Sales and Marketing are two terms that professionals often hear together. That is because although there is a difference between sales and marketing jobs, the two functions commonly work closely together. This is why we will try explaining the ideal way of writing a sales and marketing resume for those trying to get jobs in either of the functions.
Tips on How to Write a Powerful Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
What Recruiters Pay Attention to in a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV?
Sales and Marketing Resume/CV Sample
Tips on How to Write a Powerful Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
Although there are certain differences between a CV and resume, the resume writing tips for sales and marketing function shared here also apply when writing a sales and marketing CV.
Tip #1: Narrow Down Your target
One of the most important things for sales and marketing professionals is to define their target market. This applies even when you are writing the sales and marketing resume/CV. When you are clear about who you want your readers to be, it will easier to shape the resume/CV accordingly. Ask yourself, what type of job profiles interest you? Do you want to get into inbound marketing or digital marketing or the business development/sales role? Whatever you may be aspiring for, knowing it will help you decide which skills/qualities you should highlight, which brings us to the next tip.
Tip #2: Highlight Your Key Skills
Different job roles different skills for performing them well. These skills also form the eligibility criteria for candidates by the hiring managers. To create a truly effective sales and marketing resume/CV, it is important to highlight the key skills you possess that are also relevant for the job role you have applied for. Try mentioning the skills, which you think, sets you apart from the others and will bring value to the employers.
Tip #3: Build a Messaging Strategy
Before you even start writing a sales and marketing resume/CV, determine your messaging strategy. By messaging strategy, we mean that start with first determining the best structure for your resume. Not just that, you must also narrow down the keywords you should be adding to be easily discoverable by the hiring managers relying on various application tracking systems. Lastly, you must determine the best layout or resume/CV format for the sales and marketing position you are eyeing.
Tip #4: Talk About Your Achievements
In addition to highlighting your skills in a sales and marketing resume/CV, do not forget to talk about how these skills have helped you in achieving great results in your current/ previous workplaces. For example, were you able to overachieve sales target or your marketing strategy was able to reach a target audience wider than what was expected without going over budget? When you explain your skills and work experience in this manner, the hiring managers can judge your capabilities better.
Tip #5: Choose the File Format Wisely
After spending so much time and energy on preparing your sales and marketing resume/CV confirming everything from the structure to the content and format are perfect, you must ensure it looks flawless even when opened in a different system by the hiring manager. For that, it is advisable to convert your resume/CV file into a PDF format. The PDF format ensures that your formatting and structure will remain intact and your resume/CV will reach the hiring manager in perfect shape.
What Recruiters Pay Attention to in a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV?
1. Length of a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
Hiring managers don’t spend more a few seconds on reading resumes/CVs and that how much time it takes them to decide whether they like what they are reading or not. Instead of writing pages after pages that will go unread, try limiting your resume/CV to one page or a maximum of two pages. Remember, hiring managers can always refer to your professional social profiles to understand your complete work history.
2. Format of a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
The resume/CV format plays a vital role in improving its readability. Ensure that your resume/CV follows consistency in the sense that if you are using bullet points in the experience section then use it throughout all the sections. If you are using DD/MM/YY format for the educational qualifications section then use the same for explaining your work experience as well.
3. Content Quality of a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
Most professionals copy paste job responsibilities from somewhere without giving it much thought. Avoid doing this at all costs. It is fine to take ideas from the Internet while preparing your resume/CV, but ensure that the content stays relevant and genuine. Being honest and original is one way of boosting the content quality of your resume/CV.
4. Proofreading a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
Nothing ruins your impression on the hiring managers more than errors in a resume/CV. It shows that you do not pay attention to the details. Therefore, proofread your resume/CV repeatedly to ensure that it is free from inconsistent formatting, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes. Ask your friends or family members to read your resume/CV and get their opinion on it. Doing so will help you further improve your resume/CV.
5. Readable Bullet Points in a Sales and Marketing Resume/CV
In one of the previous points in this section, we talked about improving the readability of a resume/CV and one of the best ways for doing that is using bullets and numberings. Break your text into easily understandable/consumable bullet points instead of writing long sentences to explain your work profile. Ensure to use active verbs and integrate relevant keywords so that it becomes readable by the application tracking systems as well.
