Copywriting Resume Examples & Writing Guides
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Copywriting encompasses creating and managing content for advertising, education or marketing. Copywriters are typically employed in advertising agencies, public relation firms and marketing departments. No matter where you plan to work, our resume examples and tips can help you seize the right copywriting opportunity, and progress your career.
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How to build your resume for a copywriting career
To climb the career ladder in the copywriting industry, use our professionally designed resume templates and tips for these copywriting professions:
Career track: Editor
Editors need to perform a variety of tasks, from managing entire projects to ensuring the accuracy and value of an organization’s content. With the advent of digital journalism and social media, publishing has become easier, but editors remain a key component in bringing credibility and quality to content. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), editors earn a median salary of $59,480 per year, with editors working for the grant-making and civic industries earning better salaries than those employed by book publishers.
Editorial Assistant $39,521 Median Salary
Resume Format
Functional Resume
As this is an entry-level position, a functional format is a good choice, as it focuses on specific skills rather than vast work experience. Emphasize administrative and editorial skills.
Summary statement tip
Highlight your coordination and editing skills, and relevant experience, including any volunteer work where you demonstrated your editorial and organizational abilities). Draw attention to any related training you have undergone to sharpen your editing skills.
Skills to feature
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Attention to detail
- Proofreading skills
- Adaptability
- Ability to work under pressure
- Proficient in software like Microsoft Office, QuickBook, HTML, CMS or Photoshop
Get to the next level
The American Society of Magazine Editors offers workshops for the professional development of editorial assistants. The following educational qualifications also help you move ahead in your career path:
- Degree in Arts and Humanities, especially English
- Degrees in Media and Mass Communication or Journalism
- Degrees in Social Studies, Business Studies or Economic studies
Assistant Editor $46,650 Median Salary
Resume Format
Combination Resume
Assistant Editors are usually professionals who have had some work experience in editorial departments — use the combination format to highlight both skills and knowledge you’ve obtained from previous roles.
Summary statement tip
In addition to your professional skills, include any other traits that are applicable to this job, such as excellent communication skills and attention to detail. Do not simply list skills; highlight how you’ve used them in your work.
Skills to feature
- Project management
- Coordination
- Researching and collaboration skills
- Copy editing
- Audio editing
- Editing in HTML
- Knowledgeable in MS Office and Project software applications
- Knowledge of digital and social media applications
Get to the next level
A bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism or Communication is ideal for anyone looking to get ahead in their careers in the editorial sector. Look towards organizations like the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, or the American Society of Magazine Editors for professional development programs to improve skills in areas such as grammar, copyediting and headline writing.
Editor $69,392 Median Salary
Resume Format
Chronological Resume
A chronological resume showcases your work experience, which is key to proving your ability to manage and coordinate a team, review story ideas and ensure smooth day-to-day content operations
Summary statement tip
Include skill sets that are relevant to the role (e.g. research abilities or exceptional copywriting skills). Feature a top work achievement, such as successfully managing day-to-day operations of a large copywriting team.
Skills to feature
- Excellent command over the language
- Creative writing style
- Editing and proofreading
- SEO knowledge
- Experience working with various social media platforms
Get to the next level
To move ahead in your career, look to gain further writing certifications for your area of subject matter expertise (e.g., content marketing), and expand your projects to embrace other subjects, and prove your versatility.
Career track: Writer
A writer’s tasks include research, as well as creating or editing content and ensuring timely submissions. Writers have diverse opportunities in a variety of media, including films, novels, web content and magazines.
Freelance Writer $22.27 Median Salary
Resume Format
Functional Resume
Freelancers work on a wide variety of subjects, and are expected to possess knowledge on various topics. A functional format suits this position best, as you can highlight relevant skills, publishing credits (which you can include in a separate category called “Publishing Credits”), and accomplishments from extracurricular and volunteer work (e.g. running your own blog or writing for school newspapers).
Summary statement tip
Catch the recruiter’s attention by presenting your skills front and center. Identify traits that match the job description and demonstrate how you’ve used them to bring value to a project or previous job. Draw attention to your expertise on varied topics.
Skills to feature
Mention skills such as:
- Following quality assurance processes
- Familiarity with content management systems
- Proficiency in SEO marketing
- Effective communication and collaboration
- Time management
Get to the next level
Look to get a degree in Journalism, Mass Communication or English. Additionally, certifications and training in SEO tools, digital marketing or a foreign language can help you stand out among candidates.
Writer $61,240 Median Salary
Resume Format
Combination Resume
For a writer position, present a blend of your work experience and professional skills, showcasing your significant achievements, with the combination resume format.
Summary statement tip
Kick off your statement by providing a concise description of your skills and work experience. Then mention your most important skills, as they apply to the specific requirements of the job you are applying for.
Skills to feature
- Strong grasp of the language
- Excellent written and oral communication
- Editing and proofreading
- Time management
- Networking
- Versatility
- Knowledge of content management systems, SEO and social media platforms
Get to the next level
Apart from the requisite education like a bachelor’s degree in English or Communications, look to gain more training and add weight to your portfolio. Credentials such as a Certified Grant Writer Credential from the American Grant Writers’ Association (AGWA) will add more credibility to your career path.
Technical Writer$71,850 Median Salary
Resume Format
Chronological Resume
If you have extensive technical writing experience, use the chronological format to present your case. Highlight your most significant work achievements, alongside related skills you’ve accumulated during the course of your career.
Summary statement tip
The summary statement of your technical writer resume should include quantifiable achievements that showcase your technical and soft skills. Draw attention to niche expertise and technical knowledge you possess for the related role, such as experience with collaborating with development teams to write expert end user instructions for a specific software program.
Skills to feature
- Detail-oriented research and investigative abilities
- Coordination and collaboration with various departments
- Visual, written and oral communication
- Ability to translate complex information lucidly
- Analyzing statistics
- Time management and problem-solving
Get to the next level
Certifications enhance your position as a technical writer. Also look to gain more expertise in specific subject-matter areas through on-the-job projects, as well as gaining more experience leading teams and getting involved in all aspects of the content production process, if you’re interested in a managerial role.
Recommended copywriting resume templates
Save time crafting your resume with our resume builder with these three professionally designed, employer-ready templates:
Modern
This up-to-date format presents a striking look with its clean style, along with plenty of white space for readability.
Pacific
The colored header and bullet-point layout gives equal attention to skills and the work history, suiting professionals with limited experience or those moving to another industry.
Impactful
The bold resume font for this layout and shaded right column for the skills section gives a stylish yet professional look to the resume.
Take a step towards getting your desired job by selecting from more of our thoughtfully-designed resume templates.
Copywriting resume FAQ
How do you format your resume based on your career level?
Try to understand what hiring managers are looking for, and present your skills and work history accordingly. A functional resume format emphasizes your qualifications and skills over experience, and is ideal for entry-level candidates. A chronological resume format does the best justice to professionals, as it allows you to feature years of experience and steady career growth. If you have less work experience, or have work experiences outside copywriting, choose the combination resume format, which gives equal focus to skills and relevant work accomplishments.
For more information about resume formatting, visit our resume format page.
What qualities and traits are employers looking for in this industry, and what you should emphasize?
In-depth research skills, facility with creative writing, superior editing and proofreading ability, consistent quality, and efficient time management are key skills required in this job category. Recruiters seek candidates who are independent workers as well as team players, and also feature the ability to work under stress, a detail-oriented approach, excellent communication skills, critical thinking and organizational skills.
What are useful skills, certifications and training you can apply to a career in this job category?
Most writers have a bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism or Communications. Once you have a specific area of focus (e.g., journalism, technical writing, or marketing copy), look to take related specialized courses and gain certifications that will help cement your credibility. For specific subject matter, regularly update yourself with the latest developments in the field, and seek work experience which helps you develop your writing skills, as well as any relevant soft skills.
