5 VP of Marketing Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

The marketing landscape is ever-changing. With the development and spread of AI, other new technologies, and fast-paced shifting consumer mindsets, it’s now more important than ever to stay vigilant.

As a Vice President (VP) of Marketing, you’re sure to have developed an amazing ability to sell ideas, brands, new trends, and many more. But what about selling yourself in this dynamic and competitive field?

In this article, we’ll show you how to craft the perfect VP of Marketing resume.

You will learn:

• What a job-winning VP of Marketing resume looks like (with specific examples).
• How to best format your resume.
• What sections to add to your VP of Marketing resume.
• How to craft a short, but impactful skills section showcasing your leadership and specific marketing skills.
• How to detail your work experiences with a balance of quantifiable achievements and strategic marketing narratives.
• How to structure a clear and compelling career trajectory that underscores your progression into a VP role.

VP of Marketing, not your exact desired role? We have guides on other specific executive-level positions in marketing, such as

• Marketing director resume
• CMO resume 
• Brand director resume
• Social media director resume 

How to format a VP of Marketing resume

A well-formatted VP of Marketing resume will keep the reader’s attention and allow them to focus on your extensive experience and achievements.

The formatting of your resume is also the first thing that will form the reader’s impression of you, so you have to make sure to make it look professional by following these steps…

1. Use the reverse chronological format: This is the format where your latest experience is at the top of your resume experience section. This format is what most recruiters and hiring managers are expecting, and it kicks off your resume with your most relevant previous roles. Hiring managers for a VP of Marketing will want to see your previous experience as a marketing executive, director, manager, etc. first. It lets them know immediately that you are relevant for their job opening and what your exact specialization is.

2. Add a header: The header is the topmost part of your resume. This is where you put down your up-to-date contact information. Include a professional-sounding email (e.g. Catherine.Heath@mail.com), your phone number (don’t forget the area code), your location (city and state/country), and a link to a relevant professional website if you have one (e.g. your online marketing portfolio, LinkedIn page, etc.). As for a photo: do include one if you’re applying in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. Do not include one if you’re applying in the USA, United Kingdom, or Ireland.

3. Choose a modern design: Customize your resume, feel free to experiment with the design. Choose one that has standout sections for your marketing or executive-related publications, research, awards, media appearances, etc. There’s no need to choose something too creative, but a sleek, visual design will help you stand out and make your resume easy to read.

4. Keep it short: As a VP of Marketing, you are sure to have decades of relevant experience and incredible achievements. However, remember to be selective when it comes to adding them to your resume. Summarize your top achievements in one or two sentences, highlight notable awards and publications as a bullet list vs. described in a paragraph (add hyperlinks to them if you want an opportunity to expand on them), and only focus on past experiences relevant to the VP of Marketing job you’re applying to now. Your resume should be no more than 2 pages long.

5. Save it as a PDF file: Once you’re finished with your resume and ready to send it out, make sure to save it as a PDF file. This will keep all your formatting, alignments, and designs in place. Plus, PDF files are readable by any software and operating system.

How to write your VP of Marketing resume experience

Let’s start with the core of your resume - the Experience section.

Following the reverse chronological order described above, start listing your work experiences.

Here are the do's and don'ts of your VP of Marketing experience section:

DO NOT:

• Add any job experience that has nothing to do with the VP of Marketing role you're applying to now. You likely have years of noteworthy experience in different fields, but detailing them in your VP of Marketing resume is likely to distract the reader.

• Just list the responsibilities you've had at each job. The recruiters and hiring managers for a VP of Marketing role are well aware that if you’ve held the title of VP of Marketing, or similar, you have had the responsibilities tied to this job, which they are well-versed on.

• Include every single achievement you've had at your previous jobs. While they may have been impactful, the reader of your resume is only looking for achievements that will be relevant to their company's future marketing goals.

DO:

• Only expand on your relevant experience, i.e. experience in the field of marketing, or any form of high-level, executive, or directorial experience. Have your latest jobs been as a CMO, VP of Growth, Brand or Digital Marketing Manager, Marketing Director, or anything else similar? Make sure to focus on those.

• Use between 4 and 6 bullet points to describe your latest and executive-level positions, and between 1 and 2 bullet points for your lower-level marketing experiences from further back (e.g. Marketing Specialist, Copywriter, Social Media Expert, etc.)

• Focus on highlighting how you contributed to each previous company's marketing efforts. List and describe specific accomplishments and unique-to-you successful efforts in achieving goals. Make sure to back up your stated achievements with data.

• Tailor your experience entries to the job you’re currently applying for. Does the job ad state that the VP of Marketing of this company will be responsible for launching new products on the market? Mention a notable achievement from a previous role regarding product launching.

Let’s look at an example of a resume experience entry of a VP of Marketing:

The difference between the wrong and right example is immediately evident.

The wrong example lists, in this case, a CMO’s job responsibilities. Whereas the candidate from the right example, while still holding the same job responsibilities, focuses on top achievements (“increased Audiotrix's global market share”, improved brand awareness”) and unique and relevant experience (“implemented cutting-edge data analytics software solutions”, "led Audiotrix's entire marketing business unit”).

The wrong example also doesn’t flesh out the hypothetical candidate’s experience. Sure, they “used all marketing tools at their disposal”, but what tools were those? Did they introduce new marketing strategies, or merely leverage already existing ones? How did they oversee global marketing campaigns and liaison between key stakeholders? Were they in charge of any marketing teams? Did they personally utilize SEO and email marketing? It gives no details and doesn’t even hint at any significant contribution to the CMO processes.

It’s also especially noteworthy that the wrong example doesn’t give any quantifiable evidence of the candidate’s experience and achievements. Good examples of accomplishments are backed up by data. It makes them stand out and they add more weight to the achievement (“increased revenue by 33%” vs. the mere statement of “increased revenue”).

Speaking of adding data-driven metrics to your resume…

How to quantify impact on your resume

Quantifying your previous impactful achievements is imperative in adding tangible evidence and value to them. Here’s how you can do that:

• Include the budget sizes managed to demonstrate financial acumen and trustworthiness with significant company resources.
• Detail percentage increases in lead generation from implemented marketing campaigns to showcase strategic planning and execution skills.
• Mention the number of team members led in previous roles to illustrate leadership and team management capabilities.
• Specify revenue growth achieved through marketing initiatives to highlight direct impact on company profitability.
• Report the percentage improvement in brand awareness or market share to demonstrate strategic brand management.
• Provide the number of successful product launches overseen to showcase project management and strategic planning abilities.
• Mention the conversion rate improvements achieved through marketing strategies to illustrate a focus on tangible outcomes.
• Detail the scale of digital campaigns managed, such as reach or impressions, to demonstrate experience in wide-scale marketing initiatives.

How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume

Your skills section brings attention to the top hard and soft skills that you’ve gained along your marketing career path.

Hard skills are job-specific abilities gained by specific training or education, such as proficiency in certain technical skills (e.g. Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, etc.) or other tangible abilities like budget management, graphic design, PPC advertising, and so on.

Soft skills are generally personality traits and strengths, such as leadership, teamwork, effective communication, creativity, conflict resolution, and so on.

As a VP of Marketing, both your hard skills and your soft skills are essential to your role. So make sure to include both in your resume. Just below we’ve listed the top hard and soft skills that a VP of Marketing should possess. Remember to keep your resume short though, only include skills you’ve excelled at and are most relevant to the current job you’re applying to.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

At this high of a level in the marketing job hierarchy you’re competing with other job candidates with just as much experience and qualifications. And it can be your education and specialization in the marketing field that lands you the job.

So it’s important to list any relevant education, course completion, and certification you may have.

In the education section add the highest level of formal education you’ve achieved, i.e. PhD, M.S., B.A., or high school degree. Only include lower levels of education if they add value to your VP of Marketing application.

The must-haves of your education entries are:

• The name of the degree
• The name of the school/college/university
• The location of the school/college/university
• Your timeframe of attendance

The optional additions to your education entries are:

• Your GPA (only if above 3.5 on a 4.0 scale)
• Relevant honors or extra-curricular activities
• Relevant coursework or capstone project

Here’s an example of what your Education section should look like:

Have you also completed any significant courses beyond your formal education? List them as well, as such:

And at the Vice President level of marketing including any relevant certification you have is paramount. Add them in a separate Certifications section by just listing them, much like your skills.

How to write your VP of Marketing resume summary or objective

You may have heard of the resume summary and objective. Essentially they’re the same section, but the difference is…

The summary is a short paragraph summarizing your most notable experience and skills.

The objective is a short statement of your future career goals.

We advise that you use the resume summary as it is more fitting for a professional with richer field-relevant experience.

A good resume summary for a VP of Marketing should…

• be one or two sentences long.
• include your job title and years of experience in marketing and/or management.
• list 1-2 of your best achievements in the field.
• mention some of your top skills.

A bad example would be:

Here’s what’s wrong here:

• Doesn’t use specific metrics to indicate years of experience or notable career-making achievements.
• Highlights experience that is too vague and nonspecific (“helping companies develop their marketing strategy”, “direct and indirect leadership”).
• Also highlights skills that are too vague and nonspecific (“all things Google”, “other forms of digital advertising”).
• This example, while technically accurately summarizing a VP of Marketing’s professional trajectory, adds nothing of substance in terms of skills and achievements. Recruiters already know that a VP of Marketing will have experience in marketing strategy, digital advertising, and leadership.

And a good example would be:

Here’s what’s right here:

• Uses numbers to quantify years of experience and top achievements (“10+ years of experience in marketing”, “increasing company ROI by 12-33%”).
• This example summarizes the applicant’s career trajectory in a short, concise way that puts the spotlight on noteworthy achievements and top skills only.
• It adds substance to the title of VP of Marketing: a VP of Marketing who excels at increasing ROI, budget management, data analytics, and brand development.

Additional sections for a VP of Marketing resume

As a VP of Marketing you are likely to need more than just the standard issue resume sections, as VPs attend professional events, conferences, teach, do volunteer work, have published works, etc.

We recommend figuring out which of the sections below are most relevant to you and replacing long experience entries or too many bullets/details with some of these.

This is sure to make your resume stand out.

• Publications and Presentations: Highlighting any articles, blogs, or presentations given at industry events to showcase thought leadership in the marketing field.
• Awards and Honors: Detailing any relevant industry awards or recognitions that highlight exceptional performance and accomplishments in previous roles.
• Projects: Showcasing specific marketing projects, campaigns, or initiatives that were led by the candidate, especially those that had a significant impact on the business.
• Testimonials: Including quotes or feedback from colleagues, superiors, or clients that attest to the candidate’s skills and achievements.
• Conferences and Events: Listing participation or speaking engagements at industry conferences and events to demonstrate continuous learning and networking in the marketing field.
• Professional Associations: Mentioning memberships in professional marketing associations to show commitment to the field and staying updated with industry trends.
• Volunteer Experience: Detailing relevant volunteer work, especially if it involves skills or experiences pertinent to the marketing role.
• Additional Training: Including any additional workshops, seminars, or courses attended that are relevant to the role and showcase a commitment to continuous learning.
• Languages: Listing spoken languages and showcasing possible foreign language proficiency, especially if the job being applied for includes some form of international work.
• References: Linking to any relevant professional references available.

Key takeaways

And that’s all you need to know about crafting a job-winning VP of Marketing resume.

Following these best practices and specific guidelines will ensure that your job application stands out and lands you your dream job.

To summarize:

• Format your VP of Marketing resume in reverse chronological order, add your contact information, consider whether it’s appropriate to add a photo, keep it one-page long, and save it as a PDF file.
• Include the following sections: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, and Achievements.
• Consider including additional sections if applicable.
• Focus on your greatest achievements and contributions, as opposed to the mere job responsibilities you've had.
• Tailor your resume to the current VP of Marketing job ad being applied for.
• List marketing-related and executive-level hard and soft skills.
• Quantify the impact you've had on previous employers' marketing goals by using data-driven metrics and examples.