Sales Development Representative Resume Example
Professional Sales Development Representative resume example. Get hired faster with our ATS-optimized template.
Sales Development Representative Salary Range (US)
$50,000 - $85,000
Why This Resume Works
Action verbs open every bullet
Booked, Generated, Maintained, Qualified. Each bullet starts with a concrete action that proves you did the prospecting, not just observed it.
Numbers prove you hit quota
38 meetings a month, 127% of target, $2.4M in pipeline. For an SDR, activity and quota numbers are the whole story. Show them.
Quota attainment is the headline metric
'127% of target across 14 consecutive months' is the single most powerful line an SDR can write. Consistency beats a one-month spike.
Show your prospecting volume
80+ accounts weekly, 60+ calls daily, 1,500+ accounts researched. Volume shows the work ethic AEs want feeding their pipeline.
Tools listed in context of use
Salesforce, Outreach, ZoomInfo appear tied to real activity, not as a naked list. Show recruiters you ran the modern SDR stack.
Essential Skills
- Salesforce CRM
- Outreach or Salesloft sequencing
- Cold calling
- Lead qualification (BANT)
- Email prospecting
- Pipeline generation
- ZoomInfo / LinkedIn Sales Navigator
- Objection handling
- Social selling
Level Up Your Resume
A Sales Representative CV is judged on one thing above all: did you hit your number? Recruiters at SaaS companies, distributors, and high-growth startups scan instantly for quota attainment, pipeline generated, deal sizes, and win rates. Vague phrases like 'responsible for sales' get skipped; a line like 'closed $1.1M in new ARR at 112% of plan' gets the interview.
The sales profession has clear levels, from Sales Development Representative through Sales Team Lead, and your CV must match the expectations of each tier. SDR CVs should prove activity and quota attainment on meetings and pipeline. Full-cycle rep CVs must show revenue closed against quota. Senior rep CVs need over-attainment and enterprise deal complexity. Team lead CVs read like a leadership story: team quota, ramping new hires, and process improvements.
This guide covers what each level of sales CV must include, the mistakes that get strong sellers screened out, how to frame your numbers for maximum impact, and which certifications and skills matter most to sales hiring managers.
Best Practices for Sales Development Representative CV
Lead with quota attainment - 'Hit 127% of meeting quota across 14 consecutive months' is the headline an SDR recruiter wants. Consistency over time beats a single record month.
Quantify your activity - Calls per day, accounts per week, emails sent. '80+ outbound accounts weekly' shows the engine that produces meetings.
Show sourced pipeline in dollars - Meetings are good; pipeline is better. '$2.4M in sourced pipeline' connects your activity to revenue the business cares about.
Name your tools - Salesforce, Outreach, Salesloft, ZoomInfo. SDR recruiters filter by stack. Tie each tool to the activity it powered.
Include reply and conversion rates - '12% cold-email reply rate' and '34% lead-to-SQL conversion' prove you are effective, not just busy.
Common Mistakes in Sales Development Representative CV
Listing duties without numbers - 'Made cold calls and sent emails' tells a recruiter nothing. Replace it with '60+ calls daily, 38 meetings booked monthly'.
Hiding quota attainment - If you hit or beat your meeting quota, that is your strongest line. Burying it is a wasted opportunity.
Omitting the tool stack - SDR roles filter on Salesforce, Outreach, and ZoomInfo. Leaving them off gets you screened out by ATS.
No pipeline figure - Meetings booked is good, but sourced pipeline in dollars is what AEs and managers value. Always add the dollar number.
Generic summary - 'Motivated sales professional' is invisible. Open with 'SDR with 127% meeting-quota attainment over 14 months'.
Tips for Sales Development Representative CV
Use 'activity + outcome' for every bullet - '80 accounts worked weekly → 38 meetings booked'. Connect the input to the result.
Put quota attainment in your summary - Recruiters scan the top first. '127% of meeting quota over 14 months' belongs there.
Match keywords to the job post - If they say 'outbound prospecting', use that exact phrase. ATS is literal.
Show your sequence skills - A/B testing subject lines and reply-rate improvements prove you think, not just dial.
Keep it to one page - SDR CVs do not need two pages. Tight metrics beat padding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recommended Certifications
Interview Preparation
Sales interviews test both selling ability and numbers. Expect to walk through your quota attainment year by year, defend your metrics, and explain a deal you won and one you lost. SDR interviews often include a live cold-call or email exercise; full-cycle and senior interviews include a mock discovery or demo and deep questions on pipeline, forecasting, and methodology (MEDDPICC, Challenger). Team-lead interviews probe coaching style, ramping plans, forecasting accuracy, and how you handle an underperforming rep. Always bring specific numbers and be ready to be sold to.
Salary Intelligence
NEGOTIATION STRATEGYNegotiation Tips
Sales compensation is almost always split between base and commission (OTE). Always negotiate the full on-target earnings, not just the base, and ask for the historical attainment of the team so you can judge whether the OTE is realistic. Top sellers should ask about accelerators above 100% of quota, the cap (or lack of one), and the ramp guarantee for the first two quarters. Proven over-attainment (e.g. 153% of plan) and enterprise deal experience are the strongest levers; bring your stack rank and President's Club record to the table.