Ever wondered who’s in charge
of your favorite brand? Brand managers live and breathe their client’s brand story, voice, and personality, ensuring that every single marketing campaign, interaction, and communication adheres to the brand strategy.
Not only that, but brand managers play a powerful role in overseeing how customers react to the brand, requiring in-depth knowledge
of market research as well as project management and planning. All
of these need to be conveyed in any brand manager resume that you write.
Whether you’re looking to become a brand manager or a brand director, this article will provide you with key insights on how to write a stellar brand marketing resume that blows the recruiters a
way.Table
of Contents
How to Write a Stellar Brand Manager Resume
Brand Manager Resume Writing Tips
Brand ManagerResume Examples
How to Write a Brand Manager Cover Letter
Conclusion
How to Write a Stellar Brand Manager Resume
Brand managers are wizards when it comes to crafting compelling communication, so why should your brand manager resume be anything less?Sell yourself properly by showcasing your most notable achievements and skills from top to bottom, from resume header to additional achievements and beyond (AKA your brand manager cover letter).
Resume Header
Let’s start nice and easy with the resume header, also known as the resume pr
ofile, headline, summary, and objective section. This quadruple threat
of self-marketing is your first shot at grabbing the hiring manager’s attention, and it kicks
off with the brand manager resume title.
The resume headline is a succinct phrase that sums up who you are. It’s the first thing a hiring manager will learn about you, so you need to make this as engaging and eye-catching as possible.
In other words, avoid bland brand manager resume titles like ‘Experienced Brand Manager’ and lean towards compelling brand manager resume samples like:
Senior Brand Manager With 10+ Years ExperiencePassionate Brand Manager Specializing in the Fashion Industry
💡 Pro Tip: Capitalize Your Resume Title For Extra Emphasis.
This is followed up by the resume pr
ofile, which is just fancy terminology for your contact information, such as phone number, email address, location, social media, and website or portfolio link.While you can certainly add more things, be sure to avoid adding personal information (like gender, age, marital status, and race) to your brand manager resume. Expected salary and insurance numbers are also to be avoided, as they’re only needed once you get the job.
Next onto the resume summary. This is a short, 2 to 3 sentence paragraph that outlines who you are and your most notable achievements and skills, such as:Passionate brand manager with 5+ years
of experience specializing in multi-national brand strategy and multi-channel brand marketing. Successfully orchestrated 3 brand events, attracting 200K+ attendees that boosted product sales by 15%.
Last is the resume objective, where fresher brand managers can share their career goals and motivations, such as what they envision for the role and what they hope to gain. For example:Experienced marketing pr
ofessional looking forward to strengthening brand management experience in a fast-paced marketing startup.
💡 Pro Tip: Brand manager resume objectives should only be included by candidates with little to no relevant
working experience.
Work experience
Regardless
of the resume format you choose, the work experience section is the most important part
of your brand manager resume. That’s because it shares with the recruiter your transferable skills and how they have benefitted relevant academic and pr
ofessional experiences.
This section may not require as much formal structure as your brand manager cover letter, yet there are still important aspects that need to be tended to to make sure your brand manager resume stands out, such as:
Using Keywords From the Job Description: While implementing keywords may feel like copy and pasting, it’s actually the best
way to get yourself noticed. Not only is it one
of the easiest
ways to bypass rejection-by-ATS, but using keywords from the JD is also a great
way to highlight how your experiences relate to the responsibilities and requirements
of the job position.Implementing Action Verbs: Aside from livening up your brand manager resume, action verbs help put you at the center
of the action, making you the hero to any and every problem. Which is much better than using the passive voice when you’re trying to highlight your skills and achievements.
CoordinatedResearchedTransformedIncreasedPresentedOptimizedCommunicatedSpearheadedManagedDevelopedOrganizedRevitalizedDirectedOrchestratedMentoredLedGeneratedEnhancedAcceleratedInitiatedImplementedDroveInnovatedDeliveredExpandedBudgetedPromotedCreatedRefinedEstablishedInnovatedLaunchedExecutedDesignedStreamlinedReduced
Including Quantifiable Results: “Increased Instagram followers by 22%” looks a lot more credible than “greatly boosted the number
of Instagram followers”. Why? Because you provided quantifiable results, giving explicit evidence
of your achievements. These can be easily added into your work experience section by using the following template: Action Verb + Task + Quantifiable Result.
💡Pro Tip: Keep a cap on the number
of bullet points you use, as there should be no more than 4 per work experience.
Brand Manager Resume's Work Experience SectionSampleBrand Marketing Manager, Super Tech, USJuly 2020 - PresentCollaborated with Xparkor Advertising Agency to launch 3 digital marketing campaigns, gaining 1.2M organic searches and increasing the conversion rate by 25%.Managed and mentored a team
of 6 marketing specialists.
Assistant Brand Manager, Forever Agency, USSept. 2015 - May 2020Conducted market research and strategic planning to support cross-channel marketing campaigns for Micros
oft, Dell, Adidas, and Walmart.Coordinated 7 brand events, boosting media exposure, brand awareness, and social media mentions by 31%, exceeding client’s targets.Designed digital loyalty marketing programs for ABC Corp., increasing membership by 60%.
Skills
Skills are an important part
of any resume, but the number and relevance
of skills for brand manager resumes depends on two factors: your chosen format and the responsibilities outlined in the JD.
As discussed in this article on types
of resume formats, the functional format incorporates more skills, meaning that you may be needing to dip more into the 30 hard and s
oft skills listed below than chronological resume formats.
However, when doing so, make sure to strike a balance between hard and s
oft brand manager resume skills that are related to the position, as employers will be looking for both relevant technical and interpersonal skills.
Hard skills
Adobe IllustrationCopywritingMarket ResearchMarket AnalysisCompetitor AnalysisSocial Media MarketingDigital MarketingBrand StrategyProduct DevelopmentVisual DesignAdvertisingProject ManagementProgrammingBrand ManagementProduct Launch
S
oft skills
Creative Problem-SolvingPresentationWritten and verbal communicationsLeadershipAttention to DetailTeamwork CollaborationData AnalysisCreativityAdaptabilityPublic RelationsLanguagesResearchAnalytical Critical ThinkingOrganizationalTime management
Education
Regardless
of whether you’re a senior or fresh-out-
of-the-gate brand manager, it is imperative that you mention your academic background on your brand manager resume. Luckily, this section doesn’t have to be exhaustive - just the program name, institution, and dates.
Use the following brand manager resume example education section for an idea on how to insert your studies succinctly into the resume. Note that, should it be recent, you can also include any academic awards, relevant coursework or extracurricular activities.
MBA, University
of Pennsylvania ~ 2012 - 2013Vice President, American Marketing Associate Club, The Ohio State University, 2018 - 2020B.A. in Advertising, Michigan State University ~ 2007 - 2011Education Section
💡Pro Tip: Only entry-level brand marketers should include GPA on their resumes, but these should be at least a 3.0 or equivalent.
Additional Information
From senior to fresher brand manager, it doesn’t hurt to add certifications, awards, and/or related extra-company activities to your brand manager resume, as these can
offer further evidence and credibility
of your skillset, work experience, and knowledge
of brand management.
What’s more, additional information like this is easily addable and only requires a few bullet points that state the certification title or name
of event, name
of the institution, and the date.
Brand Manager Resume's Additional Information Section ExampleReal Beauty Campaign, Dove (Sept. 2013)Best Advertisement
of the Year (AAA Institution, 2013)Most Impactful Brand Marketing
of the Year (BBB Association, 2014)Certified Brand Manager (AIPMM, 2015)
Brand Manager Resume Writing TipsCreated by Cake
Now that we’ve covered the details on how to write a brand manager resume, it’s time to find out how to make your creation the very best it can be. Should you want to impress the hiring managers, you’d do well to adhere to the following 5 tips:Choose the Right Format
There are actually three types
of resume formats you can use as the basis for your brand manager application: chronological, functional, and
hybrid. Though a chronological resume format is most common for brand manager resumes, whichever is best for you depends entirely on your own work experience and individual career path.Pick an ATS-friendly Format
ATS refers to the Applicant Tracking System that large companies use to wheedle out unsuccessful applicants.While this can refer to applicants that didn’t meet the minimum requirements, individuals that fail to include the right keywords (i.e. those from the JD) or have unnecessary tables, charts, or columns are
often also clumped into this group.
Ensure that your resume passes the ATS inspection by picking an ATS-friendly brand manager resume template, like the ones
offered by Cake. We have a variety resume templates ready for you to use and download.Tailor the Resume to the Company
Remember how we said you need to use the breadcrumbs left for you in the JD to create the perfect brand manager resume? Well, it’s time for you to add your own breadcrumbs to lead the hiring manager to select you as the ideal candidate.
There’s no better
way to do this than by ensuring that you tailor your brand manager resume to the company, as well as the position. This is easily sorted by researching the company beforehand to uncover any particular values or culture that is emphasized - that you can sprinkle into your resume.Include a Portfolio
While a resume length should never exceed 2 pages, portfolios are a great
way to provide more examples
of work experience than a resume allows for.Portfolios are also particularly important for brand managers to demonstrate their skills and achievements, as they
offer strong visual evidence for projects and assignments.
Coupled with action words and quantifiable results, an excellentportfolio, like those crafted using Cake, is the kind
of stuff that will encourage recruiters to see you as the perfect candidate.
Brand Manager Resume Examples
Learning from others is al
ways a good idea if you’re not sure where to start, so go on and browse the following examples to get an idea
of what a stellar brand manager resume looks like.
Entry-level Brand Manager Resume (No Experience)Entry-level Brand Manager Resume (No Experience)
Mid-level Brand Manager ResumeMid-level Brand Manager Resume
Senior Brand Manager ResumeSenior Brand Manager Resume
How to Write a Brand Manager Cover Letter
While sometimes optional, it’s not uncommon for recruiters to use cover letters to gain a grasp
of your writing skills, as well as to better understand the relationship between your experience and motivation to apply to the brand manager position.
Ensure you satisfy the hiring manager’s expectations by respectfully and eloquently conveying the following in your brand manager cover letter:
Contact Information: Make it easy for recruiters to contact you by providing key contact information, such as your full name, email address, and mobile number.Introduction: Don’t forget to introduce who you are and what job you’re applying to (including what site you found it on).Motivation: Mentioning your reason for applying to the job - i.e. your motivation - is key to letting the recruiter know that you want the position. It’s also a good idea to tie this into how your career goals and experience directly relate to the compny and the position. Qualification: You’ve already outlined your work experience on your brand manager resume, now it’s time to explicitly address what pr
ofessional or academic experience makes you most suitable for the brand manager position.Closing: Follow the proper resume format by thanking the recruiter for considering your application. You should also express your excitement for the opportunity, and politely provide a Call To Action, such as an interview.Sign
off: Even if it’s a pdf or a filled-in section on a website, it’s important to realize that a brand manager cover letter is still a formal document. In other words, certain resume formalities, like a polite sign
off and signature, are still required.
Now let’s see all
of these parts in action with the brand manager cover letter sample below.
Eve
[email protected]+1-222-2020March 5th 2024Maria WildHiring ManagerAssent TravelNo. 5 St. George St.London, N12 8XFDear Mrs. Wild,I am writing to express my interest in the Brand Manager position at Assent Travel, as advertised on Cake. As a results-driven Brand Manager at Expedia with extensive experience in the travel industry, I am excited to lend my skills and experiences to help drive growth for a travel marketing startup that is changing the customer experience.I am particularly motivated to apply for this position through my passion for ensuring consistent service for all. Assent Travel’s new tech will change the game for partnered accommodations and tours, as well as customers, and I am eager to be a part
of a team that values such innovation and creativity within the
often stale and stationary travel industry.With over 8 years
of experience applying successful brand strategy to cross-channel tourism campaigns, such as Expedia and AsiaYo, I have honed my skills in brand management, project management, and digital marketing. At AsiaYo, I coordinated brand events and marketing campaigns, succcessflly exceeding attendance goals and social media mentions by 31%. Thorough market research and strategic planning contributed to the wildly successful ‘Love2Travel’ tour series being voted the ‘Best Value 4 Money’ tour
of 2018 by over 800,000 members.Similarly, at Expedia, I collaborated with external agencies to launch three successful digital marketing campaigns that generated 1.2M organic searches, increasing the conversion rate by 25% and boosting sales by 12%. These results were driven by my pr
oficieny in digital marketing strategy and brand strategy. My excellent content marketing and comunication skills also benefitted these campaigns.Thank you for taking the time to consider my application and I look forward to discussing my skills and experiences further in an interview.Sincerely,Eve Marrington
Conclusion
While writing a brand manager resume may seem just like any other marketing resume guide you’ll find on Cake, only exceptional brand managers will know that different skills, certifications, and keywords can make or break your application.
Make sure your resume doesn’t fall through the ATS by creating a punchy resume header, persuasive work experience section, and relevant skills section, as well as choosing the right format and tailoring your brand manager resume to the position using (or copy-and-pasting) keywords from the JD.
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— Originally written by Eva O'Mara —