Highlight your sales and marketing experience

Business development is all about growing a company's revenue and market share. Employers want to see that you have experience in sales and marketing, even if it's not directly related to the industry you're applying to.

Here are some examples of how to highlight your sales and marketing experience:

• Increased sales revenue by 25% in my previous role as a sales associate at a retail store
• Developed and executed a social media marketing campaign that resulted in a 50% increase in website traffic for a student organization
• Cold-called 50+ potential clients per day and successfully closed 10 new accounts in my summer internship at a B2B software company

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   Demonstrate your research and analytical skills

Business development involves a lot of research and analysis to identify new opportunities and assess their potential. Employers want to see that you have strong research and analytical skills.

Instead of simply listing 'research' or 'analysis' as skills, provide specific examples of how you've used these skills:

• Conducted market research to identify new customer segments for a product launch, resulting in a 20% increase in sales
• Analyzed customer data using SQL and Excel to identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, leading to a 15% increase in revenue per customer
• Researched and evaluated 20+ potential partnership opportunities, and presented recommendations to leadership that led to 3 successful new partnerships

   Show your entrepreneurial spirit

Business development is an entrepreneurial role that requires creativity, initiative, and a willingness to take risks. Employers want to see that you have an entrepreneurial mindset and are not afraid to think outside the box.

Here are some ways to show your entrepreneurial spirit on your resume:

• Founded and grew a successful e-commerce business that generated $50,000 in revenue in its first year
• Developed and pitched a new product idea to company leadership, which was approved and launched to market within 6 months
• Identified and pursued a new partnership opportunity with a major industry player, resulting in a 30% increase in revenue for the company

   Quantify your impact and achievements

Whenever possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your impact and achievements. This helps employers understand the scale and significance of your contributions.

Here are some examples:

• Assisted in closing deals worth over $500,000 in total contract value
• Managed a project with a budget of $50,000 and delivered it on time and under budget
• Created a new lead generation process that increased qualified leads by 200% and reduced customer acquisition costs by 50%

In contrast, here are some examples of how not to describe your achievements:

• Helped with various business development projects
• Worked on some important deals for the company
• Improved the lead generation process

   Tailor your resume to the job description

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is sending a generic resume to every job they apply for. To stand out, you need to tailor your resume to the specific job description and company.

Here's an example of a generic resume summary:

Business development intern with experience in sales and marketing. Skilled in research, analysis, and project management. Passionate about technology and eager to learn.

Now, here's an example of a tailored resume summary:

Aspiring business development intern with experience in SaaS sales and digital marketing. Conducted market research and competitive analysis to identify new growth opportunities for a B2B software startup, resulting in a 25% increase in revenue. Passionate about cloud computing and excited to contribute to AWS's mission of enabling businesses to innovate faster.

   Highlight relevant projects and extracurricular activities

As an intern, you may not have a lot of formal work experience. That's okay! Employers understand that internships are often a way for students and recent graduates to gain experience. To compensate for a lack of work experience, highlight relevant projects and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your skills and interests.

Here are some examples:

• Led a team of 5 students in developing a business plan for a new mobile app, which won first place in a university startup competition
• Conducted customer interviews and market research to validate a new product idea for a class project, resulting in a pivot that increased projected revenue by 50%
• Served as the VP of Marketing for a student organization with 200+ members, and increased event attendance by 30% through targeted email campaigns and social media advertising