INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Creative Manager positions are at a 10% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 316,800 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 31,800 to 348,600 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Creative Manager jobs was $141,490 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $74,620, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Creative Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top creative manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a creative manager resume experience section
Creative manager resume's job experience checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Creative Manager resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Key contributor to the brand development and growth of multi-million dollar product lines within the KHS America portfolio of over 40 brands
- Manage the Creative Services team, serving as a mentor to evaluate both individual and team performance ensuring that individual and department actions are in line with brand guidelines, corporate values and strategic goals
- Lead planning and production of print and online content to include; catalogs, brochures, ads, logo development, product packaging, trade show graphics, in-store display materials (POP), web and social media content, photo and video shoots to support marketing initiatives, campaigns and promotions
- Successfully implemented a project management system and marketing workflow process that doubled team performance and productivity, and which is currently used globally across the organization
- Finding locations, .....meeting their every needs.
- Implemented data-driven creative design strategy that increased engagement by 25%
- Produced and directed a music video that received over 1 million views on YouTube
- Developed a social media campaign that increased followers by 50% in 6 months
- Managed a team of 10 creative professionals, ensuring timely and quality delivery of creative assets within budget
- Collaborated with external suppliers to create unique and memorable assets that fit the artist's profile
- Created and executed successful branding initiatives for multiple artists, resulting in increased revenue and brand awareness
- Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in response to changes in project scope and timelines
- Designed and executed a successful digital campaign that increased online sales by 30%
- Created and produced a fashion show that generated $500,000 in revenue
- Managed a team of 15 creative professionals, ensuring the delivery of high-quality creative assets on time and within budget
- Developed a social media strategy that increased engagement by 40% in 6 months
- Collaborated with external vendors to produce and execute campaigns, ensuring brand consistency across all channels
- Conducted market research and leveraged audience data to inform creative design
- Received industry recognition for innovative campaign design
- Increased team productivity by 25% through effective project management and delegation.
- Developed and implemented new design processes, resulting in a 20% reduction in project turnaround time.
- Managed and oversaw the delivery of over 50 projects with an average budget of £50,000, ensuring on-time delivery and exceeding client expectations.
- Implemented a new quality control system, resulting in a 30% reduction in errors and an increase in client satisfaction.
- Created and maintained strong client relationships, resulting in repeat business and referrals.
- Coordinated and executed successful marketing campaigns for various clients, resulting in a 15% increase in their revenue.
- Managed and mentored a team of 10 designers and developers, resulting in a 90% employee retention rate.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless project delivery, including UX, content, and development teams.
- Managed the design and production of a successful advertising campaign that generated over 1 million impressions on social media.
PRO TIP
In writing your Creative Manager resume, you will no doubt want to list your previous duties - as you should. But steer clear of just listing your duties, instead of your achievements. Make your resume stand out by communicating what you have done, and not merely what the job needed you to do.
Action verbs for your creative manager resume
Recommended reads:
Creative Manager Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top skills for your creative manager resume
Google Analytics
Wordpress
SEO
HTML
Social Media
Communication
Creative problem solving
Analytical thinking
Influencing
Team work
PRO TIP
Avoid getting sidetracked by Applicant tracking software by including a tech skills' section matching the job description and your own qualifications.
Creative manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for Your Creative Manager Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Creative Manager resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Creative manager resume summary best practices
Checklist: What to include in your Creative Manager resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a professional taster. Use it wisely. Effectively convey your professional profile and let the hiring manager know that if they hire you, they won’t be disappointed. Make sure to include keywords from the job description too! Elaborate on your abilities further in your experience section. Again, cater to the job description.
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Listing your education, certifications and courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top certifications for your creative manager resume
The Superboss Playbook for Managers
Discover how top managers develop high potential talent, lead by teaching, and foster creative, high-performance teams.
Management Skills: New Manager Training Update 2022
Management Skills Certification in Developing People, Leading Teams & Process Improvement in the New Hybrid Work Culture
New Manager: The Basics and More of Being a Great Leader
Go from a slightly uncertain, confused newbie to a confident, skilled manager who builds and leads effective teams.
The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager
Communications for New Managers
Learn from an Emmy-Award Winner and a #1 LinkedIn Instructor on developing effective leadership communications skills.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Creative Manager. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
How to write a creative manager resume
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Creative Manager resume:
Creative manager resume: how to make yours more creative & stand out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Creative Manager resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What makes a great creative manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
