A great marketing resume does just what a great marketing campaign accomplishes: It generates leads that become sales. In this case, the leads are interviews and the sale is your next awesome marketing job!
It takes time to create the right campaign, find the right audience and cultivate trust. The same is true of your marketing resume, but we can help make the process smoother.
Resume.io is a powerful tool for job seekers, with writing guides and resume examples for 300+ professions. With our tools and your marketing know-how, you will be on your way to a resume that resonates with hiring managers.
This guide, along with the corresponding marketing resume example, will cover the following topics:
- What does a marketing professional do?
- How to write a marketing resume (tips and tricks)
- The best format for a marketing resume
- Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
What does a marketing professional do?
Marketing professionals are responsible for the image of the products and services they represent and for generating interest that leads to sales.
At its narrowest, marketers place advertising that will be seen by the company’s target audience, but in many cases, marketers must also manage social media, understand consumer behavior and mine data for the best ways to pinpoint exactly how, when and where to market their products and services.
Search for these titles during your job hunt
Don’t miss out on an opportunity because you left a keyword out of your online job search. Here are some titles employers use for marketing professionals, according to creative staffing agency Artisan Talent and HubSpot:
- Brand manager
- Account supervisor
- Business development executive
- Market development manager
- Marketing coordinator
- Marketing manager
- Product manager
- Social media marketing/email manager
- Blog/content marketing/SEO manager
- Paid marketing manager
- Public relations/media relations manager
- Marketing operations manager
Marketing job market and outlook
The good news here is that companies expect to increase marketing hiring by 7.6% throughout 2021, the CMO Survey reports. Try applying at smaller companies, as they are looking to ramp up hiring much more quickly than larger firms.
Marketing professionals have another bright spot to take comfort in: 72.2% of marketers reported that the importance of their role has grown in the past year. The industry verticals with the highest marketing job growth were consumer services, healthcare, education and technology.
It’s in your best interest to gain digital media skills if you don’t already have them. Companies are investing heavily in website optimization, digital media and SEO, data analytics and related technology updates, the survey found.
How much do marketing professionals earn?
Salaries vary greatly depending on experience, education and job responsibilities, but here are a few examples.
| Title | Median annual salary |
|---|---|
| Marketing manager | $107,889 |
| Digital marketing specialist | $85,175 |
| SEO manager | $71,908 |
| Product manager | $70,723 |
How to write a marketing resume
Getting going on your marketing resume starts with knowing what sections to include. Your CV must contain:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
A great marketing campaign starts with learning about the targeted consumer. The same is true of your resume. Get to know the company you are applying to. Learn about its employees, its philosophy, its products and services. Find out as much as you can about the hiring manager and your prospective boss. Then, target your campaign and remember that you are the brand here.
Use consistent messaging, tone and style throughout your resume and cover letter. Follow these guidelines to make the most of your marketing CV:
- Keep up your branding throughout your resume and write as though you are addressing the company you wish to work for.
- Pay attention to creating a polished visual first impression with a resume template that has a creative edge without distracting from your message.
- Use your SEO optimization skills to target the ATS algorithms.
Beat the ATS
The Applicant Tracking System is your first chance to show off your ability to assess the customer’s needs (in this case the employer!) Use your data analysis abilities to insert appropriate keywords and phrases from the job listing into your marketing resume.
This will not only help you avoid being filtered out of the running for the job, but it will show your prospective employer that you know how to target your market.
Choosing the best resume format for a marketing professional
Once again, the ATS comes into play. When it scans your resume, it is looking to place information in specific slots. To make the transfer from your document to the company’s HR system, use reverse chronological order, the format the ATS is programmed to scan.
The reverse chronological format centers on your employment history section where you’ll list your relevant work experience starting with the most recent role and working backwards up until about 10 years. This format is also best for marketing professionals since advancement can come through the skills learned in various positions.
Although other formats exist, you should use them only in special circumstances. Recent marketing graduates or those looking for a career shift can check out the resume formats we suggest as chronological alternatives or hybrids.
For 99% of marketing professionals, reverse chronological order is the way to go.
Resume summary example: define your brand
You’re a creative thinker who knows how to garner interest in your product. The summary section of your marketing resume should be a breeze for you because it allows you a bit of free-flowing text to manage your image.
Be clear about your message. What creative marketing campaign do you want to highlight here? What skills will make you a standout? You have 3-4 sentences to sell the hiring manager on why you are the right candidate for the job, so make sure your examples focus on the company’s needs.
If you want to take a look at more pointed resume samples, you can click over to our digital marketing resume example or our marketing associate resume sample. If you’re looking for ideas for higher level positions, try our marketing manager resume sample or if you prefer to work for yourself, our marketing consultant resume sample. See here all our marketing resume samples:
- Social Media Manager resume sample
- Art Director resume sample
- Digital Marketing resume sample
- Event Planner resume sample
- Content Writer resume sample
- Magazine Editor resume sample
- Blog Writer resume sample
- Content Marketing Associate resume sample
- Advertising Director resume sample
- Content Acquisitions Director resume sample
- Creative Director resume sample
- Brand Ambassador resume sample
- Brand Manager resume sample
- Public Relations resume sample
- SEO resume sample
- Marketing Coordinator resume sample
Take some time to consider how you would describe yourself, then add those strong adjectives to your profile. The goal of this section is to complement the rest of your resume and give the hiring manager an intriguing bit of information you can capitalize on during your interview.
You can find a resume example for your summary section below.
Experienced Marketing Specialist adept in overseeing traditional and new media strategies, designed to help companies reach goals in lead generation, brand awareness and user engagement.
Employment history sample: your career roadmap
Your employment history section is the place in your marketing resume where chronological order comes into play. Bulk up your most recent job description and slim down your earlier positions as your career advances. That’s because recruiters are most interested in what you have done lately.
Develop each bullet item as though you were touting a product. (In fact, you are!) Start off with a strong action word, followed by the details, numbers and statistics that make your accomplishment all the more impressive.
- Generated 20% more leads weekly by refreshing social media campaign on a daily basis
- Wrote new marketing campaign that increased leads
Remember to optimize for the job. Focus on the skills your prospective employer seeks. If you can prove you are already doing the job they are hiring for, all the better.
Below you will find an adaptable employment history resume example.
- Worked to establish and implement strategic marketing plans designed to capitalize on market opportunities and achieve growth.
- Assessed competition and determined business and marketing plans to be implemented.
- Worked to foster a marketing plan that promoted brand awareness and effectively launched messages.
- Led the company on strategy, content, and creative initiatives for fully-integrated marketing communications.
- Successfully managed company social media accounts.
- Developed and managed email campaigns.
CV skills example: smart content
You know that if you don’t capture your target market’s attention in seconds, they are on to the next ad. That’s why the skills section of your marketing resume is so important. Many recruiters will glance here first to quickly see what skills you bring. If your list falls short, they are on to the next CV.
This CV section is the easiest to personalize for the ATS, so when you refresh your marketing resume for each position, you may want to start here to set your message. Make sure the skills listed here work with the other sections to form a coherent picture of your abilities.
Show you are a “T-shaped marketer”
What does that mean? That you have both a breadth and depth of knowledge. You have the base knowledge of business, marketing foundational skills and channel expertise. Here are the top 10 skills you need to demonstration, according to professional training company Digital Vidya:
| storytelling | content writing | technical knowledge | analytics | pay per click |
| SEO | social media | email marketing | video marketing | designing |
Choose three to five of these abilities and then add some soft skills such as organization and communication to create a well-rounded skills section.
Below you will find a skills section resume example.
- Content Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Effective Time Management
- SEO Optimization Skills
- Collaboration Skills
- Content Research & Development
Marketing education resume example
The education section of your marketing resume is a listing of your academic degrees. Most marketing management positions require a bachelor’s degree. If you have a master’s degree or higher, there’s no need to include high school.
You may have learned many of your skills on the job, but if you have taken any classes that enhance your candidacy, list those here as well.
If you have earned marketing awards or other accolades or are active in professional organizations, you may create a separate section called “Awards and Affiliations” to highlight your career achievements as well as your networking efforts.
Below you will find an education section resume example as a formatting guide.
- Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Boston College, Boston
- Sep, 2010 - May, 2014
- High School Diploma, Ipswich High School, Ipswich
- Sep, 2006 - May, 2010
Resume layout and design: you got this!
No brand is complete without a look. What is yours? You want to make a splash without looking flashy. You want to be remembered, but you don’t want your design overwhelming your message. As a marketing professional, you know these things! Make use of your skill to create a document that says, “I am a creative professional. I know how to draw the eye in and make the message clear.”
You may be tempted to go for color, graphics or elaborate fonts, but remember that your real goal is to impress with the content of your resume. Recruiters want to be able to find the information they need quickly and without eye strain. Stick to legible fonts and just a bit of color, if you must.
An attractive header that’s appropriate for the company and position is one of the key elements that will make your resume stand out. You may even choose to use different layouts for different companies. A resume template can make the formatting process much easier and give you more time to concentrate on the writing.
Key takeaways for a marketing resume
- You know all about presenting a brand, so use that skill here to create your career brand.
- The demand for marketing professionals is on the upswing, especially in smaller companies — digital skills are a must.
- Make sure to add in keywords from the job description using the exact same language as the employer to overcome the ATS.
- Check out our marketing resume sample for more ideas on how to create an attractive and functional page layout.
