Beginner’s Guide to Writing an Impressive Resume for SEM Jobs
Now that you have Google Ads certification to place on your resume, employers want to see that you have the skills and/or experience to help run a paid search account. Follow these tips to help you write a resume that will impress potential employers for the SEM role you want.
Writing an SEM Resume with Digital Marketing Experience
For those that have prior experience in digital marketing and paid media, there are many skills that are easily transferable to an SEM role. Managing client accounts and relationships give you the relationship management experience you will need to manage clients’ SEM programs and accounts. Having other digital advertising experience provides you the knowledge to more easily understand ad inventory offerings on the Google Ads and Bing Ads networks. Highlight your previous digital marketing accomplishments on your resume so that prospective employers will have an idea of how much of your job experience overlaps with the job description of the SEM position you’re applying for.
Writing an SEM Resume without Digital Marketing Experience
For those that have no experience in digital marketing, think about your prior job roles where you utilized quantitative analytical skills and creative skills. Did you previously write editorial content for a company newsletter? Did you keep track of budget and expenses for a project coordination role? Highlight creative and analytical responsibilities and accomplishments on your resume to show that you have skills needed to help run a paid search program. Hiring managers want candidates to be able to demonstrate skills that would help them communicate clearly to clients or to other teammates, to have time management skills to be able to meet client deadlines and to be able to successfully complete tasks that require extensive preparation and planning.
Writing an SEM Resume with No Relevant Work Experience
If you are starting with no prior work experience or believe that you have no relevant experience to the SEM job descriptions, consider internships to help you get your foot in the door at digital marketing agencies. These agencies offer environments that are rich in learning and in advancement opportunities. You would also be exposed to a variety of industry verticals that would give you experience in helping run SEM programs for a variety of companies. Without any relevant experience, companies are less likely to even consider you for the role. If there is a company that you really want to work for that doesn’t have an intern role, reach out and see if they would create one for you. It’s unlikely if an internship program doesn’t exist, but it shows initiative, and managers like initiative.
Tips for All SEM Applicants Beyond the Resume
Beyond your work experience and applicable job skills, employers will likely want to learn what your motivations are in the SEM industry, what your career aspirations are and how you would fit in to their team and company culture. Conduct research in these areas before going into the job interview – research their company website, corporate blogs, and social media pages to get a sense of what their company culture is like. Remember, you want to work somewhere that is a good fit for you too!
As with any job role, be prepared to go into the interview with questions for the interviewer that demonstrate genuine interest in the role, such as what the ideal qualities in a candidate are that they’re seeking, what it’s like to work at their company and on their team and what their short and long-term goals and visions are for their team and for the company. Showing a genuine interest in the role, in the team and in the company lets hiring managers know that you are serious about interviewing for this position.
Takeaways for Writing a Successful SEM Resume
Now you have the tips to write an awesome SEM resume, no matter how much paid media experience you have.
Whether you have extensive, little or no SEM or digital marketing background, keep in mind that employers want to see skills and experience that demonstrate critical thinking, reliability and creative and quantitative analytical skills. Most of all, once you get your foot in the door for a job interview, hiring managers are looking for a candidate that they would enjoy working with be sure to keep a positive attitude!
For more information on breaking into the SEM industry, check out this post.
