Marketing Resumes

Marketing resumes are designed to sell and market candidates to employers, so professionals should emphasize their abilities in order to obtain an interview.  A resume gives employers an idea of candidates’ ability to communicate effectively and professionally, market a product (themselves), as well as creative and/or intuitive aptitudes.  Due to the importance of a marketing resume, some may choose to obtain professional assistance through resume writing services.  Although these organizations provide well written documents, they may be costly, so candidates should research the prices that are involved before making any commitments. 

When composing a marketing resume, it is important to conduct research on the company in order to get an idea of what an employer may be looking for in a candidate and to design text that appeals to these requirements.  Candidates may find it helpful to peruse help wanted ads in order to discover key words, duties, or experiences that employers are interested in.  In addition to these terms, candidates should include as many action verbs as possible, and try to avoid unoriginal verbiage such as “duties” or “responsibilities.”  The main goal in resume composition should be to stand out from others applying for the same position; therefore, descriptive content should be entered wherever possible.  Employers often spend little time reviewing resumes, so candidates should limit the length to a maximum of two pages.  There are three resume formats to choose from, and because of the versatility of marketing careers, all three can benefit a candidate if properly composed. Chronological resumes focus on past employment and list information in reverse chronological (most recent listed first), while functional resumes focus on skills rather than experience, and list information by importance, in relation to the position the candidate is applying for.  Combination resumes combine both formats by highlighting skills, while listing information in reverse chronological order.  A typical combination resume format is as follows:

 Identification:

Full Name
Street or Mailing Address
Telephone Numbers
Email Address

Summary or Objective Statement:

Although it is possible to omit an objective statement, marketing applicants who take the time to properly develop these brief paragraphs often achieve more success.  This area is designed to allow candidates to express their wants or needs in a career, or what unique characteristics or skills they can bring to an organization.  This section should not exceed three to five sentences in length

Skills

• Many candidates bullet these sections to generate a more professional, organized, and dramatic look
• Proficiencies should be listed in order, beginning with the most relevant or useful accomplishments
• If applicable, candidates should include specific numbers, percentages, names, or titles of programs, software, duties, etc. to fully state the importance of past experiences. 

Education:

School/College/University Name - City, State
Degree Major, Completion Date
Additional information such as deans list, GPA, specialized courses, activities, or offices held may be listed as well

Employment Information:

Company Name – City, State
Dates of Employment
Specific Job Title(s)

Candidates should record all experiences with most recent employers listed first, and include information within the last ten years. 

There are a number of additional areas candidates can include within a marketing resume, if they relate directly to the position being applied for.  Awards, certifications, fluency in other languages, and some personal information may be helpful, but it is important to remain brief.  A lot of information that candidates include within a resume can be omitted, and be discussed in an interview.  Marketing professionals must remember that resumes are meant to be summaries rather than autobiographies, and that short and descriptive statements are more effective than complete sentences. Extensive time and research is pertinent in order to compose an excellent marketing resume. 

For more information on composing a marketing resume, please visit the following sites:

• Advantage Resumes
• CareerLab
• ProvenResumes.com
• Quest Career Services
• The.Best.Resumes

Let iHireMarketing help get your resume out into the marketing industry.  We offer resume fax and email blasting for marketing and advertising candidates to companies in your area for a small fee, or have your cover letter sent out for no charge.