Resume

City Council Member Resume Example & Writing Guide

Use this City Council Member resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.

City council members are the voices of their communities—they represent the needs and interests of their constituents and work to ensure that the needs of their city are met. They’re often the first point of contact for residents who need help with city services or have questions about local laws or regulations. And they’re often the ones who decide how to spend taxpayer dollars on infrastructure projects like roads, parks, and schools.

If you’re interested in becoming a city council member yourself or want to break into politics in another capacity, here are some tips and an example resume template to help you write a compelling city council member resume that will get you noticed by hiring managers everywhere.

David Moore
Phoenix, AZ | (123) 456-7891 | [email protected]
Summary

Civic-minded leader with experience in city government and a record of effective policymaking. Proven track record of working collaboratively with constituents, colleagues, and city staff to deliver tangible results for the community.

Education
Arizona State University Jun '10
MPA
Arizona State University Jun '06
B.A. in Political Science
Experience
Company A, City Council Member Jan '17 – Current
  • Led the effort to create a new zoning district, called Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU), which allows for more flexibility in building design and encourages mixed-use development that includes retail space on the ground floor with apartments above.
  • Established an ad hoc committee of community stakeholders to help develop this new zoning district and ensure it meets neighborhood needs.
  • Presided over 3 public hearings before City Council regarding proposed changes to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) related to NMU districts and voted yes at each hearing, sending the proposal forward for further consideration by Planning Commission and City Council.
  • Worked closely with developers, neighbors, business owners, architects, engineers, planners, etc., throughout the process of creating a new zoning district from scratch – something no other council member has done since at least 2000 when current UDO was adopted.
  • Helped organize 2 community meetings where residents could learn about proposed changes to their neighborhoods as well as provide feedback during initial stages of drafting a new zoning district – again something no other council member has done since at least 2000 when current UDO was adopted.
Company B, City Council Member Jan '12 – Dec '16
  • Worked with city officials to create a new zoning ordinance that increased the number of available housing units by 25%
  • Spearheaded an initiative to improve public transportation, which resulted in a 40% increase in ridership
  • Created and implemented a plan to revitalize downtown area; this led to an 85% increase in retail sales
  • Collaborated with neighboring cities on regional projects such as waste management and recycling initiatives
  • Reduced crime rate by implementing community outreach programs designed to deter criminal activity
Company C, Mayor Jan '09 – Dec '11
  • Led the city in developing and implementing policies and programs to improve the quality of life for all residents.
  • Worked with city council members, city staff, and community members to identify and prioritize the needs of the city.
  • Prepared the city’s annual budget and oversaw the city’s finances.
Skills

Industry Knowledge: Local Government, State Government, Federal Government, Legislative Process, Statistics, Policymaking
Technical Skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Docs
Soft Skills: Communication, Leadership, Public Speaking, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Negotiation Skills

How to Write a City Council Member Resume

Here’s how to write a city council member resume of your own.

Write Compelling Bullet Points

Bullet points are the most effective way to showcase your experience and qualifications. But rather than simply listing your responsibilities, you can make your bullet points much more interesting and compelling by using specific numbers and statistics.

For example, rather than saying you “managed city budget,” you could say you “reduced city budget by 5% while maintaining services and reducing crime rate by 10%.”

The second bullet point is much more interesting and provides a lot more detail about what exactly you did and the results of your work.

Identify and Include Relevant Keywords

In order to be considered for a city council member role, you’ll need to submit your resume through an online application system. This system will scan your resume for specific keywords related to the position, like “policy making” or “council member” in order to determine whether your skills and experience are a match. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.

One way to make sure your application makes it through is by including relevant keywords throughout all sections of your resume. Here are some commonly used city council member keywords:

  • Local Government
  • Government
  • Public Policy
  • Politics
  • Community Outreach
  • Legislative Affairs
  • Public Speaking
  • Public Administration
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Community Development
  • Local Government Management
  • Budgeting
  • Program Development
  • Event Planning
  • Strategic Planning
  • Government Relations
  • Local Government Politics
  • Policy Analysis
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Grant Writing
  • Strategic Communications
  • Media Relations
  • Governmental Affairs
  • Government Contracting
  • Legislative Process
  • Government Procurement
  • Program Management
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Interim Management

Showcase Your Technical Skills

As a city council member, you need to be proficient in a number of software programs and systems in order to effectively do your job. This might include familiarity with city planning software, budgeting software, and constituent management software. Additionally, you need to be able to use technology to communicate with other members of the city council, city staff, and the public.

Some of the programs and systems that city council members are typically expected to be proficient in include: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, social media platforms, and video conferencing software.

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