As an account executive, you may struggle to showcase your client management and sales achievements without overwhelming your resume with industry jargon. Our guide helps you navigate this challenge, offering strategies to effectively communicate your successes in a clear and compelling manner that resonates with employers.
- Get inspired from our account executive resume samples with industry-leading skills, certifications, and more.
- Show how you can impact the organization with your resume summary and experience.
- Introducing your unique account executive expertise with a focus on tangible results and achievements.
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Don't stress out over your account executive resume format
Remember, the elaborate design of your account executive resume isn't what impresses recruiters most. They are primarily searching for candidates who meet the job requirements. The main aim of your resume should be to clearly and concisely explain why employers should hire you.
Here are four straightforward steps to consider in your account executive resume design:
- Organize your resume based on experience: Start with your most recent roles. Besides using reverse chronological order, choose jobs relevant to the position you're applying for.
- Include your contact details (and portfolio or LinkedIn link) in your resume's header to ensure recruiters can easily reach you. If considering adding a professional photo, check acceptable practices in different countries first.
- Don't omit essential account executive resume sections such as the summary or objective, experience, and education. These sections should reflect your career progression and align with job requirements.
- Maintain conciseness in your resume. For those with less than ten years of experience, a one-page format is advisable.
Regarding the format to submit your account executive resume, PDF is preferable. PDFs are more likely to maintain their formatting when processed through recruitment software or ATS, saving you time in the application process.
When selecting a font for your account executive resume, consider the following:
- Choose ATS-friendly fonts such as Exo 2, Volkhov, Lato, etc., to keep your resume's content legible;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are easily readable by ATS;
- While Arial and Times New Roman are common choices, opting for unique typography can help your resume stand out.
Concerned about ATS compatibility with charts and infographics? Our recent study has debunked this and other myths.
Your resume should match the market – Canadian applications, for instance, may use a different layout.
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PRO TIP
If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
The six in-demand sections for your account executive resume:
- Top one-third should be filled with a header, listing your contact details, and with a summary or objective, briefly highlighting your professional accolades
- Experience section, detailing how particular jobs have helped your professional growth
- Notable achievements that tie in your hard or soft skills with tangible outcomes
- Popular industry certificates to further highlight your technical knowledge or people capabilities
- Education to showcase your academic background in the field
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proven sales track record with quantifiable achievements indicating an ability to meet and exceed sales quotas.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with an emphasis on the ability to build rapport and nurture relationships with clients.
- Strong understanding of customer needs analysis and the ability to match client requirements with product offerings.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively manage a sales pipeline and strategically pursue leads through to successful conversion.
- Experience with CRM software and proficiency in leveraging technological tools to enhance sales productivity and client engagement.
Quick formula for writing your account executive resume experience section
Have you ever wondered why recruiters care about your account executive expertise?
For starters, your past roles show that you've obtained the relevant on-the job training and expertise that'd be useful for the role.
What is more, the resume work experience section isn't just your work history , but:
- shows what you're capable of achieving based on your past success;
- proves your skills with (oftentimes, tangible) achievements;
- highlights the unique value of what it's like to work with you.
To ensure your resume work experience section is as effective as possible, follow this formula:
- start each bullet with a powerful, action verb , followed up by your responsibilities, and your workplace success.
The more details you can include - that are relevant to the job and linked with your skill set - the more likely you are to catch recruiters' attention.
Additionally, you can also scan the job advert for key requirements or buzzwords , which you can quantify across your experience section.
Not sure what we mean by this? Take inspiration from the account executive resume experience sections below:
- Led strategic account planning processes that developed mutual performance objectives and financial targets for key clients in the technology sector.
- Expertly navigated complex sales cycles, successfully closing deals with an average cycle length of 6 months and a deal value of over $500,000.
- Orchestrated a cross-functional team of marketers, sales engineers, and product specialists to deliver comprehensive product demonstrations tailored to customer needs, resulting in a 25% increase in conversion rates.
- Managed and grew a portfolio of 50+ key enterprise-level accounts by nurturing client relationships and consistently exceeding sales targets by at least 15% year over year.
- Initiated a partnership development program that expanded business verticals within the software industry which had contributed an incremental $2M in annual revenue.
- Implemented an advanced CRM strategy that improved account retention rates by 30% through personalized communication and targeted product offerings.
- Drove a successful market entry for a new SaaS product which captured a market share of 10% within the first year of launch.
- Cultivated a strong pipeline of prospects through targeted outreach and industry networking, translating to a 20% annual growth in qualified leads.
- Conducted comprehensive business needs analyses for prospective clients, effectively matching our product offerings with their business objectives, thus achieving a client satisfaction rate of 90%.
- Identified and secured strategic partnerships with industry leaders that boosted the company's market visibility and led to a 35% increase in lead generation.
- Spearheaded contract negotiations with decision-makers that reduced sales cycles by 20% through early engagement and establishing trust.
- Delivered on customer satisfaction initiatives by working closely with product teams to incorporate client feedback into product development, enhancing the user experience.
- Directed the acquisition of major tech accounts by leading a specialized sales force focused on understanding and meeting technology needs of clients.
- Engaged in the strategic selling of cloud-based solutions, increasing departmental revenues by 40% within two fiscal years.
- Pioneered the development of a consultative sales approach within the team, contributing to an enhanced client onboarding process and a subsequent reduction in churn rate by 15%.
- Orchestrated the turnaround and rapid growth of an underperforming commercial sector, achieving a year-on-year sales growth of 30%.
- Developed and executed a comprehensive sales training program for new hires, which shortened the average ramp-up time from 6 to 3 months.
- Drove the integration of a new CRM system that improved sales reporting accuracy and enhanced forecast capabilities by 20%.
- Expanded the company's regional footprint by introducing our products to a new territory, which now contributes to 25% of the company’s overall sales revenue.
- Forged successful relationships with regional stakeholders and increased the average deal size by 50% through strategic upselling.
- Launched a multi-channel marketing campaign in collaboration with the brand team that led to the successful introduction of three new product lines.
- Identified and closed multi-year contracts with high-value clients, resulting in a steady YOY revenue stream projected at $1M+ over the contract lifespan.
- Drove the adoption of a value-based selling framework across the team, influencing a 10% increase in average deal size across the technology solutions portfolio.
- Collaborated with the product development team to tailor custom solutions for a major client, securing a strategic partnership and setting the standard for future personalized offerings.
The following content includes information from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data represents the top responsibilities present on the task lists for account executive professionals.
Top Responsibilities for Account Executive:
- Plan and prepare advertising and promotional material to increase sales of products or services, working with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies.
- Inspect layouts and advertising copy, and edit scripts, audio, video, and other promotional material for adherence to specifications.
- Confer with department heads or staff to discuss topics such as contracts, selection of advertising media, or product to be advertised.
- Coordinate with the media to disseminate advertising.
- Coordinate activities of departments, such as sales, graphic arts, media, finance, and research.
- Plan and execute advertising policies and strategies for organizations.
- Direct, motivate, and monitor the mobilization of a campaign team to advance campaign goals.
- Prepare budgets and submit estimates for program costs as part of campaign plan development.
- Contact organizations to explain services and facilities offered.
- Monitor and analyze sales promotion results to determine cost effectiveness of promotion campaigns.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the percentage growth in revenue for which you were responsible in your previous role to demonstrate your ability to drive sales and growth.
- Detail the exact number of accounts you successfully managed to show your capacity for handling multiple client relationships effectively.
- List the specific dollar amount of sales you generated to highlight your direct contribution to the company's bottom line.
- Quantify the size of the budgets you worked with to indicate your ability to manage significant financial resources.
- Mention the number of successful contract negotiations you've completed to illustrate your negotiation skills and successful deal-closing ability.
- Provide the percentage by which you exceeded your sales targets to show your ambition and goal-surpassing achievements.
- State how many new clients you brought on board to give a clear picture of your networking abilities and client acquisition success.
- Enumerate any awards or rankings you achieved, specifying your individual ranking or tier, to showcase your recognized performance against peers.
Action verbs for your account executive resume
Guide for account executive professionals kicking off their career
Who says you can't get that account executive job, even though you may not have that much or any experience? Hiring managers have a tendency to hire the out-of-the-blue candidate if they see role alignment. You can show them why you're the best candidate out there by:
- Selecting the functional skill-based or hybrid formats to spotlight your unique value as a professional
- Tailoring your account executive resume to always include the most important requirements, found towards the top of the job ad
- Substituting the lack of experience with other relevant sections like achievements, projects, and research
- Pinpoint both achievements and how you see yourself within this specific role in the account executive resume objective.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.
Creating your account executive resume skills section: balancing hard skills and soft skills
Recruiters hiring for account executive roles are always keen on hiring candidates with relevant technical and people talents. Hard skills or technical ones are quite beneficial for the industry - as they refer to your competency with particular software and technologies. Meanwhile, your soft (or people) skills are quite crucial to yours and the company's professional growth as they detail how you'd cooperate and interact in your potential environment. Here's how to describe your hard and soft skill set in your account executive resume:
- Consider what the key job requirements are and list those towards the top of your skills section.
- Think of individual, specific skills that help you stand out amongst competitors, and detail how they've helped you succeed in the past.
- Look to the future of the industry and list all software/technologies which are forward-facing.
- Create a separate, technical skills section to supplement your experience and further align with the account executive job advert. Find the perfect balance between your resume hard and soft skills with our two lists.
Top skills for your account executive resume:
CRM Software (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
Data Analysis Tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau)
Email Marketing Platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact)
Project Management Tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
Social Media Advertising
Lead Generation Software
Presentation Software (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides)
Sales Automation Tools
Contract Management Software
Web Analytics Tools (e.g., Google Analytics)
Communication
Negotiation
Time Management
Problem-Solving
Relationship Building
Adaptability
Team Collaboration
Customer Service Orientation
Persuasion
Critical Thinking
Next, you will find information on the top technologies for account executive professonals from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Top technologies for Account Executive’s resume:
- Adobe After Effects
- YouTube
- WordPress
- Data visualization software
- Google Analytics
PRO TIP
If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.
Certifications and education: in-demand sections for your account executive resume
Your academic background in the form of certifications on your resume and your higher degree education is important to your application.
The certifications and education sections pinpoint a variety of hard and soft skills you possess, as well as your dedication to the industry.
Add relevant certificates to your account executive resume by:
- Add special achievements or recognitions you've received during your education or certification, only if they're really noteworthy and/or applicable to the role
- Be concise - don't list every and any certificate you've obtained through your career, but instead, select the ones that would be most impressive to the role
- Include the name of the certificate or degree, institution, graduation dates, and certificate license numbers (if possible)
- Organize your education in reverse chronological format, starting with the latest degree you have that's most applicable for the role
Think of the education and certification sections as the further credibility your account executive resume needs to pinpoint your success.
Now, if you're stuck on these resume sections, we've curated a list of the most popular technical certificates across the industry.
Have a look, below:
The top 5 certifications for your account executive resume:
- Certified Sales Professional (CSP) - Manufacturers' Representatives Educational Research Foundation (MRERF)
- Strategic Account Manager Certification (SAM-C) - Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA)
- HubSpot Inbound Sales Certification - HubSpot Academy
- Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP) - National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP)
- Challenger Sales Certification - Challenger Inc.
The content below includes information from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data represents the top associations for account executive professionals.
Top US associations for a Account Executive professional
- Ad Council
- Advertising and Marketing Independent Network
- American Advertising Federation
- American Association of Advertising Agencies
- Association of National Advertisers
PRO TIP
If you're in the process of obtaining your certificate or degree, list the expected date you're supposed to graduate or be certified.
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Adding a summary or objective to your account executive resume
One of the most crucial elements of your professional presentation is your resume's top one-third. This most often includes:
- Either a resume summary - your career highlights at a glance. Select the summary if you have plenty of relevant experience (and achievements), you'd like recruiters to remember about your application.
- Or, a resume objective - to showcase your determination for growth. The perfect choice for candidates with less experience, who are looking to grow their career in the field.
If you want to go above and beyond with your account executive resume summary or resume objective, make sure to answer precisely why recruiters need to hire you. What is the additional value you'd provide to the company or organization? Now here are examples from real-life account executive professionals, whose resumes have helped them land their dream jobs:
Resume summaries for a account executive job
- Dynamic account executive with over 6 years of experience in the technology sector, specializing in SaaS sales. Proven track record of exceeding sales quotas by 30% annually, adept at building and maintaining relationships with C-level executives, and recognized for pioneering new account acquisition strategies that contributed to a 50% growth in regional market share.
- Seasoned professional with a decade of success in the pharmaceutical industry, transitioning into high-tech sales. Brings a robust understanding of complex product life cycles and a history of forging strong healthcare provider partnerships, resulting in a 40% uptick in client engagement and improved medication accessibility.
- Former financial analyst with a passion for technology and 5 years of experience, seeking to leverage extensive data analysis skills in a client-facing sales environment. Keen insights into market trends, combined with a talent for conveying financial benefits to non-technical stakeholders, underpinned a 25% increase in investment returns at previous firm.
- Energetic and goal-oriented former marketing associate ready to contribute a fresh perspective to sales strategies in the software industry. Distinguished by creative campaign management talents that increased customer retention rates by 35% and a dedication to staying abreast of emerging tech trends to drive informed sales discussions.
- As a recent business graduate brimming with enthusiasm, aiming to apply comprehensive understanding of sales principles and customer service excellence to create impactful buying experiences. Eager to harness academic knowledge and internship experience in a competitive sales environment to deliver measurable success and grow alongside a leading sales team.
- Keen to embark on a career in account management with a focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. With a background rich in interpersonal skills and a commitment to continuous learning, aspiring to utilize a proactive and solution-driven approach to foster strong client relationships and drive business growth, despite no formal experience in sales.
Average salary info by state in the US for account executive professionals
Local salary info for Account Executive.” Source: My Next Move, National Center for O*NET Development. Accessed 10/15/2024
| State | Average Salary (in USD) |
|---|---|
| US National Average | $131,870 |
| California (CA) | $140,360 |
| Texas (TX) | $103,180 |
| Florida (FL) | $103,920 |
| New York (NY) | $206,090 |
| Illinois (IL) | $108,280 |
| Ohio (OH) | $99,420 |
| Georgia (GA) | $152,980 |
| North Carolina (NC) | $133,690 |
| Michigan (MI) | $108,590 |
Beyond your account executive resume basics - extra sections
Ensure your account executive resume stands out from the crowd by spicing it up with a couple of supplementary sections that showcase your:
- Prizes - as a special nod to what matters most in the field;
- Projects - ones that would really further support your application;
- Hobbies - include only if you think they'd further your chances at landing the role with personality
- Community impact - to hint at the causes you care about.
Key takeaways
We trust that this Enhancv guide has been informative and useful. To summarize the essential points:
- Opt for a simple and readable format, focusing more on your account executive achievements rather than just duties;
- Emphasize your accomplishments in the account executive experience section over mere responsibilities;
- If lacking relevant experience, utilize various resume sections like education and volunteering to demonstrate your suitable skill set;
- Never overlook the significance of pertinent higher education, training, and certifications;
- Incorporate diverse sections in your resume to highlight not just your skills expertise but also your personality.
Account Executive resume examples
Explore additional account executive resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Experience
Entry-Level Account Executive
Junior Account Executive
The Junior Account Executive position has his roots in the sales industry. Therefore, any trend in this sector significantly influences the roles in junior account executives.
Here are some tips for applying for Junior Account Executive jobs:
- Familiarity with basic business development methods is crucial. This might include cold calling, lead qualification, and CRM software.
- Highlight your sales experience and skills - this could make or break your resume review process.
- Show any customer service background. It is common for junior account execs to handle client relationships, and showcasing this on your resume can be a plus.
- Don’t just catalog skills. Demonstrate how they've helped you succeed, e.g., 'improved the sales cycle by...', 'increased client retention by....' and so on. Stand by the 'skill-action-result' formula.
Senior Account Executive
Senior Account Executive roles often result from progression through sales and marketing jobs. As such, the growth in these domains significantly influences the Senior Account Executive's responsibilities.
Consider including the following critical points in your Senior Account Executive role resume:
- Having substantial experience with advanced sales and marketing strategies like strategic partnerships, large account management, and conversion optimization is essential.
- It's crucial to emphasize relevant sales and marketing experience and accomplishments since it's a highly competitive field.
- Highlight your leadership talents, making your profile distinct from others possessing similar technical competencies.
- Rather than just stating facts, demonstrate through real-life instances of how you utilized your skills for driving growth and sales, such as 'secured a major account with...', 'led a team to exceed sales targets by...' etc. Employ the 'skill-action-result' methodology.
By Role
Account Director
In many respects, the Account Director role grew out from the field of sales and marketing. That's why trends in these areas often influence the global account directorship trends.
The following tips should be beneficial when applying for Account Director jobs:
- Understanding of sales and marketing operations is crucial. Knowledge of digital marketing, SEO, PPC, analytics, CRM. Companies, particularly those engaged in the digital domain, value these skills a lot.
- Highlight any relevant experience in digital marketing and sales. Overlooking this might lead to your resume being overlooked too early in the application process.
- Emphasize your leadership skills. Most successful Account Directors are proficient leaders, so make sure your resume reflects this.
- Don’t merely list skills. Showcase how you used them to increase efficiency and boost sales e.g., 'increased sales by.', 'improved customer satisfaction by.' and so on. Stick to the 'skill-action-results' pattern.
Account Executive Advertising
SaaS Account Executive
SaaS Account Executive is a sales position that evolved from the software industry. For that reason, software industry trends can have a significant impact on the roles and responsibilities of SaaS Account Executive roles.
Here are some tips that can help you when applying for SaaS Account Executive jobs:
- Experience with SaaS sales strategies like freemium models, upselling, and churn management is invaluable.
- Highlight specific SaaS sales experience, as this isn't an area where employers are likely to compromise on requirements.
- Work on your technical background. Knowledge about cloud structures and features could be relevant.
- Don't merely list skills. Show how they helped you improve sales and customer retention rates, e.g., 'increased customer lifetime value by...', 'managed to upsell by...' etc. Don’t forget the 'skill-action-result' model.
Key Account Executive
Marketing Account Executive
Mid-Market Account Executive
Public Relations Account Executive
Enterprise Account Executive
Enterprise Account Executive roles primarily grew from the sales sector, particularly those focused on dealing with large-scale businesses. As such, shifts in corporate sales strategies tend to impact the job requirements for this role.
Following are some tips for when you're applying for Enterprise Account Executive jobs:
- Deep knowledge of complex sales strategies, CRM systems, and large account management is essential.
- Make sure your resume clearly outlines your experience in enterprise sales and key account management.
- Highlight your relationship-building skills. Enterprise sales often involve dealing with multiple stakeholders at once.
- Skills alone aren’t enough. Provide examples of how yours have helped you close large deals, e.g., 'secured a major corporate account with...', 'surpassed sales targets in the enterprise sector by...', etc. Keep to the 'skill-action-result' equation.
