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In the modern era, business success requires more than great products and services. These days, great companies are often defined by their ability to communicate an effective message to their customers and the public at large. Communication Specialists play a key role in that effort by helping to coordinate and manage internal and external messaging, including media interactions, internal memos, social media campaigns, and more. If you are currently looking to start or advance a career in this challenging and rewarding field, our professional writers can help you create the dynamic resume you need to achieve your job goals. And be sure to check out the resources, writing tips and communication specialist resume example we have provided below.
Expert Tip
You should never use a creative resume
Many job seekers think that an eye-catching resume template will help them stand out to hiring managers and increase their chances of landing an interview. This is a myth put out by resume builders that value design over content.
The truth is that most hiring managers prefer a traditional resume format.
Creative resume templates, like the one pictured here, can actually hurt your chances of landing an interview. Instead, you should use a basic resume format that quickly communicates your basic information and qualifications–like the one included below.
Communication Specialist resume (text format)
How confident are you feeling about your resume? If you need more help, you can always refer to the following resume sample for a position.
Name
Title
City, State or Country if international
Phone | Email
LinkedIn URL
COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST PROFESSIONAL
An accomplished, results-oriented Communications Specialist highly regarded for orchestrating integrated communications that effectively engage employees in corporate priorities and enhance company reputation. Out-of-the-box thinker who excels in developing tactical and strategic communications plans that meet organizational goals, partnering with business leaders. Proven track record of fostering employee engagement while managing complex issues creatively and to exacting standards. Known for cross-functional expertise in international business, campaign implementation, content development, and team leadership. Exceptional academic qualifications, including a Master of Professional Communications from the University of Western Sydney.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Communications Management
Employee Engagement
Strategic Planning
Public Relations
Content Creation
Social Media
Campaign Implementation
Story Creation
Team Leadership
Relationship Building
Project Management
Coaching & Training
Time Management
Organizational Skills
Problem-Solving
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Communications Specialist
Company, City, ST Year-to-Year
Responsibilities
Achieved record-low budget variance in overseeing Project Management, covering use of a critical path, strict timelines, regular status meetings, and constant updates to ensure satisfaction of all stakeholders. Upheld complete compliance with company goals in planning, budgeting and approving all media spends as well as creative for radio, TV and outdoor media. Held monthly meetings with the CEO, COO and area heads to discuss brand expansion in new markets, offering crucial insights into current trends and applicable strategies. Supplied superior customer service training and presentations to external and internal stakeholders, efficiently coordinating relations efforts.
Received multiple promotions, coordinated directly with XX stakeholders in the Heart and Stroke Foundation program to integrate well-studied menu items that met strict Health Check criteria, a leading national food service program.
Administered the creation and excellent implementation of a national anti-bullying campaign with a reach of up to XXXK individuals, conducted annually to raise awareness in local markets; recommended a number of tools to enhance the process, including communications to franchisees, schools, and information on the corporate website.
Aligned all details pertaining to the opening of 20+ new Panago franchises which were forecasted to generate $XM in sales and employed XXX employees, covering briefing/proofing/approving all marketing material, media booking, coordinating training and execution of 8-week targeted marketing plans.
Communications Specialist
Company, City, ST Year-to-Year
Responsibilities
Provided excellence in management of appointed advertising agency, Mercer Creative. Spearheaded creative and collaborative working style with advertising agency partners to ensure visionary and productive national and local level marketing campaigns. Overhauled procedures to assess, review and approve sponsorship opportunities annually. Conducted in-depth work assessments to handle task assignment and delegation for up to three Marketing Coordinators, including regular performance reviews to assist with the development of team skills and the fulfillment of goals.
Showcased superb problem-solving skills to develop strategic plans that integrated a multitude of new marketing tools with traditional media platforms (direct mail, newspaper, billboards, television and radio advertisements) to increase sales by XX% and overall brand awareness by XX% in all Canadian markets.
Retained clarity and succinctness in writing and editing all internal copy, including a Community Programs Manual distributed to 180 franchisees; addressed topics such as: Community Programs, Advertising, Direct Mail, and more.
Completed regular cost review and competitor analyses to drastically improve all marketing tools and tactics.
Established productive corporate and community partnerships that supported social responsibility directives, and helped raise brand awareness in less established markets by up to XX% in only X months.
Built and oversaw an annual Experiential Marketing Team and optimized efforts for budgeting, hiring, scheduling, creating manuals, investigating car leases and planning regular programming; achieved XX% higher brand awareness despite the saturated market and drove record-breaking sales of $XM.
Communications Specialist
Company, City, ST Year-to-Year
Responsibilities
Use best practices to direct consistently outstanding communications programs for the largest women’s hospital in the region, including flawless development and execution of high-profile initiatives fostering stellar internal and external engagement, efficient issues management, positive government relations, crisis communications, event management, and productive media relations. Drive constant improvements in coaching, presentation guidance, and speech writing for senior leaders, including the Managing Director & Minister of Health, and received commendations for content development ability. Design/facilitate exhaustive research to effectively evaluate internal audience perceptions, attitudes, and awareness about various campaigns; offering critical strategic solutions to maximize campaign efficacy. Plan critical social media buys and create regular posts for HMC social media channels.
Originated a very well-received communications and marketing campaigns covering a range of women and newborn healthcare issues while managing up to XX employees and budgets of up to XX%; streamlined methodologies for managing and approving the production of campaign materials, enhancing workflow.
Provided exemplary communications support for the high-profile national event XXXX, guaranteeing that outcomes met lofty expectations and directly aligned with brand and media relations strategies.
Improved efforts to support various clients with nuanced communication requirements, including writing heavily-researched strategies and executive tactics; chosen to helm major projects, including a specialized program to transition staff and services from the largest Women’s Hospital in the country to a new facility within only X months.
Orchestrated an intricate internal communications strategy and channel plan through the savvy utilization of a range of tools, including print, digital, online and live events, driving clear and reliable two-way communication.
Designated to manage major internal transformation programs and the launch of new services and facilities, resulting in an XX% boost in employee engagement and a highly organized intranet.
Maintained the best possible results as a key member of the Major Incident/Crisis communications team, including overseeing duties regarding all internal channels and updates.
EDUCATION
Complete School Name, City, St/Country: List Graduation Years If Within the Last Ten Years
Complete Degree Name (Candidate) – Major (GPA: List if over 3.3)
Relevant Coursework: List coursework taken (even include those you are planning on taking)
Awards/Honors: List any awards, honors or big achievements
Clubs/Activities: List clubs and activities in which you participated
Relevant Projects: List 2-3 projects you have worked on
Everything you need to write your communication specialist resume
Now that you’ve seen an example of a job winning Communication Specialist resume, here are some tips to help you write your own. You should always begin with a summary section. Remember to use basic formatting with clear section headings and a traditional layout. Finally, be sure to include top skills throughout your resume. We’ve included several examples common for Communication Specialist below.
Let’s start with your resume summary section.
1. Summary
The resume summary replaces the out-of-date resume objective. A summary outlines the most impressive parts of your resume for easy recall by your potential employer, while also serving to fill in personal qualities that may not appear elsewhere on the page. Remember that summaries are short and consist of pithy sentence fragments! You can check out the Communication Specialist resume example for more information!
Expert Tip
Always start with your most recent positions at the top of your resume. This is called reverse-chronological format, and keeps your most relevant information easy for hiring managers to review.
2. Formatting
Our experts recommend you start your resume with a resume summary, like the one above. Other common sections are Work Experience, Education, and either Skills or Core Competencies. Here are some guides from our blog to help you write these sections:
Some resumes will include other sections, such as Volunteer Experience or Technical Skills. When it comes to what sections you need to include on your resume, you will know best!
Other sections for you to consider including are foreign language skills, awards and honors, certifications, and speaking engagements. These could all be relevant sections for your resume.
3. Appropriate skills
Communications Management
Employee Engagement
Strategic Planning
Public Relations
Content Creation
Social Media
Campaign Implementation
Story Creation
Team Leadership
Relationship Building
Project Management
Coaching & Training
Time Management
Organizational Skills
Problem Solving
4. Experience section
Your Work Experience section should make up the bulk of your resume. This section should include your relevant job titles, companies that employed you, and the dates you were employed.
The bulk of your Communication Specialist resume should be the Work Experience section. While this section should include your relevant job titles, employers, and the dates you were employed, it should also highlight your accomplishments and key skills. Because modern communications strategies encompass a wide variety of different avenues, it is also important to showcase your proficient use of every available media type. For example, let's dissect two bullet points from the example above: • Orchestrate an intricate internal communications strategy and channel plan through the savvy utilization of a range of tools, including print, digital, online and live events, driving clear and reliable two-way communication. With this statement, the candidate highlights soft skills like organization and strategic planning, while showcasing a firm understanding of how different mediums can be integrated into one cohesive messaging plan. Though soft skills are often difficult to convey in a resume, this statement accomplishes that goal by illustrating how they were used in concert with both old and new-school communication techniques. • Showcased superb problem-solving skills to develop strategic plans that integrated a multitude of new marketing tools with traditional media platforms (direct mail, newspaper, billboards, television and radio advertisements) to increase sales by XX% and overall brand awareness by XX% in all Canadian markets. This statement reaffirms the candidate’s understanding of all media tools and emphasizes how she used those tools to create real value for her employer. Be sure to include these types of quantifiable achievements in your resume’s work experience section.
Let’s wrap it up!
Standout resumes will include a resume summary, a traditional reverse-chronological layout, and the skills and experience relevant to your job target. This resume example shows how to include those elements on a page. It’s up to you to insert your personal compelling qualifications.
Keep your resume format easy to scan by both humans and computers; our resume template is designed by our experts to satisfy both audiences. And be sure to include your own skills, achievements, and experiences. Job-winning resumes are resumes that successfully market you, leading recruiters and hiring managers to want to learn more!
Finally, emphasize your interest with a customized cover letter. When writing, remember that the resume and cover letter should support each other. Check out our cover letter tips and examples for more advice.
Didn’t get the specific answers you were looking for on this page? Hire a professional resume writer to get the advice you need to land your next job.
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