A Copywriter's Guide to Writing a Resume for a Job

If you want an excellent job as a copywriter, it's not enough to make a perfect resume. However, it remains a fact that a CV is your entry ticket into a potential interview. It is your first communication with the employer, and the sensation of the first impression has not been canceled. So this blog post reveals all the resume writing tips that help you get a dream job.

Copywriter Resume: Writing Guide

If you haven't been actively looking for a job in the last couple of years, your resume form and content knowledge are no longer relevant. So use these tips to write a copywriter resume. However, even if you regularly keep your hand on the pulse of updates, this article section will still be helpful because all the necessary information here is collected in one place and logically structured.

# 1 Preparatory Stage

Before looking for a new job, conduct a SWOT analysis of professional competencies and, based on this case, create a resume that will be adapted to the current requirements of the labor market for your specialization. For example, an effective CV is designed for a specific search purpose, matches job requirements for similar positions, and contains a particular set of keywords.

# 2 Purpose of Job Search

It should be stated at the beginning of your resume. If you want to respond to a position whose job title differs from your current career, change it to the one listed in the vacancy. Next, check the list of writing jobs and choose the one that best suits the company and position you like.

# 3 Job Profile

A job profile is a benchmark of an ideal candidate with a list of requirements for their knowledge, skills, and qualifications to perform the job duties successfully. A job description is a short version of a job profile that includes a list of mandatory requirements for the initial selection of candidates on a resume. For example, the table below shows a copywriter job profile you can use when creating your resume.

# 4 Work Responsibilities

Below you can find a list of copywriter responsibilities. These are the keywords/word combinations by HR managers selecting candidates from resumes. Please choose from the suggested list those that match your experience and assign them to your jobs.

Developing, proofreading, and adapting texts for information and advertising materials of all types: website, printing, long reads, digests, direct communications (email/SMS/IVR/chatbots), expert articles, and scripts.

- Creating promo texts, slogans, or scripts for promo videos.

- Writing marketing materials about the product, microcopy for the interface/UX texts, promotional mailings, instructions and FAQs, presentations for the sales department, and advertising banners.

- Writing scripts for commercials.

- Preparation of content on specific topics for social networks.

# 5 Portfolio

Copywriting is one of the few fields where it is rather challenging to show the results of specialists' work in KPIs. This is because KPIs are rarely used to evaluate copywriters' work, mostly in companies where these specialists work permanently and closely with other departments.

Examples of KPIs are the number of materials for a certain period, the number of characters, engagement (average time, post scrolls, sharings, comments), content quality (idea, fact-checking), conversion, bounce rate, and ROI. Thus, the primary criterion for selecting candidates based on their CVs is not the results in numbers but the availability of a reference to the portfolio of projects and cases.

The portfolio and test assignments confirm the work's experience and results. For example, the job description requires you to include a link to your text in the resume or the cover letter. So at the first stage of the resume selection, employers want to see the candidate's portfolio.

How to add a link to a portfolio on your resume? The best option here is to shorten long URLs. It gives the link a nice look. So you can use one of the short link services on the web, such as goo.gl, bitly.com, or many others. Please see the examples of wording for adding a link to a portfolio below:

- My media publications (list the names of the sites/publications): link

- Portfolio with cases: link.

- Successful cases of creating and promoting projects on Facebook and Instagram. My publications: link.

- Great cases/portfolio on SMM. Publications in social networks: link.

- The most exciting and ambitious projects in my portfolio: link.

- More than 30 positive feedbacks (list the names of the companies): link

- Portfolio with presentations for famous brands (list them): link.

- Portfolio with self-optimized texts and sites on the top requests: link

- Proven experience with cool situational copywriting. Explosive articles: link.

# 6 Key Skills

The following is a list of skills required to succeed in a copywriting position. Select the skills you possess and include them on your resume. If you have difficulties at this stage of CV writing or any other one, the best solution, in this case, is to check out paper writing services to choose one that will help you with this task.

✔ Word processing

✔ Understanding of SEO principles and ability to apply them

✔ Web design

✔ UX

✔ Excel

✔ HTML

✔ CSS

✔ JavaScript

✔ Keywords selection

✔ Target audience analysis

✔ Content strategy, development, and planning

✔ Image optimization

✔ Photoshop, Indesign

What creative skills are most in demand today? Recent research conducted by LinkedIn and HubSpot found that the hottest skills creative copywriters should have are UX Design, Video Production, Audio Production, and Social Media Content Design. Also, include a list of appropriate soft skills for the company.

No one wants to hire someone who can't get along with other team members, no matter how brilliant they are in their field. Copywriters don't work in isolation. They are just a tiny cog in the machinery of a communications or marketing department. So the most sought-after here are communication skills, punctuality, adherence to deadlines, time management and working in a team, critical thinking, creativity, and conceptual skills.

# 7 The "About Me" Section

This section of the copywriter's resume is a short selling text describing a fundamental professional background. It can be in the form of a short paragraph of 1-4 sentences or a bulleted list. Indicate those aspects of your qualifications that are integral components of the job, such as areas of expertise and specialization, key competencies, technical skills, certifications, and additional education.

Here's an example: I know how to write simple, engaging, and understandable texts without losing their essence. Also, I understand how to give short and practical arguments to separate the main from the secondary. I possess the techniques and methods of drafting advertising and PR texts. I have significant experience in task performance and communication through online project management systems. Finally, I have resources for remote work: a computer with stable Internet access, a webcam, a CRM system, and a task manager (Trello, Google Docs, Slack, etc.).

# 8 Last Tip or How to Draw Attention to Your CV

Show yourself in action. For instance, you can write an unconventional cover letter with a good structure in a friendly tone. So try to describe yourself in one or two sentences or write some sales slogans. Just remember: short, very short.

Here's an example: I work at the intersection of copywriting and PR. I can write incredible, interesting, readable selling texts. Result-oriented and have an inexhaustible supply of energy and creativity. Not afraid of deadlines.

Conclusion

Even if you write a professional resume and cover letter, it doesn't guarantee that you will be invited to an interview. Why? It's hard to answer. There are many very subjective factors, from a simple "like or don't like" to HR's mood. You can not affect these reasons, but you have done everything you could ” compiled a great resume and prepared an exemplary response to the job. And now you can get back to your day-to-day business with a clear conscience. Rest assured, your ideal employer will indeed find you.