How To Write a Collections Team Lead Resume
A collections team lead resume should focus on your ability to handle high call volumes, work within the federal and state debt collection laws, and mentor other team members. It presents your education, experience, and skills in a way that excites the hiring manager about you as a candidate. Get tips and tricks on writing a resume to land your next interview.
1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your qualifications
When you call a debtor, the first thing you do is introduce yourself. The profile section serves as your introduction to the hiring manager. In just a few sentences, highlight your top qualifications and skills that make you a good fit for the position.
Call out your background in training collections representatives or how you tweaked call management, resulting in increased efficiency. Focus on what’s most important to the hiring manager, which is likely to be things like years of experience and success rate.
Profile Example #1
Service-oriented Collections Team Lead with 5+ years of experience. Recent highlights include motivating a 6-person team to rank #3 out of 11 for overall account conversion. Focused on helping customers, debtors, and creditors achieve successful outcomes. Committed to continually gaining and applying new finance and business expertise.
Profile Example #2
Collections Team Lead with 5+ years of experience. Focused on finding ways to continually improve organization policies and procedures. Thorough and organized in managing multiple databases and computer systems. Skilled communicator who puts complex financial topics in clear terms for both employees and consumers. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
2. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
The application pile for a collections team lead position is probably filled with call reps. Ensure your resume stands out by focusing on your career achievements and accomplishments instead of just basic job duties.
For example, don’t just say you “converted accounts.” Instead, use metrics and numbers to quantify that achievement. “Achieved No. 1 ranking on the team for account conversion” is more powerful and lets the hiring manager know you consistently outperform colleagues.
Professional Experience Example #1
Collections Team Lead, TZO Billing Solutions, Philadelphia, PA | September 2019 to Present
[Third-party collection agency.]
- Motivate and guide staff to clarify each debtor’s position and reason for nonpayment, and set an agreed-upon plan forward
- Oversee follow-up efforts with debtors to help proactively address and avoid further repayment challenges
- Promote a courteous communication style treating each individual with respect, dignity, and professionalism across phone and email correspondence
- Address and resolve escalated bill disputes from consumers
- Led team to rank #3 out of 11 for overall success rate converting accounts from “delinquent” to “in repayment” status
Professional Experience Example #2
Team Lead – Account Collections, TEO Inc., Boston, MA | September 2019 to Present
[Third-party collection agency.]
- Train and guide 15 collections representatives on contacting debtors to recover balances and discuss payment solutions
- Handle escalated bill disputes, turning initially hostile or negative debtor interactions into productive collaboration on a plan for repayment
- Introduced phone call management techniques that improved team efficiency by 11%
3. Include relevant education and certifications
While a degree isn’t always necessary for a collection team lead position, it can certainly improve your chances of getting the job. Applicants with degrees in finance, business, or related disciplines may be given preference. Always include your education, including major and graduation year, on your resume.
Any certifications, such as in Microsoft Excel or a specific collections software, should be listed in their own section. Customer service or management certifications can also be relevant to this position.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example:
Bachelor’s Degree – Finance
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA | 2018
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example:
Excel Associate, Microsoft Office | 2018
4. List pertinent key skills
Your resume is a persuasive document designed to convince the hiring manager you have the skills necessary to succeed in the position and provide value to the company. A bulleted skills list can help a hiring manager quickly skim your resume and note whether your training is in line with the job description.
Below is a list of common key skills required for collections team lead jobs. Check the job description and customize this list before sending your resume.
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Coaching and mentoring | Complex problem-solving |
| Cost reduction and elimination | Cross-functional collaboration |
| Efficiency improvement | Employee motivation |
| Internal and external audits | Operational streamlining |
| Process redesign and improvement | Regulatory compliance |
| Staff training and development | Strategic business planning |
| Talent acquisition and retention | Team leadership |
How To Pick the Best Collections Team Lead Resume Template
Templates can make writing your resume easier, but choosing the wrong one can actually work against you. Stay away from anything too busy or distracting. This isn’t the place to show off your graphic design skills or include a headshot.
Hiring managers generally only spend a few seconds per resume, so it needs to be as easy to skim as possible. Look for options that include all the necessary sections with basic formatting, such as bullets and headers.
Collections Team Lead Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Years of Experience
- #1
- #2
- #3
Sarah Johnson
123 Carpenter Street, Philadelphia, PA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]
Profile
Service-oriented Collections Team Lead with 5+ years of experience. Recent highlights include motivating a 6-person team to rank #3 out of 11 for overall account conversion. Focused on helping customers, debtors, and creditors achieve successful outcomes. Committed to continually gaining and applying new finance and business expertise.
Professional Experience
Collections Team Lead, TZO Billing Solutions, Philadelphia, PA | September 2019 to Present
[Third-party collection agency.]
- Motivate and guide staff to clarify each debtor’s position and reason for nonpayment, and set an agreed-upon plan forward
- Oversee follow-up efforts with debtors to help proactively address and avoid further repayment challenges
- Promote a courteous communication style treating each individual with respect, dignity, and professionalism across phone and email correspondence
- Address and resolve escalated bill disputes from consumers
- Led team to rank #3 out of 11 for overall success rate converting accounts from “delinquent” to “in repayment” status
Bill & Account Collector, TFO Agency, Philadelphia, PA | July 2017 to August 2019
- Maintained high efficiency in a fast-paced call center setting
- Demonstrated early leadership ability as a mentor for new hires
Education
Bachelor’s Degree – Finance
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Key Skills
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Cost Reduction & Elimination
- Efficiency Improvement
- Internal & External Audits
- Operational Streamlining
- Regulatory Compliance
- Staff Training & Development
- Talent Acquisition & Retention
- Team Leadership & Motivation
Selena Ramirez
123 Bridge Street, Boston, MA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]
Profile
Collections Team Lead with 5+ years of experience. Focused on finding ways to continually improve organization policies and procedures. Thorough and organized in managing multiple databases and computer systems. Skilled communicator who puts complex financial topics in clear terms for both employees and consumers. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
Professional Experience
Team Lead – Account Collections, TEO Inc., Boston, MA | September 2019 to Present
[Third-party collection agency.]
- Train and guide 15 collections representatives on contacting debtors to recover balances and discuss payment solutions
- Handle escalated bill disputes, turning initially hostile or negative debtor interactions into productive collaboration on a plan for repayment
- Introduced phone call management techniques that improved team efficiency by 11%
Collections Assistant, DRP Billing Solutions, Boston, MA | July 2017 to August 2019
- Entered and updated available data on debtors’ contact information
- Reviewed and summarized creditor-provided data on debtor payment history
Education
Bachelor’s Degree – Business Administration
Boston College, Boston, MA
Language
- Fluency in Spanish | Basic proficiency in Italian
Key Skills
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Cost Reduction & Elimination
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Efficiency Improvement
- Internal & External Audits
- Operational Streamlining
- Process Redesign & Improvement
- Regulatory Compliance
- Staff Training & Development
- Talent Acquisition & Retention
- Team Leadership & Motivation
Yaling Zhang
123 Santa Maria, San Francisco, CA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected]
Profile
Strategic Collections Team Lead with 5+ years of experience. Extensive background training representatives on new collections software, databases, and negotiation methods. Adapt readily to unforeseen work challenges and industry conditions.
Professional Experience
Collections Team Lead, TTY Agency, San Francisco, CA | September 2019 to Present
[Third-party collection agency.]
- Motivate team to manage high volumes of daily email and phone correspondence effectively
- Monitor and ensure close adherence to federal and state debt collection laws
- Developed new standard past-due notices and email messages that boosted efficiency by 10% and better-aligned team’s communications strategy
Collections Representative, KCL Business Services Inc., San Francisco, CA | July 2017 to August 2019
- Praised for high professionalism engaging with (sometimes hostile or evasive) debtors on payment options and solutions to past-due balances
Education
Associate Degree – Economics
City College of San Francisco, CA
Key Skills
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Cost Reduction & Elimination
- Efficiency Improvement
- Internal & External Audits
- Operational Streamlining
- Regulatory Compliance
- Staff Training & Development
- Strategic Business Planning
- Talent Acquisition & Retention
- Team Leadership & Motivation
Frequently Asked Questions: Collections Team Lead Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for collections team lead resumes?+
Word choice is important if you want a high-quality resume, and using action verbs is a great way to improve your writing. Start each bullet with an impactful verb that communicates the value of your position. When possible, include verbiage from the job description.
If the hiring manager says that “resolving escalated issues” is a job duty, use the verbs “resolved” and “escalated” somewhere in your resume. Below are some great options to use if you get stuck:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Achieve | Align |
| Coach | Collect |
| Create | Develop |
| Enhance | Establish |
| Improve | Inspire |
| Institute | Manage |
| Mentor | Motivate |
| Oversee | Raise |
| Renew | Revitalize |
| Supervise | |
How do you align your resume with a collections team lead job description?+
Job openings for bill and account collectors are expected to decline by 10% through 2032. This can make for a more competitive job market. However, this industry also experiences higher-than-average turnover rates, which can provide room for experienced collections reps to move up.
Ensure your resume stands out by taking a few extra minutes to tailor it to the job description. Make sure anything that’s a must-have for the hiring manager, such as previous leadership experience or software proficiency, is mentioned in the top half of your resume.
What is the best collections team lead resume format?+
Fitting your skills and experience on a resume that’s only a page or two can be challenging, but choosing the right format can help. The combination format is a good choice for collections team lead candidates because it provides room for your work history and hard and soft skills.
If you’ve been working in collections, list your professional experience in reverse chronological order. When you’re making a career change or if you’ve worked in a variety of industries, focus on the jobs most relevant to the position.
Expert advice: include a cover letter with your resume
Once you’re satisfied with your resume, take a few extra minutes to create a matching cover letter. This complements your resume by expanding on a few career achievements or explaining why you want this particular job. Cover letters should still be fairly concise, so if you need help with formatting or what to include, check out our finance cover letter examples.
