A CV for an entry-level Business Development Manager in the UK should demonstrate how your experiences map to sales growth, relationship management, and market insight within the UK market. This guide helps you craft a CV with relevant experience so hiring managers in the UK see your potential quickly and clearly.
Building a Business Development Manager resume?
Skip the blank page. Start with a template built for this role, then tailor it for each job you apply to.
Business Development Manager CV Template
Preview the template, then edit it in JobCopy for your experience.
Tip: use the template as a starting point, then swap in your own numbers and project names.
CV Header and Contact Details
Begin with your full name, professional title (e.g. Business Development Manager), UK mobile number, email, and a LinkedIn URL.
Include your town or city and postcode (optional) and note if you are open to relocation. For privacy, avoid listing a full postal address.
Ensure your contact details appear on every page if the CV runs to more than one page.
CV Summary or Objective
For entry-level roles, use a 2-3 sentence objective that links your background to the role. Mention relevant internships, placements, coursework, or sales and research experience, and finish with the value you bring, such as lead generation support or partner research.
If you have 2+ years of related work, use a short summary focused on outcomes you helped achieve, for example qualifying leads or managing partner outreach. Keep this section specific and avoid vague claims about soft skills without context.
Core Skills and Keywords
List 8-12 skills that match the job posting, mixing hard skills and industry tools with relevant soft skills. Include CRM proficiency, prospecting, cold outreach, market research, pipeline management, and Excel or Google Sheets.
Place a short skills block near the top so applicant tracking systems (ATS) match the role. Tailor this list for each application by prioritising the exact phrasing used in the job description.
Professional Experience: Structure and Bullets
Structure each role with job title, company, location, and dates (dd/mm/yyyy). Use 3-6 achievement-focused bullets per position that start with a strong action verb, describe the task, and include the outcome or metric where possible, for example, contributed to a pipeline growth or increased qualified leads.
If you have limited paid experience, include internships, placement years, part-time roles, and volunteering in business development or customer-facing capacity. For each entry, show what you did, how you did it, and how it helped the team or the company.
Examples
Supported sales development team with targeted outreach, built prospect lists, and contributed to a 15% increase in qualified leads
Conducted market research to identify two new verticals, leading to pilot outreach campaigns with a predicted 8–12% lift in qualified opportunities
Education and Qualifications
List your GCSEs and A-levels (or equivalents), including subjects and grades where relevant. If you have higher education, include your degree(s), university, and degree classification (e.g.
2:1). For UK applications, mention UCAS points if appropriate, and note if you studied at a Russell Group university.
Include any professional qualifications (for example CIM or other relevant certifications). If you studied abroad, provide the UK equivalence.
Include marks, dates, and any distinctions. Consider adding optional sections for on-going studies or short courses relevant to business development.
Additional Tips
- 1Use concrete project examples from university coursework, placement years, internships, or volunteering when paid experience is limited
- 2Translate classroom work into business outcomes by stating the goal, actions, and impact in measurable terms
- 3Ask a mentor or peer to proofread for clarity and tone before applying
- 4Keep a master CV with exhaustive details, and generate a concise, role-tailored CV (usually 1-2 pages) for each role
- 5Tailor your CV for UK employers by emphasising UK-relevant experience and using British spellings
- 6If applying to healthcare roles, reference NHS pay bands where appropriate and note any relevant regulatory requirements
- 7Mention your right to work in the UK and any visa restrictions if applicable
- 8Reference UK job boards (Reed, Indeed UK, Totaljobs, LinkedIn) and apply via the platform or the employer’s site