Account Director Resume Example
Working as an account director can provide a rewarding career, involving leading client meetings and overseeing campaign strategies. If you want to stand out with your account director applications, you'll need to create a professional resume that makes a strong impression on employers. In this article, we'll explain how to write a winning resume for account director applications that best showcases your skills and experience.
This complete guide to an account director resume will equip you with the tools you need to compete in your applications. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Continue reading to find the best account director resume tips from careers experts at Jobseeker.
Key sections for an account director resume
Although the content of an account director resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.
A functional or skills-based resume format might be best for applications where you have little or no relevant account director experience. This layout prioritizes your skills and education sections above your work experience. Soft and transferable skills are often more highly valued by employers for junior roles, so highlight these. Also add any internships, volunteer work or training courses you've undertaken.
When applying for mid-level account director positions, it's typically best to opt for a reverse-chronological resume format. This is because work experience tends to be the most important resume section for this level. In your resume work experience section, outline your relevant achievements and showcase the impact you've made in your career to date. Make sure everything you include is relevant to the job description.
If you're applying for senior account director positions, you'll want to list career achievements and successes that emphasize your senior status. Use a reverse-chronological format and add extra sections to show key career highlights. Senior resumes are often longer than resumes for junior roles. This is because you may choose to include extra sections, such as awards, professional memberships, publications, conferences or certifications on your resume.
The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:
Resume Header with Contact Details
Your account director resume header is the place to add your contact details. Start by adding your full name and underneath, include your email address, phone number and location. Adding your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, can help the employer get a better insight into your skills and industry expertise. You don't need to include any additional personal information or a photo. Keep your header clear and concise, with only the most necessary information included. Opt for a stylish, professional design that creates a strong first impression.
Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.
Elena Howard
elena.howard@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, IL
linkedin․com/in/elena–howard123
Resume Summary
Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for account director roles.
Alternatively, use this summary to introduce your personal career ambitions and explain why account director roles are a good fit for you at this stage of your career.
A great resume summary should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for account director roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description and provide evidence to support them. It should also introduce your personality and unique qualities to the reader, to help them start to form an opinion about you as a candidate. The graphic below showcases some good examples of what to include in your account director resume summary.
Results-driven Account Director with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and extensive experience as a Senior Account Manager. Proven track record in managing high-profile client accounts, leading cross-functional teams, and driving revenue growth. Skilled in strategic planning, client relationship management, and delivering exceptional customer service. Adept at analyzing market trends and developing innovative solutions to meet client needs and achieve business objectives
Account director with some experience in business and handling client accounts. Worked in roles managing teams and trying to increase revenue. Have skills in planning and keeping clients happy, along with providing good service. Looked at market trends and came up with ideas to meet client needs and help the business
Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your account director resume summary.
Work Experience
Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for an account director position. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.
For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.
A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.
Senior Account Manager, January 2022 - Present
Synergy Financial Solutions, Toledo
- Increased client portfolio revenue by 30% annually through strategic upselling and cross-selling initiatives
- Successfully managed top-tier accounts, ensuring 95% client retention rate over a three-year period
- Spearheaded a high-impact CRM implementation, boosting team productivity by 25% and enhancing client communication efficiency
Senior Account Manager, January 2022 - Present
Synergy Financial Solutions, Toledo
- Improved client relationships through effective communication and personalized service
- Managed multiple projects to meet client expectations and deadlines
- Led team efforts to optimize account management processes
In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.
Education
Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for account director roles.
An account director role tends to require candidates to have a university or college degree, so make sure you list yours in your resume. A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree or similar is the most suitable for this job, but you could also include any other relevant qualifications that show your KPI analysis or strategic planning.
Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.
Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), 2017 - 2020
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Hard and Soft Skills
Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to an account director role. Skills such as budget management or leadership and management are particularly useful for account director jobs. Again, refer to the account director job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.
How to include hard skills on your account director resume
Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for account director jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, your list of hard skills provides a strong indication to the reader of your expertise in account director roles, and how well you'll fit into the position. It's best to aim for four or five key hard skills that match the job description. These can really showcase your suitability for the job.
The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for an account director resume below.
- Budget management
- Client relationship management
- KPI analysis
Adding soft skills to your account director resume
In your list of soft skills, add any personal strengths, qualities or transferable skills that make you a good fit for the job. Soft skills are often less specific to different industries, but that doesn't make them any less important. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description.
The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for an account director resume.
- Leadership and management
- Strategic thinking
- Client relationship building
Certifications and Training
In this section, include any account director certifications, training or licenses you hold that are relevant to the job. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as an account director. Therefore, add any professional licenses or certifications, along with valid dates that show they're still valid.
Take a look at some example certifications for an account director resume below:
- PMP Certification, 2022
- CMA Certification, 2022
- CFA Certification, 2022
Additional Information
There are several additional sections you could add to an account director resume, to improve your chances of success. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Adding your hobbies and interests is a legitimate way of showing off your skills and personal qualities. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.
Voluntary Work
Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for account director roles beyond your main employment history. Write your volunteer section in a similar format to your work experience, including your role, the organization name, relevant dates and the details of your contribution.
References
Standard account director resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.
References are available upon request.
Best words to use in an account director resume
Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose from the list of words below to increase the impact of your work experience section.
- Manage
- Strategize
- Lead
- Oversee
- Coordinate
- Optimize
- Develop
- Execute
- Analyze
- Mentor
If you need help creating a resume that impresses HR managers, take a look at Jobseeker's professional resume templates. You can also access beautiful cover letter templates that help your application stand out.
Example resume for account director applications
The account director resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:
742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, IL
•
elena.howard@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/elena–howard123
Dynamic and results-driven Account Director with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and extensive experience as a Senior Account Manager. Proven track record in managing key accounts, driving strategic initiatives, and fostering strong client relationships to achieve business objectives. Skilled in team leadership, project management, and delivering exceptional customer service to enhance client satisfaction and retention. Demonstrates a proactive approach in identifying opportunities for growth and optimizing account performance.
Senior Account Manager
2020
-2022
Vertex Financial Solutions (Mesa)
- Increased annual client revenue by 35% through strategic upselling and cross-selling initiatives, resulting in $2.5M additional profit
- Successfully retained 95% of key accounts over three years by implementing personalized client engagement and proactive issue resolution strategies
- Led a team to secure a $1M multi-year contract with a Fortune 500 company, surpassing yearly sales targets by 40%
Budget management
Client relationship management
KPI analysis
Leadership and management
Strategic thinking
Client relationship building
PMP Certification
CMA Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Tips for account director resumes
- Kick off your account director resume with a strong summary or objective statement that highlights your key skills and achievements.
- Use a clear resume format with professional elements, including suitable headings, line spacing, fonts and margins, to make your resume as readable as possible for hiring managers.
- Add each relevant job in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent position and working back from there.
- Adapt your resume depending on the job you're applying for. Take a look at the job description and make sure you reference all the required key skills and experience.
- Keep your account director resume as brief as possible. A single page is ideal for junior applicants, while two sides is acceptable for senior jobs.
- Don't forget to keep your contact information up to date, to ensure the employer can contact you if necessary.
- Don't add hobbies and outside interests unless they help you prove a skill required for the role.
- Don't clutter your document by trying to add too many details. Focus on core account director skills and achievements that are relevant to the role.
- Don't use complex and elaborate formatting that can make your account director resume less readable and more difficult for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan.
- Don't use jargon or acronyms that can make your account director resume more difficult to read.
Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is just one of the tools employers and recruiters can use to streamline their hiring practices. This typically includes screening candidates by scanning and ranking their resumes based on their likely suitability for any vacancy. There are several things you can do when writing your account director resume, to give yourself the strongest chance of ranking highly in the ATS stage and progressing through the recruitment process.
Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
- Using clear, simple headings makes it easier for an ATS application to scan your resume, as it can easily identify what's in each section of your document.
- Use design elements that help make your resume more readable. These might include white space, clear, professional fonts and subtle color accents to help certain elements stand out.
- Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.
If you need help creating a professional resume, take a look at our expert career articles and variety of resume examples created by careers experts.
Frequently Asked Questions about an account director resume
Now that you know how to write a professional account director resume, you might also want to learn how to write an accompanying cover letter that makes a similar impact.
Firstly, think about whether you want to write a full, formal cover letter or whether a brief email to introduce yourself and draw attention to your resume will suffice.
For a full, traditional cover letter, follow formal letter-writing conventions with your header, address line and greetings. The main text of the letter tends to be split into three short paragraphs. Firstly, introduce yourself, confirm the role you're applying for and explain why you're applying for the account director role. In the second paragraph, highlight your skills and experience that are most relevant to the job description. The third paragraph gives you the opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the role and your gratitude to the employer, while leaving a call to action which encourages them to make contact with you.
If you want to impress employers with a professional cover letter, use Jobseeker's simple and beautiful cover letter templates.
Writing an account director resume with no experience needn't be a daunting task. There are still plenty of ways to impress hiring managers with your resume. Use a functional resume format instead of the standard reverse-chronological structure. This emphasizes your skills and education over your work experience. Additional resume sections such as volunteer work, hobbies and interests, certifications and internships can all help you showcase your relevant skills. These can be more prominent in your resume if you haven't got a lot of work experience.
A strong resume headline can give the reader an immediate idea of your suitability for account director jobs. Resume headlines are also a powerful way of increasing your resume's chances of passing the ATS stage. They reference the job title and some of the keywords that match the job description. Write a short, concise resume headline incorporating the job title, one or two key skills that match the job description and a reference to your reputation or track record.
See an example resume headline below:
- Junior Account Director Seeking Opportunities
- Strategic Account Leadership Specialist
- Seasoned Account Director with Expertise
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For roles where you're lacking experience, such as graduate jobs or career changes, you could use a functional or skills-based resume format. This places your skills and education above your work experience. Once you have some relevant work experience, and for senior positions, a reverse chronological resume format is typically best. This emphasizes your work experience, which will probably be the key thing employers want to know about.
Takeaways for a winning account director resume
Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.
Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.
Sources:
(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
