Jul 18, 2024
|
12 min read
Land your dream job: tips for writing a media sales resume that sells you.
Rated by 348 people
Crafting a winning media sales resume can be as tricky as closing a tough deal. You've got the skills and achievements, but translating them onto paper is a different game. Media sales professionals often face challenges in highlighting their unique strengths and experience on a resume. Maybe you are struggling to showcase your persuasive skills and revenue-boosting accomplishments. Or perhaps your resume isn't reflecting your strategic thinking and ability to build client relationships. This guide will help you navigate these challenges and create a standout resume that gets you noticed by hiring managers. Ready to learn the tricks of the trade?
Your resume is your first pitch to potential employers. Choosing the right resume template can make all the difference in how your qualifications are perceived. A well-structured resume template will help you organize your skills and experience clearly and effectively. This ensures that your key achievements stand out and catch the hiring manager's eye. Don't let your talents get lost in a poorly designed resume. Select the right template to set yourself up for success.
We offer more than 700 resume examples you can use to write a resume. Get started today and find the perfect template for your media sales career!
Key Takeaways
A media sales resume should convey your sales prowess, networking skills, and understanding of the media landscape. It needs to show how you've met or exceeded sales targets, established key client relationships, and familiarized yourself with different media platforms. Demonstrate your ability to innovate in sales strategies and adapt to the constantly evolving media industry. Highlight your experience and supplement the following points to boost impact:
When crafting a media sales resume, certain sections are essential to highlight your skills and experience effectively.
Additional sections such as Certifications, Professional Affiliations, and Awards can further enhance your resume. Including these sections can make your application stand out.
For your media sales resume, a chronological format is ideal as it highlights your career progression and achievements in a clear timeline. Choose modern fonts like Rubik and Montserrat to make your resume visually appealing and contemporary compared to the outdated Arial and Times New Roman. Always save your resume as a PDF to ensure the formatting stays intact when viewed on different devices. Set your margins to about 1 inch on all sides to maintain a clean and organized layout. Use clear section headings like "Experience," "Skills," and "Education" to help applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse your information correctly.
A media sales resume should include the following sections:
Resume Mentor’s free resume builder handles all of this seamlessly, making it easier for you to create a standout resume.
Writing the experience section of your media sales resume can be challenging, but with some clear guidelines, it becomes a straightforward task.
First, focus on the order of your experience. Start with your most recent job and work backwards. List your positions in reverse chronological order. Typically, you should go back around 10-15 years, unless you have older experience that's highly relevant to the job you're applying for. Be selective with the job titles you include. Highlight those directly related to media sales, and omit unrelated roles that don’t contribute to your narrative.
Tailoring your resume for each job application is important. Highlight skills and experiences that match the job description. Use action words to make your experience come to life. Words like "increased," "led," "developed," and "produced" help showcase your achievements.
Let’s compare two examples to illustrate this.
This example is weak because the descriptions are vague, and there’s no emphasis on achievements. Phrases like "handled sales" and "managed accounts" don't provide a clear picture of your impact. Additionally, there's no data showing success in those roles.
Now compare it with this improved example:
This example shines because of its focus on achievements. Specific numbers and percentages give a clear picture of your success. Words like "increased," "developed," and "mentored" show proactive contributions. The roles are relevant to media sales, and the descriptions provide context.
Remember, your resume’s experience section should highlight your achievements and skill set using clear, impactful language. Tailor it to fit the job, and use action words to make your experience stand out.
Breaking news: You’re about to get tips on how to turn your résumé into a media sales blockbuster! Let’s roll out the red carpet for experience sections that will make potential employers snap to attention.
Showcase your top achievements that align with media sales. Highlight awards, recognitions, and significant milestones.
Senior Media Sales Executive
Tech Media Corp
Jan 2020 - Dec 2021
Highlight the key skills you have that are crucial in media sales such as negotiation, client relationship management, and digital marketing.
Media Sales Representative
AdVision Ltd.
Feb 2019 - Dec 2020
Detail your roles and duties to showcase the breadth of your responsibilities in the media sales domain.
Account Manager
Global Media Agency
May 2018 - Jan 2020
Describe the key projects you have spearheaded, emphasizing their relevance to media sales.
Media Sales Project Lead
Creative Waves
Mar 2017 - Jun 2019
Emphasize the tangible outcomes you have delivered, such as revenue growth, client acquisition, or market expansion.
Sales Manager
Prime Media Networks
Apr 2016 - Dec 2018
Tailor your experience to highlight your deep understanding of the media sales industry.
Industry Specialist
Entertainment Media Group
Jun 2015 - Mar 2017
Describe how you've resolved challenges and obstacles in media sales roles.
Sales Consultant
AdSolutions Inc.
Aug 2014 - Apr 2016
Showcase how you implemented innovative approaches in your media sales roles.
Innovation Lead
NextGen Media
Oct 2013 - Jul 2015
Highlight leadership roles and how you have guided and inspired teams.
Team Lead
Dynamic Media Solutions
Sep 2012 - Sep 2014
Emphasize your customer service skills and relationships with clients in media sales.
Customer Relations Manager
Media Excellence Inc.
Nov 2011 - Aug 2013
Detail your contributions to the growth of the company and client businesses.
Growth Strategist
AdVenture Media
Jan 2010 - Oct 2012
Highlight how you have improved processes and increased efficiency in your past roles.
Efficiency Expert
Streamline Media
Feb 2008 - Dec 2009
Showcase your expertise in utilizing technology in media sales.
Tech-Savvy Sales Consultant
Digital Media Innovations
Mar 2007 - Jan 2008
Explain how you have worked in team settings and collaborated with other departments to achieve goals.
Collaborative Sales Specialist
Unified Media Group
Apr 2006 - Feb 2007
Highlight your experience in training your peers and contributing to their professional development.
Sales Trainer
ProMedia Training Co.
Aug 2005 - Mar 2006
This resume summary is too vague and doesn't show your specific skills or achievements. It uses broad statements like "Experienced in meeting goals" without any real evidence. A poor summary like this won't stand out to employers because it lacks detail and fails to highlight what makes you special.
This summary stands out because it provides specific details about your experience and success. Mentioning your 8 years of experience and a track record of exceeding sales targets shows your value. Highlighting your ability to build relationships and use industry trends gives employers clear reasons to consider you for the role.
To describe yourself in a resume summary, focus on your most impressive skills and achievements. Be specific about your experience and what you bring to the table. Use strong action words and concrete numbers to back up your claims.
A resume summary provides an overview of your skills and experience, while a resume objective states your career goals. A resume profile can be similar to a summary but is often more focused on skills. A summary of qualifications lists your key skills and achievements in bullet points. Each serves a different purpose depending on what you want to highlight.
To write the skills section in your media sales resume, you can either have a standalone section or incorporate them into other sections like experience and summary. Strengths and soft skills refer to key personal attributes and interpersonal abilities such as communication or teamwork. Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities or knowledge sets needed for a job, like proficiency in CRM software or digital marketing. Skills and strengths can also serve as resume keywords, helping your resume get noticed by employers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
This example is effective because it concisely lists skills essential to media sales. It keeps the focus on relevant competencies like project management, CRM proficiency, and lead generation. Each skill is specific and actionable, enabling the reader to quickly grasp what you bring to the table. Using common industry terms ensures that both hiring managers and keyword-tracking systems recognize your qualifications.
Hard skills for media sales professionals should show technical know-how and familiarity with tools and processes. They should communicate your ability to effectively utilize industry software, execute marketing campaigns, analyze data, and generate leads.
Hard Skills
Soft skills in media sales are crucial as they highlight your personal and interpersonal abilities. These skills should communicate your capability to work well with clients, resolve conflicts, and function efficiently in a team while meeting sales targets.
Soft Skills
The education section is an essential part of any resume, including a media sales resume. This section should be tailored to the specific job you are applying for, meaning you should only include education that is relevant. Irrelevant degrees or courses can clutter your resume and distract potential employers. If your GPA is particularly impressive (usually 3.5 and above), it's beneficial to include it. Honors such as cum laude can also set you apart from other candidates and should be mentioned. When listing your degree, include the degree title, the institution where you studied, the location if relevant, and the years of attendance.
Wrong example:
This education section is not good because the degree in Chemistry is irrelevant for a media sales position. Furthermore, the low GPA might raise concerns about your academic performance.
Right example:
This example is better because the degree in Communications directly relates to a media sales role. The GPA is impressive and showing the cum laude honors adds further credibility to your academic achievements. This tailored, relevant, and structured format will be more appealing to potential employers.
When creating a media sales resume, including a certificates section is crucial. It demonstrates your commitment to professional development and can distinguish you from other candidates. You can even feature key certificates in the header, giving them high visibility. For example, add "Google Analytics Certified" next to your name.
List the name of each certificate. Include the date you earned it. Add the issuing organization. Ensure the certificates are directly relevant to media sales, such as digital marketing or advertising certifications.
The example above is effective because it highlights pertinent certifications for a media sales role. It shows potential employers that you are well-versed in key areas of digital media and advertising. Both certifications are well-recognized and add value to your qualifications. Including them in your resume can make you more appealing to hiring managers looking for expertise in these areas.
Looking to bolster your media sales resume with some unique sections? Consider adding a few extras that can make your resume stand out in a pile. Here's how to effectively include a language section, hobbies and interests section, volunteer work section, and books section.
Language section—Showcase your multilingual skills to highlight your ability to connect with a broader client base and this can boost your marketability. Clearly list each language you speak and your proficiency level next to each.
Hobbies and interests section—Include hobbies that are relevant to media sales, like social media analytics or public speaking. This can reveal your passion and alignment with the industry.
Volunteer work section—List any volunteer work, especially if it involves media or communications, as this demonstrates your dedication and initiative. Include the name of the organization and your role to give it context.
Books section—Mention industry-related books you've read to show your commitment to continuous learning. List titles and authors, and consider adding a brief note on why each book impacted you.
Including these sections enriches your resume and provides a well-rounded view of your skills and interests. Tailoring these sections to fit the media sales field can give you a significant edge.
A cover letter is a one-page document sent with your resume when applying for jobs. It provides additional information on your skills and experience and why you are a good fit for the role.
It can help the applicant by offering a chance to personalize their job application. The cover letter allows you to explain your motivation for applying and how your background makes you an ideal candidate. It gives you the opportunity to highlight key aspects of your resume and make a strong case for why you should be considered for the position.
For a media sales role, your cover letter should focus on your experience in sales, particularly within the media industry. Mention specific achievements, such as meeting or exceeding sales targets, building strong client relationships, and successful media campaigns you have been part of. Emphasize your understanding of media trends and your ability to navigate fast-paced environments. Discuss your communication skills and how you effectively persuade clients to buy services or products.
Get started on crafting your compelling cover letter effortlessly using Resume Mentor's cover letter builder. Its user-friendly interface ensures you can create a polished letter quickly, and exporting your cover letter as a PDF helps protect your content and keep the formatting intact.
Liam Johnson
San Jose, California
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@resumementor.com
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