Marketing Director Resume Examples and Guide

Your marketing director resume has to work like Pepsi’s Steve Carell ads. It has to rise above the chatter and show the BoD you’re capable of growing ROI by 20% to 50%. That’s because you’re up against 200+ candidates who know how to engage an audience like Seth Godin.

How can you do this with a little slip of paper? Well—you don’t have creatives on your side. You can’t crank out a TV campaign or leverage social media. But you can share key moments from your marketing career. Put them in a readable format, and you’ll make the other applicants look flat.

Let’s make this happen!

You’re about to see a marketing director resume example you can tweak to fit any marketing director role. You’ll also get simple steps to write a resume for marketing director jobs that’ll land 10x more interviews than any other.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Create your resume now

Use this resume template

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.

Looking for something different than a director of marketing resume? See these guides:

• Marketing Manager Resume
• Art Director Resume
• Brand Manager Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Digital Marketing Resume
• Marketing Resume
• Marketing Coordinator Resume
• Product Marketing Manager Resume
• Market Research Resume
• Sales Manager Resume
• SEO Resume
• Social Media Resume
• Director of Operations Resume
• Chief Operations Officer Resume
• Social Media Coordinator Resume
• Best Resume Examples

Here’s a marketing director resume example made with our builder:

Sample Marketing Director Resume (Text Version)

Here’s how to write a marketing director resume step-by-step.

1. Start With the Right Format for a Marketing Director Resume

Format is vital in a marketing director resume. Get it wrong, and the hiring manager will assume you’ll show up late. Maybe even approve Peloton-girl TV spots. But the right format triggers a click-whirr response. They’ll know you know the details matter. Plus, a good resume format is easier to read.

So—

Here’s how to format a marketing director resume template:

• Format: go with the reverse-chronological resume format. It puts your most PwC-worthy accomplishments up top.
• Resume margins: 1 inch.
• Resume fonts: choose a respected one like Bell MT or Garamond.
• Font size: 11–12 points.
• Resume headings: 13–14 points.
• Line spacing: 1 to 1.15.
• File type: PDF resumes are best unless the company asks for MS Word.

Include these resume parts:

• Header: your name and contact information.
• Summary: a 3-line elevator pitch for your resume.
• Experience: your best marketing director successes.
• Education: list your degree, but add marketing projects or clubs.
• Skills: target yours to the job ad.
• Other sections: are you in the AMA or have you spoken at cons? List those.

And don’t be afraid to add a little white space for readability!

What about the functional resume format? See our guide: Best Resume Structure

2. Add Experience to Your Marketing Director Resume

You know you can’t get a marketing director job without experience. But your opponents have it, too! There’s a way to show it so you look like Rand Fishkin on the job hunt. And good news—most applicants will get it wrong. They’ll zero in on job duties. You’ll cite achievements. Hello, hired.

To nail your work experience section:

• List your current job title.
• Write the company name, years, and months.
• Add a two-line marketing director job description (job duties).
• Create 6 bullet points filled with achievements.
• For an engaging resume, use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula.
• Repeat the steps with older jobs, but with fewer bullet points.

See these digital marketing director resume samples:

Marketing Director Job Description for a Resume

Look at this. The second one looks sloppy. But also, what did she accomplish? The best thing is that branding pitch. Yes, the BoD bought it—but did it increase sales or cut the churn rate? We don’t know. But look at example #1! Like a campaign from BBDO. Beautiful format + great achievements = win.

Writing an entry-level resume? Do it just like the above. But—cite strategy, social media, leadership, and other marketing director achievements from non-marketing director jobs. You can even show successes from transferable skills like active listening or creativity.

See these entry-level marketing director resume examples:

Entry-Level Marketing Director Resume Samples [Experience]

We’ve done the A/B tests on this, so we know it works. If you show the right resume accomplishments, your job-search conversion rate will go through the roof.

Pro Tip: It’s tempting, but avoid creative resume designs. Printing it on a cereal box or using puppy backgrounds. Use some color, but keep it professional to get more calls.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

3. Make Your Education Section Count

Hint—everyone puts education on a resume. But too many use it wrong. They list their degree and school name and move on. That’s like having a free 30-second Super Bowl spot and using it to talk about the weather. Add 1–2 highlights to show you were Sarah-Zeldman level even back in school.

See this director of sales and marketing director resume example:

Marketing Director Resume Example [Education]

That’s the perfect way to list a degree on a resume. It doesn’t hog much space. But it adds key marketing skills. One tip? Don’t do this if you’ve been in the workforce more than seven years. You’ll look like you’re scraping for proof.

Pro Tip: Can you write a 2-page resume? Sure, but there’s a stipulation. If you can fit all your best marketing moments in one page, do it. Brevity is key.

4. Put the Right Skills in Your Marketing Director Resume

The key to skills on a resume for marketing director jobs? Don’t make me think. That is—don’t list 30 marketing skills and make the hiring team guess which ones you’re really good at. The trick is to fill their needs. To do it, read the job listing like it holds the secret to a 90% ROI boost.

Start with this list of skills for marketing director resumes:

Marketing Director Resume Skills (Hard Skills)

• Data Analysis
• Content Marketing
• Project Management
• Campaign Management
• Branding
• Funnel Management
• Agile Workflow
• SEO
• Social Media
• CRM Skills
• ERP
• Mobile Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Video Production
• UX Design
• Data Visualization

Marketing Director Skills (Soft Skills)

• Interpersonal Skills
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Presentation Skills
• Written and Verbal Communication Skills
• Active Listening
• Microsoft Office
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Organizational Skills
• Critical Thinking

But—

Here’s how to pick the best marketing director skills:

1. In a spreadsheet, list all your marketing director skills.
2. In a new column, list the marketing director skills in the online job ad.
3. The skills which come up in both lists are your resume keywords.
4. Tweak your resume bullets so your achievements fit those skills.
5. Make sure you’ve got both soft skills and hard skills for maximum return.

See this marketing director resume example:

Say the ad wants branding, partnership marketing, and online campaigns.

Marketing Director Resume Examples [Skills]

Now you are a perfect fit. Marketing director skills on a resume like that just do it. For more leverage, start your bullets with resume power verbs like increased, acquired, achieved, and executed. Those force you to share your marketing successes. The numbers double your engagement.

Pro Tip: To write the perfect resume, put yourself in the employer’s shoes. What business challenges does she face? Can you show you’ve solved them in the past?

5. Add Bonus Sections to Your Marketing Director Resume

The BoD wants to know two things about you. The first is, “Can you do the job?” Your experience and education answer, “Yes.” Question #2? “Do you go the extra mile?” You’ll answer it with bonus sections that show off-the-clock accomplishments. Examples? Certifications or volunteer work.

Choose from:

1. Professional Associations

Are you in the AMA or MMA? If yes, list them. If not, consider joining. Why? Affiliations show you’re networked. They also show you’re not just resting on your analytics.

2. Resume Certifications and Classes

Who needs certifications in a marketing director resume? Entry-level applicants, that’s who. They prove you’re not just applying on a whim. You’ve actually taken steps to grow your skills. Consider these:

• Digital Marketing
• CMS Experience
• Mobile Marketing
• Lead Nurturing
• Email Marketing
• Social Media Advertising

3. Conferences

Have you attended Pubcon Florida or the NA Marketing Directors Conference? Did you speak to groups or volunteer? Add them to a resume for marketing director jobs to show you’re Deloitte-level.

4. Awards and Honors

If you’ve won a Clio or a Webby, you know to list it in an awards section. But what about local awards or in-company awards? Poll your memory to see.

5. Resume Volunteer Work

Marketing work for a local soup kitchen can energize your resume. Even unrelated volunteering like canvassing or emergency response can show you’re not just binge-watching Disney+ in your spare time.

6. Languages on a Resume

Directors who speak the same language as their target markets get bonus points. Put fluency in a special section near your skills list.

See these marketing director resume samples:

Marketing Director Resume Examples [Other Sections]

That first example shows your bandwidth is on par with Neil Patel.

Should you list 15 years of work on your marketing director resume? See our guide: How Far Back Should a Resume Go: How Many Jobs or Years?

6. Write a Marketing Director Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Heat maps of resumes show something shocking. Hiring managers spend most of their time looking at the top. The middle gets a glance. Use that to your advantage. Front-load the top of your marketing director resume with a resume summary or a resume objective. If it’s good, they’ll keep reading.

Here’s how to write a career summary:

1. Start with an adjective like dynamic or passionate.
2. List your title (marketing director).
3. Add years of experience (1, 7, 2+).
4. State your goal (improve brand awareness).
5. Include the company’s name.
6. Share your most Tim-Ferriss-style achievements.

See these resume summary examples:

Marketing Director Resume Summary

Those aren’t so different. But be careful. The first one has numbers and emotion-grabbing details. Who wouldn’t want to meet someone who raised lead flow by 35%? But example #2 is less exciting.

It’s a bucket full of adjectives.

An entry-level marketing director resume needs a career objective. The 2010 advice said, “Use it to share your career goals with the company.” That’s not true anymore. To get interviewed, keep your goals out of it. List marketing director accomplishments from other jobs like sales or retail management.

See these examples:

Entry-Level Marketing Director Resume Objective

Again, the details sell it. That first example shows you’re AMA certified. It adds the firm’s name, then a 95% conversion rate. But the second one reads like a skills list copied from the internet.

The first sentence of your marketing director resume summary is called a resume headline. See our guide: 30+ Professional Resume Headline & Title Examples

7. What About a Marketing Director Cover Letter?

“I don’t write cover letters.” Then you don’t want the job. Or at least—you want to work twice as hard to get it. Our HR statistics report shows why. About half the managers out there skip resumes without cover letters. They look like the applicant is sending out a million resumes and doesn’t care.

To write your marketing director cover letter:

1. Format your cover letter first.
2. Start your marketing director cover letter with the manager’s name.
3. Write a cover letter introduction with a hook.
4. In the middle, show you “get” the job.
5. Put a CTA at the end of your cover letter.

Pro Tip: Avoid the dreaded “Please find attached my resume” letter. That’s worse than no cover letter at all with a director of marketing resume. It telegraphs a lack of creativity.

Read more: How To Write A Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps and How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of how to write a marketing director resume:

• Format your marketing director resume template in reverse-chronological order.
• Find marketing director skills in the job posting online.
• Start with your work history. Prove your Epsilon-worthy skills with accomplishments.
• Add metrics that show you know a funnel from a funnel cake.
• List your education and related coursework.
• Include sections for an AMA membership or conferences.
• Write a marketing director cover letter to slash job search churn.

That’s it! Now, we’d love to hear from you: 

• What irks you about writing a director of marketing resume? 
• Are your achievements less than Ogilvy-ready?
• Do you have resume gaps that make your hair stand up?

Let’s chat below in the comments, and thanks for reading!