Brand Manager (Resume Sample, Format, Examples)

You know how to bring a brand to life through stories and communication. Creativity, strategic thinking, organizational and interpersonal skills are in your toolkit. You love how a brand personality attracts people.

Now, all you need is an impressive brand manager resume to show that you have what it takes. You need experience and skills, but most importantly you need to show recruiters that you are capable of taking care of a brand through a convincing resume.

Whether you’re looking to become a brand manager, a brand director, or a brand strategist, this article will show you what it takes to impress recruiters.

A brand manager resume should be no longer than 2 pages and contains relevant information. It is common for brand managers to add personalized resume designs to show creativity as well.

On the other hand, a brand manager CV usually contains more than 2 pages, with more comprehensive information about the person. It is a more formal document and more often used for academic requirements.

Are you applying for a job that requires a brand manager resume or a brand manager CV? Make sure you’re working on the right document.

There are 4 resume formats: chronological, functional, hybrid, and targeted. If your career journey has few gaps or changes, it is recommended to use a chronological format as it shows your most recent experience first. To see if other formats suit you better, learn more about resume templates and formats for your brand manager resume.

Learning from others is always a good idea if you are not sure where to start. Browse through brand manager resumes online and take notes of what impresses you and what you should avoid.

A brand manager resume that wins a job is not only good but also  matches the position. Remember to take a close look at the job requirements and descriptions of your desired brand manager position and make tweaks to your resume before submitting it.

A brand manager cover letter should show your personality, experience, motivation, and even writing skills. It is recommended to take the time to write one, even if it’s optional.

A great brand manager does not allow spelling errors or typos in any communication materials. Make sure there are no errors in your resume by proofreading it again and again before submitting it.

1. Resume profile (personal information)

Make sure you have your personal information on the very top of your brand manager resume, including full name, email address, phone number, and location. If you have a portfolio website and LinkedIn profile, include them in the resume profile as well.

2. Resume headline

A resume headline or a resume title states who you are as a professional, usually a career title with a few adjectives or phrases. Try to make it short but concise.

3. Resume summary

A resume summary for brand managers is just like a core brand message. Think of yourself as a brand: Who are you? What makes you special? What makes you better than other candidates? In 2-3 sentences, highlight your best achievements and skills.

4. Resume objective (optional)

If you don’t have enough experience to write a compelling resume summary, a resume objective is a great alternative. A brand manager resume objective states your career goals and key motivations instead of past experiences.

5. Skills

Employers are looking for skills. A clear list of skills makes your resume look a lot more professional. Remember to be concise; only list brand management skills that you have that are also relevant to the position.

6. Work experience

Welcome to the most crucial part of your brand manager resume! The work experience section lists your professional experience in branding, including full-time, part-time, and even freelance jobs. First, list key information of the jobs such as title, company name, and date of employment. Next, concisely summarize your work responsibilities and achievements in bullet points.

7. Education

If you are writing a senior brand manager resume, education would be a short section. Simply list your highest degree with the name of your university, major, and graduation date.

If you are creating an entry-level brand manager resume with limited work experience, education is a great place to show your experience and skills. For example, GPA, academic awards, relevant coursework, or extracurricular activities can all make you stand out.

8. Additional information

Want to show that you are skilled in branding? While there aren’t many certifications specifically for brand managers, you probably have some proud campaigns in your back pocket.

List a few projects that you are most proud of on your brand manager resume. It is even better if these projects are searchable on the internet. Also make sure you include any awards you received to build even more credibility.

 📍  1. Customize your brand manager resume for each position.

Each job - even with identical titles - has slight differences. When you apply for multiple brand manager positions, remember to make tweaks that speak directly to the company and the position.

 📍  2. Use Keywords from the job description.

The most common method to customize your brand manager resume is to use the keywords from the job requirements and descriptions. Recruiters can then easily recognize you as a match for the job.

 📍  3. Quantify results on resumes.

“Increased Instagram followers by 22%” looks a lot more credible than “greatly boosted number of followers” because you provide objective numbers. If you have data about your work result, do not hesitate to include them in your brand manager resume.

 📍  4. Choose an ATS-friendly brand manager resume format.

If you are applying through a job application site, an ATS (Application Tracking System) will likely read it before a human does. Try to avoid tables, charts, and complicated columns because the ATS will often not recognize them.

 📍  5. Include resume action words (verbs).

In the work experience section, it is recommended to describe your work with action words. Those verbs are great tools to explain your experience more vividly.

 📍  6. Stick to your core brand message.

As a brand manager, you create all sorts of communication materials that convey a single brand message. As a job candidate, you should also think of yourself as a brand. From your brand manager resume summary to your cover letter, the core message - usually your best skills and your motivation - should remain consistent as well.

Speaking of cover letters, what makes a compelling cover letter for brand managers?

While those are the key elements you should include, cover letters for brand managers actually allow more creativity than resumes. Apply your branding skills to craft a convincing and impressive story of yourself as the best candidate!

--- Originally written by Ashley Lee ---