
As a marketing professional, your skills and experience are more in demand than ever before. From social media marketing to content marketing to public relations, your unique combination of hard and soft skills can propel you into an exciting and lucrative career. But first you’ll need a standout resume.
Whether you’re a marketing manager or are looking to break into the industry, you’ll need to display your top skills and relevant work experience on your resume to catch recruiters’ interest. Even if you’re brand new to the industry, you can learn how to write a resume with no experience that will get you noticed. For recent graduates and executives alike, this step-by-step guide and our professional Resume Builder will help you craft every section of your resume.
Here, you’ll learn to write an impressive resume for a marketing job in minutes.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- A selection of popular marketing resume examples.
- Step-by-step instructions on how to write a marketing resume.
- Marketing resume examples for every experience level.
- Stats and facts about the marketing industry.
- Commonly asked questions about resume writing.
Need a resume immediately? Skip this guide and head straight to our Resume Builder. Just follow the prompts in the builder and populate your resume with the auto-suggested content for the marketing role you want. In just minutes, you’ll have a competitive resume to apply for the marketing job you’re after! It’s that simple.
Popular marketing resume samples
You know what it takes to have a great career in sales, but do you know how to make a resume that gives you an all-star status with potential employers?
Marketing is a varied field that encompasses many different job titles. From digital marketing managers to marketing coordinators to marketing directors — everyone needs a strong marketing resume. Below, we have resume examples for some of the most popular job titles in marketing.
Are you looking for a different job title? Check out the job titles below or head to our full library of resume examples:
How to write a marketing resume
Want to land a marketing job that will propel your career forward? To land the opportunity you’re after, you’ll need a top-notch resume.
Each resume should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for if you truly want to get an interview. To tailor your resume, you’ll need to study the job ad and pull out the critical skills, experience and keywords the employer is seeking.
Once you’re familiar with their requirements, you’re ready to write your resume. Remember, to create the perfect resume, every detail should be relevant to the role — from your header to your special sections.
To start, create an excellent resume outline including the following:
- Contact info in the header.
- A strong, keyword-rich resume profile.
- At least one — if not several — skills sections.
- A work experience section that lists your jobs in reverse-chronological order.
- The highlights of your education history.
- Optional sections to help you stand out.
Let’s take a look at what belongs in each of these resume sections.
STEP 1
Add your contact info
Your resume header contains your contact information — a critical element in the job search. After all, a recruiter can’t invite you to interview if they can’t reach you. In this section, include:
Your contact info should always include your name, phone number, email address and location. Additionally, you might want to add a link to your personal website, portfolio or LinkedIn profile.
- Your name
- A professional email address
- Your phone number
- Links to your LinkedIn profile and portfolio, if applicable
STEP 2
Draft a professional summary or resume objective
Every resume should start with either a professional summary or a resume objective. The profile sits at the top of your resume, giving the reader an overview of your skills and experiences. It’s your chance to show them you’d be a great hire and make them want to keep reading.
There are at least two different types of profiles, and each is best for a different type of job seeker:
A professional summary is a good choice for marketing applicants with direct work experience because it gives you the space to discuss past roles and showcase your professional achievements. Professional summaries for marketing resumes should touch on your top skills, mention your experience level and highlight your most impressive accomplishments — using data and metrics, if possible.
A resume objective is for entry-level marketing applicants. Instead of focusing on work history, a resume objective allows you to talk about your training, goals and soft skills. Think of it as a short introduction, usually two to three sentences long, that allows you to tell recruiters what training and skills you bring to the table and your career goals. It’s an opportunity to make a great first impression, even if you’re just starting out in the marketing field.
Let’s see what this looks like in action:.
Sample marketing resume summary:
Experienced e-commerce marketing manager with four years of experience driving successful digital marketing campaigns and optimizing online sales strategies. Implemented a comprehensive email marketing campaign resulting in a 30% increase in click-through rates and a 25% boost in conversion rates. Utilized A/B testing and customer segmentation to optimize email content and targeting, driving significant revenue gains for the company. Expertise in leveraging data-driven insights to enhance customer engagement, increase brand visibility and maximize revenue growth.
Sample objective for a marketing resume:
Goal-oriented recent graduate with a marketing degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor seeking an entry-level marketing specialist role. Adept at leveraging digital marketing techniques and strategies to drive brand awareness and customer engagement. Acquired a strong educational foundation in marketing concepts, including market research, consumer behavior and branding strategies. Highly skilled in conducting market research, analyzing data and identifying consumer trends to inform strategic marketing decisions.
Writing Tip
Your resume summary is a great place to briefly discuss your proudest achievements. Whether it’s sharing metrics on a super successful project or mentioning an award or honor you received in school, these callouts catch the attention of hiring managers.
STEP 3
List your most relevant skills
Skills are important for every job, but professionals in marketing roles require a special mix of hard and soft skills to be successful. Smart applicants know to focus on their education, computer and technical skills, but also to emphasize their soft skills, which are the interpersonal skills that make you great at your job.
Whether you’re a marketing executive or an entry-level applicant, hiring managers will be looking closely at the marketing skills you list in your resume skills section. Marketing skills should be added to your resume skills section, your work experience section, and in your resume objective or professional summary.
It isn’t a competition — hard vs soft skills. It’s about balance, where these skill sets compliment one another.
Writing Tip
Soft skills are critical for marketing professionals because they enhance your ability to connect with people, collaborate and think creatively. Since they are essential for success in the dynamic and customer-centric marketing industry, give them the spotlight they deserve on your resume.
Hard and soft skills for a sales resume
STEP 4
Detail your work experience
Your work experience section gives you a chance to show employers that you’ve got what it takes by giving them real examples of the impact your marketing work has had. Writing a list of work responsibilities won’t capture the attention of a recruiter, however. Instead, a great work experience section paints a picture of your professional life through the use of action words, data and metrics.
Each entry should include the company name and location, your job title and the dates you were employed. Then add three to five bullet points that describe your responsibilities and achievements.
Writing Tip
Adding data and metrics to your marketing work experience section will impress recruiters by showcasing the breadth of your responsibilities and the tangible impact you’ve had on your company’s success. Since numbers hold significant importance in marketing, consider highlighting the number of customers you engage with monthly, the size of the team you oversee, the count of new accounts you’ve secured, or the revenue you’ve generated. These quantifiable metrics not only highlight your accomplishments but also demonstrate your value in measurable terms.
Sample marketing work experience entry:
Digital Marketing Manage, The Big Bang Agency
January 2017 – Present
- Developed and executed comprehensive digital marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, generate leads and increase online conversions.
- Managed a multichannel digital advertising budget of $500K annually, optimizing campaigns to achieve a 30% increase in ROI.
- mplemented SEO best practices, resulting in a 50% increase in organic search traffic and a 25% boost in keyword rankings.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to launch successful email marketing campaigns, resulting in a 20% increase in open rates and a 15% increase in click-through rates.
- Utilized data analytics tools such as Google Analytics and marketing automation platforms to track and analyze campaign performance, making data-driven decisions to optimize marketing strategies.
STEP 5
Highlight your education and credentials
The education section is the easiest to complete. However, there are still guidelines to follow.
For starters, if you have a college degree or higher, you don’t need to list your high school education. Instead, start with your highest level of education and work backward, listing your degrees in reverse-chronological order.
Fellowships, apprenticeships and other nontraditional educational experiences can either be listed here or in a special section.Typically, your education should be listed in the following order:
- Advanced education
- High school education — you can drop this if you’ve completed college
- Certificates
Be sure your entries are all uniform. For each entry, list the name of your degree, the name of the college or university and its location. If your degree is still in progress, be sure to note that. (See the example below.)
Sample marketing education entries:
Education
How to include your completed degree:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), Smithtown University, Detroit, MI
- Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Anytown College, Anytown, NJ
How to list a degree that is still in progress:
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA – Expected in 06/2024
Writing tip
Only list your dates of graduation if you are a very recent graduate. The reason? Letting employers know that you obtained your degree 15 years ago could introduce age bias into the hiring process. Only add it if you earned your degree within the last two years.
STEP 6
Add special sections
You’ve accumulated a wealth of experiences that have shaped you into the person you are today. Adding special sections allows you to showcase those outside-of-work experiences on your resume.
Mentioning that you have the required skills and experience is mandatory, but to shine, you should consider adding special sections to your resume. These unique skills and activities can help set you apart from similarly qualified candidates. Here are a few special sections to consider:
- Google Ads Certification
- HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification
- American Marketing Association (AMA) Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) Certification
- Google Analytics Certification
- Content Marketing Institute Certification
- Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) Certified Digital Marketing Professional
Language proficiency: Knowing another language can be a real advantage in the marketing industry, especially if you work for a company that has a presence outside of the U.S. or if you work in a branch or office in a culturally diverse area. List all of the languages you speak and include your level of proficiency, which, according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale (ACTFL), should be listed as novice, intermediate, advanced or superior.
Volunteer work: Volunteering is a great way to improve your skills and help your community. Consider adding relevant activities like marketing a charity bake sale or volunteering to do social media for a non-profit.
Writing tip
When adding items such as certifications and other credentials to your resume, be sure to add the full name of the certification and the acronym to your document. This ensures that an applicant tracking system (ATS) will understand your special training.
Sales resume examples by experience level
Professional experience is a game-changer. As you get more experience, you become qualified for higher-level positions.
Ultimately, experience even alters the organization of your resume. There are three resume formats, each designed for a different career stage:
- Entry-level applicants should choose a functional resume format.
- Midcareer applicants should choose a combination resume format.
- Senior-level applicants should choose a chronological resume format.
Next, we check out visual examples of each one.
Functional resume format: Entry-level sales resume example
What makes this a great sales resume example
- Impressive career objective
This candidate used a resume objective instead of a professional summary. Objectives are better for relatively inexperienced candidates because they focus on what you can add to the company (rather than your accomplishments).
- Perfect format for an entry-level applicant
Professional experience is scant for most entry-level candidates. Instead, it’d be best to focus on the skills you’ve acquired in school, internships, part-time jobs and volunteer work. Here, the skills are featured in various distinct sections, giving them more space than the experience section.
- Multiple skills sections
Studies have found recruiters spend about seven seconds glancing at a resume before they make a decision on whether to keep reading. This candidate solves that problem by including a couple of skills sections, using bullet points and other formatting tracks to make them easy to scan.
Combination resume format: Midcareer sales resume example
What makes this a great sales resume example
- A prominent skills section
When you’re in your midcareer, you may want to highlight particular skills that elevate you above similarly qualified candidates. This candidate places a skills section directly above his work history. Without taking up too much space, it sets the tone for the rest of the resume.
- Work history shows a clear trajectory
When you’re in the middle of your career — after years in the workplace— you can begin building your experience section. Doing this will show the employers you rose from level to level due to your impressive performance. See how this candidate went from a retail trainee to a part-time position to a full-time retail sales associate.
- The professional summary is well-written
First impressions count, and this candidate opens with a detailed, skills-focused summary that employers will love. They touch on their experience serving customers, exceeding revenue targets and providing quality product recommendations, all in a single paragraph.
Chronological resume format: Experienced sales resume example
What makes this a great sales resume example
- The template is ATS-friendly
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan resumes looking for keywords. Chronological resumes are usually more compatible with an ATS because they focus on job titles and employment dates, both long-standing sections of resumes.
- The spotlight is on work experience
Later in your career, work history becomes the focus of a sales resume. Here, the applicant lists their jobs in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent. This section also has bullet points for every role, making it easy to see accomplishments at a glance.
- The format emphasizes stability
Additionally, by putting the career progression at the center, the chronological resume format shows how the candidate has maintained a stable, productive career over many years. This strategy appeals to employers who may not want to take a chance on a less experienced candidate.
Add a cover letter
One not-so-well-kept secret of the job search is that the strongest candidates always write a cover letter.
Your cover letter can be a platform to address issues you couldn’t in your resume, like a lengthy employment gap or uncommon career transition. Our guide on how to write a cover letter is a good place to start the process. When you’re ready, review cover letter examples vetted by professionals and our guide on common formatting tricks.
Or, if you need it written fast and with zero spelling or grammar mistakes, use our Cover Letter Builder. It will auto-generate sentences written specifically for sales jobs. You can customize the content to fit your writing style and personal accomplishments.
This brings us to an important question — money and job prospects. What will your career look like if you write a brilliant resume and cover letter? Keep reading to find out.
Facts about the sales industry
Even if you’re one of the best sales reps in your region, do you have a sense of what to expect down the line?
Here are a few facts that show why a good sales resume is so important:
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sales representatives in wholesale and manufacturing held about 1.3 million jobs in 2021 and 32% of them work in durable goods.
- Median salaries for job titles in this field:
- Inside sales representatives earn a median salary of $69,966 per year.
- Regional sales managers earn a median salary of $144,653 per year.
- Pharmaceutical sales specialists earn a median salary of $122,327 per year.
- Overall employment in the sales field is expected to show little to no change from 2021 to 2031. However, due to people leaving the field, there will be 1.9 million job openings each year.
Key takeaways for your sales resume
- Emphasize your people skills
At its core, sales is about connecting with other people. Your resume should reflect that by including many “people skills.”
- Customize your resume
Always study the job listing to identify the skills and abilities you need to include on each version of your resume.
- List your certifications
Sales professionals are more impressive when they’ve been certified. Add what you’ve earned to your resume.
- Leverage quantifiable results
Sales is a numbers game. Showcase your most impressive sales figures in your work experience and summary sections.
- Highlight your technique
Are you a master at upselling? A genius at cold-calling? Make sure the hiring manager knows!
- Double-check your work
Any grammatical errors could cost you the job. Be safe. Proofread the document, then ask a friend to do the same.
- Don’t forget a cover letter
Putting time toward crafting a personalized cover letter will show your passion and drive for sales.