Contract specialists are in increasingly high demand with over 30k specialists employed in the United States currently. It is one of the few female-dominated corporate fields with women making up just under 60% of all contract specialists.
It is the job of these professionals to ensure that all contracts and documents between their company and suppliers or other outside stakeholders are in line with the company’s risk appetite, financial goals, and ethos. They are responsible for drafting, negotiating, and enforcing these contracts.
Most contract specialists will be found in public companies with this sector along with tech and healthcare taking up 44% of all contract specialists. Interestingly, this career does not seem to have much longevity for most professionals. In fact, only 29% of contract specialists stay in the profession for longer than 5 years.
When looking for a winning candidate, recruiters will look for a bachelor’s degree, preferably in law, and years of experience handling contracts and other similar documents. This resume guide will give you a roadmap to help you create the resume that recruiters are looking for. The guide includes 3 resume samples, as well as a list of skills and a list of action verbs that you can use to help you get started.
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As a contract specialist, you will be in charge of ensuring the contracts that your company signs are in line with its goals and are legally sound. You will oversee contract preparation, drafting, submission, and review. You must be very knowledgeable on all relevant laws as well as very knowledgeable about your company’s and customers’ goals. You also need to know how to draft various kinds of contracts. Here is a strong contract specialist resume.
Using contract keywords is a sure way to show recruiters that you are well versed in contract terminology and procedure. Some contract keywords are ‘negotiations’, ‘bids’, and ‘proposals’.
Show recruiters that you are experienced with all stages of the contract cycle by listing the skills in your skills section. List the stages from proposal writing to negotiating to review.
A contract administrator ensures that contracts make their way through the contract cycle in a timely fashion and are in line with all relevant laws. These professionals are generally business administrators who specialize in contracts and as such recruiters will be looking for a degree in business administration or a similar field. Recruiters will also need to see experience working with contracts. Take a look at this successful resume.
There are several contract-related certifications you can get. These certifications will place you above your competition and will show recruiters your dedication to the field and your skills and knowledge in the area of contracts.
Most companies will have filters in place when sifting through resumes. To make sure yours makes it through their filters, ensure you clearly list ‘Contract Administrator’ in your title when applying for this position.
Contract Managers are the guardians of the commercial and contractual commitments within a company. They ensure that all contracts and agreements are airtight, fair, and legally binding. Recently, with the proliferation of complex digital contracts and the increased exposure to global suppliers, the role has become increasingly important yet challenging. When crafting your resume, remember it's about demonstrating you're a proactive problem-solver who can anticipate contractual complications before they become issues. Also, be sure to highlight your knowledge of emerging digital trends in contract management.
In today's climate, a lot of businesses are shifting towards flexible, remote working situations. As a result, Contract Managers often have to manage relationships remotely. Your resume should reflect your ability to excel in this new environment, indicating your adaptability and strong communication skills even when not in a traditional office setting.
As a Contract Manager, you'll be expected to understand and navigate the complexities of legal agreements so highlight any relevant legal knowledge or qualifications. Simultaneously, displaying your commercial acumen plus negotiation abilities can make your resume stand out.
As the name suggests, this professional is tasked with managing a company’s contracts. They oversee the drafting and consolidating of contracts and they ensure the contracts are enforced and executed. To thrive in this position you need to have both a strong contract background as well as strong management skills. You will be required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in law, business administration, or a related field and years of experience working with contracts. Here is a recruiter-approved contract manager resume.
This is not an entry-level position, and as such recruiters will want to see a progression in your contract career up to this point. Showing promotions in your career indicates to recruiters that you are an exemplary employee and have had a successful career thus far.
Your tools section needs to include all basic industry-standard tools of the trade. Include tools like contract drafting software and management software as well. Take a crash course on tools you don’t know before you add them to your tools list.
As a hiring manager who has recruited for Contract Specialist roles at companies like Accenture, Deloitte, and IBM, I've seen firsthand what makes a resume stand out. The following tips will help you create a strong resume that showcases your skills and experience in the field. These insights come from years of experience reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates for Contract Specialist positions.
Employers want to see that you have a strong foundation in contract management. Make sure to include specific examples of your experience in:
For example:
A resume summary for a Contract Specialist is optional, but it can be a valuable addition if you want to provide context or highlight key details that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume. It's especially useful if you're changing careers or have a lot of experience to summarize. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it's outdated and focuses on what you want rather than what you can offer.
When crafting your summary, make sure it's concise (no more than a paragraph) and tailored to the specific Contract Specialist role you're targeting. Avoid repeating information that's already in other sections of your resume, and steer clear of generic soft skills or corporate buzzwords. Instead, focus on your most relevant qualifications, experiences, and achievements that demonstrate your value as a Contract Specialist.
The work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you show hiring managers what you've accomplished in previous roles and how you've made an impact. When writing about your contract specialist experience, focus on highlighting your key contributions, relevant skills, and career progression.
Action verbs help effectively frame your accomplishments. They allow recruiters to skim through your resume and get an idea of your experience and capabilities. They are therefore an important part of your resume that you should pay particular attention to. As a contract specialist, you should use action verbs that indicate your experience with different stages of the contract cycle from the negotiation stage to the drafting stage, to the enforcement stage.
Here are some action verbs that are especially effective for your position. Use them to elevate your resume and catch recruiters’ attention.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Your skills section is a great place to clearly list out your capabilities and the tools and techniques that you have used and that you bring to the table. As a contract specialist, you will need to be an excellent communicator, have interpersonal skills, and be able to be diligent and analytical when developing contracts. These are skills that would be called soft skills, and though they are essential, they will usually not be listed in your skills section.
The skills section should list some of your hard skills. These may include tools you use in contract creation, techniques you are experienced with, and a list of the stages of the contract cycle that you are experienced with. Any languages that you speak can also be included here.
Here is a list that we have compiled of skills that recruiters would like to see in a contract specialist’s resume.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Contract Specialist job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
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