Contract Specialist Resume Sample, Skills, & Full Guide

Drowning in tons of paperwork. You know that feeling better than most.

Guess what? The recruiter is in the same position. Your contract specialist resume cannot win against the temptation of a quiet break with a cozy cup of coffee unless you blow all competition out of the water, so the recruiter can take the rest of the day off. You’re about to learn how to do that.

This guide will show you: 

• A contract specialist resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a government contract specialist resume that will land you more interviews.
• A list of the best contract specialist skills for a resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a contract specialist to get a job in any industry.

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See these in case you’re targeting other jobs:

• Business Resume Examples
• Buyer Resume Examples
• Sales Resume Examples
• Purchasing Agent Resume Examples
• Purchasing Resume Examples
• Supply Chain Manager Resume Examples
• Vendor Management Resume Examples
• Supply Chain Resume Examples

Contract Specialist Resume Sample

That’s the stuff. Now, let’s show you how to write your contract specialist resume:

1. Choose the Best Contract Specialist Resume Format

Contract specialists ensure contracts comply with requirements while minimizing risk and maintaining relevant records. For an excellent contract specialist resume, you must display strong communication, negotiation, and analytical skills, plus a thorough understanding of contract law.

Contract specialist resumes don’t vary much from other fields. The time-tested reverse-chronological resume is the way to go.

Next, pick a legible resume font like Arial, Garamond, or Calibri and keep it between 11–12 points for easy readability. Use bold and italics to accentuate important bits on your resume and differentiate resume sections.

Finally, keep your resume limited to one page to show you can communicate concisely—that’s one of the most important skills for contract professionals today.

Read more: Resume Formats: When to Use Each One

2. Write a Contract Specialist Resume Profile

There’s a key difference between recruiters and you:You’re scrupulous and diligent to never miss any detail in the fine print. But recruiters are the polar opposite. If they don’t like what they see within 7 seconds, you’re out.

Moral of the story: your contract specialist resume needs to reel them in, hook, line, and sinker.

Crafting a brilliant resume profile that highlights your contract experience and skills gets the job done. Pop it at the top of your resume, give it some TLC, and you’ll have their mouths watering in no time.

• Seasoned contract specialists write a summary of their career. Feel free to brag about your accomplishments, and definitely use percentages and numbers next to your biggest achievements. If you saved your company millions in legal fees, flaunt it!
• Beginners or career-changers will opt to write a resume objective. The premise remains roughly the same, but you supplement what you lack with experience by playing off your drive and transferable skills to convince them of your value.

Read more: More Tips on Writing the Perfect Resume Introduction

3. Tailor the Work Experience Section to the Contract Specialist Job Description

Great, you’ve got a profile. Now, the recruiter will sit down and read the rest of your contract specialist resume instead of tossing it a cursory look-through on their way to the kitchen to refill their cup of coffee.

The next step is to show them you are worth the attention.

If your work experience section is mediocre, they’ll think you’re an average negotiator at best, and then we’re back at square one—dumped.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Target your resume. Research the company to show exactly how well you align with its needs.
• List jobs in reverse chronology, naming the job title, company name, and your years working for them. Include up to 6 bullet points for each job, using impressive metrics and data to really grab their attention.
• Use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula to show off your problem-solving skills and the real value you bring to the table.
• Avoid padding your resume with irrelevant experience. That’ll make it a snoozefest.

Read more: How to Choose Relevant Experience for a Resume

4. Show off Your Contract Specialist Education Appropriately

It’s not rocket science. Your education section won’t single-handedly sell them on hiring you.

But for the love of all things contractual, don’t skip it unless you want to be left hanging. A proper education section on a resume can be a great way of showing extra skills and expertise.

Start by listing the name of your university or school, along with your graduation date and your obtained degree.

Here’s where things can vary depending on experience:

• If you’ve got so much experience you remember J.K. Rowling’s £2,500 contract, the above list is exhaustive enough.
• However, with less than 5 years of contract experience, you’ve got more to prove. List relevant coursework from school, student club memberships, or your diploma honors to show off impressive feats.

Pro Tip: How about your GPA on a resume? It can often be a tacked-on addition, but as long as it’s above 3.5, it’s completely fine.

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

5. Put Your Contract Specialist Skills on Display

Being tech-savvy is becoming ever more important in contract management. But to impress the hiring manager, you can't just list any old ability related to computers and pretend you’re now owed the job.

No, what you need is a plan. And we’ve got it ready-made:

• Make a comprehensive list of your professional skills, from your soft skills like negotiation and critical thinking to your hard skills like drafting and analyzing contracts. Include some technical skills as well.
• Scrutinize the job listing like it’s your favorite legal precedent. Look for resume keywords that let you know what kind of employee they’re looking for.
• Compare them to your skills and place matching ones on your resume.

Here’s a list of sample contract specialist skills for your reference:

Sample Contract Specialist Skills for Resumes

• Contract drafting
• Computer skills
• Teamwork skills
• Negotiation skills
• Legal research
• Patience
• Contract law
• Risk assessment
• Compliance monitoring
• Contract administration
• Contract interpretation
• Vendor management
• Project management skills
• Business analysis
• Auditing & review
• DocuSign, SAP Ariba
• CLM Software
• Financial analysis
• Stakeholder communication
• Conflict resolution
• Attention to detail
• Interpersonal skills

Read more: Listing Key Strengths on Your Resume

6. Add Other Sections to Your Contract Specialist Resume

It’s always a nice surprise when you have an ace up your sleeve that doesn’t quite fit into the other resume sections. Adding another one or two to your contract specialist resume can tip the scales in your favor, and you get the benefit of finally feeling like your book club contributed to your professional development!

So, here’s a list of ideas to include as extra sections to make your resume stand out:

• Certification and licenses
• Courses and training programs
• Personal blog
• Workshops/conferences attended, especially as a speaker
• Industry awards
• Language skills
• Hobbies and interests
• Freelance work

7. Attach a Cover Letter with Your Resume

Skipping the cover letter should be the last thing on your mind. Resumes without one often end up in the same contract hell as poorly prepared contracts: The drawer. Or maybe the shredder if you’re unlucky.

To write your perfect cover letter:

1. Format your cover letter before doing anything else.
2. Start the contract specialist cover letter by addressing it to the hiring manager.
3. Write a compelling hook in thefirst part of your cover letter.
4. Show them you understand the company profile and are excited to make them flourish in the middle paragraph.
5. End your cover letter with an exciting call to action.

Read more: 20 Killer Cover Letter Templates

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Do you have any questions on how to create a contract specialist resume? Let us know in the comments section!

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