How to Create a Standout Digital Marketing Resume
With a forecasted 488,500 digital roles to be created by 2024, and nearly 70 percent of marketing executives looking to grow their teams, digital marketing skills are in high demand. According to Mckinley’s 2018 Marketing Hiring Trends Report, the most in demand skills for 2018 include content creation, email marketing, and digital advertising.
While demand is increasing, so are digital skill requirements. On average, every corporate job opening attracts 250 resumes, making it critical that applicants with the right skill sets differentiate themselves from the competition.
The best way to set yourself apart? Your resume.
Jobvite found that 75 percent of applicants never make it to the interview stage, meaning your resume is your primary opportunity to present your skills — you have to make it count. While that may seem daunting, writing a standout resume is achievable if you know where to focus your efforts.
Here are our best tips to help you create a top-notch digital marketing resume.
Keep it Simple
Research done by mobile career network The Ladders found that employers look at an applicant’s resume for approximately six seconds, giving you a very small window to make an impression. Recruiters need to be able to sift through your resume quickly, and the best way to ensure this is by keeping your layout clean, while providing a brief profile that highlights key skills.
A concise, minimal resume can be eye-catching without being cluttered. Niamh McCarthy of Morgan McKinley advises applicants to “keep it simple. Use bullet points where possible and keep paragraphs short.”
Take this resume template. It’s neatly organized so recruiters can quickly scan your qualifications, but it’s well designed and professional.
Tailor Your Resume
Just as you would tailor your marketing efforts to your target audience, you should tailor your resume to your target employer.
Research the organization and role before applying to ensure you have a clear understanding of the job specifications. This will help you fine-tune your resume to reflect what the hiring manager is looking for. Every company has a unique culture and typically looks for qualities in a candidate that align with their organizational values. Once you have a distinct picture of the job environment, you’ll be able to target your resume accordingly.
For example, some marketing agencies put a high value on creativity and innovative thinking. For a position at a creative agency, you may want to focus more on the design and unique presentation, but don’t get too carried away.
Kelly Poulson, VP of Talent and Operations at Allen & Gerritsen explains, “a creative resume allowed applicants to show personality and creativity, and it allowed me to judge skills that would directly translate to the role.” But watch out.
“There’s a difference between eye catching and overwhelming,” Poulson states.
This creative yet easy-to-read template from ResumeInventor would be a great option to help you stand out.
Quantify Your Accomplishments
Hiring managers are interested in your past successes, so it’s important to highlight those achievements on your resume. The best way to quantify your results is to provide specific numbers, objectives, and goals reached. For example: I added 1,200 qualified leads through a targeted social media campaign in Q3 of 2018.
Claude Jones, part of the hiring team at Walmart Labs even provides a formula for how to structure measurable results.
measurable result = task + demonstrated skill + quantifiable data
“Hiring managers are looking for employees that yield results. Just listing your achievements alone is only part of the equation. Adding quantifiable data not only enhances your resume, but gives hiring managers proof of what you’re capable of,” Jones explains.
Learn to Market Yourself
At the end of the day, your resume is a way to market yourself. It’s the first (and sometimes only) opportunity to stand out and communicate your skills to potential employers.
If you’re looking to develop your skills in digital marketing, BrainStation offers courses in Digital Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, and Social Media Marketing that will give you the hands-on experience needed to set your resume apart.
This post originally appeared on the BrainStation Blog.
