Commercial manager CV example
As the job title suggests, commercial managers are responsible for overseeing and directing a company’s commercial operations. More specifically, they identify and embark upon new opportunities for growth – to ensure the business is a commercial success. That’s quite a lot of responsibility to pack into a CV of one or two pages. But as you can see from our CV examples, it is still possible!
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In order to make a good first impression with potential employers as a commercial manager, it is essential that you first produce a superb CV. Ideally, your CV will list all of your aptitudes for commercial activities as well as detailing your softer abilities, like team building for example.
A strong CV will highlight your business strengths, but do so in a logical way that is clear to the reader from their first glance. Your CV should therefore be formatted in an appropriate way and, by using our free commercial manager CV templates, you are sure to hit the right mark, presenting all of your personal and professional information to great effect.
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Commercial manager CV sample
Paul Piper
4 Queensway, Sheffield S1 9TH
07912345678
Paul.Piper@example-example.co.uk
Professional summary
Accomplished marketing professional brings proven history in campaign development and programme management. Forward-thinking and analytical in tracking markets and optimising strategies for best results. Excels at partnering cross-functionally to generate outstanding results.
Work history
February 2016 – Current
Buildex – Sheffield
Construction Commercial Manager
- Delivered exceptional staff performance through effective training and mentoring of many employees over the years.
- Managed risks by performing thorough risk assessments and implementing mitigative action.
- Expertly managed a portfolio of 4 major and 6 additional successful projects over 10 years.
January 2010 – January 2016
Modern Construction – London
Commercial Manager and Surveyor
- Drove best practice by devising clear strategy on customer engagement, operational delivery and commercial excellence.
- Ensured dynamic alignment between commercial function of business and operational activities.
- Employed strong project management skills to deliver complex objectives, using financial levers appropriately to grow business profitability.
Skills
- Financial management
- Contract negotiating
- Budget governance
- High-value project management
- High-value project management
- Risk management
- Workflow optimisation
- Business development
- Competitive and trend analysis
- Relationship management
Education
University of London London – 2010
Bachelor of Science Commercial Management and Quality Surveying
Commercial manager CV template
What is the best format for your commercial manager CV?
Generally speaking, the CV formats you choose will depend on your level of experience. Given that there’s no such thing as an entry-level commercial manager, the reverse-chronological format is definitely the best option. This is the format used in our commercial manager CV example. But it’s the most conventional and widely accepted format for UK CVs across the board.
The name “reverse-chronological”, refers to the order used for the work history section – with the current or most recent job listed first. Here’s the overall layout:
- Contact details – so recruiters know who you are and how to get in touch.
- Personal statement – a short paragraph to introduce yourself
- Work history – onto the main body of the CV, including a few of the main responsibilities from each role
- Skills – A concise list of key competencies
- Education – Include any relevant qualifications, using the same reverse-chronological approach
Why is this CV format the best option for commercial managers? Quite simply, it gives the most weight to your experience and the abilities you’ve developed throughout your career. For such an important, senior position, this is what recruiters will be looking for.
Commercial manager CV tips
Put commercial awareness front and centre
It’s hard to overstate just how important commercial awareness is to your role. Back it up throughout your CV by highlighting how you’ve driven revenue, improved profitability, entered new markets, or expanded a customer’s client base, for example.
Clarity is key
From team management to client liaison, communication is vital for commercial managers. That’s why your CV needs to clearly communicate your ability and experience. Use bullet points to keep things concise and to the point. Pair that with simple language wherever possible, ditching unnecessary jargon and buzzwords wherever you can.
Get specific!
It’s one thing saying that you deliver results. But it’s a lot more impactful listing how you increased profits by 36% over a two-year period, or secured an average of 3 new clients per month. By including specific facts and figures, you can add more weight to your proficiency as a commercial manager.
Customise your CV
No two companies or commercial manager jobs are the same – but that doesn’t mean you can’t find similarities between them. Try to emphasise any duties or responsibilities from your own experience that match the requirements or preferences from the role description or person specification for each job you apply to.
Pair your commercial manager CV with a cover letter
If you were pushing for a new client contract, you would definitely take the time to explain why your company is the best choice. A cover letter is basically a way to that about yourself when applying for commercial manager roles.
Rather than repeating your commercial manager CV, it should work alongside it, expanding on particular points of interest, areas of expertise, or career achievements.
Open by addressing the recruiter and highlighting the role you’re applying for. Move onto your background, experience, and expertise, explaining why it makes you the right fit for the job. Then finish with a paragraph to emphasise your enthusiasm for the role and thank the recruiter for considering your application.
Remember, it’s not just the job you’re applying for – it’s the company too. Check out their website for any values or mission statements, then align your covering letter accordingly. If they’re an eco-conscious company, for example, highlight any green business developments you’ve overseen.
How to write a CV for a commercial manager
Even with the format in place, it can be difficult to know what exactly you need to include in your commercial manager CV – not to mention how each section should look and sound to a recruiter. Fortunately, we’ve got some advice and tips for each section so you know how to write a CV as well as how to structure it. Read on for:
- Adding contact details to your commercial manager CV
- How to write a personal statement for your commercial manager CV
- Commercial manager CV work experience
- Great skills to add on your commercial manager CV
- Get education right on your commercial manager CV
Adding contact details to your commercial manager CV
Technically speaking, getting a recruiter to contact you is the primary purpose. That’s why contact details should be listed right at the top of your CV, including:
- Full name – middle names are optional
- Location – it’s best to include your full address
- Email address – make sure it’s suitable
- Phone number – include whichever number or numbers are best to reach you on
Example of contact section for commercial manager CV
Zoe Smith
28a Any Road, Any Town, AN1 2YT
07050 1234134
zoe.w.smith@anyemail.co.uk
How to write a personal statement for your commercial manager CV
The personal statement is vitally important to your CV, a recruiter’s impression of you as a candidate, and whether or not they read on. Think of it like your first meeting with a potential client or partner. If it goes well, you’re on a strong footing going forwards. If not, you’re already playing catch up.
While it’s tempting to write about yourself in the first person (I, me), it’s actually more professional to use the third person – as if someone is writing about you. This shifts the focus from you to your experience and abilities, which is what recruiters actually care about.
It should be no longer than 3-4 sentences, and can include:
- The amount of experience you have in years
- Any specific sectors or environments you’ve worked in
- An idea of how you excel, like “putting together bids and tenders”
- Some positive adjectives to describe you as a person, such as “target-driven”
Example of personal statement for a commercial manager CV
An experienced commercial manager, who has built up a number of key skills in developing businesses over the course of several years. Takes a professional approach to the financial management of projects, often being able to recognise new commercial opportunities that come up. Skilled with putting together bids and tenders to win new business from existing clients and am happy making first contact with potential customers to build new business.
OR
Target-driven commercial manager with a track record of working strategically to expand and improve procedures and practices. Possesses a wealth of experience in the energy sector. Now seeking a new challenge that will allow skill set to grow even further.
Commercial manager CV work experience
That’s the introductions taken care of. Now to really showcase what you’re capable of. Start with your most recent (or current job) and work backwards. To tick a few boxes, recruiters will want to see:
- Your job title
- The company you worked for
- Location – the town or city will suffice
- Start and end dates (or “present” for your current role)
But work history isn’t just about basic details. Underneath these details, you should include 3-6 duties, responsibilities, or achievements from each job. Here are some tips to give you a better idea:
- Start sentences with action words like “managed”, “developed”, “resolved” to create your proactive impression
- Include specific statistics or figures, like the size of team you worked with or the amount by which you increased a company’s client base
- Try to include different points for each job to show a wider range of your capabilities
Example of work experience for a commercial manager CV
Construction Commercial Manager | KS Developments, Wolverhampton | January 2012 – Present
- Responsible for developing bids with the sales director and for pricing work strategically based on available resources.
- Resolved many contractual and commercial disputes that cropped up to each party’s satisfaction without recourse to legal action.
- Oversaw all the reporting functionality for the company’s financial KPIs.
Commercial Manager and Surveyor | Premier Construction | Solihull, February 2010 – December 2011
- Made sure that the financial aspects of all contracts that were entered into were made clear to all parties prior to signing.
- Offered written risk assessments in line with the company’s policies.
- Won new business from tenders that accounted for contracts valued in total at over £6 million over two years.
Great skills to add on your commercial manager CV
Commercial managers possess a pretty varied skillset, which is why it can be hard narrowing things down for your CV. Alternatively, you might be unsure which kind of CV skills recruiters are actually looking for.
One simple tip is to read through the job description or person specification to see exactly what competencies recruiters want or need. Include any that match your own ability, or simply use them for inspiration.
Remember that it’s not just about job-specific abilities such as risk management or commercial awareness. It’s also good to include some soft, transferable skills like management, computer literacy, and communication.
Last but not least, use bullet points to keep the list clear and concise. Still struggling to get started? Take a look at these valuable commercial manager qualities…
Essential skills for a commercial manager
- Strong commercial awareness
- Excellent numeracy skills
- Producing cost savings
- Full working knowledge of all the relevant software
- Risk and value management
- Strategic management
Desirable aptitudes to set you apart
- Ability to renegotiate contractual obligations whilst projects are ongoing
- Superb IT skills
- Driving licence
- Leadership
- Time management
- Great interpersonal skills
Get education right on your commercial manager CV
As a senior position, many recruiters are looking for well-educated candidates to fill their commercial manager vacancies. While it’s not essential for the role, and experience can certainly make up for it, education can help you progress up the career ladder a little quicker.
So, it makes sense to include any relevant education you do have and boost your chances. A degree or diploma in commercial management, business studies, or a similar subject is the ideal fit.
However, you can also include general qualifications like GCSEs and A Levels to demonstrate a solid understanding of subjects like Maths, English, or Business Studies.
Use reverse-chronology so your most recent, relevant education comes first, and remember to include the following:
- Qualification type or level
- Subject or course title
- The year of qualification or years of study
- The institution or awarding body
Example education section for a commercial manager
BSc (Hons) in Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying University of Example, 2001-2004 A Levels
Example College, 1999-2001 Technology (B), English (C) and Maths (D)
GCSE Example School, 1997-1999 8 good passes including English and Maths
Your commercial manager CV questions answered
What is the role of a commercial manager?
A commercial manager is responsible for the ongoing development of a business, including:
- Winning new clients
- Forming new partnerships
- Entering new markets
- Developing and implementing growth strategies
What makes a great commercial manager?
A great commercial manager will have:
- Awareness of how businesses grow and thrive
- Understanding of a specific market or sector
- Great rapport building capability
- Excellent leadership skills
- Good negotiation ability
- Attention to detail for contracts
What is the difference between a sales manager and a commercial manager?
A sales manager focuses specifically on sales, ensuring their team hits monthly, weekly, or even daily targets to keep the business ticking over. A commercial manager has a more long-term approach, looking to grow a business by taking on new clients or entering new markets, including the associated contracts involved.
What should a manager put on a CV?
As well as your business acumen, you should highlight your management ability, including:
- Recruitment
- Staff retention
- Communication
- Time management
- Training
Make your commercial manager CV a success
Time to focus on your own growth with a top-rate commercial manager CV. Take a look at more of our CV examples to see what recruiters are looking for, or get started with one of our professionally designed CV templates. Using our online builder, you can even choose from a selection of content for your work history, skills, and personal statement, so you simply need to add the finishing touches to your CV.
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