General Manager Resume & Writing Guide

When you are scouting for a new General Manager role, it is essential first to review a top-notch General Manager resume sample. You want to make sure your resume stands out from the rest by being both informative and entertaining to read without overwhelming the recruiter or hiring manager with irrelevant information.

How you create a resume into an interview-winning document, we will explain to you in detail below with our: How to make a Resume Guideline for General Manager Roles

General Manager Resume Sample

Or download these examples in PDF at the bottom of this page for free

Resume Sections

1. Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone, Email, LinkedIn

2. Profile Summary: View this as the introduction to your resume and include 1-3 sentences giving a broad overview of your background, years of industry experience and the industry sectors of interest. You should be specific and state which job you are applying to.

3. Qualifications Summary: Provide accurate details about the certifications and qualifications you have completed with the institution, qualification name, and dates. Don’t forget to include the qualifications you are currently completing too. General Managers typically hold Bachelor’s Degree at a minimum, but for many companies, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration is required. Education background particular to the industry employed is also typical. Examples include engineering, hotel management, legal or medical degrees.

4. Relevant Managerial Experience: Clearly state your employment history from providing details regarding the last ten years of experience up until your current position. Use brief sentences with bullet points to list the most important managerial and supervisory duties under each role you have had.

5. Other Employment Experience: This will include projects or work history which shows your career progression into the General Manager position you may occupy at present, but only elaborate on these with job descriptions if you have less than ten years of experience in a General Managerial role. Otherwise, just list job title company and duration as to make sure there are no gaps in your employment history. This section is especially important if you are on a level slightly more junior than General Manager. You need to reveal your supervisory and managerial experience gained unofficially while for instance in a vocational or temporary job to showcase your abilities to supervise and lead teams.

6. Skills Summary/Key Skills: Incorporates keywords from the job posting and your specific skill set. This adds much-needed credibility to your resume.

7. Education/Licenses/Certifications/Relevant Coursework/Training: Start with your formal degrees and post-school diplomas or accreditations like an MBA. List any professional development that better prepared you to work in the management field such as leadership training, employee development workshops and business management courses

What to Highlight in a General Manager Resume

Regardless of your experience as a General Manager, there are a few vital things that employers and recruiters need to know about you to ensure that you are the right fit for their team.
General Managers have operational and strategic responsibilities, which require leadership skills and decision-making capabilities. The size of the organization often determines the level and complexity of its day-to-day functions.

A general manager is responsible for an organization’s daily operations and oversees personnel management, budgets, quality assurance, risk management, production processes (products and manufacturing or services (intangible solutions), and resource allocation.
The first aspect to highlight is the scope of your work tenure in terms of company size in relation to headcount, turnover, and location spread.

Secondly, you need to provide detail about the product type or industry area. Millions of businesses are out there with every imaginable product or solution. It would be best if you were specific about the product type or service offering you have experience in from a technical perspective (industry knowledge) as well as an operational (supervising people) perspective.

While this job does require you to take control and delegate responsibilities to other workers, General Managers get their hands just as dirty as their workers and staff members especially if there is no assistant manager level in the organizational hierarchy. Although delegation is key, General Managers often have to step in during times of crises and engage in activities like dealing with customers, answering phones, filing paperwork, training new employees, cleaning the store/office and covering shifts when staff is sick.

Next comes the targets, goals and production metrics that the employees under your supervision need to achieve. Be number specific here and provide actual data. For example, as a General Manager of an insurance franchise, you can mention the 1 million turnover achieved in the second quarter with average sales value per rep at $20 000. This shows that you can analyze statistics, which is necessary to determine company revenue potential

Next, employers want to see the range of budgets you have experience overseeing. One of the main tasks of a General Manager is to allocate resources (human or financial) to specific projects like marketing campaigns or product launches. In larger organizations, these are usually handled by the marketing or advertising team, but these often task General Managers are responsible for. There is a big difference between $5k projects and $1.5M projects. This information should be in your summary, as well as your position descriptions.

You may also need to mention the project management tools you are familiar with as you will often be the superuser or platform administrator on these applications (Zoho Projects, Resource Guru, GamePlan and Aggio)

*Cool Tip for a stellar resume

You can really create an excellent first impression by breaking your job description down into the main responsibility areas of a General Manager:

• Planning: Oversee budgets and approve budgetary expenses. Conduct revenue forecasts and establish output targets.
• Organizing: A General Manager’s job is often a juggling exercise of numerous activities. You must be able to stay focused during crises times and delegate tasks to employees to keep business running smoothly.
• Leading: You will have several people you need to supervise on an operational level, coupled with strategic decision making to steer the company in the right direction. General Managers are leaders, required to function on the operational levels of production or service delivery as well as strategic levels to ensure company growth and financial sustainability.
• Controlling: Regulation, Risk Management, and Compliance are vital tasks in a general manager’s job description.
• Recruiting & Training: General Managers are usually the ones responsible for final interviews with potential candidates and to oversee the implementation of training strategies to develop employees and providing adequate mentorship to senior staff members.

Make sure to include the following details

• Your GPA score if you have completed a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree. (if higher than 3.5)
• The job titles of senior staff that report to you (large organizations) or if in a medium-sized company the number of employees you are managing.
• Also mention the strategic and operational management platforms for example SAP, Lotus Notes, Cascade, TeamGuru, Agile Craft or Axiom
• Remember to include communication and collaboration tools, for instance, cloud-based systems like Slack, Trello, Asana or even Skype which you are currently using to facilitate communication between employees

General Manager Career Summary

Executive Managers, CEO’s, Company Owners or Directors are usually the decisionmakers hiring General Managers for their organizations. They have probably seen hundreds or even thousands of resumes during their working careers, therefore the average 3-page descriptions of duties and responsibilities will do nothing to spark their interest. Keep your career summary concise and to the point. Put the most relevant information first to capture their attention while they’re quickly scanning your resume.

Start your career summary with your years of experience in the industry and your main career accomplishments. The trick is to align your achievements to the main duties in the job description found in the ‘’purpose of the role’’ section of the vacancy advertisement. For instance, if the job you are applying to highlights market disruption and product innovation use those same words and phrases. The more your resume resonates with the job description of keywords, the better fit you will seem.

Next, add a line that showcases any outstanding qualities that will add value to the company. A hiring manager would be interested to know if you have “strong leadership skills, strategic thinking abilities and a flair for statistics, metrics and production ratios.” It’s important to note that these qualities should be proven with examples in the professional experience section to re-enforce your message.
Finally, end your summary with your educational degrees/diplomas and any certified courses or professional memberships you may have that are pertinent to the job.

Example summaries:

'Dependable general manager with extensive experience in the restaurant industry and a focus to improve sales turnover and positively impact company revenue. Excellent ability to manage a system of inventory and maintain high standards of product quality and service. Was instrumental in increasing quarterly sales performance by 30% during the last six months and leadership tenure is backed by an MBA and numerous diplomas in Food Service Management and Hospitality Administration.'

'Detail-oriented general manager a proven history of increasing productivity with employee morale-boosting initiatives. Service orientated, deadline driven and an exemplary record of securing recurring client contracts. Holds a Bachelor’s in Construction Management and will add value by creating new business development strategies to ensure the expansion of client territories, ultimately taking revenue to the next level.'

General Manager Job Descriptions and Responsibilities

An employer would expect to see the following proven foundational duties and skill sets within an applicant’s resume, depending on educational level and career stage. General Manager roles are available in virtually every industry, but we have selected a few examples below to get you started

Examples

A General Manager in a Construction Environment may:

• Inspect workmanship of all renovation projects at various stages of the building activities
• Approve preliminary designs and purchase orders for building supplies
• Approve project plans and schedules for all reconstruction activities
• Communicate with Owner, Architect, and Sub-Contractor to ensure that work was performed according to plans and expectations
• Assist Supervisor with work schedules to minimize inconvenience to current tenants
• Create daily reports for the Owner to provide updates and identify concerns
• Report on health and safety incidents
• Supervise first-shift operations of up to 25 associates.

A General Manager in a Production Environment may

• Analyze financial statements for each production plant, review sales, and operational activity reports
• Scrutinize performance date to measure productivity outcomes against ascertaining variances between actual and planned results
• Identify areas requiring cost reduction or program improvement
• Direct and coordinate activities production, pricing, sales, and purchasing departments
• Oversee administrative activities directly related to product manufacturing
• Monitor suppliers to ensure service delivery standards are maintained

A General Manager in a Warehousing and Distribution Environment may:

• Manage employees across receiving, picking, packing and shipping departments
• Responsible for continuous training and development strategies
• Monitor expenses and overheads such as over-time, damages, stock attrition, freight and supply expenses
• Manage inventory costs and just in time principles for stock deliveries
• Recruit, hire and train new employees for all departments and distribution centers
• Embark on continuous improvement strategies to inefficiencies and implement process improvements related to safety, quality, and production
• Ensure that the warehouse facility is compliant with all Federal, State, and Local regulations

Highlight Your Accomplishments

Under your experience section, you may be tempted to copy and paste the list of duties you performed as detailed in your job description. The drawback to doing this, though, is that you won’t stand out from the other applicants with similar experience.
Your goal is to think about what sets you apart, what you are most proud of, or what you accomplished in your previous roles, and communicate these through action-packed statements that are compelling.

Examples:

Flat, Simple Duty:

• Train supervisors and staff to meet production goals
• Negotiated deals with suppliers

Accomplishment Statement:

• Instrumental in the implementation of an employee engagement program which reduced staff turnover by cut turnover by 25%
• Negotiated long-term agreements with shipping companies, resulting in 30% cost savings

Quantifying Your Resume

When writing your resume, if you can answer the questions, “How much?” or “How many?” It would be best if you tried to include those numbers. For instance:
If you saved time, how much?

• If you improved annual sales, provide percentages to showcase the revenue increase.
• If you improved quality control how did that impact on factory downtime?

• Developed new business channels to push sales revenue from $850,000/yr to $1.5 million per annum
  
• Reduced inventory costs by 18% through annual trend analysis exercises. Negotiated new service level agreements with suppliers, resulting in a `10% reduction in material expenditure and a saving of $100k per year
  
• Reduced Workers’ Compensation costs by 50% per annum with the implementation of employee wellness programmes and safety training initiatives.

General Manager Education Section

The education section forms an integral part of your resume. In short, indicate What, Where and When regarding your qualifications, certifications or industry licenses obtained. The name of your qualification, institution, and date of completion is more than sufficient.

Remember to include current qualifications you are in the process of completing. Regarding courses and certifications, discretion and relevance must be considered. An art course in India does not carry weight if you are applying for a General Manager role at an IT company in the Mid-West.

Completed Secondary and Tertiary Education must be listed as follows:

Start with the commencement date and completion date for diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor degrees. For courses, you can just list the date of completion. Next comes the full name of the qualification, then the full name of the institution and then the City or abbreviated State name. List your high school diploma details similarly, but only include this when you have less than five years of working experience.

Examples:

Below an example of a General Manager Resume’s education for someone with more than five years’ experience:

2018 – Current Ph.D. in Business Administration, California University, CA

2006-2008 Masters in Business Administration, Chicago State University, IL

2002-2005 Bachelor of Science in Business Management, University of Arizona, AR

If you have less than five years’ experience, you may also add your majors, minors, GPA scores and accolades, and honors awards:
2019 Certified Manager (CM) designation, Institute of Certified Professional Managers, VA

2016-2018 Bachelor Degree in General Management, University of Ohio, OH
GPA: 3.8
Majors: Operations Management, International Management
Minors: Managerial Communications, Small Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Labor Relations
Accolades: Deans Honors List

2014 Chris Jones High School, High School Diploma, Tampa, FL

General Manager Resume Skills Section

Although the management field requires specific technical skills, employers also look for other skills, called soft skills. These are the main types of skills that indicate to your fit as a manager who will add value, has adequate knowledge, sufficient experience and who will motivate and inspire teams. Incorporate these into your summary, or profile, and into your accomplishment statements.

Technical Skills Examples

Educational Attainment: A university degree is generally required to become a General Manager. The top suggested degrees are Business Management, Information Technology, Financial Management, and Marketing. If you are planning to progress to Director level or executive management, a Master’s in Business Administration is highly desirable.
Technical Aptitude: General Managers need to be strategically orientated to create operational plans, new business development strategies and establish new client markets, They also require expertise in a wide array of business activities such as Financial Management, Marketing, Sales, Hiring, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Logistics, Distribution, and Customer Relations
Managerial Ability: General Managers are constantly challenged the ups and downs of employee performance cycles. Therefore, strong leadership skills are a must to motivate or critique the consultant’s performance in a constructive manner.
Other Technical Skills: Budgets, Strategic Marketing, Research, Analytics, Social Media, Cloud-Based Collaboration Platforms, CRM Systems, Quality Control, Report Writing, Feedback Mechanisms.Delegation

Soft Skill Examples

• Leadership
• Decision-Making
• Time Management
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Initiative
• Empathy.
• Self-Control
• Collaboration
• Persuasion
• Persistence
• Social Perceptiveness
• Service Orientation
• Strategic Thinking
• Creative
• Dedicated
• Realistic
• Critical Thinking
• Coaching
• Problem-Solving
• Objective
• Team Work
• Authoritative

Qualifications/Certifications associated with General Managers

Action Verbs for your General Manager Resume

Industries Using General Managers:

• Construction
• Mining
• Oil, Gas & Exploration
• Medical Device
• Life Sciences
• Food Manufacturing
• Consumer Goods
• Aviation
• Aerospace
• Shipping
• Metals & Steel Production
• Plastics
• Packaging & Distribution
• Agriculture
• Electronic Components
• Power Plants
• Specialty Chemicals
• Pharmaceutical
• Industrial Engineering
• Information Technology
• Courier Services
• Transportation
• Advertising Agencies
• Training Consultants
• Accounting and Taxation
• Legal

Professional information of General Managers

Sectors: Various
Career Type: Operations, Business Management, Team Dynamics
Person type: Leader, Motivator, Coach, Director
Education levels: Bachelor’s Degree and upwards
Salary indication: From $89k to $180k depending on experience and company size
Labor market: Estimated 5% to 9% from 2016 – 2026 dependent on the industry category
Organizations: Small, Medium, Corporate, Fortune 500, Government

Download General Manager Resume Samples in PDF

> General Manager Resume (11).PDF | > General Manager Resume (10).PDF

> General Manager Resume (9).PDF | > General Manager Resume (8).PDF

> General Manager Resume (7).PDF | > General Manager Resume (6).PDF

> General Manager Resume (5).PDF | > General Manager Resume (4).PDF

> General Manager Resume (3).PDF | > General Manager Resume (2).PDF

> General Manager Resume (1).PDF | > General Manager Resume (0).PDF

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