Advertising Agency Manager Resume Examples for 2024

Jump to a template:

Advertising Agency Manager

Get advice on each section of your resume:

Summary

Experience

Education

Skills

Jump to a resource:

Advertising Agency Manager Resume Tips

Keywords

Google Docs Template #1

Advertising Agency Manager Resume Sample

An advertising agency manager is in charge of the agency’s advertising campaigns. Your tasks include planning and overseeing the campaigns and communicating with the client, creative team, and other stakeholders needed for a campaign's success. This position is an office job that is particularly fast-paced and high stress due to the many moving pieces and deadlines.

Recruiters will expect to see a bachelor’s degree in advertising or a related field, a wealth of experience in an agency and a managerial position, and success in your previous positions. This resume does a good job of capturing all of the above.

Buy Template (Word + Google Docs) Download Resume in PDF

Screenshot

Text Version

Advertising agency manager resume sample that highlights applicant's experience and extensive skill set.

Tips to help you write your Advertising Agency Manager resume in 2024

Quantify your output and success as an agency manager.

Recruiters want to know that you are a time and money-efficient agency manager. So include how many campaigns you managed, how much time or money you saved the agency, and how many clients you successfully worked with. You will also want to note the actual size of the teams you have successfully managed.

Also see: How to Quantify Your Resume: What Recruiters Look For (50+ Examples)

Quantify your output and success as an agency manager. - Advertising Agency Manager Resume

Expand

List areas of specialization in advertising.

Have you had a lot of experience advertising for medical products or events? If you have extensive marketing experience for a specific industry, ensure that you make that known in your intro section.

Also see: How To Tailor Your Resume To a Job and Write a Targeted Resume

List areas of specialization in advertising. - Advertising Agency Manager Resume

Expand

Advertising Agency Manager Resume Tips

As a hiring manager who has recruited for top advertising agencies like Ogilvy, BBDO, and Wieden+Kennedy, I've seen countless resumes for advertising agency manager positions. The best resumes are tailored to the specific skills and experience required for success in this role. In this article, we'll share some tips and examples to help you create a strong resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers in the advertising industry.

Highlight your experience managing client relationships

Advertising agency managers are responsible for managing relationships with key clients. Highlight your experience in this area by including specific examples of how you've successfully managed client accounts.

Managed a portfolio of 5 key client accounts, including Coca-Cola and Nike, with annual budgets totaling $50M
Led a team of 10 account managers to deliver exceptional client service, resulting in a 95% client retention rate

Avoid simply listing your responsibilities without providing context or results.

Managed client accounts
Responsible for client communication

Bullet Point Samples for Advertising Agency Manager

Expand

Showcase your leadership and team management skills

Advertising agency managers often oversee teams of account managers, creatives, and other agency staff. Demonstrate your ability to lead and manage teams by including examples of successful projects you've led.

Led a cross-functional team of 15 to develop and execute a new brand strategy for a major client, resulting in a 20% increase in sales
Mentored and coached a team of 5 junior account managers, resulting in 2 promotions to senior roles within 6 months

Avoid using vague or generic descriptions of your leadership experience.

Led a team
Managed projects

Demonstrate your ability to drive revenue growth

Advertising agency managers are often responsible for growing revenue from existing clients and winning new business. Show how you've contributed to agency growth by including specific examples of successful pitches, upsells, or new business wins.

Led the pitch team that won a $10M account with a major new client, contributing to 15% year-over-year agency revenue growth
Developed and implemented an upsell strategy that increased revenue from existing clients by 25% over 12 months

Avoid making claims about your ability to drive growth without backing them up with evidence.

Helped the agency grow revenue
Contributed to new business efforts

Highlight your industry expertise and thought leadership

Advertising agency managers are expected to be experts in their industry and to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. Showcase your expertise by including examples of thought leadership, such as:

Spoke at the 2022 AdWeek conference on the future of digital advertising, with an audience of 500+ industry professionals
Authored a whitepaper on emerging trends in social media marketing that was downloaded 1,000+ times

Avoid simply listing your skills or areas of expertise without providing examples of how you've demonstrated them.

Expert in digital advertising
Skilled in social media marketing

Tailor your resume to the specific agency and role

Advertising agencies have different specialties, clients, and cultures. Research the agency you're applying to and tailor your resume to highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant to their needs.

Resume Summary: Experienced advertising agency manager with a proven track record of leading successful campaigns for top consumer brands. Expertise in developing data-driven strategies that drive measurable results. Skilled in managing cross-functional teams and building strong client relationships. Passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and best practices.

Avoid using a generic resume summary that could apply to any advertising agency or role.

Experienced advertising professional seeking a challenging new role. Skilled in all areas of advertising, from creative development to media buying. A team player with strong communication skills.

Use metrics to quantify your impact and achievements

Advertising is a results-driven industry, so it's important to use metrics to quantify your impact and achievements whenever possible. Include specific numbers and percentages to show the scale and significance of your contributions.

Managed a $5M advertising campaign for a major automotive client that resulted in a 10% increase in sales and a 5% increase in market share
Led a team of 20 to develop and execute a new brand identity for a global consumer products company, resulting in a 25% increase in brand awareness and a 15% increase in sales

Avoid using vague or unquantified statements about your achievements.

Managed successful advertising campaigns
Led rebranding efforts for a major client

Writing Your Advertising Agency Manager Resume: Section By Section

Summary

While a resume summary is optional, it can be a powerful tool for advertising agency managers to contextualize their experience and highlight their most relevant skills. A well-crafted summary can quickly grab the attention of hiring managers and showcase your unique value proposition. However, it's crucial to avoid using an objective statement, as they are outdated and fail to effectively market your abilities.

When writing your summary, focus on showcasing your key strengths, experience, and accomplishments that align with the advertising agency manager role. Tailor your language to the specific industry and position, emphasizing your leadership abilities, strategic thinking, and client management skills. Remember, your summary should complement the rest of your resume, not repeat information verbatim.

How to write a resume summary if you are applying for an Advertising Agency Manager resume

Expand

1. Highlight your advertising expertise and leadership skills

Your summary should immediately convey your expertise in the advertising industry and your ability to lead teams effectively. Emphasize your years of experience, key skills, and most notable achievements.

Avoid generic statements that could apply to any advertising professional, such as:

Experienced advertising professional with a proven track record of success
Strong leadership skills and ability to manage teams

Instead, provide specific details that showcase your unique value proposition:

Dynamic advertising agency manager with 10+ years of experience driving successful campaigns for Fortune 500 clients
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, foster client relationships, and deliver innovative marketing strategies that exceed KPIs

To ensure your summary resonates with hiring managers, consider using our Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes your resume against a specific job description, identifying key skills and keywords to include for optimal impact.

2. Showcase your impact with metrics and client names

Quantify your achievements and showcase the impact you've had on clients to make your summary more compelling. Use metrics to demonstrate your success in driving revenue, increasing brand awareness, or improving campaign performance.

Results-driven advertising agency manager with a proven track record of delivering innovative campaigns for top-tier clients, including Coca-Cola and Nike. Spearheaded a digital marketing initiative that increased online sales by 35% and generated a 50% increase in social media engagement.

By incorporating specific client names and measurable achievements, you'll create a summary that stands out to hiring managers and effectively communicates your value.

Remember, your summary should be concise, typically no more than 3-4 sentences. Focus on your most impressive accomplishments and the skills that directly relate to the advertising agency manager role you're seeking.

Experience

Your work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you prove to employers that you have the right experience to excel in the advertising agency manager role you're targeting.

In this section, we'll cover the exact steps to write an effective work experience section that will impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing interviews.

1. Use strong advertising action verbs

When describing your work experience, choose powerful action verbs that showcase your advertising and management abilities:

Spearheaded a cross-functional team to develop and execute a national multimedia campaign
Orchestrated agency pitches to secure new client accounts worth $2M+ annually
Collaborated with creative directors to align campaign messaging with client branding
Liaised between account executives and production to ensure timely, on-budget delivery

Avoid bland, overused verbs that don't convey meaningful actions:

Worked on client projects
Helped with new business development
Responsible for team oversight

Action Verbs for Advertising Agency Manager

Expand

Use a variety of compelling verbs to engage readers and paint a vivid picture of your advertising expertise. If you're unsure if your resume has the right mix of action verbs, try Targeted Resume to see how your resume stacks up against advertising agency manager job descriptions.

2. Quantify your advertising impact

As an advertising professional, you know the importance of metrics. Show the measurable impact of your work by weaving in numbers, dollars and percentages.

Compare this metric-driven bullet point:

Managed a $5M annual digital ad budget, increasing ROAS by 30% and customer acquisition by 15% YoY through strategic campaign optimization

With one that lacks specifics:

Oversaw digital advertising campaigns and budgets to improve performance and grow customer base

Quantifying your accomplishments gives employers concrete evidence of your abilities and helps your resume stand out from the competition.

When estimating metrics, use your best judgment and be prepared to discuss your process. If you don't have hard numbers, look for other ways to provide context, like project scale, team size, or efficiency improvements.

3. Highlight your career progression

Employers want to see that you've progressed and taken on more responsibility throughout your advertising career. As you describe each role, make your trajectory clear:

Senior Account Director
BBDO NY | New York, NY | Jan 2019–Present
Oversee a team of 12 to manage integrated campaigns for luxury auto client with $25M annual billings
Landed agency-of-record contract with client in 2020 through successful new campaign pitch
Account Supervisor
BBDO NY | New York, NY | June 2016–Jan 2019
Led client communications and strategy for two CPG brands with combined $10M scope
Implemented new creative approval workflow, reducing rounds of revisions by 50%

Aim to demonstrate a clear upward path in your career, with increasing levels of responsibility and larger project scopes over time. If your resume doesn't paint a strong picture of progression, consider using a functional or hybrid format.

4. Showcase your leadership abilities

Advertising agency managers are, first and foremost, leaders. Use your work experience section to highlight your ability to lead teams, projects and client relationships.

Provide examples of how you:

Built and mentored high-performing teams
Inspired creativity and collaboration
Made strategic decisions to drive client success
Navigated challenges and conflicts
Influenced stakeholders and negotiated with clients

Assembled and led a 15-person account team to successfully pitch and win the agency's largest client to date, a $50M telecommunications account. Developed team structure, hired and onboarded new talent, and guided campaign development to secure two Effie Awards within the first year.

In addition to your professional leadership experience, consider including relevant extracurricular leadership roles, such as serving on an industry association board or spearheading an employee resource group. These experiences can further demonstrate your leadership abilities.

Education

Your education section should show you have the academic foundation needed for an advertising agency manager role. It's a short section but has some nuances depending on your career stage. Here's how to approach it:

1. Put education at the top if you're a recent grad

If you graduated within the past 3 years and have limited work experience, put your education section above your work experience. This way, employers see your most relevant qualifications first.

You can also include relevant coursework, academic projects, or extracurriculars that relate to advertising or management:

Relevant Coursework: Advertising Strategy, Digital Marketing, Creative Writing
Senior Capstone: Developed a comprehensive marketing campaign for a local non-profit, resulting in a 20% increase in donations

If you had a strong GPA (3.5 or above), consider including it to further highlight your academic achievements.

2. Keep it concise if you're a mid to senior-level pro

If you have several years of work experience, your education section should be brief. Employers will be more interested in your professional accomplishments. A bad example:

University of California, Los Angeles
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Graduated: June 2010
GPA: 3.8
Relevant Coursework: Advertising Principles, Marketing Research, Consumer Behavior, Creative Strategy

Instead, keep it to 1-2 lines:

University of California, Los Angeles
BA in Communication Studies

If you have a graduate degree relevant to advertising or management, include it. But for most mid to senior roles, your bachelor's degree is sufficient.

3. Include relevant certifications

If you have certifications that are relevant to advertising or agency management, include them in your education section or in a separate 'Certifications' section. For example:

Google Ads Certification
HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification
Facebook Blueprint Certification

These show you have specific skills and knowledge that can benefit the agency.

Only include substantial certifications from recognized organizations. Online courses or workshops usually aren't significant enough to include, unless highly relevant to the job.

Skills

The skills section of your advertising agency manager resume is where you highlight your top abilities that make you a great fit for the role. It's important to be strategic about which skills you include and how you present them. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling skills section:

1. Align skills with the job description

When deciding which skills to include, carefully review the job description for the advertising agency manager role you're targeting. Look for the key skills, tools, and qualifications the employer is seeking. Then, mirror that language in your skills section where applicable.

Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to automatically scan resumes for relevant keywords before a human even looks at them. By aligning your skills to the job description, you increase your chances of passing that initial screening. For example:

Client relationship management
Cross-functional collaboration
Budget management
Omnichannel marketing strategy
Copywriting and editing
Adobe Creative Suite

After tailoring your skills section, consider using a tool like Resume Worded's Targeted Resume to double-check that your resume has enough of the right keywords to get past ATS filters.

2. Categorize skills for easy skimming

Hiring managers and recruiters are often short on time when reviewing resumes. Make it easy for them to quickly assess your qualifications by grouping your skills into relevant categories. Some examples for an advertising manager could be:

Advertising: Omnichannel campaigns, media buying, SEO/SEM, creative briefs
Project Management: Agile methodology, cross-functional leadership, budgeting
Client Relations: Presentations, contract negotiation, account growth
Software: Google Analytics, Adobe Creative Suite, Salesforce CRM

Avoid overly broad or vague categories like this:

Management Skills
Advertising Expertise
Software Proficiency

Struggling to decide which skills are your strongest? Try running your resume through Score My Resume by Resume Worded. It will pinpoint which skills need more highlighting to impress hiring managers.

3. Emphasize advanced proficiency levels

If you have expert-level abilities in certain advertising skills, tools or software, make that clear. This helps you stand out from other candidates who may only have basic proficiency. Some effective ways to do this:

Google Analytics (Advanced Certification)
Expert in developing data-driven media plans
Highly skilled in agile project management

However, avoid subjective descriptions or 'ratings' of your skills like this, which come across as fluff:

SEO/SEM (5/5)
Advertising strategy (Master level)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Client presentations

If you do include expert-level skills, be prepared to discuss in depth during interviews how you've applied them to deliver strong advertising results.

4. Focus on hard skills over soft skills

As an advertising agency manager, many of your most important skills are hard skills - technical abilities and industry-specific expertise you've developed through training and experience. Prioritize these over soft skills in your resume skills section.

Hard skills to potentially include:

Advertising strategy development
Copywriting and editing
Performance marketing (paid search, paid social, etc.)
Marketing automation tools (Marketo, Pardot, etc.)

Soft skills like communication, leadership, creativity are best demonstrated through your work achievements in other resume sections. Avoid this common mistake:

Communication
Creativity
Team player
Strong work ethic

When in doubt, leave it out. An overly long list of skills, especially a mix of soft and hard skills, can make it seem like you're stuffing in keywords rather than tailoring your resume.

Skills For Advertising Agency Manager Resumes

Here are examples of popular skills from Advertising Agency Manager job descriptions that you can include on your resume.

Match Your Resume To These Skills

Skills Word Cloud For Advertising Agency Manager Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Advertising Agency Manager job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.

Top Advertising Agency Manager Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

For more skills, visit Advertising Agency Manager Skills & Keywords.

Turn your career into a rocketship. In 5 minutes a week.

Get a free bi-weekly coaching email from a $750/hour career coach. Get proven strategies on how to unlock your career's potential, meet VIPs in your industry and turn your career into a rocketship.

No fluff. No noise. Join the 1.2+ million professionals who are getting ahead in their careers, for free.

"I've 3x'd my salary in just two years. My friends think I'm smart (I'm not). Resume Worded's Coached email series is my secret weapon to trick them though. It's working wonderfully. Try it."
- A Coached Reader