Customer Service Resume Examples, Skills, and Keywords

In a customer service role, you are responsible for maintaining a company’s relationship with its clients. It’s a job with many responsibilities, and customer service can look very different at different companies or levels of service quality.

A representative in a retail business will work directly with people in a store, but a manager at an online business will mostly handle high-level complaints and work with upper management on strategy.

To get a job in customer service, you need a resume designed for the job you want. Since every customer service position is a little different, your resume should change, too. After all, submitting the resume that got you your first job probably won’t help you get that management position.

Employers prefer applicants who are interested in working for their company. Submitting a generic resume lets them know you just want a job, not their job, so take the time to customize your resume to fit the position and stand out. Well-paying customer service can be competitive, so it’s worth the time to give yourself an extra advantage.

There’s no better way to learn about writing good resumes than by reading them. These two customer service resume examples show how you can customize your resume for different roles. Whether you want to stay on the front lines or become a manager, your resume should reflect that.

Customer service departments are busy, and ost employers don’t have time to read every application they receive. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help them solve that problem. The ATS checks applications for customer service resume keywords and removes spam and unqualified applicants. That means that resumes that don’t use the right keywords never get seen by a human being. If you want to get hired, you need to make sure your resume can make it past ATS filters.

Customer service salaries depend on the responsibilities of the role. Entry-level roles will always have lower median salaries than managerial positions. However, the experience you gain in entry-level positions is critical to moving into roles with more responsibility. Once you have industry knowledge, you’ll be better positioned to move up the ladder.

Many industries don’t require a customer service representative to have advanced training or degrees. For most entry-level roles, you just need a high school diploma or GED.

However, having an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business administration or something similar can help. These degrees demonstrate that you can dedicate yourself to something. They also show that you can communicate well enough to get through higher education.

If you want to move into a managerial role, a bachelor’s degree is more important. Many companies require their managers to have a college degree, but the specific degree is flexible.

You can also get management certifications. If you’re currently a customer service representative, you may not have specific managerial experience — getting a management certificate can make you a more attractive candidate.‌

Common management certificates include:

• ‌Certified Manager (CM)
• ‌Certified Business Process Associate (CBPA)
• ‌Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
• ‌Project Management Professional (PMP)

‌Make sure to check the requirements in the job descriptions. Many postings will mention the specific certifications a company wants. If you’re planning a future job change, you can get started on your certifications, so that, when it’s time to apply, you’re ready.