Tips for writing an attractive marketing CV (with example)

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A man holds up a laptop displaying his CV, next to a list with the title, "Marketing CV tips" and these tips:

1. Tailor your CV to the role
2. Highlight your marketing specialties (multi-channel marketing, SEO, content marketing, social media, digital marketing)
3. Link your experience back to the role
4. Include your marketing skills and certifications

For exciting marketing roles, recruitment managers generally prefer hiring people who are comfortable with constant communications within and outside the team. If you have excellent marketing skills and are looking to secure exciting marketing roles, you first need a CV that has the personality of a marketer. Knowing how to format a marketing CV and what to include in it can help you create an engaging application that leaves a positive impression on the hiring manager. In this article, we discuss what it takes to write an excellent marketing CV.

Related: How To Write a Marketing Cover Letter

Tips for writing an attractive marketing CV

Your CV can help you highlight your skills and pitch yourself as the right marketing professional for the desired role. Here are some useful tips for writing a good marketing CV:

Tailor your CV according to the role and recruiter

Most people send the same CV to every recruiter while applying for jobs, but this may not be the best thing to do as a marketer. Even if it's a tiny change, tweaking the CV can help you connect better with the potential recruiter. Companies prefer hiring people who understand their values closely, and every company have different values.

Related: Values-based interview questions and sample answers

Highlight your marketing specialities and working preferences

For instance, there are different types of marketers, such as multi-channel marketers, digital marketers, SEO experts, content marketers and social media experts. Similarly, there are various opportunities for marketers in marketing agencies, marketing departments of companies, giant corporations with international travel chances and even start-ups with room for expansion. Indicating your expertise and industry preference helps you get connected with the right recruiters.

Related: How to answer the question: 'what is your work style?'

Include a compelling introduction

As a marketer, you understand better than anyone how an introduction can either entice or repel consumers. A practical introduction attracts your readers and makes them want to know more about you. To make the introduction section look attractive, highlight why you are the best candidate for the role in a conversational manner and explain your unique selling features.

Related: How to write an attention-grabbing personal statement

Explain your experience clearly

Including facts and data helps you back up your claims. Recruitment managers want to know what exactly you did in your previous position. For instance, boosting social media engagement or increasing website traffic through content are two different topics and highlight different skill sets. Including examples of your work with links can help justify your skills.

Your CV is your chance to promote yourself and illustrate why you're the best candidate for the job. It's best to highlight your relevant qualifications, marketing experience, and career accomplishments in your CV. Alternatively, you can use it to showcase your unique selling features and leave out any irrelevant information.

Include your range of skills

You want to be as comprehensive as possible with your experience and hard skills on your CV, especially if you're applying for a highly specialised position. But your soft skills are also crucial. So you may want to include them too. These skills may include organisational skills, communication skills, leadership and people skills, among many others.

Related: Marketer skills: definition and examples

Keep formatting simple

Because recruitment managers come across so many applications, they only entertain the best CVs. Wrong formatting, typos, clumsy layouts, and inconsistencies can put a stop to your application before it even gets started. It's always a good idea to list your past jobs in reverse-chronological order and date them so the reader sees when and where you worked and for how long.

Be honest

Including inaccurate claims and false information in your CV can hamper your career in the long term. Instead, you can mention your attitude to learning anything and provide proof of genuine skills. Presenting yourself honestly on your CV helps you find the right recruiter and provides you with opportunities to learn and grow.

Related: How to improve your job application without lying on your CV

Proofread and review

Grammatical errors and typos are minor mistakes, but they can affect your career advancement if they are in your CV. These errors question your communication skills and highlight your negligence. It's best to proofread and edit your CV multiple times until you eliminate every error.

Example of a marketing CV

Below is an example of a marketing CV:

Oleksander Peskin Digital Marketing Manager
oleksander.peskin@outlook.com

Professional statement

Digital marketing manager with seven years of experience in digital marketing: I have a strong background in project management, digital marketing and sales with a high level of marketing literacy. Equipped with proven copywriting, SEO and digital ad management skills, I have generated engaging communications and motivated the audience to take action for over fifty clients throughout my career.

Work Experience

Digital marketing manager
Thomas Clarke, London
March 2018–Present

• Fully responsible for all aspects of marketing and communication

• Leads team in planning and executing marketing campaigns

• Offers marketing advice for specific initiatives and communicates with internal stakeholders

• Leads the team in keeping the client's website and internal marketing pages up to date

• Leads the team in creating content for the clients and internal purposes, including company announcements and press releases

Digital marketing executive
Cindy Digital, London
September 2015—January 2018

• Highlighted opportunities and trends by conducting advanced market and competitive studies

• Analysed and optimised advertising ROI for clients

• Led the team in optimising various client's sites and social media presence and helped attract at least double the visitors to every client's website

• Did in-depth market research to identify target markets for four clients and helped them plan inbound marketing

Marketing assistant
Jamal and company, London
February 2013 - August 2015

• Conceptualised and produced newsletters and delivered them on time

• Regularly monitored and reported KPIs

• Assisted the marketing team in a few campaigns and helped increase conversion rates by 20% in six months

Education

MBA, Marketing and Management (September 2016–August 2018)
University of London
Thesis: The age of digital transformation in marketing

BBA, Marketing (September 2012—August 2016)
Middlesex University
Key modules: Marketing principles, organisational behaviour, corporate strategy, business communications, operation management, business and sustainability

Skills and knowledge

• Excellent digital marketing skills

• Negotiation skills

• Analytical skills

• Email marketing skills

• Extensive knowledge of content management systems software proficiency

• Advanced: Adobe Photoshop, Facebook Ads, Screaming Frog SEO, MailChimp, Shopify

• Intermediate: Bing Ads

• Proficient: Microsoft Office, Trello, Slack, HTML, FileZilla

What hiring managers look for in your CV

Hiring managers deal with numerous CVs and usually don't have time to go through every one of them. They only entertain CVs they think belong to possible candidates. Here are some crucial things hiring managers look for in your CV:

Length

It just takes a few seconds for hiring managers to assess whether or not they like your CV. They keep reading if they like the CV. If they don't, your application may not make it to the next round. The ideal length of a CV may vary according to the role and the experience of the candidate. Most hiring managers prefer reading a one-page CV that has all the information they need. Keep your marketing CV to one page if possible.

Read more: How long should a CV be?

Formatting

A marketing candidate's CV serves as their advertisement. Recruitment managers find it difficult to read and understand your marketing CV if it doesn't follow standard formatting. Therefore, make your CV as clear and understandable as possible.

Writing

A marketing CV needs more than error-free content because the quality of writing extends beyond that. Most marketing jobs require flawless written communication. Written communication means how well you can convey your message. Make your CV understandable and direct.

Education

Your relevant educational qualification is essential for most jobs. For instance, you need an engineering degree to become an engineer. The story might be slightly different with a marketing role. While relevant education helps in landing a marketing role, anyone from any background can become a marketer. Therefore, hiring managers look for more than your degree title. Your academic performance, the school you attended also matter.

Professional experience and dates of employment

Most hiring managers examine your previous employment history to determine if they recognise the company names or know somebody who works there. Job hopping and significant gaps in employment are both red flags for hiring managers. Job hopping is a symptom of a person's inability to commit, a trait that no one wants at their firm.

Interests and hobbies

Companies with good cultures encourage their team to invest in hobbies and interests outside of work. Create a section for interests or hobbies if you have done enough research about your potential employer and understand their culture. Most hiring managers love to know you beyond your professional qualities if your CV has what they need.

Related: How To Write a Marketing Intern Cover Letter (With Examples)

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.