Call center resume: examples and tips that will get you the job

Though demand for call center representatives is declining, it’s still a thriving industry in the U.S., with more than 3 million employed as customer service representatives.

And with a median pay of $17.23 per hour (over twice the federal minimum wage) and few requirements for education or experience, it’s easy to see why this is a popular occupation.

What does this mean for you?

It means if you’re applying for a job as a call center representative, you’re going to need a sharp and polished resume to stand out.

This guide will show you exactly how to do that, outlining what makes a great call center resume and what skills and qualities to include.

We’ll even throw in a resume example to help get you on the right path.

Why do you need a call center resume?

The obvious answer is that you need to submit a resume as part of your job application, right?

Otherwise, how are the hiring managers going to know if you’re a good fit?

While this is absolutely true, there’s another layer of importance when crafting a good call center resume.

You want to stand out from the crowd of other applicants.

Though most jobs receive more than a couple hundred applications, only 2–3% of them actually make it through to the interview stage.

Investing the time in crafting the call center representative resume is part of what will put you among the 2% who get the interview and subsequently land a call center job.

With all of this in mind, what makes for an interview-landing call center agent resume?

What makes a great call center resume?

Let’s look at five things that help make a resume great.

1. Include only highly relevant skills

One of the top resume tips for any industry, call centers included, is to focus on skills that are relevant to the job.

For example, though you might be fairly athletic and strong (which would be good for jobs that involve a lot of manual labor), this skill isn’t all that relevant to the call center environment.

We’ll discuss eight of the top call center skills shortly.

In the meantime, here’s an example of a call center resume that keeps the skills section hyper-relevant.

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2. Sell to the job description

The perfect resume is crafted to specifically meet the job description.

That means you’re not sending out the exact same resume for every single call center job, though you can definitely create a template for yourself and adjust accordingly for each new application.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Study the job description and advertisement

2. Identify the key skills and experience the recruiter is looking for

3. Determine how your skills and experience meet these criteria

4. Use the same wording as the job advertiser in your resume

3. Keep it concise

You want to keep your resume to a single page. If there’s something you want to discuss in more detail, you can elaborate on some of these areas in your cover letter.

The best way to do this is to use bullet points, diagrams, and keywords.

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4. Tailor your experience to the role

Working as a call center operator is an entry-level role for many, which means there’s no expectation for you to have any work history in a similar position.

That said, the ideal call center resume discusses how your professional experience is actually relevant to the job.

For example, you may have worked as a waiter or server before. Your experience in customer service is valuable to the role as a call center agent, as the primary call center duty is dealing with customers.

5. Tighten up your summary section

The standard call center resume format sees your resume summary right at the top of the page, meaning it's the first thing that a hiring manager sees.

You want to get straight to the point here, so your call center resume objective should be concise. You only need a few lines, like this:

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What skills and qualities should you include in a call center resume?

Let’s look at eight skills you can include on your resume to help you stand out.

1. Problem-solving

Troubleshooting is a huge part of working in a call center, as customers are calling you to solve their problems.

Strong problem-solving skills lead to enhanced customer satisfaction, which is exactly what call center managers are looking for.

2. Communication

You’re going to need well-developed communication skills to work in a call center. This includes a professional and cheerful phone manner, as well as strong written communication skills. That’s because many call centers also involve live chat or email support.

Listening skills will be equally important here, allowing you to accurately identify customer needs.

3. Empathy

Empathy goes a long way in helping to resolve customer issues and is particularly vital in conflict resolution.

You’ll often be speaking with frustrated customers, so having a strong sense of empathy will really help you.

4. Team player

Call center reps work in teams, so being able to work collaboratively is a skill desired by call center managers.

5. Outgoing

Working as a call center agent means you’re going to be speaking to people all day.

Those who are shy or reserved may not do as well in such a role.

6. Organization

Call center jobs require a high degree of organization. You’ll be juggling inbound calls, outbound calls, emails, team meetings, and possibly even managing live chat online.

7. Stress-handling and emotional control

Handling customer complaints can be pretty stressful, so this is definitely a role best suited for those who are well-equipped to deal with stress and anxiety.

8. Computer skills

Call center agents are using computers day in and out. There is a fair bit of data entry involved. You’ll be taking notes about customer interactions and using your computer to search for solutions.

As a result, well-developed computer skills are vital to landing this job.

5 steps to designing the ideal call center resume

Ready to start designing your resume? Follow these five steps.

1. Start with your objective

The first step in crafting any professional resume is to write out your objective.

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Your resume objective should:

• Be no more than three or four lines

• Describe your immediate career objective

• Briefly mention how you’re a good fit for the role

2. Highlight relevant experience

Step two is to discuss your relevant work experience.

If you already have a few years of experience working in customer support under your belt, lead with this and make your experience section the focus of your resume.

If you haven’t worked in a role like this before, the idea is to demonstrate how the experience you have can be useful in the call center environment.

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3. Outline your top skills

Every good resume includes a skills section.

It’s best to use bullet points to list out your skills, or you can opt for a more visual display of your skillset, like this:

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If you have experience working in a call center, you can add any applicable hard skills you’ve gained during that time (such as using call center software).

Otherwise, focus on applicable soft skills like:

• Excellent customer service skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Stress handling

• Interpersonal skills

4. Discuss relevant education

Most call center jobs only require a high school diploma, so you typically don’t need to worry too much about this section.

If, though, you have some highly relevant call center qualifications gained during a previous job as a call center agent, then definitely include these!

5. Don’t forget to add your contact details

Lastly, don’t forget to include a way for recruiters to get in touch with you.

The standard contact information to include on your resume include:

• Email

• Phone number

• Address

• Social media links such as your LinkedIn profile

Call center resume examples

After all this talk of call center resumes, a sample or two would be a good way to get you started with your job search.

Here are a few great resume examples to pull inspiration from.

Call center resume with relevant education

This is a great example of a resume from someone who has a degree in a relevant field.

Call center jobs are all about communication, so by highlighting that she has studied extensively in this field, Nina is letting recruiters know that she’s a great fit for the job and passionate about the work she’ll be doing.

Note also how relevant the applicant’s skills section is, mentioning hard skills such as typing speed and experience with common call center software tools.

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Call center resume with experience

Remember that you want to let your experience speak for itself if you have it.

In this resume, note how the applicant uses their experience as a call center rep to demonstrate that they’re a good fit and discusses duties and achievements in that role.

They also mention a previous role in a different industry but make sure to show how this experience is relevant to the job they’re applying for.

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Entry-level call center resume

Many call center jobs are entry-level positions, so don’t feel disheartened if you’re applying for this kind of job without any experience.

Notice how in this resume example, the applicant has kept their work experience section short and sweet and focused on relevant duties such as assisting customers and handling credit card transactions.

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Are you ready to apply for a call center job?

So, are you feeling a bit more confident about crafting a call center resume that will impress recruiters and land you the job?

Great! Better get prepared for an interview then. Check out our article on how to prepare for an interview to make sure you’re ready.

Are you ready to start applying? Head over to Jobcase’s job board and see what call center jobs are available now. Additionally, if you want to work in customer service but aren’t sure working at a call center is right for you, you can check out general customer service job openings near you.