How to Write a Change Manager Resume (With Example and Tips)

Updated 22 August 2023

Change managers play an essential role in organisations, helping to plan, develop, deliver and monitor change management deliverables. Their role can involve communicating and managing collaborators, undertaking change impact assessments and training staff. If you're applying for a role as a change manager, understanding what to include on your resume is essential. In this article, we explain what a resume for a change manager is, provide a step-by-step guide to help you write your resume, identify some tips to consider and include a template and example to help you write your resume.

What is a change manager resume?

A change manager resume forms part of a job application for a change manager position. It's a professional document that you can use to highlight your skills and describe your experience concerning the job. In addition, your resume is an excellent chance to sell yourself and demonstrate your capabilities and suitability to a hiring manager. Ideally, your resume is less than two pages in length, depending on your experience.

How to write a resume for a change manager position

Consider these steps when writing your resume:

1. Begin with your contact details

Listing your contact information at the top can help a hiring manager contact you quickly if you're successful at getting an interview. Consider using the header or placing the details in the top right-hand corner of your resume. Include your full name, phone number and email address. You can also provide your suburb and state, but it's unnecessary to list your full address.

2. Write your professional summary

Your professional summary is an excellent way to introduce yourself to a hiring manager, promoting your most important skills, experience or accomplishments. Before writing, read the job description thoroughly and aim to include knowledge and skills that are most relevant to the job duties. Your professional summary is ideally around two to three sentences and a well-written summary can encourage a hiring manager to continue reading your resume to learn more about what you can offer.

3. Describe your work experience

Your employment history is essential to your resume as it demonstrates the experience you can offer to an organisation. When including your background, begin with your current or most recent role, working back in reverse chronological order. List your job title, employment dates and your employer's name and location.

A bullet list can be helpful when listing your key responsibilities, making it easier to read. Focus on any duties that align with the job description. Where possible, include quantifiable data to demonstrate your impact. For example, as a change manager, you could show how you integrated change management activities into an organisation's project plans and highlight the specific outcomes. You could also include details of key performance indicators (KPIs), such as meeting change targets or managing resources efficiently.

4. Showcase your skills

Creating a stand-alone list of your relevant skills can be a great way for a hiring manager to determine your capabilities quickly. To help tailor your skills to the role, check the job description and identify any skills the hiring manager seeks. If you have these, include the exact wording so a hiring manager can easily recognise your talents. Some employers also use scanning software to identify relevant keywords, which is why using the same language is essential. Working as a change manager requires a broad range of hard and soft skills. You may wish to include skills such as:

Communication
Collaborator management
Strategic thinking
Project management
Leadership
Strategic analysis
Understanding change management principles

5. Detail your education

A change manager benefits from understanding how business operations work, which some change managers may gain through a bachelor's degree in human resources (HR), economics or business administration. When listing your education, begin with your most recent qualification and work back in reverse chronological order. If you've undertaken further studies, such as a certificate in change management or project management, you can also include details of these courses in your education section to help demonstrate your capabilities and knowledge.

Tips for your resume

Here are some tips to consider when you write your resume:

Consider your layout

When applying for a change manager position, try to use a professional layout, so it's easy for a hiring manager to find the information they're seeking to determine your suitability. Consider using a plain font such as Times New Roman or Arial, between 10 and 12 pt size. Try to keep your resume to less than two pages if possible.

Read the job description

Reading through the job description before writing your resume can help ensure you tailor your resume for the role. Look for keywords that you can use on your resume, such as specific skills, qualifications or other requirements. For example, when applying for a change manager position, an employer may seek someone with specialist change management training or proven collaborator management experience. If you have this experience, incorporate this onto your resume.

Research the organisation

Researching the organisation can also help with writing a tailored resume. Consider looking at the organisation's website to determine the business's vision or goals and if they align with your career ambitions. You may also wish to look at customer feedback or comments from previous employees to help you understand the company culture.

Related: Guide to Company Culture

Proofread before sending

After you write your resume, read through it to check for any grammatical errors, typos or mistakes with dates. Then, try reading your resume aloud to help ensure it reads well. You may also wish to ask a family member or friend to check it to ensure you haven't missed anything before submitting your application.

Template for writing your resume

Consider using this template to help you write your change manager resume:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional.]

Experience

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Education

[Degree and major], [Name of institution]

Optional

[Certification name], [Host organisation], [Year completed or expiration date]

Example of a change manager's resume

Here's an example of a completed resume for a change manager role that may be useful when you write yours:

Kelly Smith, Bachelor of Communication 0491 572 983 | ksmith@email.com | Perth, WA

Professional Summary
Certified change management professional with over six years of experience supporting organisations within the financial services industry. Experienced undertaking research, transformational leadership, managing communications and delivering business goals.

Experience
Change Manager | November 2020–Current
Arcadium Finance | Perth, WA

Develop a strategy for launching a change network across six locations nationwide
Leading the introduction of a new intranet project, conducting workshops and training over 200 employees
Manage the integration of new tools and resources into the HR team, achieving 95% adoption in three months.
Oversee 15 business transition projects, using available resources to maximise outcomes for organisational transformation
Supervise a team of six, coordinating weekly meetings to review change impact assessments and preparing status reports for senior leaders

Change Specialist | January 2016–October 2020
Arcadium Finance | Perth, WA

Developed a strategic communications plan for the customer service team, ran training sessions and implemented new initiatives resulting in a 25% customer satisfaction increase over three months
Led team-building programs and trust exercises for over 200 employees
Formulated change management strategies in collaboration with the sales team, resulting in an increase in sales of 20% over three months.