Business Development Associate Resume Example + Guide + Tips
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Business development associates are responsible for finding and creating new business opportunities. They identify potential new customers, develop relationships with them and create strategies to capture new business. They must also be able to analyze markets and industries to help identify promising opportunities.
Advance your career with a professional business development associate resume. Use our sample resume for a business development associate and our guide to how to write a resume and get the job you want.
Start by editing this business development associate resume sample template, or explore our resume templates to find the best one for you.
Business development associate resume example (text version)
Eugene Heydon
Atlanta, GA 30310
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Professional Summary
Outgoing business development associate who is able to easily create networks of new potential business contacts. Adept at effective business introductions, growing a customer base and enhancing sales efforts. Specializes in technology support and hardware sales.
Work History
October 2018 – Current
Sovos – Atlanta, GA
Business Development Associate
- Help the marketing group open three large customer bases in several new markets with up to 500,000 accounts.
- Participate in trade show booth collecting an average of 150 new leads per day.
- Create presentations for potential clients and attend business referral group meetings to generate revenue.
June 2015 – September 2018
Apptegy – Atlanta, GA
Business Development Sales Associate
Managed five trade show booths with a staff of 10 and worked with the sales department to keep a steady flow of leads.
Collaborated with the marketing team and developed three business development plans, increasing 40% of business exposure
Identified new business opportunities through cold calling, networking, marketing and prospective database leads, improving 25% of revenue.
August 2014 – May 2015
RELEX Solutions – Atlanta, GA
Business Development Intern
- Worked with the sales department to create criteria for setting up new outside sales meetings.
- Penetrated targeted accounts to generate sales from within the client base.
- Kept detailed records of daily activities from 20,000 accounts through an online customer database.
Skills
- Client needs assessment
- Marketing and sales skills
- Database management
- Research
- Lead generation software
- MS Office
- Time management
- Communication
Education
June 2015
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
BBA Marketing
5 essentials of a top business development associate resume
Contact details
Create an accurate and up-to-date contact section. Include your full name, city, state and ZIP code, followed by phone number and email address. Finally, add a professional website, LinkedIn profile or any other professional networking profile.
Personal statement
A professional summary, is your introduction to a potential employer. It should showcase your best skills and relevant business development associate work experience. In no more than five sentences, let the hiring manager know: how much work experience you have, one or two job-relevant professional accomplishments and your top job-relevant skills.
Here’s a sample of a strong business development associate resume summary:
“A highly motivated and results-oriented business development associate with over five years of experience in driving sales growth, developing strategic partnerships and increasing brand visibility. Proven track record of success in growing revenue streams and achieving corporate goals. Experienced in creating and executing marketing campaigns, building relationships with customers and leveraging the latest technology for maximum efficiency. Highly organized with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.”
Skills
To be effective, the skills section of your business development associate resume must match at least most of the skills highlighted in the job description.
Create a bulleted list with hard skills, like experience with market research and analysis; soft skills, like negotiation and interpersonal skills.
If this is your first job in business development, include transferable skills from other employment.
Work history
Your business development associate resume employment history section should list current and previous employers and provide business names, locations and the dates you worked for each. Include three to five bullet points of measurable achievements for every job you list.
Be specific about your achievements and use numbers to show how you made an impact.
For example
- Spearheaded the development of a new customer relationship management system, resulting in improved customer service and increased sales.
- Developed and implemented a successful customer segmentation strategy, resulting in a 20% increase in customer lifetime value.
- Negotiated key partnerships with industry leaders to expand the company’s reach and increase market share.
If you don’t have work experience as a business development associate, highlight relevant extracurricular activities, coursework, presentations, clinical and volunteer experience and community service.
Education
Use bullet points to create your business development associate resume education section. Include the educational institution’s name, the degree conferred and graduation year. You can skip the graduation date if it has been over 10 years. If you did not attend college, list your high school and any other post-high school course you’ve completed.
The minimum educational requirement for a business development associate is usually a bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field. In some cases, experience in a relevant field may be acceptable in lieu of a degree. Other qualifications may also be required, such as strong communication and analytical skills, an understanding of customer service, and the ability to work in both a team environment and independently.
See why My Perfect Resume is a 5-star resume builder
Action words for a stand-out business development associate resume
Action words can help you add confidence and strengthen your achievements as a business development associate resume. Combine action words with your quantifiable accomplishments to build a great resume.
Here’s a short list of action words for a business development associate resume:
- Network
- Negotiate
- Collaborate
- Generate
- Analyze
- Develop
- Cultivate
- Strategize
- Prospect
- Implement
Building a professional business development associate resume is quick and easy with our Resume Builder. It has all the tools you need, from editing to step-by-step guidance, even editable content suggestions. Save and return to continue working, then download the product once you’re satisfied with it.
Top skills for a business development associate resume
The business development associate resume skills section should show a balance between soft and hard skills. Carefully review the business development associate job description and match the required skills that fit you. This will help showcase you as a desirable candidate.
These are a few skills you could include in your business development associate resume:
- Business-to-customer expertise
- Product knowledge
- Account development
- Data analysis
- Sales closing
- Relationship building
- MS Office
- Communication
- Time management
- Proposal writing
- B2B sales
- Project management
Want more inspiration? Check out our 800+ resume examples to help you create the perfect skills section for your business development associate resume.
Certifications for business development associate resume
Strengthen your business development associate resume with certifications, which can add value to your expertise and set you apart from the candidate pool.
Consider these certifications for your business development associate resume:
- Certified Business Development Manager
- Marketing Management Certification
- Business Analysis Certification in Data Analytics (IIBA-CBDA)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
Business development associate resume FAQ
1. How to make a business development associate resume with no experience?
When it comes to how to write a resume with no experience, think outside the box. You may lack formal experience, yet your skills, training and other types of experience can help you stand out as a potential business development associate.
- Focus on your skills — Create a specific skills section with soft and hard skills relevant to the position and match those skills in the job description. For example, you might emphasize your ability to research marketing trends and analyze data along with your ability to collaborate cross functionally.
- Use computer skills such as proficiency in customer relationship management (CRM) software; and technical skills like knowledge of project management processes in addition to hard and soft skills.
- Use relevant experiences for your work history — Include internships, volunteer work and personal projects.
- Highlight your education — Add your formal education as well as any relevant courses and training.
- Use our Resume Builder to build a professional resume quickly and effectively. We provide guidance and content suggestions according to your industry and experience.
2. What is a cover letter for a business development associate resume?
A cover letter is a one-page document and an important part of your job application. Use it to expand on your career, skills and experience while connecting with a prospective employer.
If you’re new to business development or seeking your first job as a business development associate, a cover letter can help present you as a great candidate.
Here are a few tips if you’re unsure how to write a cover letter.
- Use a business letter format, including salutation and closing.
- Create an eye-catching opening paragraph that includes your most valued skill as a business development associate or potential employee. For example, “I am writing to apply for the position of Business Development Associate at [Company Name]. With my extensive experience in sales and customer service, I am confident I can make a positive contribution to the success of your organization. My background in developing creative marketing campaigns and my excellent communication skills make me an ideal candidate for this role.”
- In the body paragraphs, explain why you would be a great hire by including job-relevant skills and experience. For example, “I am an organized, dedicated, and highly motivated business professional with over 6 years of experience. I have a proven track record of success in developing and executing strategies to drive sales, improve customer service, and increase business growth. I am confident that my skills and experience make me an ideal candidate for the role of business development associate and I am excited to discuss my qualifications in further detail.
- Restate why the hiring manager can’t pass up on you in the closing paragraph. For example, “I am confident that my experience in business development, my attention to detail, and my ability to think strategically, would make me a valuable asset to your team. I am eager to apply my skills and knowledge to help your company reach its goals. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
- Create a great cover letter in 15 minutes with our step-by-step guide and industry-specific expert suggestions in our Cover Letter Builder.
3. What should a business development associate resume look like?
There are three standard resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination.
Chronological resumes are the most common type of resume and focus on a person’s work experience. They list work history in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent job and working backwards. Use this format for your business development resume if you have consistent work history and clear career progression.
Functional resumes focus on skills and qualifications, rather than work history and experience. They emphasize the skills and knowledge that the job seeker has developed rather than the positions held. Choose this resume format if you are changing careers, have gaps in your employment history, of if you have no business development work experience.
Combination resumes are a combination of the chronological and functional formats. They list both skills and qualifications, as well as work experience. Write a combination business development associate resume if you have is best used by those with transferrable skills from various experiences and/or a wide array of qualifications.
4. What should a business development associate resume look like?
A resume for a business development associate must be clean and organized. Achieve that look by choosing a template that’s visually pleasing and readable. Our extensive resume template collection makes it easy to choose. It has different styles, like modern, creative and professional. Find an ATS-friendly template to pass the applicant tracking software test.
To make your business development associate resume stand out, include information such as:
- Demonstrated experience in developing business strategies and plans to increase sales revenue and market share
- Proven success in identifying and developing new business opportunities
- Knowledge of industry trends and strategies to increase customer base and revenue
- Experience in researching and developing customer relationships
- Proven ability to develop and implement effective marketing plans
- Expertise in developing industry contacts and networking
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- Proficient in utilizing various software programs to analyze data and generate reports
- Ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Skilled in presenting complex business concepts and proposals to stakeholders
- Adept at problem solving and troubleshooting challenges
To create a resume in our builder, simply choose a template from the collection, add your information and you’re done! If you change your mind, you can change the template and the builder will reformat all your information again. Check out our resume examples to see how a finished product looks!
Do’s and don’ts for building a business development associate resume
- Use measurable achievements to describe your abilities and experience as a business development associate. For example, “Generated $500K in new revenue by successfully leading the launch of three new products in the first six months as Business Development Associate.”
- Use action words like “network,” “collaborate,” and “research” to make an impact on your business development associate resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target business development associate job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your business development associate resume.
- Format your business development associate resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your business development associate experience and skills.
- Boast that you’re the “best business development associate.” Instead, emphasize your accomplishments, like “Negotiated product pricing and discounts with suppliers, resulting in an average of 10% savings on purchases.”
- Include irrelevant personal information, such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience not pertaining to a business development associate resume.
- Forget to proofread. A business development associate resume with errors is unprofessional.
Top 4 tips for acing a business development associate interview
Research the prospective employer before your interview.
Learn about the employer’s history, goals, values and people before your business development associate interview. Being able to show that you have in-depth knowledge about a potential employer shows interest, dedication and commitment — traits that make a desirable candidate.
Some job-relevant things to consider:
- The company’s ommitment to ethical business practices
- Does the company emphasize networking and relationship building?
- What is the company’s take on data-driven business decision making?
- Is the company innovative and forward-thinking?
- What is the company’s five-year business plan?
Practice at home.
Start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- Why Did You Choose This Career?
- Describe a Time When You Needed to Cope With a Stressful Scenario
- What Is the Biggest Mistake You’ve Made?
- How Do You Determine Priorities in Scheduling Your Time?
- What Goals Have You Established for Yourself?
Search for other possible interview questions, write down answers and practice with an interview partner. Choose a trusted person. Once you’re done, ask them for feedback and work with them to improve your answers, tone and body language. Being prepared will help you have a smoother interview experience.
Then research business development-specific questions, such as
- What strategies do you employ to build relationships and create partnerships with clients?
- What strategies have you used to identify potential new business opportunities?
- How have you utilized data and analytics to drive decision making in the past?
- How do you handle difficult conversations or objections when trying to close a deal?
- How do you balance long-term goals with short-term initiatives?
- What techniques do you use to ensure that your team is aligned and working toward the same objectives?
- What have you done to increase market share for companies you’ve worked with in the past?
Pro tip: Practice in front of a mirror. Look at your facial expressions and body language, which hiring managers will notice.
Be proactive and ask questions.
You are also interviewing your potential employer. Prepare several questions to learn more about the role, employer and how you fit. Hiring managers expect questions as it shows your enthusiasm and interest in the role. Your questions can even improve their impression of you.
Here are a few examples of questions to get you started:
- What strategies do you currently have in place to drive business growth?
- How do you measure the success of business development initiatives?
- How do you identify potential new business opportunities?
- What challenges have you faced when developing new business opportunities?
- What methods do you use to identify and analyze customer needs?
- How do you prioritize business development activities?
Gather your references.
Contact former managers and colleagues to be potential references. They should be able to vouch for your work ethic and skills. Explain to them where you are in the process and when they could expect to be reached. Don’t forget to ask for two letters of recommendation.
If this is your first full-time job, you can request a reference from a mentor, former professor or community leader that can vouch for your skills.
Cover letter examples for the next step in your business operations career
- Business Owner Cover Letter
- CEO Cover Letter
- Business Development Manager Cover Letter
- Executive Cover Letter
- Executive Director Cover Letter
- Manager Cover Letter
- Operations Manager Cover Letter
- Operations Supervisor Cover Letter
- Owner Operator Cover Letter
- Shift Manager Cover Letter
- Vice President Cover Letter
CV examples for the next step in your business operations career
How we reviewed this article
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Sources
- Corp HR. Blog. Business Development Associate: Role, Career Path, and Salary
- Oetting, Jami. Hubspot. 21 Skills Every Business Development Pro Should Have (or Work on)
- Velents. Business Development Associate Job Description
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Business Development Associate Resume Example
Kellie is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with 20+ years of experience in digital media and is passionate about helping job seekers navigate their careers. She earned a B.A. in English and writing from Temple University.