Account Executive Resume Sample & Writing Guide (20+ Tips)

Account Executive Resume Sample

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Sample Account Executive Resume—See more templates and create your resume here.

Targeting other jobs in marketing, sales, or general management too? See our other guides:

• Assistant Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Executive Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Product Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Project Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Marketing Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Sales Manager Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Digital Marketing Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Not to mention our general business resume guides you might want to check out:

• Consultant Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• MBA Application Resume: Sample & Complete Guide
• Business Resume: Sample & Complete Guide

Here’s how to write a good account executive resume:

1. Choose the Best Format for Your Account Executive Resume

You want the hiring manager to grasp your top selling points fast.

The best way to do it is to pick a good template for your account executive resume. One that:

• Is elegant and legible.
• Makes relevant information about your career easy to spot.

To get there, follow these rules:

• Create a nice-looking resume header with your contact information.
• Choose a good resume format: usually, the reverse-chronological template is ideal for account executive applications.
• Use an elegant, respected resume font.
• Unless explicitly asked to do otherwise, save your resume in PDF, not Word.

Pro Tip: Pro Tip: Switching careers from customer service or sales? Use the combination resume format. It'll help you show key achievements from non-account-exec jobs.

2. Write an Account Executive Resume Summary or Objective

It’s that short paragraph at the top of your resume. Works like a sales pitch: its purpose is to explain why you’re just the account executive they’ve been looking for.

Got more than 2 years of experience? Use a resume summary. Highlight your career progress and skills set.

Writing a resume for an entry-level account exec? Go for a resume objective. Show what you’ve already learned and how well you’d fit in.

Whichever one you choose, though—

Don’t write about what you want out of the job. Focus on what you have to offer instead.

Pro Tip: Although this section comes at the top of your resume resume, write it once you’re done with the rest of your resume. Pick the best bits and put them in the resume profile.

3. Create the Perfect Account Executive Job Description

Here’s what will either make or break your account executive job application—

The job descriptions on your resume’s work history section.

Employers ask for a resume basically for the sole purpose of reviewing your work history.

The twist? Most candidates don’t know how to write this section.

Ready?

Here’s how to nail your account executive job descriptions:

• Start with your current or most recent job, then add previous ones chronologically descending.
• Include: your job title, the company name, dates worked, and up to 6 bullet points outlining your account executive responsibilities and showcasing achievements.
• Start each bullet with a resume action verb.
• Show off achievements that can be quantified. Numbers pop!
• Tailor your resume to match the job ad. Focus on what’s most relevant for the employer.

4. Make Your Account Executive Resume Education Section Shine

Good news!

The education section is usually the easiest one to write on an account exec resume.

• Over 5 years of experience? Add only: your degree, major, minors, college name, graduation year.
• Barely starting out in advertising and sales? Include also: academic achievements, extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, or favorite fields of study.

Pro Tip: Graduated within the last 2 years and haven’t had a job in the industry yet? Put your education section above the work experience.

5. Highlight Your Account Executive Skills

If you want to know how to list skills on a resume for account executive position, we’ll cover that in a moment.

Just came to get inspired by a list of good skills to put on ad resumes? Check this one out:

Key Account Executive Skills

Technical and Job-Specific Skills:

• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Account Planning
• Project Management
• Data Analysis
• Social Media Skills
• Email Skills
• Research
• Budgeting

Transferable and Soft Skills:

• Interpersonal Skills
• Relationship Building
• Communication
• Creativity
• Time Management
• Negotiation
• Efficiency
• Organization

But remember: raw lists of skills are useless. Think about this—

Imagine Porsche asks you to develop their ad campaign. Would you try to sell the 918 saying “1000+ HP, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering?” Hell no.

You’d go more along the lines of “As fast as you can go without having to eat airline food.” (Alright, you’d do better than this, but hey, it’s your job, not mine.)

Features don’t sell. Benefits do. List your skills as benefits hiring you would grant the future employer.

• Start with a spreadsheet with all your skills: soft skills and hard skills, as well as purely technical skills.
• Read the account executive job description and note out skills-related keywords.
• Check how many of these are there in your spreadsheet. Quite a few? Great. That’s your skills list.
• Don’t just put the names of your skills in a separate list. Provide evidence throughout all other sections of your resume.

Pro Tip: Want to know what marketing and sales skills are hot right now? Check out this state-of-the art guide we’ve written: 40+ Marketing Skills Everyone Should Master.

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

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

6. Add Other Sections to Your Account Executive Resume

Candidates lie on resumes and hiring managers know that. But—

You can make them actually believe your sales account executive resume. Add an extra section that shows off your unquestionable achievements:

• language skills
• projects
• certificates
• accomplishments and awards
• hobbies and interests
• volunteer experience.

7. Attach Cover Letter to Your Account Executive Resume

Cutting down on advertising expenses to save money is like stopping your watch to save time. It just doesn’t make sense.

And it’s the same thing with choosing not to write a cover letter.

You still need a cover letter in 2019. One in two recruiters will automatically dismiss your resume if you haven’t attached an account executive cover letter.

Here’s how to write a cover letter for a resume in advertising:

• Pick a legible cover letter format.
• Use a catchy opening paragraph to start your cover letter.
• Explain why you’re perfect for the position and why you want in.
• As with any good campaign you’ve done for a client, finish your cover letter with a clear, singular CTA.

Pro Tip: Applied for the job and still no call-back? Follow up on your resume and cover letter! Most advertising and sales pros stop calling after their fourth attempt. Most prospects, on the other hand, make up their mind no nooner than after the fourth call. A well-placed follow-up can make all the difference!

So there you have it—

Everything you need to know about writing a pitch-perfect resume for account executive positions.

Got more questions? Need further assistance? Drop me a line in the comments, I’ll straighten out all your queries!