Resume guide · Job Zone 3

Advertising Sales Agentsresume guide.

Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces. A strong Advertising Sales Agents resume shows persuasion, speaking and active listening, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Creative Cloud software.

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01Also called

O*NET
Advertising Account ExecutiveAdvertising Account RepresentativeAdvertising ConsultantAdvertising RepresentativeAdvertising Sales Representative (Ad Sales Representative)Directory Advertising Sales Representative (Directory Advertising Sales Rep)Display Advertising Sales Representative (Display Advertising Sales Rep)Media ConsultantMultimedia Sales ConsultantRetail Advertising Account Executive

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
PersuasionVery highAdvanced
SpeakingVery highAdvanced
Active ListeningVery highAdvanced
NegotiationHighAdvanced
Social PerceptivenessHighIntermediate
Reading ComprehensionHighIntermediate
Service OrientationHighIntermediate
Critical ThinkingHighIntermediate
WritingHighIntermediate
Complex Problem SolvingHighIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

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  • Sales and Marketing
  • English Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Communications and Media
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Administrative
  • Mathematics
  • Administration and Management
  • Telecommunications
  • Economics and Accounting

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
  2. Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
  3. Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
  4. Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
  5. Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
  6. Recommend appropriate sizes and formats for advertising, depending on medium used.
  7. Locate and contact potential clients to offer advertising services.
  8. Draw up contracts for advertising work, and collect payments due.
  9. Deliver advertising or illustration proofs to customers for approval.
  10. Process all correspondence and paperwork related to accounts.

05Software and tools

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23 tools across 15 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Graphics or photo imaging software4
Desktop publishing software3
Data base user interface and query software2
Electronic mail software2
Web page creation and editing software2
Calendar and scheduling software1
  • Contact management software
Customer relationship management CRM software1
Data mining software1
  • Google AnalyticsHotIn demand
Enterprise resource planning ERP software1
Internet browser software1
Office suite software1
Presentation software1
Sales and marketing software1
  • Google AdsIn demand
Spreadsheet software1
Word processing software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
39% of surveyed workers. Others report Bachelor's Degree (21%) and Some College Courses (18%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 3 · Medium preparation
Usually vocational training, an associate degree or a few years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with the credential and the record. Job Zone 3 roles usually ask for training, a license or a few years of related experience. Put those on the first screen, then show what you did with them.

Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Canva" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.

Show speaking and active listening, not just persuasion. Speaking and active listening rank close to persuasion for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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