In simple terms, a content creator formulates, creates, and publishes material intended for entertainment, instruction, or marketing. When we say content creation these days, we are almost always referring to digital content. Some forms of digital content creation include social media posts (the most recognized), blogs, newsletters, articles, digital marketing material, etc.
Content creators may work alone and may create their own brand and following and then collaborate with brands at a fee; this is the case for most social media influencer content creators. Alternatively, content creators can also be hired by a company to work solely on their brand as in-house content creators. Content creators can also work on a freelance basis, and work with a handful of companies/clients at a go.
Unlike most professions, there is no traditional way to begin as a content creator. The only prerequisite is that you be highly creative, disciplined, business savvy, and that you produce engaging content. However, an educational background in a creative field such as graphic design, production, or art would be highly beneficial in building up your skillset and proving your capabilities to potential employers.
A content creator will create engaging content to be delivered via various mediums and for a variety of purposes. Sometimes they want to increase sales of a product, while other times they may want to gain followers for an organization or cause. Whatever, the purpose, a content creator needs to be highly creative and multi-skilled in the production process.
For a general content creator resume, it is necessary the highlight the breadth of your content creation experience. Including all the different forms of content you have created will, therefore, work to your benefit. Furthermore, like this sample resume, you will want to list all the tools you are familiar with for creating content. This will give potential employers, a strong understanding of your capabilities and what standard of content they can expect from you.
As a general content creator, being able to highlight your skills in planning, admin, editing, production, marketing, etc, will give you a leg up over other content creators who only specialize in writing content. So be sure to list any additional skills used in the stages of production.
There are always new technologies and programs that can be used for content creation. Maintaining an updated tools section with the latest content creation technology is a good indication to potential employers that you are current and knowledgeable about the industry. If you do not know how to use the latest technology, take a crash course online before adding it to your resume.
A digital content creator specializes in creating content for digital platforms. These platforms may include social media, blogs, websites, etc. Because of the digital aspect, this position calls for someone with expertise in the internet, SEO, social media trends, online advertising trends, etc. So ensure that you list any educational background that indicates knowledge in any of the above, or experience that will indicate the same. You will also want your experience to show that you are skilled in more than one digital platform. So don’t fall into the trap of only listing social-media-related tasks that you have completed. It may be very popular currently, but employers might be looking for a content creator for other digital platforms as well.
Companies do not just hire content creators for cool content. A company’s end goal is almost always to make money or increase brand awareness. So they need content that will connect with their client base and convince them to make purchases. If you have figures of how much money a previous client made thanks to your content, be sure to include that in your resume.
If you are creating a digital content creator resume, ensure that your skills section is equally specific to digital-related skills. Include skills like SEO expertise, social media analytic expertise, WordPress expertise, etc.
As the name suggests, video content creators specialize in producing video material for their clients. The video content may range from advertising material to instructional videos to just pure entertainment. You may be able to create this content on your own, with your team, or with the client’s team. Because of the time and money it takes to produce videos, communication skills are incredibly important to ensure that all involved parties are on the same page before and during production.
Your resume should highlight your video-producing experience and any success your previous content has had. Even more importantly, you will want to clearly list all video editing software or other video production software & hardware that you are experienced with. This sample resume does both very effectively.
Creating video content is a multi-step process from concept development, to video production, to editing and publishing. To have your resume stand out from the crowd, highlight any experience in as many of the stages of production as possible. A client is more likely to hire someone who can create a script for a video and edit the video, as opposed to someone who can only create the script.
Technology is always advancing, and content creation programs are always improving. Ensure that you stay up-to-date with the latest software programs. And if you want to bolster your resume, get yourself certified as an expert in those programs. You can get certified by taking a short course offered by the software company or by an e-learning platform. It’s just one way to put you above the rest.
A marketing content creator specializes in conceptualizing and creating engaging content that will result in higher sales or visibility for their client. Beyond creating the content, you will be expected to create marketing strategies, and monitor how well a marketing campaign is doing using analytical tools. Having an educational background in digital marketing would be highly beneficial, as would any digital marketing experience you have had in the content creation field or outside of it. In addition, having strong communication skills is essential, as you will most likely find yourself collaborating with others in the course of the marketing campaign.
At its core, the goal of marketing is sales. So showing potential employers how effective your content is at creating sales is paramount. Include figures of how many sales your marketing content brought in, to impress your potential employers and stand out from the crowd.
Potential employers need to feel confident that you actually have expertise in marketing and are not just a general content creator. An easy way to prove this is to list any marketing-related certification you may have. This may be from your educational background, or a marketing-specific course you did online. For bonus points, take a marketing course that is content-creation-specific.
A content strategist is a savvy marketing professional who uses an array of content creation skills to create inbound interest in a company or product. Content strategists typically develop and execute a brand’s content strategy by using several marketing channels. They oversee content planning, social media content, production and distribution, search engine optimization, and more.
To get a job as a content strategist, you’ll need a bachelor's degree in marketing, English, or communications. Hiring managers will like to see previous related experience, particularly with social media or digital marketing. Prior roles as a social media analyst, digital marketing associate, or content creator will help you land this role. In addition, hiring managers may be looking for a candidate with experience in video editing, webpage creation, blogging, and more.
An easy and effective way to show content you’ve created in the past is to create a portfolio of your past work. You can create a webpage portfolio that can easily be emailed to potential employers alongside your resume. As long as you have permission to share your previous work, this is a great way to allow hiring managers to get a real feel for your talent.
When writing your resume as a content creator, you need to include all skills relevant to the production of content. Here are some hard skills suggestions from content creation postings.
Add these skills to the skills section on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Content Creator job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Strong action verbs tell a client your role in the content creation process. Content creation resumes should use action verbs like "Created", "Monitored" or “Edited”. These are strong action verbs that effectively showcase a content creator’s capabilities.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Template 5 of 6: Social Media Content Creator Resume Example
As the name suggests, social media content creators create content meant for release on social media platforms. Many social media content creators are also ‘influencers’ and will be paid to attract the attention of their sizeable followers to a specific brand or product. Other social media content creators will work within a company or as freelancers, creating content for the company’s social media channels.
Being a social media content creator requires you to have an acute understanding of each social media channel, the algorithms behind it, and what kind of content attracts engagement. Show your understanding of social media on your resume by showing the success of your previous campaigns, or by listing any certifications you have taken that are social media related.
Tips to help you write your Social Media Content Creator resume in 2023
Include your social media information.
For many social media content creators, access to their social media following is what they are selling. If this is the kind of content creator you are, include your social media handles, in your resume and some information on your following’s demographic and engagement rates. It will make it easier for potential clients to identify if your followers are part of their customer base.
Show differentiation in social media platforms.
Every social media platform works very differently from the next. Likewise, the content that may work on one platform may not be very effective on another. Because of this, Ensure that you specify in your experience, what content you created for which platform and how effective it was. Do not group all social media platforms together if at all possible.
Skills you can include on your Social Media Content Creator resume