Copywriter Resume Examples & Guide (20+ Tips)

As a copywriter, you make a living making magic tricks with words. Not sure if your resume wording is up to scratch? Let me help.

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW

Career Expert

Updated 01/10/2023

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You know you've got what it takes.

After all, you managed to write a 1,500-word article about clipping baby toenails in less than a day.

And you accidentally found your own post on the first page of Google when looking for something else.

So why are you still browsing freelance writing job boards where clients offer $5 for a 2,000-word post on quantum physics when everyone else seems to land high-ticket clients one by one?

Well, here’s a pro tip: give your job application a makeover. Sending a quick pitch and a link to your portfolio just isn’t enough. Showcase your writing skills with a professional freelance writer resume and convert readers to clients with effortless ease.

This guide will show you:

A freelance writer resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
How to write a freelance writer resume that will land you more interviews.
Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a freelance writer resume.
How to describe your experience on a resume for a freelance writer to get any job you want.

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.

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

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[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.

Targeting similar jobs that involve writing as well? Check out some of our other guides:

Copywriter Resume Sample

Isabell Lorey

Senior Copywriter

isabell@lorey.io

501-999-2516

See my portfolio here: isabellelorey.com

Who I am and what I’ll deliver

Creative copywriter with 9+ years of in-house and agency experience seeking to join XYZ as an Associate Creative Director/Copywriter and boost the landing page conversion rate by 25% in 6 months for all your domains. Developed segmented automated email campaigns increasing ABC’s email revenue by $218,000 a year. Boosted SEO traffic from 1 to 8 million users monthly in 16 months. All that through writing and editing 10x sales content while avoiding awkward line breaks.

What I did and how well I did it

Senior Copywriter

ABC Inc., Queens, NY

2014–Present

Oversee all aspects of landing page creation, from copywriting, to UX/UI, to constant Conversion Rate Optimization through data-driven A/B tests.
Boosted the average landing page conversions by 25% in 6 months for 9 ecommerce landing pages.
Own copywriting for assigned device and service brands—specifically taglines, why buys, detail page headlines, digital ads, and retail signage—while adhering to an authentic brand voice.
Create automated email campaigns—behavioral, transactional, and engagement-oriented—sent to segments of 3+ million users.
Boosted SEO traffic from 1 to 8 million users monthly in 16 months for 3 domains.

Digital Copywriter

DEF Agency., Long Island, NY

2012–2014

Developed and oversaw brand voices for 20+ major clients across various industries.
Boosted consumer awareness scores by 14%, grew market share by 2%, increased sales by 3% within 6 months.
Skyrocketed the Facebook follower base by 1.2 million and the Twitter follower base by 3.3 million.

Creative Associate (Freelance)

XO Agency, Portland, OR

2010–2012

Owned copywriting for assigned device and service brands—taglines, why buys, detail page headlines, digital ads, and retail signage—while adhering to an authentic brand voice.
Partnered with design to concept stories and big ideas for product launches and events.
Worked closely with product marketing, brand creation, and site merchants to develop creative strategy and positioning.

What degree I got and where

BS in New Media & Internet Marketing

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2011

Software, tools, and other skills

Copywriting & Copyediting
Email Marketing
HTML and CSS
Familiarity with SharePoint, Quart, and FrameMaker
CMS (e.g., Wordpress)
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Certified Professional Technical Communicator

A few extra things I’m proud of

Facebook Blueprint Certified Buying Professional, 2018
Google Analytics Individual Qualification (IQ), 2016
AMA Certified Professional Marketer, 2015

Now, here’s how to make a copywriter resume step by step:

1. Pick a Proper Format for Your Copywriting Resume

Your job is to pick the right words to make the brand heard.

But you know no copy is good enough to make up for poor UX and sloppy design, right?

Sure, the words on a resume for copywriting jobs matter, but good formatting is just as important.

Here are the most important resume layout rules to keep in mind:

Create a legible resume heading with your contact info. Include the link to your online portfolio.
Divide your resume into sections with headings that stand out.
Pick one of the standard formats for your resume: usually, the reverse-chronological format is the one that works best.
Choose a nice, elegant resume typeface. Stick to the classics, such as Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Helvetica, or Bookman Old Style.
If you’re a freelancer, learn how to list freelance experience on your resume. If you’ve only done freelancing gigs and no full-time jobs, you might want to consider writing a functional resume instead of the reverse-chronological classic.

Pro Tip: For creative jobs, such as those in copywriting, your portfolio is just as important as your resume. Add links to your professional website with the portfolio of your samples in the contact information section. Don’t have one? Create it as soon as you can.

2. Write a Copywriter Resume Summary or Objective

Also called a resume profile, a summary or a career objective is that short blurb at the top of your resume, just below your contact information.

Its purpose is to provide the hiring manager with a snapshot of your career and explain why you’re perfect for the job—think of it as a written version of your elevator speech.

Got 2+ years of relevant copywriting experience? Write a professional resume summary. Outline your best accomplishments and make an offer to help them achieve their business goals.

Writing an entry-level copywriter resume? Go for a resume career objective. Say what skills you’ve mastered so far and show them how well you can fit in.

Pro Tip: Struggling to come up with the perfect narrative for your resume profile? Skip it for now. Write the rest of your resume first, then pick the best bits and compile them into a good resume introduction.

3. Create the Perfect Copywriter Job Description

Here comes the crucial part of your copywriter resume: the work history section.

See, hiring managers want to review your resume pretty much for the sole purpose of reviewing your employment history.

The trick? Don’t just write up what you did. Show how well you did it. Highlight achievements over dull responsibilities.

Here’s how to write your copywriter job descriptions on a resume:

Start with your current or most recent job, then list previous positions chronologically-descending.
Include: your professional title, company name, dates worked, and 4–6 bullet points describing your duties and achievements.
Open each bullet with an action verb: created, led, boosted, developed, owned, etc.
Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Numbers grab attention!
Tailor every resume you send to match the job requirements. Show what a great fit you are.

Pro Tip: Need a way to punch your copywriting resume up a notch? Boost your video and visual skills! It will also increase your value on the job market: this study shows that the content distribution channels most companies plan to add to their marketing communication areas next year are: YouTube, Facebook Video, and Instagram.

4. Make Your Copywriter Resume Education Section Speak Volumes

Listing education on a resume isn’t too complicated. Just follow these basic rules:

Have more than 5 years of experience? Only list: your degree, major, minors (if applicable), college name, graduation year.
Barely starting out in a copywriting career? Include extra details such as academic achievements, extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, or favorite fields of study.

5. Highlight Your Copywriting Skills

Just looking for some inspiration for your resume’s skills section? Check out this skills list:

Key Copywriter Skills

Technical Skills:

SEO editing skills
Web design skills
UX skills
Excel skills
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
A/B testing
CRO
Keyword research
Target audience analysis
Content strategy, development, planning
Image optimization
Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator
Typography
Print Design

To see more hard skills related to copywriting and marketing jobs, read this guide: Marketing Skills to Master.

Transferable and Soft Skills:

The twist?

Raw lists of skills are pretty useless. Don’t just dump some skills you think you have in a random order on your resume. Do this instead:

How to Put Copywriting Skills on a Resume

In a spreadsheet, list all key job skills you have: both soft skills and hard skills, plus industry-specific technical skills.
Read the job ad. Identify skills-related keywords.
See which of these key competencies match your skills listed in the spreadsheet. Quite a few, right?
Put those copywriting skills in a separate skills section of your resume.
Don’t stop there: provide evidence for those skills in other parts of your resume such as the resume summary and work experience section.

Pro Tip: What are the most sought-after creative skills today? Let’s consult it with data! Recent studies by LinkedIn and HubSpot have shown these are the hottest skills creative workers should have nowadays: UX Design, Video Production, Audio Production, Social Media Content Design.

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.

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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 Copywriter Resume

Want to make your resume stand out? Prove you’ve got that extra gear.

Add extra sections that show your versatility and verify your skills.

Some examples include:

Activities
Professional or personal projects
Volunteer work
Conferences
Honors
Certifications
Awards
Compliments from employers
Publications
Sports
Hobbies
Language skills

7. Attach a Cover Letter to Your Copywriter Resume

Cover letters are still important!

Almost half of recruiters and hiring managers think so.

Plus, is there a better way to provide employers with a sample of your writing skills than a captivating, flawlessly-phrased copywriting cover letter?

Write your cover letter following these steps:

Pick a professional cover letter format.
Open your cover letter with a catchy first paragraph.
Don’t focus on yourself. Instead, show how your skills and experience can help the employer.
Finish your cover letter with a reader-oriented offer and a call to action asking for a meeting or a call.

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: