How to write a stellar marketing and PR resume?

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. In order to reach the right customers, companies and brands need to be nimbler than ever. So it’s no surprise that marketing and public relations are extremely sought-after and growing fields, especially in the digital space.

A wide range of roles fit within the marketing and PR category. From brand marketing, copywriting, data analysis, paid media, or even communications, the different opportunities in marketing are endless.

Marketing roles are critical hires for companies. But if you’re looking to land your dream role, you’ll need a resume that shows you’re the right candidate for the role.

If you’re applying for a marketing role, the hiring manager is likely looking for someone who can market themselves well.

So how do you write a stand-out resume as a marketer? In this article, we’ll break down some of the key sections, do's and don'ts, and top tips for writing a great marketing and PR resume.

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1. How to craft an eye-catching marketing or PR resume summary

Good marketing is about effectively communicating the benefits of a product or service, and how it enhances the customer’s life. When it comes to marketers, your resume should do the same.

Your resume should start with a great summary that clearly communicates what value you bring to an employer.

Here is a great example of a PR resume summary

Hard working and self-motivated individual, looking out for opportunities in Marketing & Brand Management to help expand businesses and provide solutions through a creative yet pragmatic approach

2. How to showcase your best marketing and PR achievements in a resume

Marketing is results-driven. When putting together a list of work experience, it should be about more than just your day-to-day tasks. It’s important to highlight your accomplishments and the specific results that you’ve achieved along the way.

The results you should share depend on the role you’re searching for. For example, if you’re a social media manager, your results might focus on social media engagement. If you’re a paid acquisition specialist, your results might focus on direct conversions from ads.

Make sure to call out any specific results or achievements that you have.

Here are great examples of results and achievements in a marketing resume

“Launched a new social media strategy, increasing social media engagement by 50% over six months.”
“Led an advertising campaign for a new product launch, exceeding initially forecasted revenue by 30%.”
“Coordinated a customer research project to improve our marketing strategies based on brand and category awareness.”
“Participated in strategic planning for PR channels, including outreach and crisis management strategies.”

If your role was more project-based, it’s also helpful to call out any projects you managed and executed.

By focusing on results, you’ll demonstrate your impact and the potential that you can bring to a new team.

3. How to effectively present your marketing and PR skills in a resume

Every resume needs a skills section, especially when you’re on the hunt for roles that require specific skill sets – like marketing! When writing your marketing resume, you should be highlighting your professional marketing skills as well as soft skills.

Including professional skills on your resume helps the hiring manager get a better sense of your fit for a role. For example, a content marketing specialist role likely requires someone with skills in writing and SEO.

Many applicant tracking systems (ATS) also are set up to filter resumes with specific skills listed. If you miss these, there’s a good chance a human recruiter will never even get the chance to read the rest of your resume.

Soft skills are equally as important as professional skills when it comes to marketing. The consistent changes in the marketing landscape mean that employers are often looking for those who are the right fit for the role long-term. For example, a marketing manager role likely requires someone who has strong leadership and interpersonal skills.

When it comes to competencies, carefully read the job posting for keywords. This can give you a better sense of the skills that the employer is looking for, for this role.

Employers are also often looking for candidates that are easy to onboard, without needing extensive training. Making it clear that you’re familiar with tools that are used on prospective teams can help you stand out from other applicants.

Here are some key marketing hard skills to include in your resume

CMS platforms (ie. WordPress, Squarespace,
Email marketing software (ie. Salesforce, Hubspot, Mailchimp)
Data analytics tools (ie. Google Analytics,
Social media (ie. Instagram, Twitter, TikTok)
Project management tools (ie. Jira, Asana)

While it can be tempting to add a bunch of software skills to your resume, make sure to only highlight the ones that are relevant to the role and that you’re actually familiar with.

5. Make your PR and marketing resume format shine

Marketing roles often require a certain level of creativity. Since design and having a creative eye are desired skills in the marketing industry, adding a little flair to your resume can help you stand out in a competitive job market.

This doesn’t mean you need to go crazy either. Unless the role you’re applying for is heavily design-focused, you don’t need to spend hours redesigning your resume. Adding a simple color palette or a few icons can help your resume stand out visually.

We all know recruiters don’t have a lot of time to review each resume in detail. A nice-looking resume is always a plus, but your goal should still be to make your resume as easy to digest as possible. In many situations, basic reformatting and design elements can actually make your resume easier to read.

If you’re not sure where to start, these recruiter-approved templates can help elevate your next resume.

Published on Sept. 19, 2022

Martin Poduška

Editor in Chief / Resume Writer

Martin is a resume expert and career advice writer at Kickresume. In his five years at Kickresume, he has written nearly 100 in-depth, painstakingly researched resume advice articles and, as chief editor, he has also edited and revised every single article on this website. Tens of thousands of job seekers read Martin’s resume advice every month. He holds a degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Amsterdam.

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