Copywriter Resume: Overview
As a copywriter, your responsibilities can vary, ranging from creating engaging ad copy to developing comprehensive content strategies. You may meet with clients to learn about their brand voice or collaborate with marketing and public relations departments to brainstorm and create marketing materials. Copywriters work in a variety of industries and settings, such as:
- Advertising agencies
- Digital marketing firms
- Corporate communications departments
- Freelance and contract positions
- In-house marketing teams
To succeed as a copywriter, you need a mix of creativity, strategic thinking, and strong writing skills. Employers want writers who can deliver clear, compelling messages that resonate with their target audience. You’ll also need strong research skills, knowledge of search engine optimization strategies and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
Ready to create a resume that stands out? Explore our copywriter resume examples, downloadable resume templates and helpful resume-writing guides to get started on your path to success. Crafting a great resume is the key to landing your next copywriting job, so let’s dive in!
Copywriter Resume: Choose a Format
The right resume format is essential to presenting your copywriting skills and experience in the best possible light. Choose a format that emphasizes your strengths to impress potential employers.
There are three resume formats to consider for your copywriter resume: chronological, functional or combination.
Chronological Resumes for Copywriters
A chronological resume format is ideal for copywriters with a solid work history. This format lists your experience chronologically, starting with your most recent job and working backward. It’s great for showing your career progression and the impact you’ve made in each role. This format is the most traditional choice and is compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS).
This format is particularly beneficial if you’ve had steady work in the industry and want to emphasize your career growth. However, if you’re new to copywriting or have gaps in your employment history, you might find a different format more suitable.
Functional Resumes for Copywriters
A functional resume format focuses on your skills and qualifications rather than your work history. This format is perfect if you’re transitioning into copywriting from another field or your work history doesn’t directly align with the jobs you’re applying for.
While a functional resume can highlight your writing abilities and relevant skills, it may be less effective with hiring managers who prefer to see a clear career progression. Also, because it does not provide a detailed work history, it is incompatible with most ATS, which could hurt your chances of getting your resume noticed.
Combination Resumes for Copywriters
A combination resume blends elements of chronological and functional formats. This format lets you highlight your skills and accomplishments at the top of your resume, followed by a detailed work history.
This format is great for copywriters who want to emphasize their skills while showcasing a robust work history. It’s helpful if you’ve had varied roles in the industry or want to balance your experience with your skill set. However, it can be tricky to organize and may cause your resume to become longer than ideal.
Choosing a Resume Format
When choosing a resume format, a chronological resume is often the safest bet for copywriters. It showcases your career progression and is familiar to hiring managers. Chronological resumes are also ATS-friendly, which means they can easily pass through applicant tracking systems that many companies use to screen resumes.
A chronological format can work well for you even if you don’t have experience as a professional copywriter. You can tailor your resume content to highlight transferable skills, relevant coursework, or freelance projects.
For example, if you’ve worked in marketing, you can emphasize your ability to create engaging content and understand audience needs, which are crucial skills in copywriting. If your background is in customer service, you can showcase your communication skills and experience in addressing client needs.
Additionally, including relevant coursework in areas like English, journalism, or marketing can demonstrate your qualifications. Likewise, providing details about freelance writing projects or personal blogs can validate your writing abilities. By customizing your resume for the specific job you want, you can present yourself as a strong candidate for copywriting roles, even if you’re new to copywriting!
How to Write a Copywriter Resume
Once you choose a format, writing a resume for a copywriter is straightforward. This resume-writing guide will show you how to make the most of each section of your resume.
First, you will create your resume outline with these critical sections:
- Contact Information
- Summary or Objective
- Work History
- Skills
- Education
Once that critical information is covered, you can consider additional sections to enhance your resume and stand out.
Contact Information
Your contact information is critical to your resume — it’s how potential employers will reach you. Include your full name, city and state, phone number, professional email address, and LinkedIn profile. If you have an online portfolio showcasing your writing, you can also include that. Place this information at the top of your resume in a standard font so it is easy to read and find.
The contact information section of a copywriter’s resume will look something like this:
Jane Smythe
Portland, Oregon
jane.smythe@example-email.com
(123) 456-7890
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janesmythe
Portfolio: janesmythewriting.com
Summary or Objective
Your resume should begin with a brief introduction that catches the eye of potential employers and overviews your fit for the job. You will write two or three concise sentences as a resume summary or an objective statement.
A resume summary is ideal for experienced copywriters. It offers a snapshot of your career experience and key achievements and is a great way to quickly convey your value to potential employers.
For example, a resume summary for a copywriter resume might say:
Creative and results-driven copywriter with over five years of experience crafting compelling content for diverse industries. Adept at developing engaging copy that drives customer engagement and sales. Proven track record in digital and print media.
On the other hand, an objective statement focuses more on your career aspirations and what you hope to contribute to a company. It is an excellent choice for those new to the field or switching careers.
For example, an objective statement for a copywriter resume might say:
Enthusiastic and dedicated copywriter seeking to leverage strong writing skills and creative flair in a dynamic marketing team. Eager to contribute to innovative campaigns and grow within the copywriting industry.
Whichever you choose, customize it for each job application, using relevant keywords to stand out to hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Work History
Your work history section should provide a detailed account of your professional experience, mainly focusing on your previous copywriting-related roles. Start with your most recent job and work backward, including your job title, company name, location, and dates of employment. This structure helps hiring managers see your career progression and track record at a glance.
To make this section compelling, focus on responsibilities relevant to copywriting. Use bullet points to highlight your successes and your impact in each role. Instead of simply listing tasks, demonstrate how your work contributed to your team or organization.
One way to do this is to use strong action verbs like “developed,” “collaborated,” and “managed” to give your accomplishments a dynamic feel. Then, whenever possible, quantify your achievements by including numbers or percentages. This approach makes your experience more tangible and shows potential employers the value you can bring to their team.
For example, instead of saying you “wrote blog posts,” enhance it by saying you “developed blog content that increased website traffic by 25% in six months.” By presenting your accomplishments in this way, you can transform a standard job description into a persuasive account of your capabilities.
To help you get started, here’s an example of a job entry on a copywriter’s resume:
Copywriter
XYZ Marketing Agency – New York, NY
June 2019 – June 2024
- Developed high-converting ad copy for clients across various industries, resulting in a 15% increase in click-through rates.
- Collaborated with designers to create cohesive and visually appealing marketing campaigns.
- Managed social media content, boosting engagement by 20% within the first three months.
Focusing on specific results and using metrics to measure success creates a work history section that tells employers what you’ve done and how well you’ve done it.
Skills
A dedicated skills section is crucial for a copywriter resume, showcasing your hard and soft skills. This section allows you to highlight the specific abilities that make you a strong candidate for the role. Include hard skills that showcase your technical abilities, computer skills and industry knowledge. However, don’t forget to include essential soft skills that let employers know you have the interpersonal abilities to work well with others.
Top 5 Hard Skills for Copywriter Resumes
- SEO Writing: SEO writing is essential for a copywriter because it ensures that your content engages readers and ranks well in search engines. Applying SEO best practices, such as keyword research and optimization, can help drive more organic traffic to a website.
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Proficiency in CMS platforms like WordPress is highly valuable for a copywriter, as it allows you to publish and manage online content, handle formatting, and make quick updates.
- Copy Editing: Strong copy editing skills ensure that every piece of content is polished, error-free, and aligned with the brand’s voice. This skill is critical for producing high-quality, clear, concise content that resonates with the target audience.
- Social Media Marketing: Understanding social media platforms and how to write content that drives engagement is a vital part of a modern copywriter’s toolkit. Crafting posts, ads, and captions that encourage interaction is essential for building brand presence and connecting with customers.
- Data Analysis: Analyzing content performance metrics allows copywriters to refine their strategies based on what works. You maximize content effectiveness and meet business goals by interpreting click-through rates, engagement metrics and conversion rates.
Top 5 Soft Skills for Copywriter Resumes
- Creativity: Copywriting requires a constant flow of fresh, innovative ideas. Creativity helps you develop unique angles, compelling headlines, and engaging narratives that capture the reader’s attention and make your content stand out in a crowded marketplace.
- Communication: Whether crafting clear and persuasive content for your audience or talking to a client to understand their needs, strong communication skills help deliver the right message in the right way.
- Time Management: Copywriters often juggle multiple projects with tight deadlines. Strong time management skills help keep your workflow organized and productive, especially when handling several tasks simultaneously.
- Collaboration: Copywriting is often a team effort that involves working closely with designers, marketers, and other stakeholders. Good collaboration skills allow you to integrate feedback and align your writing with the project goals.
- Adaptability: Flexibility is critical in copywriting since you must write for different audiences, industries, and formats. Being adaptable means you can quickly adjust your tone, style, and approach to meet the specific needs of each project.
A skills section for a copywriter resume will look something like this:
Skills
- SEO Writing
- WordPress, Drupal, Joomla
- Copy Editing
- Collaboration
- Social Media Marketing
- Creativity
Education
Including your educational background on a copywriter resume is essential, especially if you have a degree in English, Journalism or Communications. List your highest degree first, followed by the institution’s name and location. Including a graduation date is unnecessary, and career experts warn it can introduce bias into the hiring process.
An education section on a copywriter resume may look like this:
Education
Bachelor of Arts in English
University of Colorado, Boulder – Boulder, CO
You can also include relevant coursework or certifications in this section. However, you can also create a separately labeled section to draw attention to unique qualifications.
Additional Sections
Adding extra sections to your resume can add depth and showcase additional skills or achievements. If you have available page space, here are some additional sections to consider on a resume for a copywriting job:
- Certifications
- Awards
- Volunteer Experience
- Professional Associations
Top Certifications for Copywriters
Certifications can boost your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to professional development. Here are the top certifications that can enhance your copywriter resume:
- HubSpot Content Marketing Certification: This certificate validates your marketing content writing skills.
- Google Analytics Certification: Completing this training demonstrates proficiency in analyzing website traffic and content performance.
- SEO Copywriting Certification: SEO certifications let employers know you are proficient in writing content that ranks well in search engines.
- Advanced Social Media Strategy Certification: Obtaining this certification shows expertise in developing and executing social media strategies that engage audiences and drive results.
10 Tips for Writing a Copywriter Resume
- Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description: Customize your resume for each job application. Highlight the skills and experience most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Use the keywords from the job description to make your resume ATS-friendly and increase your chances of getting your resume noticed.
- Focus on Results, Not Just Responsibilities: Employers want to see your impact in previous roles. Use metrics and specific examples to demonstrate how your work has driven results, such as increased engagement or sales.
- Showcase Your Writing Skills: Your resume should be a testament to your writing abilities as a copywriter. Ensure it’s well-written, error-free, and communicates your strengths.
- Include a Portfolio Link: Your portfolio is one of your strongest assets. Include a link to your online portfolio where potential employers can review your work samples and see the range of your writing skills.
- Use Action Verbs: Start each bullet point in your work history with a strong action verb, such as “developed,” “designed,” or “led.” This approach helps create a dynamic and engaging resume that stands out.
- Keep It Concise: Your resume should be one or two pages maximum. Career experts say hiring managers may scan your resume for less than ten seconds during the initial screening process. Focus on the most relevant information; don’t overload the reader with unnecessary details.
- Highlight Soft Skills: While technical skills are essential, soft skills like creativity, communication, and adaptability are crucial for a copywriter. Highlight these skills throughout your resume.
- Quantify Your Achievements: Include numbers to quantify your achievements whenever possible. For example, “Increased social media engagement by 25%” is more impactful than simply stating you managed social media accounts.
- Be Consistent with Formatting: A clean and consistent format is essential for readability. Use the same font, spacing, and structure throughout your resume to create a professional and polished appearance.
- Proofread, Proofread, Proofread: As a copywriter, you can’t afford to have typos or grammatical errors in your resume. Proofread your document multiple times and ask a colleague to review it.
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Article Key Takeaways
Tailor your resume to the specific job description using relevant keywords and highlighting your most relevant skills and experience.
Showcase your writing skills throughout your resume, ensuring it’s well-written and error-free to impress potential employers.
Include quantifiable achievements to demonstrate the impact of your work and make your resume stand out from the competition.
Use a consistent format to ensure your resume is professional and easy to read, reflecting your attention to detail.
Proofread your resume thoroughly, as a copywriter’s resume must be polished and error-free to demonstrate your competence.
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Yes! Including a link to your online portfolio is a great idea. A portfolio gives potential employers a clear look at your writing style, tone, and range. It allows them to see how well you can adapt to different industries, audiences, and project types.
Your portfolio should include a variety of work samples, such as web copy, blog posts, social media campaigns, or ad copy, to demonstrate your versatility. If you have any pieces that resulted in measurable outcomes, such as increased conversions or engagement, include those to showcase your impact.
Your skills section should balance technical and interpersonal abilities for a copywriter’s resume. Include hard skills directly related to the craft of writing, like SEO writing, proficiency with content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and advanced copy editing. These demonstrate your technical expertise in creating optimized, high-quality content.
However, soft skills like creativity, communication and time management are equally important for a copywriter. Creativity is essential for developing compelling copy, while strong communication skills ensure you can effectively convey messages to clients and target audiences. Time management is critical for meeting tight deadlines across multiple projects
To make your work history stand out, focus on demonstrating the tangible impact of your work. Use strong action verbs like “developed,” “crafted” or “launched” to describe your contributions. Most importantly, quantify your achievements whenever possible.
For example, instead of simply stating that you “wrote blog posts,” say you “developed blog content that increased website traffic by 20% within six months.” If you worked on email campaigns, mention how your copy led to increased open or conversion rates.
By showcasing the results of your work, you provide hiring managers with clear evidence of your ability to drive business outcomes through your writing.
A copywriter’s resume should ideally be one page, especially if you have less than ten years of experience. Keep your content concise and focused on your most relevant skills and accomplishments.
However, extending your resume to two pages is acceptable if you have extensive experience or have worked on a wide range of notable projects. EnsureJust ensure every piece of information adds value — don’t include unrelated job experiences or filler. Use this extra space to showcase larger projects or achievements directly related to the copywriting positions you’re applying for.
To effectively highlight your soft skills on a copywriter resume, incorporate them throughout your resume in multiple sections. In your resume summary or objective, mention traits like creativity, adaptability, or collaboration to give a sense of your overall strengths as a copywriter.
In your work history section, describe situations where you used these skills — such as collaborating with a design team to create an integrated marketing campaign or adapting your writing style to suit a new target audience.
Finally, list relevant soft skills in your dedicated skills section to ensure employers can quickly identify them. By weaving these skills into your narrative, you show how they’ve contributed to your success as a copywriter.