Are you looking to work as a customer service representative? Do you need a good resume that will help you stand out in the crowd? You have come to the right place.
In this article, I will write about all the features that will make your resume outstanding and ensure you get a callback for that job.
Your resume is your first impression on paper. Therefore, your resume will determine a lot about your career path. This is the reason your resume should be near perfect.
Table of contents
What Is A Resume?
A resume summarizes your identification, academic, work history, and intended career path. It is almost an advertisement for your qualifications and encourages potential employers to invite you for an interview.
A resume is short and says so much in very few words that is why the tiniest detail can ruin an otherwise good resume.
In the next few minutes, you will learn everything you need about an excellent customer service representative resume and how to upgrade yours.
What Is The Difference Between A CV and A Resume?
A CV is a curriculum vitae that translates to “course of life.” The curriculum vitae describes the entire course of your academic and work life. It may also include publications, awards, honors, and other achievements. It can be as short as 2 pages or it can extend up to 10 pages.
In some countries like the US and Canada, they use a CV for academic applications, academic jobs, grants, or research fellowships. However, a resume is used for job applications.
The differences between a CV and a resume lie in the length, layout, and purpose. As I have pointed out earlier, a CV is commonly used for academic applications (in the US and Canada) but the resume is used for job applications.
On length, a resume is usually between one or two pages long. A CV, on the other hand, does not have any length restrictions.
In Europe and New Zealand, “CV” is used to describe the American equivalent of a resume. It is concise and strictly for applying to employers. Australia and South Africa, use both words interchangeably to refer to a one- or two-page document which chronicles your academic and work history.
In essence, the difference between a CV and a resume depends on your geographical location. In some countries, they are exactly the same thing.
What Are The Features Of A Good Resume?
An excellent resume should inspire an employer to want to contact the resume holder. Ideally, a resume should possess the following qualities;
1. Honesty
It should contain updated and correct information on the resume holder. It is free of “white lies” and exaggeration. Some employers may wish to verify the information on the resume and it would embarrass you to find that they are inaccurate.
2. Cleanliness
As a first impression, a resume should present the holder as careful and clean. You should take care in typing or writing a CV. Make sure everything is in its place and keep mistakes or typographical errors at a bare minimum.
3. Full disclosure
An excellent resume should be complete. There should be no blanks left to be filled. It should contain all your contact information, career objectives, skills, and references. A resume lacking in any of these is like reading an incomplete story.
4. Brevity
A resume should concise. Avoid unnecessary stories and stick to relevant information. An employer should feel like he knows you after skimming through your 2-page resume.
5. Appropriate format
We write resumes in 3 formats; chronological format, functional format, and a combination of both chronological and functional format. Picking a format should depend on the information on the resume.
6. Updated information
There are no other means for an employer to get information about you, so it is extremely important that you update your resume with your most recent work experiences and academic achievements. You will benefit from updating your resume once or twice a year so that nothing is left out.
What Are The Key Elements Of A Resume?
These are the information every resume must contain before you can refer to it as complete.
1. Personal information
Name
Email address
Phone number
Residential address (where applicable)
2. Objective
This should be a sort of mission statement in one or two sentences. This goal should be related to the position you are applying for.
Example: Seeking a position as a customer service representative, providing top-notch services to your customers.
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3. Education
This can be as long or as short as your qualification allows. It’s advised to begin with your most recent academic qualification, then move chronologically backward to high school at least. You should write the details as follows;
School name
City and state
Date of graduation
Course highlights
Certificates
4. Work and related experience
As with education, they expect you to begin with the most recent and take steps backward. Make sure you crosscheck your dates to make sure nothing looks fishy. A mistake here may show up looking like a deliberate lie. You can include summer jobs, internships, and volunteer work here.
Position title
Company/organization
City/state
Dates
Shortlist of job duties
5. Awards and Honours
Here, you list all the awards that make you look your best. These may or may not be awards that highlight skills that may apply to the job. You do need to show them you are not the average Joe.
Name of the award
Who awarded it?
When it was awarded,
6. Activities/hobbies
This can include hobbies that make you seem interesting. This is where you show a little of your personality.
7. Skills
This should include hard and soft skills. As a customer service representative, you should have an array of soft skills to include in this section.
READ ALSO: Customer Service Skills Resume, Full Guide + Samples
8. References (3-5 people)
Name
Work
Relationship with you
Organization
Phone number
Tips For Writing An Excellent Customer Service Resume
A good customer service representative should be able to build a good rapport with customers in a few minutes, solve their problems, and answer their questions. They should inspire trust in the customers and make them feel like they are in the right place.
A customer service resume should show that you have the skills necessary to fit easily into this role. Reusing a resume you used to apply for a unique position earlier may not reflect you in the right light. However, editing your resume with the customer service skills at the back of your mind will take your resume through leaps and bounds. Use these tips below to make your resume the representation you need.
1. Write a resume objective targeted at the position
As I wrote earlier, your objective must be specific to the role you are applying for (customer service representative). This should give the employer the impression that you understand what they expect of you in the role you want and the fact that you are the best person for the job.
Example: I am a customer service representative with 4 years of experience working in call centers. Familiar with relevant customer service software, including Salesforce and Hubsoft, with excellent problem-solving skill, and attentiveness. I aim to use my vast skills to fill your company’s customer service representative role.
READ ALSO: How To Write A Graphics Designer Resume In 2023
2. Include strong customer service skills in your resume
You must not restrict this only to soft skills. You can also include hard skills like using blaze desk, c-desk, email, excel, LiveChat, outlook, Zendesk/talkdesk among others. Soft skills can include problem-solving, communication, empathy, conflict resolution, decision-making, de-escalation, leadership, etc.
3. Write your professional experience as bullet points
In describing your work, try to put a definite number on the tasks you had to perform at your previous job. For example;
Handling 100+ calls daily
Trained 5 new employees
Suggested a solution to a problem many customers called about.
Received 87% customer satisfaction rating
Occasionally responded to customer emails when I was required to do so.
4. Add action verbs that emphasize your strong customer service ability
Use some action verbs to add some power to your resume. This will give the impression of confidence. Examples of such words are; communicate, manage, supply, provide, train, listen, resolve, etc.
Sample
There are a lot of websites that help you build aesthetically pleasing resumes in different formats. This website here is good to get your resume looking attractive with lots of personalized color choices and fonts. Using color in your resume can help you get the attention you need. However, be careful not to overdo it to avoid seeming unprofessional.
SHELLY GOLDBERG customer service representative
Contacts
Phone number: 23367897625378
Email address: [email protected]
Contact address: 17 Woodcrest villa, California USA
Social media:
Career objective
A customer service representative with 5.5 years of experience in the industry, including telephone customer service, sales, tech support, and customer care. Familiar with major customer service, and problem-solving and possess a positive attitude. Aiming to use my proven skills to fill your company’s customer service role effectively.
Education
School: Boston University
Year of graduation: 2020
Certification received: B.A marketing
School: Winfield high school
Year of graduation: 2016
Certification received: High school diploma
Professional Experience
April 2020 – present/ CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE / Asos UK
Handle over 60+ calls a day with duties that include helping customers with completing orders, requesting refunds, crosschecking sizes, and canceling orders.
Trained 5 new employees on how to use Kayako
Received on average 80% customer satisfaction
August 2016- March 2020 /CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE/ Jay’s Hardware
Handled over 6 calls a day with duties that included helping customers find the right tools for their needs, helping with returns and exchanges.
Provided tech support
Trained 1 customer service representative
Special Skills
Product knowledge
Problem-solving skills
Communication skill
Time management skills
Awards
The staff of the year 2018 and 2019 at Jay’s hardware
References
Jason Quinn
Former boss at Jay’s Hardware
234 926 3679
Lindsey Hampson
High school teacher
243 986 8624
Frequently Asked Questions
In Europe, CV and resume are used interchangeably. In countries like US and Canada, both words mean different things. CV is used to apply for academic pursuits while a resume is for applying for jobs.
Considering the absence of work history, it is best to fill your resume with volunteer work and academic work.
There are a lot of free websites that help you produce aesthetically pleasing resumes with information you have gained.
Conclusion
Your resume is your first impression and elevator pitch in one 2-page document. It matters to your potential employer and should matter to you. With the pointers above on how to make your resume more attractive to employers, I believe you are well on your way to getting that dream job as a customer service representative.
References
- What is Resume – Characteristics of a Good Resume
- CV vs Resume: The Key Differences to Choose Between the Two
- Key Elements of a Resume
- Customer Service Representative Resume Sample
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