Sample resume for call center agent without experience pdf

Applying for a new job is always nerve-wracking. What if they don't like me? What if I'm overdressed for the interview? What if I hand in the wrong cover letter?

There are some mistakes and mishaps during the application and interview process that are out of your control. However, your resume is completely in your hands and there are steps you can take to make it the best it can be.

In this post, we'll give you some tips on what a call center resume should look like. Then, we'll provide a few resume examples you can use to optimize your application. If time is a factor, use the links below to jump to your preferred topic.

1. Call Center Resume Summary
2. Customer Service Resume Summary Examples
3. Call Center Resume Objective
4. Call Center Resume Skills
5. Call Center Resume Examples & Templates

Call Center Resume Summary

It doesn't matter if you're applying for an entry-level position or an executive role, your resume should begin with a brief summary. These two to four sentences outline your candidacy and summarize the skills and experiences listed on your resume. This highlights your most definitive characteristics to employers who may be skimming through applications.

A good summary describes your professional career and identifies why you'd be a good fit for the organization. Talk about your relevant work experience and point out skills that would be beneficial to your employer.

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Customer Service Resume Summary Examples

Below are a few examples you can consider when drafting your resume summary.

1. Experienced Support Rep

When applying for any position, it helps to showcase your experience performing in that role. Below is an example summary you can refer to from my colleague's application for the HubSpot Support team.

"Experienced customer service rep seeking a support position with an expanding tech company. Possesses a bachelor's degree in marketing communications and has over 3 years of experience in customer service roles. Highly skilled communicator who meets deadlines and ensures customer satisfaction."

2. Bilingual Service Rep

Communication is key in customer service and being able to communicate with people from all over the world makes you a much more attractive applicant. If you're capable of speaking two or more languages, be sure to include that skill in your summary to distinguish yourself from other candidates.

Here's an example from Cover Letters and Resume of an applicant who speaks both English and Spanish.

"Friendly and outgoing Customer Service Representative with 8+ years of experience, looking to increase the customer experience at the ABC Company. Expert in taking and entering orders, managing accounts, and resolving complaints. Familiar with the processes of customer needs assessment, quality standards for services, and customer retention. Bilingual: English/Spanish."

3. Skilled Customer Service Rep

When it comes to customer service, some companies are more concerned with the candidate's soft skills than they are with their technical or product knowledge. Soft skills like active listening and emotional intelligence can be much harder to teach than using or troubleshooting a product.

Take a look at this summary from Indeed that highlights the applicant's ability to build meaningful relationships with customers.

"Energetic Customer Service Representative with 3+ years of experience resolving complex customer inquiries. Passionate about building strong customer relationships, driving brand loyalty, and increasing customer engagement."

4. Call Center Team Lead

As a team lead, you're responsible for managing employees and meeting deadlines set by the call center manager. This requires strong communication skills as well as the ability to plan and execute campaigns. When applying for this role, your summary should indicate you're an organized, goal-oriented worker who's capable of meeting deadlines.

Here's a good example of a team lead summary provided by myperfectresume.com.

"Results-oriented Team Leader with expertise in invoicing, document control, and financial reporting. Effective at managing diverse [teams] to accomplish business goals. Detail-oriented and efficient, with strengths in both project and time management."

5. Call Center Manager

As a call center manager, your summary should highlight your team-building skills as well as your ability to meet and surpass goals. In this example from Day Job, the candidate does this by showcasing her ability to problem-solve and provide others with constructive feedback. While this summary may be a little long for some recruiters, it demonstrates the applicant's potential value to the company.

"A goal-oriented and flexible Call Center Manager who can accept constructive feedback and then rectify any shortcomings. Maxine is super energetic with a passion for not just achieving but exceeding targets. She can demonstrate a stable career history and has a proven track record of winning new business and driving sales revenue. She is keen to join a company that offers exciting career opportunities and promising earning-potential for hard-working, driven professionals."

Call Center Resume Objective

Your resume should make it abundantly clear what your short-term goals are. You should place these objectives below your summary to show why you're interested in this position. Here are a few to consider when applying for a call center job.

1. To build lasting relationships with customers.

Right off the bat, you want to show your employer that you aren't going to be impersonal, scripted, and rude. You want to work in this position because you love the opportunity to connect with customers and guide them through problems.

“Searching for a Call Center position to leverage my verbal communication and problem resolution skills to build lasting relationships with customers."

2. To solve customer problems in creative ways.

This one is similar to the previous in that you're highlighting the primary purpose of the role: connecting with customers. However, if you're a creative thinker who's passionate about problem-solving, this is a good way to demonstrate what you have to offer while simultaneously calling out what you're looking for in a role or workplace.

"Searching for a call center role that enables me to think out of the box and leverages my creative problem-solving skills to delight customers and increase customer satisfaction."

3. To help organizations grow with higher retention, up-sells, and cross-sells.

It's easier to sell to someone who already knows your brand and has purchased from you before. In addition, it's very possible that the issues customers want to solve are easily rectified with add-ons or premium offerings. With that in mind, a call center rep's primary focus is on handling customer issues and solving problems, but there's always an opportunity for cross-selling and upselling in these conversations. To call this function out in your objective signals to potential employers that you're growth-minded.

"To work effectively with the call center team at [company] while improving customer satisfaction, retaining customers, and helping to increase the company's revenue through up-sells."

4. To work in a fast-paced environment.

Tell them right away that you're both prepared and looking forward to the brisk day-to-day life of a call center agent. This is a major plus for employers because they can feel confident that you're ready to take on the challenge and work in a position that requires constant communication.

"Seeking a fast-paced, challenging role that keeps me sharp where I can demonstrate my ability to problem solve under pressure."

5. To further existing experience working with customers.

If you've worked in a call center before, great! You're already halfway there. This objective will clearly relay that you have experience and are still trying to gain more. Even if you haven't worked specifically as a call center agent, it's helpful if you have any experience in customer service, support, or success.

"Utilize my experience with [skill] to ensure proper customer interactions with [company], while offering them the in-depth [topic] knowledge I have to assist with any problems they encounter."

6. To use my problem resolution skills to turn unhappy customers into brand advocates.

If you're skilled at managing unhappy or irate customers, this is the objective to choose. You're not only demonstrating your level of comfortability with what can be seen as a difficult job, but you're also painting a picture of what the hiring manager can expect if they choose you: happy customers who will sing praises about the organization or brand.

"To utilize my strong interpersonal and problem resolution skills to prevent customer churn, converting unsatisfied customers into brand advocates."

7. To gain insight into the industry.

Call out the specific industry the company is working in, whether it be tech or retail or something else. This will show that you've done your research on the company. In addition, it'll show you're learning about more than just your specific team, but also about the purpose and mission of the entire company.

"To broaden my knowledge and gain insight into [industry/topic] to better contribute to [company] key initiatives."

8. To be challenged in navigating computer systems.

Show your potential employer that you're ready to be challenged. They love someone who has a fresh perspective and energy to bring to the table. Additionally, they'll love that you're interested in learning as much as you can about call center software, as this is an important part of your position. This could help you be successful as both a call center rep and a technical rep.

"Seeking a role where I can broaden my knowledge of call center operations and call management systems to improve workflows and increase customer satisfaction."

Call Center Resume Skills

After listing out the key objectives you're trying to achieve, you can highlight the skills and knowledge you have that will make you a key asset to the company. This is your chance to show off why you're an ideal candidate.

1. Outstanding Communication Skills

One of the most important skills you can have as a call center agent is strong communication skills. Your job will entail an excessive amount of written and verbal communication. You must be able to speak quickly on your feet, go off script, and respond appropriately to customer complaints, both on the phone and over virtual channels. Employers want to hire someone who doesn't need constant reassurance on how to respond to a customer and can effortlessly communicate.

How to Improve This Skill

• Learn as much about your company's customer protocols as you can and keep them handy. That way you're not scrambling to figure out what to do next while on the phone.
• Summarize the key points you discussed during your call with the customer to make sure you're both on the same page and prepare them for next steps.

2. Learning Proficiency

In order to solve issues quickly and provide the best experience possible, you'll need a deep understanding of the product/service you're providing support for. You won't be expected to know everything on the first day, but it's important to learn quickly from trainings, be resourceful when finding answers, and retain knowledge well.

How to Improve This Skill

• Take notes during your training. Consider what you need to know to complete each task and break each module down into smaller steps.
• Leverage outside sources like video tutorials and online lessons to supplement your knowledge and skill up.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions.

3. Problem-Solving and Troubleshooting

Customers are going to call with issues. Some of them you'll know how to fix, and some of them you won't. For the latter, you'll need to develop a process for diagnosing what their issue is and determining how to fix it. This means that you'll not only need knowledge of your organization's system but also the ability to detect issues using logic and the process of elimination.

How to Improve This Skill

• Get familiar with your company's knowledge base to help you assist customers with their inquiries.
• Roleplay using hypothetical issues a caller may have that isn't explicitly covered in your training. Work through how you would solve it.

4. Close Attention to Detail

When working directly with customers, you need to pay close attention to detail. Customers will be reaching out with specific problems, questions, and concerns. You must pay attention to the details and ensure you're offering up the correct solution. Additionally, misspellings and grammatical errors are a sure sign of unprofessionalism and will deter employers from trusting you.

How to Improve This Skill

• Listen to live calls for practice and see if you came up with the same solution your colleague did. If listening to your own calls, find what could be improved. Did you miss an important detail? Did the caller have to repeat themselves?
• Utilize typing tests to improve your speed, accuracy, and data entry skills.

5. Strong Organizational Skills

Call center agents are required to keep a record of all their customer interactions. Since agents speak with several customers in a day, it can get confusing to remember which customer had problems with certain products or services. If you're someone who keeps to-do lists, budget spreadsheets, or other records, you should add these skills to your resume.

How to Improve This Skill

• Get comfortable with recording thorough notes in your CRM or ticketing systems.
• Finish recording all pertinent information about the customer and their inquiry into your tracking system before moving on to the next call. This creates less opportunity for you to forget or for details to get mixed up with another customer.

6. Empathy

Customers expect to be heard, appreciated, and valued, especially if they're having an issue and reaching out for support. As a result, one important aspect of providing customer service in a call center is doing so with empathy. Treating the customer like another number (or worse) is a sure-fire way to impact the experience in a negative way.

How to Improve This Skill

• Put yourself in the customer's shoes. How would you like to be spoken to?
• Start by apologizing for the difficulties they are experiencing and express that you will work to get the issue resolved. This lets the customer know that you care.

7. Ability to Stay Calm in Emergencies

Something that's underappreciated in the industry is an employee who can remain level-headed. When working closely with customers, it's easy to end up in tough situations with unhappy or angry customers. The worst thing a call center agent can do is panic. Proving that you are calm and collected in even the worst of scenarios will be a major boost in the eyes of employers.

How to Improve This Skill

• Be confident. Remember that you are the expert and the customer is looking to you for guidance.
• Allow the customer to vent. Letting an angry caller get their frustration out at the onset of the call makes room for you to calmly solve their issue and signals to them that you are listening. Not interjecting also allows you to get the full scope of their issue.

8. Persuasive Selling

A big part of working on the frontlines is directly selling products or services to customers. You will be the voice that customers hear, and what you say matters. Thus, companies want to hire call center agents who are persuasive and can sway prospects towards making purchases or buying upgrades. They don't want someone deceitful, but if you strongly agree that the products or services will improve your customers' lives, then you should be able to relay that confidently.

How to Improve This Skill

• Know what products would work for a particular customer's needs or pain points. Get familiar with what problems your products solve so that you can suggest them to customers who could benefit from them.
• Get comfortable hearing the word 'no.' Rejection can be intimidating but, just look at sales as another avenue for you to solve for the customer.

Now that we've covered some of the components of a call center resume, let's take a look at some examples and templates.

Call Center Resume Examples & Templates

1. Bilingual Call Center Agent

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This sample resume highlights an employee with call center experience. The fictitious Michael Lopez makes his experience in the field clear by adding it first thing, right below his name. The title, in bold, "Call Center Pro with Inbound & Outbound Experience" is impossible to miss. Having a strong title that outlines your lengthy experience will give employers a reason to continue reading your resume.

Additionally, below the title, he adds, in bold, that he's bilingual and the languages in which he is fluent.

Why We Like It

This resume quickly calls out what makes the candidate valuable — his language skills. This will be a plus for employers since multilingual call center agents provide added value to specifically global companies.

2. Call Center Agent With Strong Highlights

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This sample resume also clearly shows off the fictitious Natalie Hill's call center experience. The majority of her resume is taken up with her professional experience and the skills she's acquired, which is a tip-off that she's someone that doesn't require extensive training or supervision.

Why We Like It

Before her experience, she added her highlights. Placed in brief bullet points, they easily catch the eyes of employers and show off all her traits, skills, and knowledge in one quick section.

3. Call Center Agent With No Experience

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This sample resume highlights a candidate with no actual call center experience. However, this well-structured resume shows that they have what it takes to handle the position.

The fictitious William Morrison states that he has a background in customer service and writes up the skills he has learned from previous jobs that are transferable to a call center. Besides his previous positions, he notes the tasks he completed directly relates to a call center position, which will show that he has similar qualifications as someone with actual experience at a call center.

Why We Like It

The candidate leverages his transferrable skills and calls out specifically how they relate to the call center position he is applying for. Instead of letting lack of industry experience be a setback, he turns that into an asset.

4. Ecommerce Customer Service Representative

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Ecommerce companies have slightly different needs on their customer service teams. Their call center representatives need to be tech-savvy and able to troubleshoot product issues from a remote location. Additionally, they'll need excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate resolution steps clearly to customers. Most businesses in this industry look for applicants who are detail-driven and proficient writers.

In this example, the applicant lists her skills near the top of the resume. Notice how the first ones are mostly technical or related to the candidate's writing ability. Employers tend to skim when reading resumes, so it's important to put the most relevant information at the top of the document.

Why We Like It

Since the candidate is applying for a more tech-savvy role, they put their technical skills right at the top of their resume instead of burying them further down. This makes it easier for employers to quickly see they're a fit for the role.

5. Analytical Resume Template

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This clean resume template is perfect for someone who is very organized. You are methodical and live for structure. To-do lists, chore charts, and binder tabs are your weakness.

This template will show off how organized you are, which is a great quality for someone working in a call center. It presumes that you will be equally as organized and meticulous in keeping track of your daily tasks and records of customer interactions.

Why We Like It

The care taken with the design and detail in this resume illustrates the candidate's strong organizational skills.

6. Creative Resume Template

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This resume template designed by Federica Procaccino is a great choice for a call center agent with a background or interest in design. You're the person who's a visual learner, loves doodling, and has a knack for color coordination.

This infographic-style template is perfect for your love of visuals and creativity.

Why We Like It

This resume will show employers that you can easily envision customer problems and find creative solutions that may be more difficult for the average person to conceptualize.

7. Minimalist Resume Template

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This sleek resume template designed by Raka Caesar is perfect for the call center agent who is very minimalist. You're someone who enjoys the simple things in life, like clean structures, neutral colors, and, probably, bullet journaling.

Rather than a very wordy resume, your resume will highlight your simplicity. Small icons and brief phrases show that you are low-maintenance, calm, and collected. This is the perfect resume to show off how level-headed you would be as a call center agent. Unwavered by frustrated customers or high tempers, you would handle these emergency situations with ease and grace.

Why We Like It

This clean design mirrors the candidate's demeanor and approach to problem-solving. It's not over-complicated and takes a simple approach — a much-needed skill for communicating solutions to customers.

8. Extroverted Resume Template

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This fun, colorful resume template shows off your spunky, extroverted side. You're someone who's very outgoing, has a colorful personality, and probably enjoys a good photoshoot.

This template is perfect for someone who wants to include their own photo on their resume. Also, there's a long "About Me" section where you can craft a summary of both your personal and professional sides. This template is wordier, so if you have a lot to say to describe yourself, this is the one for you.

Why We Like It

This resume is great for candidates with extensive experience that they'd like to share. There's plenty of room to let recruiters get a better sense of who you are and how you can be an asset to their team.

Create Your Resume With Confidence

Now that you've got a game plan, it's time to put in the work. Create a resume that stands out to call center recruiters using the templates above or chart your own path.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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