Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Communications Specialist job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Communications Specialist posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Media Relations, Corporate Communications and Press Releases are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Communications Specialist job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are common soft skills that appear on Communications Specialist job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills. Instead of listing these phrases on your resume, try to show them through your bullet points like in the examples below.
Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
A change communications manager is in charge of the messaging and communications strategy used for each change program/project. This communication messaging will be directed to the internal staff as well as external stakeholders. Your tasks will include developing communication strategies, delivering them effectively, and analyzing feedback to improve messaging, amongst others. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are absolutely essential for this role. Likewise, strong people skills are immensely important. In terms of educational background, communications, public relations, journalism degrees, or something in a similar field, is desired. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume.
While experience in the change management department is important, experience in communications is even more important. So stress your communications experience in your resume by including communications experience in and out of the change management department. This resume shows the applicant’s experience in public relations, and communication both in and out of the change management department.
A big way to expand the audience you can communicate with is to expand your language offering. Speaking and writing in multiple languages will give you a huge advantage when applying to multinational companies and will allow you to apply for jobs in multiple regions and countries. This applicant, for example, can work in any English or German-speaking country/company.
A professional in this position is in charge of developing and executing the production of marketing content that communicates information about the company’s products. This content may include product fact sheets, brochures, graphics, etc. As a manager, you will take more of an overseer role so your management and leadership skills need to be strong and effective. You will be expected to have a strong background in marketing and communications and to have an excellent understanding of the company’s products. Because this is a manager's position, at least 5 years of experience will be expected.
To arrive at a management position, you need to show leadership and initiative. Showing a steady ascent in the marketing department with promotions shows that you have been an excellent employee and that previous employers have identified you as someone with leadership potential.
Show recruiters your dedication to the profession by going the extra mile and gaining certification in marketing-related topics. This applicant has certifications in marketing communication and social media marketing.
This resume template is suitable for experienced hires or mid-level hires. The education contains two examples of an education experiences, but only include one (your most recent one) if you're a senior level employee.
It strikes the right balance between white space and content, and doesn't waste space on unnecessary images and icons. Remember, recruiters aren't looking at how creative you are when it comes to your template. Your content is core and should be the focus.
This job seeker uses resume bullet points that uses strong action verbs, and most importantly, contain numbers that demonstrate the significance of their accomplishments.
This template is clean, readable by resume screeners, and is effective at calling out key accomplishments and projects from specific work experiences. This would be useful if you have been at a company for a while, or been in a consulting-type of role, and want to point hiring managers to your most impressive accomplishments.
Action verbs are important on your resume are vital. They evoke strong imagery to your reader, and this resume does an excellent job by using words such as “spearheaded,” “managed,” and “drove.” These words will help you to put your achievements in perspective, in conjunction with measurable results. Use action verbs relating to the skills you want to highlight.
Many of your accomplishments will involve your responsibilities in your employer's high-level projects. Recruiters want to see what you’ve completed in previous roles -- such as the Operations Improvement Project and new iPhone app launch highlighted in this resume. The numbers make your experience real, rather than a vague “oversaw several teams for a project.” What did you do specifically? Be specific.
This two column resume template has been designed and created in Google Docs, and puts an emphasis on a skills section. You can download it in Word, or edit it directly in Google Docs.
The two-column in this Google Docs resume template prioritizes the work experience sections, while maximizing the content into the resume. Not all two column templates are ATS-compatible, but this one is when it is saved as PDF and passed through a resume screener.
Skills sections are a great way to include specific keywords and skills that you have, that haven't been included in other parts of your resume. This helps you get past resume screeners that scan your resume for specific keywords.
If you're a job seeker with a few years of experience under your belt, use a template like this one. It's simple, effective at highlighting our work experience, and minimizes the emphasis on the education section (the dates are omitted which is good to prevent ageism, especially if you graduated more than 10 years ago).
Minimal templates like this one are exactly what mid-to-senior level recruiters want to see - it shows professionalism, focuses on accomplishments, and makes full use of each page.
The first rule about including a resume summary is that it does not repeat accomplishments mentioned elsewhere on the resume. This resume stresses new software engineering and leadership skills right at the top of the resume, and includes an award too. If you include a summary, try to include a mix of both technical accomplishments (e.g. projects you developed or led), as well as career-related accomplishments (e.g. being promoted).
Some popular Communications Specialist hard skills are Strategic Communications, Corporate Communications, Internal Communications, Social Media, Writing, Press Releases, Media Relations and Communications Planning.
Depending on the job you apply to, skills like Public Relations, Journalism, Advertising, Digital Marketing and Marketing Strategy can also be good to include on your resume.
Popular skills we often see on resumes for Marketing Communications Specialist positions include:
In comparison, skills we see on Corporate Communications Specialist resumes include:
Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
