Are you dreaming of a career in the exciting and fast-paced world of marketing? If so, there’s no better time to pursue your passion because hiring for marketing roles has greatly increased since January 2024.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of marketing professionals is expected to grow 6% annually through 2032, which translates to an average of 34,000 job openings for marketing professionals each year.

Whether you’re a marketing professional looking for a new role in the field, or a college graduate eager to land your first marketing job, creating a great resume is your first step.

This guide will help you create a marketing resume that will grab the attention of hiring managers and recruiters.

Step 1. Understand the Roles within the Marketing Industry

Before you begin drafting your winning resume, it’s important to understand the various roles within the marketing industry. Here are a few of the more common roles within the field of marketing:

• Marketing strategists identify potential customers for their company’s products and services. Then, they develop strategies to acquire and retain those customers.
• SEO strategists stay up to date on best practices to ensure their firm’s web content continues to rank in the top spots on search results pages. 
• Marketing analysts look at the data collected during marketing campaigns to determine how effective the campaign was. They’ll also suggest ways to improve the campaign if needed.
• Marketing copywriters write the content that’s needed for a marketing campaign whether that’s a blog, an email, a brochure, a social media post, etc.
• Graphic designers are professionals who use design software to create visually compelling marketing materials, whether online or in print.
• Social media managers create marketing strategies to reach the intended audience using social media platforms. They may create a social media strategy as part of an overall marketing strategy.
• Campaign managers (sometimes called project managers) ensure that the campaign that’s been developed by the marketing manager is executed on time and within budget.

Understanding which type of marketing role you want is essential for crafting a resume that resonates with potential employers.

Step 2. Read Job Descriptions Carefully

When you come across a marketing job that piques your interest, be sure to thoroughly read the job description. Pay close attention to the skills, qualifications, and experience required. Note any specific software mentioned such as Adobe Creative Suite, Workday, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Analytics. 

Also take note of any keywords or phrases that appear in the job description. For example, you may see phrases such as “SEO expertise,” “marketing strategy,” “content creation,” and “data analytics.”

Step 3. Customize Your Resume

Once you’ve identified the key skills and keywords in Step 2, tailor your resume to match.

This doesn’t mean fabricating experience, but rather emphasizing the relevant skills and achievements you already possess. For example, if you have experience in social media marketing, highlight this prominently if it’s a requirement for the job.

And be sure to sprinkle in those keywords and phrases you took note of to help make sure your resume gets past applicant tracking systems.

Step 4. Add Relevant Experience

If you have prior experience in marketing, make sure to highlight these roles prominently. Use bullet points to list your key responsibilities and achievements in each role. Quantify your accomplishments wherever possible; for example, “Increased social media engagement by 30% over six months” is more impactful than “Managed social media accounts.”

Other metric-based accomplishments that look impressive on resumes include those that result in increased sales, a boost in profits, reduced overhead spending, lower staff turnover, and faster outputs of deliverables.

Quantifying your achievements not only makes your resume more impressive but also helps you stand out from other candidates. It shows that you’re results-oriented and have a proven track record of success, which is exactly what employers are looking for in a marketing professional.

Even if you don’t have direct marketing experience, you likely possess transferable skills that are valuable in marketing roles. Skills like project management, data analysis, and customer service are all relevant. Use your resume to demonstrate how these skills can be applied to a marketing role.

For those who are entering the workforce right out of college, relevant academic projects, volunteer experience, and internships in marketing can all be used to show you have the skills to enter into a full-fledged career in marketing.

Step 5. Showcase Your Job-Related Skills

Job-related skills generally fall into two buckets: hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that can be measured. In marketing, these might include SEO, keyword research, campaign management, data analysis, email marketing, copywriting, and graphic design. Being able to effectively show your hard skills on your resume will give you an edge over other candidates who are going after the same position.

It’s also important to include soft skills on your resume. Soft skills are the work habits and abilities that describe how you work, how you interact with others, and who you are as a working professional. Strong problem-solving abilities, conflict resolution, customer service, and effective communication are all examples of soft skills.

Recent surveys reveal employers want to see your soft skills on your resume. Close to 50% of hiring managers say soft skills are essential when considering potential new hires. Furthermore, 55% of hiring managers would consider hiring a candidate with impressive soft skills, even if they don’t have all of the required hard skills.

Step 6. Add Education and Certifications

If you have a degree in marketing or a related field, make sure to include this information on your resume. Specify the degree, the institution, and the year of graduation.

If you’ve taken any certification or on-going education classes, then be sure to list those with your formal education. Showing that you have a commitment to learning will give you an edge in the job market and demonstrate to hiring managers and recruiters that you have a commitment to professional development.

Many colleges and universities have certification programs in digital marketing, social media, content creation, market research, brand management, and more.

You can also find a ton of great learning content online from digital marketing giants like LinkedIn Learning and Hootsuite Academy.

Step 7. Consider a Professional Resume Writer

The tips above can help you create a great resume, but in today’s competitive job market, a great resume may not be enough to get you noticed.

In order to stand out from the competition and ensure your resume gets noticed by hiring managers and recruiters, your resume needs to be perfect. Consider working with a professional resume writing service to get the results you deserve.