Bid Resume: A Writing Guide (With Example and Template)
By Indeed Editorial Team
Published 23 May 2022
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
A bid manager resume, also known as a CV, showcases your education and expertise with negotiations and finance procedures to potential hiring corporations. Many of the companies that require a bid manager are professionals in the construction and engineering industries. In this article, we explain some of the duties a bid manager performs, share some tips about how to create your bid manager resume, provide you with a sample template and show you an example.
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Desirable skills on a bid resume
A bid manager requires a bid resume to show potential employers their ability to devise strategies for placing financial bids that secure and close important financial contracts. In this profession, your responsibilities and duties can depend on the hiring company, but a focus on finances and securing deals as you oversee business contracts is often the main goal. The most common industries that hire bid managers are the construction and engineering industries. Here's a list of some abilities and skills a CEO looks for in a professional bid manager:
ability to manage large scale accounts
ability to do research
ability to identify bidding opportunities for a company
ability to implement critical thinking
ability to perform risk assessments
ability to come up with bid strategies
ability to pay attention to details
ability to create persuasive business proposals
ability to negotiate deals
ability to network and build social capital
ability to work with a team of project managers, estimators and CEOs
ability to successfully close business deals
Related: The 6 Main Finance Manager Functions (Plus Skills)
How to write a bid manager resume
The first thing to keep in mind when writing a bid manager resume is that a well-written application highlights your track record in this line of work. If you're just beginning a career in this field, you could establish yourself with a great resume and continually build your portfolio with your successful bids. Your resume demonstrates that you're a qualified candidate who can use strategies while making bids for a company and ensure that you close a deal with details. Here's a list of steps you can use to create your resume:
1. Personalise your resume
When applying to secure employment, pay attention to detail. Note any specific professional certifications and skills the CEO requires in a bidding manager. To set yourself apart from other candidates, consider personalising your resume with concise, strategised highlights of your training and career history.
Some companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) for resumes that are uploaded online. ATS is a type of software a company can use to scan your resume and search for keywords contained in it to trace. This aids potential employers in verifying your credentials before requesting an interview with you.
2. Showcase your skills
It's important to showcase your skills, knowledge and education level on your resume. A positive, motivated attitude about your passion for finding, bidding on and securing successful bids doesn't go unnoticed by corporations. In your resume, you can also mention how you keep up to date about your expertise in business and finances. What's important is to authentically relay to your potential hiring manager that you're the perfect professional for the position.
3. Organise the content
The physical format of your resume demonstrates how you organise the content and communicate with your attention to detail skills on paper. Start by creating a list of your most recent negotiating experience, your education and references. By organising your credentials, you can then proceed to demonstrate your written communication skills clearly and concisely by highlighting your accomplishments not only in your resume but also in your cover letter.
Related: Q&A: How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? (With Example and Tips)
4. Apply technical formatting
Consider using the basic technical format for your resume, including a standard 12-point font size for the body text. Your resume header can appear in a larger font size. Focus on creating a visually appealing resume without too much information contained in it. By doing this, you create a document that's easy to glance over for relevant details and demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks required of you. This also illustrates your communication abilities. Try to keep your resume at one to two pages in length.
5. Implement key sections
Focus on the key sections in your resume while organising and writing it. List your credentials in a logical order with emphasis on the key sections. One of the best ways to list your credentials is by reverse chronological order. This means you place your most recent employment experience first, then list the others backwards. Here's an example:
Professional experience
Yuen's Construction Company, 2022–2018
Lui's Construction & Engineering, 2018–2014
Hong Kong Railway Construction, 2014–2010
6. Create a resume header
At the top of your resume is the area where you create your resume header. In this space, you can use a larger, bolder font to provide your contact information. If you have a professional webpage related to your area of expertise, be sure to include its address in this area, too. A professional impression leaves a lasting, positive one.
Related: 20 Important Life Skills to Support Your Career Success
7. Add a professional objective or summary
Near the top of your resume, you can include either a professional objective or a summary. If you choose to write an objective, state why you want the position of bid manager. If you choose to write a summary, you can point out your achievements and skills as a way of making a statement about your qualifications. Here's an example of a professional objective and a professional summary:
Professional objective: Seeking to secure a position with a corporation to manage large-scale bids and secure lucrative deals for a company to enhance their success.
Professional summary: Experienced bid manager. Graduated from the University of Hong Kong, with two bachelor's degrees, one in sales and marketing and one in construction with letters of recommendation for outstanding achievement. Proven negotiating track record that demonstrates strategic bidding and negotiations specialising in closing deals.
Template for a bid manager resume
To aid you in creating a professional bid manager resume that can help you leave a positive impression on a CEO, here's a resume template to guide you:
[Your first and last name]
[Your phone number]
[Your email address]
[Your webpage]
[Your current mailing address]
Professional summary
[Insert professional summary here]
Professional experience
[Job title] | [Place of employment]
[End date] - [Start date]
[Insert a summary of your accomplishments from the role]
[Insert a summary of your accomplishments from the role]
[Insert a summary of your accomplishments from the role]
Skills
[Insert relevant hard/soft skills you have that the employer listed]
[Insert relevant hard/soft skills you have that the employer listed]
[Insert relevant hard/soft skills you have that the employer listed]
Education
[Date or year earned]
[Name of issuing institution], [location]
References
[Name of reference], [title], [phone number]
Example of a bid manager resume
Below is an example of a bid manager resume. It demonstrates how you can use the template to format your credentials. Simply organise your information from the list you made of your relevant accomplishments into this professional resume format. Here's an example:
Don Xi
2234 5678
donXi73@gmail.com
18, 10/F, Acacia Building
99 Canopy Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
Professional summary
Experienced bid manager. Graduated from the University of Hong Kong, with two bachelor's degrees, one in sales and marketing and one in construction with letters of recommendation for outstanding achievement. Proven negotiating track record that demonstrates strategic bidding and negotiations specialising in closing deals.
Professional Experience
Yuen's Construction Company
2022–2018
researched upcoming bids, strategised and secured bidding contracts
Lui's Construction & Engineering
2018–2014created persuasive business proposals, negotiated deals, networked to build social capital
Hong Kong Railway Engineering
2014–2010
worked with a team of project managers, estimators and CEOs to successfully close business deals
Skills
financial research skills
negotiation skills
bid strategising skills
exceptional attention to detail
excellent influencing skills
extensive legal contract knowledge
expertise in financial research
Education
University of Spring, Bachelor's Degree in Sales and Marketing, 2018–2022
University of Spring, Bachelor's Degree in Construction, 2008–2012
References
Professor Construction, PhD in Construction, +852 2345 6789
Professor Engineering, PhD in Engineering, +852 3456 7890
Lui Liaong, Owner of Lui's Construction & Engineering, +852 4567 8900
Joe Yuen, Owner of Yuen's Construction Company, +852 2384 2541
Paul Xialong, CEO of Hong Kong Railway Engineering, +852 5646 2457
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