Call Center Resume Example
If you're hoping to start a career as a call center employee, you'll need experience in resolving technical issues and updating CRM systems. A professional resume for call center employee applications will showcase your relevant skills and career achievements, to help you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we'll outline how to write a winning resume to boost your chances of success in your call center employee applications.
After reading this guide, you'll know what it takes to create a resume that really stands out from other call center employee applicants. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your call center resume.
Core sections to include in a call center employee resume
Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a call center employee resume being no different. For junior candidates with little work experience, other sections of the resume take on more prominence and might be placed before the work experience section. These could include education, skills, projects, hobbies and volunteer work.
The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:
Resume Header with Contact Details
A call center resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Make sure your resume header is as brief as possible and doesn't take up too much valuable space. Choose a clear, professional design that sets the tone for your application.
Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.
Lydia Phillips
lydia.phillips@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
112½ Beacon Street, Boston, MA
linkedin․com/in/lydia–phillips123
Resume Summary
Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in call center employee roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for call center employee roles.
Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.
A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for call center employee roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. See below for some great examples of how to approach your call center resume.
Experienced Customer Service Representative with a proven track record in handling high-volume calls, resolving customer issues efficiently, and providing exceptional service. Skilled in active listening, problem-solving, and maintaining a positive demeanor. Adept at using CRM systems to manage customer interactions and ensure satisfaction. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, committed to enhancing customer experiences and fostering loyalty
Customer service professional with experience in talking to people and helping solve their problems. Familiar with tools for keeping track of conversations and making sure people are happy. Good at listening and staying positive. Have worked on making interactions better and keeping customers coming back
On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your call center resume summary.
Skills
The skills section of a call center employee resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include multichannel communication tools, emotional intelligence (EQ) or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a call center employee.
How to list hard skills on your call center resume
Hard skills are the key technical skills required for call center employee positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your call center employee job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the call center employee role. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.
The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a call center resume below.
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Data entry proficiency
- Multichannel communication tools
Listing soft skills on your call center resume
Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.
The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a call center employee resume.
- Active listening skills
- Emotional intelligence (EQ)
- Problem-solving abilities
Education
In your education section, include details of your most relevant call center employee qualifications and educational achievements.
It's not usually necessary to have a degree for jobs as a call center employee. Nevertheless, it's still crucial to list your highest or most relevant educational achievements. These might include COPC: Customer Operations, and other certifications or courses that highlight your multichannel communication tools or quality assurance (QA).
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.
If you were a member of any clubs or societies, or volunteered for any causes while studying, you could also mention these in your education section.
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), 2017 - 2020
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Certifications and Training
Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and proessional certifications required for call center employee roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.
Below you can find several examples of certifications for a call center employee resume:
- CCMP: Certified Call, 2022
- COPC: Customer Operations, 2022
- HDI: Customer Service, 2022
Work History
In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a call center employee. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.
Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to call center employee roles.
A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.
Customer Service Representative, January 2022 - Present
EchoWave Solutions, Cincinnati
- Successfully resolved 95% of customer complaints on first contact, increasing overall customer satisfaction by 20%
- Trained and mentored a team of 10 new hires, improving team efficiency by 30%
- Implemented a new feedback system, reducing response times by 50% and increasing positive feedback by 40%
Customer Service Representative, January 2022 - Present
EchoWave Solutions, Cincinnati
- Handled customer complaints effectively, enhancing satisfaction
- Guided new team members, boosting team performance
- Introduced feedback improvements, leading to better response times and feedback
Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. A poor resume work experience section would typically use vague descriptions of activities in previous jobs, while focusing too much on responsibilities rather than achievements. Failing to focus on the skills and experience that match the job description is likely to harm your chances of success.
Expert Tip:
Focus on specific accomplishments that highlight your work ethic and reliability, such as "reduced processing time by 15%" or "earned Employee of the Month twice." (1) Pair this with a simple, clean format that ensures your resume looks professional and approachable. (2)
Optional Sections
In addition to the core sections of a call center employee resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. Your hobbies and interests are useful for a call center employee resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.
Volunteer Work
Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your call center resume. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.
References
It's not typical to include references in a call center resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.
References will be available upon request.
Best words to use in a call center resume
Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose from the list of words below to increase the impact of your work experience section.
- Manage
- Coordinate
- Resolve
- Assist
- Communicate
- Implement
- Streamline
- Analyze
- Facilitate
- Optimize
For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.
Example of a call center resume
Now we've covered the main sections to include in your call center resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:
112½ Beacon Street, Boston, MA
•
lydia.phillips@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/lydia–phillips123
Experienced Customer Service Representative with a proven track record in managing high-volume inbound and outbound calls, resolving customer issues, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Skilled in communication, problem-solving, and maintaining detailed customer records. Adept at using CRM software and committed to delivering exceptional service in a fast-paced environment.
Customer Service Representative
2020
-2022
BrightWave Solutions (Irvine)
- Resolved 95% of customer issues on first contact, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention rates by 30%
- Trained and mentored 15 new hires, resulting in a 40% improvement in their performance within the first 3 months
- Implemented a new feedback system, increasing positive customer feedback scores by 25% and reducing repeat complaint calls by 20%
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Data entry proficiency
Multichannel communication tools
Active listening skills
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
Problem-solving abilities
CCMP: Certified Call
COPC: Customer Operations
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Key tips for a call center resume
- Make a strong first impression with a concise, impactful call center resume summary that showcases your key qualities.
- Read your resume carefully before sending it, to avoid errors that could prove costly to your chances.
- Use a clear, professional resume format to make your document as accessible as possible, including a readable font and appropriate headings, margins and line spacing. This will make your resume easier for recruiters and hiring managers to read.
- Use action words that show how you've made an impact in different call center employee jobs (e.g. coordinate, implement, facilitate).
- Quantify your successes by providing figures and other evidence that shows how your skills have made a difference to your employer.
- Don't fill your resume with industry jargon or business-speak that could alienate the reader.
- Don't forget to keep your contact information up to date, to ensure the employer can contact you if necessary.
- Don't clutter your document by trying to add too many details. Focus on core call center employee skills and achievements that are relevant to the role.
- Don't mention hobbies or interests unless they help you prove a skill required for the role, that you haven't included elsewhere.
- Don't lie or exaggerate any information on your call center resume, as this can cause you problems further down the line.
Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. When you're writing your call center resume, there are several things you can do to make sure your resume stands the best chance of passing the ATS stage.
Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
- Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
- Use design elements that help make your resume more readable. These might include white space, clear, professional fonts and subtle color accents to help certain elements stand out.
- Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions about a call center employee resume
Alongside your call center resume, it's important to produce a professional cover letter that creates a similar positive impact on the reader.
Before you write your cover letter, think about whether you need a formal, professional letter or if a brief, less formal email might be more suitable.
A full, formal cover letter follows a traditional letter-writing structure and format. Add your header, the recipient's address an use professional greetings and sign-offs. In your first paragraph, introduce yourself and confirm the role you're applying for, along with your reasons for applying. Next, outline your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to the call center employee job description. Finish by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and adding a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to contact you for further information.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
For an experienced call center employee, the resume is an account of your achievements and the skills you've gained through your career. As an experienced candidate, your call center resume might include a work experience section that goes back beyond the standard 10 to 15 years. This will give you the chance to highlight your extensive experience and achievements. Consider adding any optional sections that show employers the impact you've made in your career to date. These include awards, successful projects or a dedicated achievements section.
If you want to create a strong first impression in your call center employee application, a resume headline can help. Resume headlines are also a powerful way of increasing your resume's chances of passing the ATS stage. They reference the job title and some of the keywords that match the job description. Write a short, snappy heading for your resume including the job title and a reference to your experience, your track record or one or two of your key skills.
See below for an example of a well-constructed resume headline:
- Customer Service Representative - Entry-Level
- Customer Service Representative Specialist
- Experienced Senior Call Center Specialist
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For roles where you're lacking experience, such as graduate jobs or career changes, you could use a functional or skills-based resume format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. If, however, you have relevant work experience in the industry, it's typically best to use a reverse chronological resume format. This highlights your achievements in work, which is probably the most important factor for hiring managers to consider.
Takeaways for a winning call center resume
An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.
HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.
Sources:
(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
