy that reduced churn rates by 15% through personalised account management and prompt conflict resolution.
- Implemented a business development plan targeting SMEs, contributing to a revenue increase of £3M over two years.
- Secured three landmark contracts with industry-leading firms in the pharmaceutical sector, marking a 20% growth in key account acquisitions.
- Championed a cross-departmental collaboration initiative that improved service delivery timeframes by 30%, enhancing client satisfaction rates.
- Executed strategic account penetration tactics, resulting in the growth of the company's footprint within the manufacturing industry.
- Negotiated multi-year contracts with an average deal value of £750,000, exceeding quarterly sales targets by 10-15% consistently.
- Introduced a tailored analytics dashboard for key stakeholders, leading to more informed decision-making and a 20% improvement in client engagement.
- Managed and upsold to a portfolio of 50+ corporate accounts, delivering an exceptional service that secured 98% account retention over three years.
- Developed and led high-impact marketing campaigns alongside the creative team, boosting brand awareness and generating a 25% upsurge in lead conversion rate.
- Fostered long-standing relationships with C-level executives through regular business reviews, driving product improvement based on client feedback and strategic industry trends.
- Drove the expansion into new territories by leading a salesforce of 20, culminating in a year-over-year revenue increase of 30% in emerging markets.
- Masterminded the adoption of a consultative sales approach, which enriched client interaction experiences and pushed the frontiers of our offering service standards.
- Collaborated closely with product development teams to inform the evolution of a flagship product tailored to the needs of key accounts, heightening product-market fit.
- Curated an extensive portfolio of digital transformation solutions for legacy clients, leading to an annual incremental revenue of 40% from upsells and service enhancements.
- Successfully navigated a merger transition period for key accounts, ensuring 100% client retention and satisfaction through effective communication and service continuity plans.
- Provided mentorship and coaching to a team of junior account managers, elevating the overall team's sales performance by sharing advanced negotiation and relationship management techniques.
- Directed the launch of an innovative B2B SaaS solution, resulting in the onboarding of over 200 new enterprise accounts and a recurring revenue stream of £5M+ annually.
- Synthesised market feedback to drive the roadmap for version 2.0 of our platform, prioritising feature development aligned with customer needs and tech trends.
- Proactively addressed potential account risks identified through analytics, implementing mitigation strategies that ensured continuous business partnerships.
- Cultivated a pioneering go-to-market strategy for a new cloud product line, capturing a 20% market share within the first year and establishing the firm as a thought leader in cloud solutions.
- Operationalised customer feedback loops to optimise the user experience for our main software suite, which played a key role in boosting the net promoter score (NPS) by 12 points.
- Served as the primary relationship holder for our top-tier accounts, negotiating contract renewals and expansions valued at over £10M.
How to ensure your senior account manager CV stands out when you have no experience
This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:
- Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
- Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
- Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
- Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles, or projects you've participated in the past.
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If applicable, briefly mention a situation where things didn’t go as planned and what you learned from it, demonstrating your ability to learn and adapt.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your senior account manager CV:
Key Account Management
Sales Strategy & Execution
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Negotiation & Closing Techniques
Market Research & Analysis
Revenue Growth & Profit Maximisation
Contract Management
Presentation & Proposal Development
Sales Forecasting
Business Development
Strategic Thinking
Leadership
Communication
Problem Solving
Adaptability
Time Management
Teamwork
Client Relationship Building
Decision Making
Attention to Detail
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
CV education and certificates: your academic background as proof of your skill set
A common misconception about your senior account manager CV education is that you only need it, if you have less professional experience. That is completely false. The CV education section serves to back up your technical (and sometimes personal) capabilities, fill in gaps in your work history, and show you have the initial industry background and know-how. When creating your education section:
- List your degrees in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (and relevant) ones first;
- Include your degree and university names, start and graduation dates. It's optional to also denote you received a "First-Class Honours" for diplomas that are more relevant to the role;
- Curate your relevant university coursework, projects, or thesis work if you happen to have less professional expertise and need to integrate more job keywords and skills.
Your professional qualifications don't need to stop at your academic background. It's advisable to also select up to three of your most noteworthy (and relevant) industry certificates and feature them in a dedicated section. Once more, include the certificate name, the institution that issued it out, and the date you obtained it on. You could feature both hard skills and soft skills certificates, as in the examples below:
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Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
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Key takeaways
Your successful job application depends on how you well you have aligned your senior account manager CV to the job description and portrayed your best skills and traits. Make sure to:
- Select your CV format, so that it ensures your experience is easy to read and understand;
- Include your professional contact details and a link to your portfolio, so that recruiters can easily get in touch with you and preview your work;
- Write a CV summary if you happen to have more relevant professional experience. Meanwhile, use the objective to showcase your career dreams and ambitions;
- In your CV experience section bullets, back up your individual skills and responsibilities with tangible achievements;
- Have a healthy balance between hard and soft skills to answer the job requirements and hint at your unique professional value.
