You're probably an outstanding communicator and a highly efficient, stress-proof troubleshooter — but do you know how to show this on your customer support resume? Our comprehensive guide has all the answers! Follow our tips, detailed examples, resume samples, and sleek templates to give your resume the much needed makeover.
Keep reading this guide and learn everything there is to know about:
- Writing a strong professional summary for your customer support resume
- Whiat are the most effective skills to put on your customer support resume
- Creating a powerful job experience description for your customer support CV
- The best way to list your education and academic achievements in your customer support resume
- Useful extra sections to put on your customer support CV
- Accessing top resources for job-seeking customer support representatives
1. Strong professional summary for your customer support resume
Your professional profile is a unique opportunity to capture a hiring manager’s attention and make them read through your entire CV. They say, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.”
Market your best skills, key achievements and strengths. Remember that all of these should directly relate to the job you're applying for.
Here's an example of a strong customer support resume summary
A self-motivated, dedicated Customer Support Professional with 3+ years of experience in Customer Care. Adept at providing professional service and building customer relationships through responsiveness and appreciation. Improved new customer CSAT scores by 15% at Marknight. Exceeded sales targets by 22% in 2020 through enhancing tracking procedures.
2. The most effective skills to put on your customer support resume
Your resume should feature the most relevant skills. What does it mean?
Go over the job posting in question and target requirements that match your skills. Mention these competences at the top of your list.
Let's take a look at this excerpt from a customer service job ad:
What we expect
- You are keen to provide outstanding customer support.
- You are a great communicator, both in verbal and written.
- You are able to problem-solve promptly, and you can handle stressful situations.
- You are patient and you enjoy teaching customers at all levels of technical proficiency.
- You know how to effectively prioritize responsibilities.
- You are resourceful and precise.
- Rotating shift work is no problem for you.
- You embrace technology and you are eager to learn about the products our customers use.
- You have superior knowledge of MS Office and you are familiar with Salesforce and customer support software.
Based on these expectations, and given that your skills actually match them, you can perfectly build up the following soft and hard skill-sets for your customer support resume.
The best customer support soft skills for your resume
- Interpersonal skills
- Outstanding communication (oral and written)
- Problem solving
- Complaint resolution
- Ability to handle stressful situations
- Positive attitude
- Patience
- Willingness to improve
- Organization
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Adaptability
The most effective hard skills for your customer support CV
- MS Office (Superior Proficiency)
- Freshdesk (Superior Proficiency)
- Salesforce (Medium Proficiency)
- Dixa
- Product Knowledge
- ERP
3. Powerful job experience description for your customer support CV
You already know the drill.
Go back to the job posting, stay relevant, and tailor your work experience section to the requirements in it. Quantify your achievements whenever you can.
Here’s another job ad example:
What you will be doing
- Provide fast and on-target communication to Marknight users through email and phone.
- Solve customer issues by building proficiency in relevant product areas and by learning to problem-solve.
- Identify individual customer tendencies and enhance customer support processes by consulting with the team.
- Document discrepancies for the Product team to support faster customer solutions.
- Maintain our learning resources and expert system to improve the efficiency of the support we provide to customers.
Building on the provided job posting information, you may craft your customer support work description as follows.
Customer support work experience example
Marknight, Texas
Customer Service Representative
2017–2020
- Promptly answered product and service questions via phone and email, and effectively offered information on a variety of related products and services.
- Placed an average of 120+ weekly orders from customers and agents.
- Improved new customer CSAT scores by 15%.
- Exceeded sales targets by 22% in 2020 through enhancing tracking procedures.
- Managed to reduce the number of tickets for a recurring issue by 25%.
- Mentored a team of 5 Customer Support Representatives to improve CES.
4. The best way to list your education and academic achievements in your customer support resume
Never underestimate the education segment in your CV.
You may be used to seeing customer support job ads having a high school diploma as an acceptable qualification. However, there are many companies that do require you to have a post-secondary degree.
In any case, you should definitely use the education section to your advantage. Besides listing the school name, you may add your achievements or areas of interest related to the position you're applying for.
Customer support education section example
2013-2016
BA in English Language and Culture
Villa University, Texas
- Areas of interest: Applied Communication, Personal Development
- Finalist, Student Essay Writing Competition 2015
- Led Student Speech Association
5. Useful extra sections to put on your customer support CV
Add extra sections to your resume, and you'll be one step ahead of other candidates.
You may perfectly include your certifications, awards or interests that have moulded you into a great customer support professional. What’s more, if you’ve already had some previous customer care experience, it's a great strategy to incorporate impressive testimonials from your customers.
Pick the sections that best target your achievements and speak loudly about your interpersonal and technical skills.
- Certifications and Courses
- Volunteering
- Training
- Awards
- Testimonials from Customers
- Job Performance Reviews
- Interests
Here's an example of how to effectively list your relevant volunteering experience
Customer Service Volunteer XYZ Non-Profit Organization, Anytown, USA April 2019 - Present
- Assisted in managing customer inquiries, providing excellent customer service and resolving issues in a timely and empathetic manner.
- Collaborated with a diverse team of volunteers to coordinate events, fundraisers, and community outreach initiatives, fostering positive relationships with stakeholders.
- Acted as a liaison between the organization and its beneficiaries, ensuring their needs were addressed effectively and their feedback was communicated to the appropriate channels.
Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.
6. Top resources for job-seeking customer support representatives
Now that you've got your standout resume ready, it's time to move to the next step — the job search. Whether you're seeking your first role in customer support or aiming to advance in this vital field, knowing where to look for suitable opportunities is crucial. If you're struggling and don't know where to start, these resources may come in handy:
- Industry-specific job boards: You can start with websites that offer job postings especially curated for customer support representatives, such as CustomerServiceJobs.com or CustomerServiceJobs.
- Online search engines: Search engines with broad focus like Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecuiter, or SimplyHired offer a wide variety of job postings. But you can filter through them by entering relevant keywords (“customer support”) into the search bar.
- Professional associations: Associations like the SOCAP International, the National Customer Service Association (NCSA), or the European Customer Experience Organization (ECXO) are excellent sources of networking opportunities, access to industry news, publications, further training, as well as job listings.
- LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to find customer support positions. take advantage of its vast network to connect with potential employers and industry professionals directly.
- Specialized publications: To keep up with the latest industry developments, methods, trends and news, you can also look up specialized media, such as: “The Magazine for Customer Service Managers & Professionals,” “Call Centre Helper,” or “CRM Magazine.”
- Continuous learning: Gain new knowledge and skills with certifications and courses provided by platforms like Service Strategies, CXPA, Coursera, Udemy, or even LinkedIn Learning.
Every work opportunity is unique, and each job application you send should reflect that. Because the successful outcome of your job search begins and ends with a dazzling resume. So, make yours count!
Customer Support Resume FAQ
What are some common mistakes to avoid when crafting a customer support resume?
Always double-check for any typos and grammatical errors you may have missed- they suggest a lack of attention to detail. Then, make sure that all your contact information is updated and correct. Also, avoid generic phrases or fluff and instead provide specific examples of your accomplishments.
How important is it to include metrics in a customer support resume?
Including measurable metrics is indeed crucial. For once, it gives employers a quantifiable and objective view of your capabilities. Numbers are universal and give the impression of tangible and precise outcomes. For example, if you've helped improve customer satisfaction or response times, be sure to quantify these achievements.
What if I don't have direct customer support experience?
This shouldn't be a huge problem. Surely, you have plenty of transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, and any experience using relevant software. And if you happen to speak multiple languages, this can only enhance your chances at getting hired! Anecdotes from your personal life where you've helped people can also serve as examples of your customer service potential.
How should I handle employment gaps on a customer support resume?
Honesty is the best policy! Don't be afraid to approach this problem straightforwardly. Briefly explain the gap in your cover letter and focus on what you did during that period that could contribute to your role as a customer support professional. This may include any volunteering, courses, or self-learning.
Should I include references on my customer support resume?
Not on your resume. Keep it focused on you and your skills. If an employer wants references, they'll request them separately. So, the best thing you can do is to have your references ready in a separate document. You can then mention that “References are available upon request.” somewhere close to the end of your cover letter.