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Collections manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Timothy Edwards,

Jaunelle Celaire

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical collections manager skills. We ranked the top skills for collections managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.2% of collections manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a collections manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 collections manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how collections managers use customer service:

Conduct phone monitoring of customer service representative and provide constructive feedback based on observations on accuracy, courtesy, and efficiency.
Spurred a cultural shift in customer service and continuous improvement that turned around and reinvigorated performance across the geographically dispersed team.

2. Collection Management

Collections management involves the development, storage and preservation of collections and cultural heritage. The needs want, and demands expressed by the organization being served are the driving forces behind collection management. Collection development includes the planning, selecting, and building of collections in all formats. Building a collection involves approaching the selection, maintenance, development, and evaluation of the materials with an informed standpoint.

Here's how collections managers use collection management:

Conducted multiple targeted missions on established objectives and provided quality review, analysis, mentoring and collection management for remote teams.
Trained subordinate S2s on collection management and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance integration; resulting in successful completion of brigade missions.

3. Portfolio

Here's how collections managers use portfolio:

Established and implemented a balanced commission structure for collection staff ensuring optimal performance in revenue collected and delinquency rate of portfolio.
Managed a staff of 15 Collectors handling a diversified portfolio of Consumer/Commercial Secured and Unsecured products.

4. FDCPA

Here's how collections managers use fdcpa:

Terminated collection agencies for non-performance and non-compliance with FDCPA licensing and bonding requirements.
Trained newly hired customer accounting representatives to ensure FDCPA compliance.

5. Delinquent Accounts

A delinquent account is an account wherein there are many past-due funds.

Here's how collections managers use delinquent accounts:

Increased collections rate and supported revenue goal attainment by employing rigorous and detailed collections methodologies to secure payment on delinquent accounts.
Developed a streamlined process of analyzing delinquent accounts and effectuating successful resolution and retention of the customer base.

6. Credit Card

A type of card issued by banks and other financial institutions, that enable users to manage and borrow their finances is called a credit card. The funds borrowed from a financial institution through a credit card are meant to be paid back along with certain amounts of interest imposed by the bank.

Here's how collections managers use credit card:

Documented and maintained accurate and pertinent information on accounts and processed daily cash and credit card transactions.
Minimized delinquencies and recovered revenue by performing collection activities on 90+ days delinquent credit card accounts.

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7. Collection Efforts

In general, collection efforts referr to the process of collecting specific objects. The object can be tangible such as clothes, money, any physical product, or intangible such as data and information. However, the term is mostly used to indicate the collection of money or funds.

Here's how collections managers use collection efforts:

Prepared monthly delinquency reports for General Management, including detailed information on collection efforts and possible resolution for each account.
Improved collection efforts by identifying, analyzing and creating collection protocol according to federal and state regulations and current guidelines.

8. Past Due Accounts

A credit card account in a bank or any other financial association that is past due in payment is called a past due account. Past due account holders are required to recompense their scheduled payments to the bank or their creditor. The more credit account holders are due, the more they are compelled by their lender to make the payment.

Here's how collections managers use past due accounts:

Supported the Collections Associates in effectively collecting payment on past due accounts while ensuring customer satisfaction.
Determined reason for nonpayment and successfully negotiated solution of past due accounts.

9. Collection Strategies

Here's how collections managers use collection strategies:

Plan collection strategies by analysis of age statements in making determinations of appropriate solutions to obtain payments and documenting those actions.
Defined and implemented collection strategies to bridge intelligence needs by planning, coordinating and synthesizing research from intelligence analysts.

10. Debt Repayment

Debt is an amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Repayment is the act of giving back money that was previously borrowed from a lender. Failure to maintain debt repayments may lead to a series of credit issues including forced bankruptcy, heightened charges due to late payments, and negative fluctuations to an individual's credit rating.

Here's how collections managers use debt repayment:

Advise customers of necessary actions and or strategies for debt repayment, and answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedule, based on customers' financial situations.

11. Collection Procedures

A collection procedure is a standardized way for receivable managers to collect overdue payments from customers. Enacting the procedure requires strong managerial skills since key responsibilities include supervising the collecting staff and assigning tasks to the clerks. In order to complete a collection procedure, certain steps need to be followed like issuing the letter, keeping the record, settling payment arrangements, cash receipts processing, and resolving any conflicts that may arise. If the payment is still not settled after all of these steps, the staff can contact the customer directly and any communication they may have is recorded (like calls and emails). After all of this, if the payment is still not received, the team can take legal action.

Here's how collections managers use collection procedures:

Assisted other collectors with difficult or complex accounts and situations, utilizing technical knowledge of collection procedures and legal guidelines.
Developed and implemented collection procedures for reducing outstanding receivables, lowering bad debt reserves and minimizing risk from marginal customers.

12. Auto Loans

Here's how collections managers use auto loans:

Completed repossession packets, completed bank deposits, conducted and approved customer auto loans
Supervised the collection and repossession efforts regarding delinquent auto loans.

13. Collection Process

Here's how collections managers use collection process:

Hired, trained and motivated collection managers to assess collection processes and implement any changes needed to increase accountability and production.
Managed collections practices for the company, including evaluating, recommending and implementing improvements in collection process.

14. Payment Arrangements

Here's how collections managers use payment arrangements:

Contacted delinquent customers and secured payments or payment arrangements in face of limited headcount.
Prepared invoices, negotiated payment arrangements, prepared legal documentation and accounts receivable reports.

15. ISR

Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, or ISR is a record that contains essential information crucial in the nation. It has a various function such as operation and intelligence that deals with the processing, coordination, providing timely and relevant information helps with the security of a state. Some info that ISR can capture is radar, infrared images, and electronic signals.

Here's how collections managers use isr:

Integrated experimental ISR technologies to maximize intelligence collection and reduce work load on analysts and high demand low density collection assets.
Coordinated all Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) collection requirements and ensured intelligence was properly disseminated.

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What skills help Collections Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on collections manager resumes?

Dr. Timothy Edwards

Professor, Interim Director, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Writing and research skills. Analytical and critical thinking skills. Technical skills such as web design, graphic design, audio and video production skills. Employers are interested in potential employees knowledge, intelligence and skills.

What collections manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Jaunelle Celaire

Chair, Professor of Voice, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Never stop learning! This may consist of going back to school, earning new certifications in your field of study, attending conferences and seminars, and making sure that your time management is always at its finest level of excellence.

What technical skills for a collections manager stand out to employers?

Keith Hassell

Executive Director of Career & Professional Development, Sacred Heart University

Employers are increasingly looking for applied skillsets and additional certifications to set a candidate apart. Sacred Heart University has recently launched a remote work certification, which houses three modules - focusing on the remote worker, the remote team and the remote leader, providing the tools and resources to comfortably leverage and utilize virtual platforms at various organizations. Additional specialized training, certifications and more are great selling tools pending on the specific area of interest. Certifications are common in areas such as project management, sales, IT/network/software, Google application and more. The candidate needs to think, "What can I do that is beyond my coursework to show I am passionate about my field? How do I make myself stand out?" Certifications is an attainable way to do this.
In addition, soft skills continue to be equally important in today's job market. NACE (the National Association of Colleges and Employers) identified seven core competencies that employers seek from entry level candidates which include critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, career management and global/intercultural fluency.

Do you want to know more?

List of collections manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a collections manager resume and required skills for a collections manager to have include:

Customer Service
Collection Management
Portfolio
FDCPA
Delinquent Accounts
Credit Card
Collection Efforts
Past Due Accounts
Collection Strategies
Debt Repayment
Collection Procedures
Auto Loans
Collection Process
Payment Arrangements
ISR
HUMINT
Customer Accounts

Bank Deposits
Direct Reports
Collection Calls
Accounts Receivables
SIGINT
Collection Agencies
Call Center Management
Performance Reviews
Collection Policies
Federal Laws
Outbound Calls
Medicare
Google Earth
Customer Complaints
Disciplinary Actions
Party Collections
Collection Reports

Reconnaissance
Overdue Accounts
Performance Evaluations
Medicaid
Insurance Claims
Call Monitoring
DSO
Student Loans
Credit Reports
FTE
Cash Application
HR
Legal Action
Dialer Campaigns
Employee Scheduling

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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