You can understand the short and long-term financial needs of the business with no bother, but do you understand what the recruiter wants to see in your resume?
If you’re looking for your next position as director of development, you need an application that proves you’ve got what it takes.
We can help you to create this with our detailed writing guide and director of development resume example. Check them out below.
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Director of Development Resume Example
The example Director of Development resume above shows you how a professional resume should look, along with the type of content it should contain.
You can see that the information is well-organized across the page and its easy for busy recruiters to see the candidate’s important skills.
Keep this in mind when writing your own resume.
Director of Development resume layout and format
When it comes to holding the attention of recruiting managers, the format and layout of your resume play a key role.
Your resume needs to strike a perfect balance between looking awesome, and being easy for recruiters to read (which is not always easy to achieve)
Use the following formatting tips to get started.
Formatting your resume for success
- Length: Keep your resume to 2 pages or under. You’ve probably heard that recruiters and hiring managers don’t have lots of time to read every resume, so keep yours brief if you want to ensure that they read all of the important info in yours.
- Font & readability: The key to a good resume is readability. To make your resume easy to read, use a clear and uncomplicated font, and break up the text with bullet points and short paragraphs.
- Layout & Structure: While creating an attractive resume, it is crucial not to compromise functionality for design. To ensure both, use bold headings and borders to structure the page into clear sections.
- Photos: You don’t have to add a photo to your resume in the States, but some regions and industries like to see them.
Quick tip: Achieving a professional look for your resume can be difficult and time-consuming. If you want to create an attractive resume quickly, try our quick-and-easy Resume Builder and use one of their eye-catching resume templates.
Resume layout
Add the following sections when you write your resume.
- Name and contact details – Add to the very top of your resume to introduce yourself and make it super-easy for recruiters to get in touch.
- Resume summary – Reel hiring managers in with an “elevator pitch” style paragraph which sums up your suitability for the job.
- Skills section – A short and sharp list of your most important skills, that can be quickly skim-read.
- Work experience – List your previous jobs (from newest to oldest) detailing the skills learnt and applied in each.
- Education – List your qualifications and professional training.
- Additional info – If it helps your application, you can add an extra section for things like hobbies and interests.
Here’s what to include in each part of your resume.
Contact Details
Add your name and contact details to the very top of your resume, making it easy for recruiters to get in touch
- Name and profession title
- Cell phone number – or another number you can answer quickly
- Location – Add your local area such as San Diego or New York – not your full address as that will take up too much space.
- Email address – Use your name or close variation – no nicknames from high school.
You can add a link to your LinkedIn profile if you have one – you do not need to include personal details like date of birth or marital status.
Director of Development Resume Summary
Start your resume with a bang by adding a powerful summary to the top, summarizing your most valuable skills and experience.
This short paragraph is your chance to show recruiters why you are a perfect fit for the job and encourage them to read more of your resume.
How to create a resume summary that will get you noticed:
- Keep it short: Your summary is intended to be a high-level introduction to hook readers’ attention, so keep it brief (4-7 lines) – save the details for later in your resume.
- Tailor to target jobs: Recruiters will be scanning for the skills and knowledge they mentioned in the job description, so add as many as you can to your summary.
- Avoid using cliches: You might be a “highly motivated go-getter who thinks outside the box” but generic meaningless cliches like that don’t tell employers much about you – stick to factual information in your summary.
Example resume summary for Director of Development
What to include in your Director of Development resume summary?
- Summary of experience: What kind of companies have you worked for in the past? And which jobs have you carried out?
- Relevant skills: Incorporate your highly relevant skills for Director of Development jobs to exhibit your suitability as soon as your resume is opened.
- Qualifications: Any qualifications that are important to the Director of Development jobs you are applying for, should be mentioned in the summary.
Quick tip: Choose from hundreds of pre-written summaries across all industries, and add one to your resume with one-click in our quick-and-easy Resume Builder. All written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset and style.
Core skills section
Next, you should create a bullet pointed list of your core skills, formatted into 2-3 columns.
Here, you should focus on including the most important skills or knowledge listed in the job advertisement.
This will instantly prove that you’re an ideal candidate, even if a recruiter only has time to briefly scan your resume.
Best skills for your Director of Development resume
Fundraising – Designing, implementing, and managing fundraising strategies and campaigns that meet organizational goals.
Donor Relations – Developing and maintaining relationships with major donors and prospects, including stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation of gifts.
Grant Writing – Remaining proficient at grant writing, including the ability to research, write, and submit grant proposals and applications that secure funding for the organization.
Strategic Planning – Developing and implementing strategic plans that support the organization’s mission and vision, including goal setting, forecasting, and risk assessment.
Budget Management – Managing departmental budgets, including tracking expenses, forecasting revenues, and ensuring that fundraising efforts align with organizational goals.
Mentoring and Leadership – Leading and managing a team of development professionals, including hiring, training, coaching, and supervising staff.
Stakeholder Communication – Communicating effectively with donors, prospects, volunteers, staff, and other stakeholders, including active listening and clear, concise communication.
Database Management – Using database management software, including data segmentation, analysis, and reporting.
Marketing and Branding – Maintaining knowledge of marketing and branding strategies, including developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns that support fundraising goals.
Volunteer Management – Managing and motivating volunteers, including identifying opportunities for volunteer engagement, recruiting and training volunteers, and ensuring that volunteer activities align with organizational goals.
Quick tip: Our quick-and-easy Resume Builder contains thousands of in-demand skills for every profession that can be added to your resume in seconds – saving you time and greatly improving your chances of landing job interviews and getting hired.
Work experience
So, you’ve got the recruiter interested with your catchy summary… Great work.
Now it’s time to show them the impact you make in the workplace by listing out your previous jobs and what you achieved in each one.
If you have tons of experience, you can condense this part down to the last few years – if you are junior, then you should include as much possible (even volunteering and school work placements)
Structuring your jobs
Without a good structure, your job description can look messy and overwhelming to anyone reading them.
Make it easy for recruiters to read your work experience by structuring your roles like this.
Job outline
Start with a 1-2 sentence outline of the role, summarizing what the goal of your position was, who you reported to (or managed) and the type of organization you worked for.
Key responsibilities
Then delve into the detail of your job by listing out easy-to-read bullet points which show how you apply your skills in the workplace.
Tailor these bullet points to focus on the skills and knowledge that are required in the jobs you are applying for.
Key achievements
Round off each job by adding some impressive achievements you made in the role.
Anything you’ve done that has made a big impact on your employer will make a good impression, think; generating revenue, saving costs, or improving a product.
Quantify your achievements with number where possible e.g. “reduced call wait time by 10%”
Example job for Director of Development resume
Outline
Devise and execute the development and growth plans for a fast-growing not-for-profit based in Utah that’s mission is to reduce homelessness across the state, managing the 20-person development team and working closely with the fundraising department.
Key Responsibilities
- Work with the Chief Development Officer to provide leadership, support, and supervision for the development and fundraising teams within the company
- Develop and enhance personal relationships with major donors, organising regular meetings and events to maintain and increase annual unrestricted support
- Research, identify and engage with prospective donor groups and demographics
- Liaise with the finance team to allocate and manage the annual budget
Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our quick-and-easy Resume Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.
Education section
Towards the bottom of your resume, add your education section.
Here you should list your professional qualifications and academic record, such as high school diplomas or college degrees.
If you have lots of work experience, you can keep this section brief (because recruiters will be more interested in your career. If you have little/no experience then you should bulk this section up with plenty of detail.
Additional information
The additional info section is optional but can be useful if you have anything else to add that could benefit your application.
For example, you may have some hobbies and interests that are relevant to your job – or you might have awards or publications to shout about.
Writing your own Director of Development resume
Following the steps in this guide will help you to create a winning Director of Development resume and bag lots of interviews.
If you want some more help through the process, try our quick-and-easy Resume Builder for expert guidance and tons of pre-written resume content.
Good luck with your job search!