Account Executive Resume Examples & Job Description

What Should Be in an Account Executive Resume?

An account executive is key to the sales statistics of a company, whether they are a new business or an established company. From customer relations and retention to demonstrating products to new customers and account management, duties in this position are varied. Because of these duties, there are some skills, certifications and job titles that are in high demand with hiring managers looking to fill an account executive job. While the company and its values impact the skills and job experiences that will be most desirable on a professional resume template, certain skills are uniformly important, such as sales experience, strong communication skills, and basic digital literacy. When you write your own resume, you should include any skills or experiences that meet the needs of the job description.

The Structure of an Account Executive Resume

When you start to write your account executive resume, it can be tempting to opt for a creative resume structure and layout. We recommend that you keep it simple and follow this basic resume structure:

1. Header

The header is the section at the very top of a resume, and its content should remain the same no matter how the rest of your resume changes. You should include your full name, phone number, email address and any professional portfolios you want to draw attention to (such as your LinkedIn profile).

2. Resume summary or objective

Whether you write a resume summary or resume objective statement will depend on whether you have many years of experience or few. If you are a recent graduate with little work experience, a resume objective statement may be the best choice as it focuses on your career goals and personal qualities. If you have many years of experience in the industry, a resume summary is preferable; this is a sum-up of qualifications that make you the best person for the role you are applying for.

For example, when writing an account executive resume summary, you might write:

“An account executive with eight years of experience, known for generating reliable leads and providing consistent results through friendly and personalized customer relations management. Recipient of [ABC] award from [XYZ] for hitting all sales quotas in a sales cycle while in a consultative role.”

3. Skills

Your resume skills section should hold a record of the hard and soft skills that make you suitable for the job description. When you write this section, you should consider the job posting to ensure you tailor your resume to the role. Some examples of skills that are important to account executive roles include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Prospecting
• Setting and managing budgets
• Project management
• Excel proficiency
• Microsoft Office proficiency
• Public relations
• Sales management
• Interpersonal skills
• Business administration
• Customer retention
• Sales process management
• Lead generation
• New account setup
• Business development
• Cold calling
• Generating sales strategies
• Managing a sales team

These are just some of the skills that recruiters and hiring managers look for in account executive resumes.

4. Work experience

Your work experience section should be the part of your resume that contains information about your previous work experience as a sales professional, sales manager or account executive. This section should be listed in reverse chronological order with your most recent position at the top. If you have a lot of experience working on a sales team, this will be the meat of your sales account executive resume.

5. Education

Your resume education section should include your most recent and advanced academic achievements. Do not include your high school GPA unless it is very high or you have no other academic achievements to list.

If you have other relevant non-professional experiences, such as volunteer experience or internships, create new sections for this information (e.g., “Other Activities”).

Follow this basic structure when you write your resume. You can also make use of the ResumeHelp resume builder, which has many stunning resume templates to choose from, as well as expert-guided suggestions every step of the way.

Dos and Don’ts for an Account Executive Resume

The best resume is one that makes the right first impression on a recruiter or hiring manager. Whether you want an entry-level job or you are trying to secure a senior account executive role, these resume tips will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Do:

• Proofread well

Your resume is an opportunity to show your communication skills. Spelling and grammatical errors will undermine the message you are trying to send. Proofread well to prevent this issue.

• Be specific

Don’t talk in vague terms of “meeting expectations” or having a “good track record.” Highlight key accounts you have worked on and give examples of successes and achievements from your time as a sales representative.

• Show soft skills

While your hard skills, certifications and formal academic achievements (such as a relevant bachelor’s degree) are important, you should not forget soft skills. Transferable skills like conflict resolution and problem-solving are widely desirable.

Don’t:

• Use a complicated layout

Try to keep the appearance and design of your resume simple. A creative resume layout is best reserved for creative roles. An account executive resume should be simple and easy to read. This means choosing a professional font in a size 10.5 to 12 and utilizing formatting tools like bullet points to ensure readability. This will also make your resume more applicant tracking system (ATS)-friendly.

• Use passive language

Passive language is a small detail that can cause a lot of harm to your resume. When you use language like “Was responsible for” rather than “Developed,” you distance yourself from your achievements. Active language allows you to take ownership of your achievements.

• Be negative

This may seem obvious, but do not speak negatively about previous employers or job titles. Try to be positive, and if you cannot be honest and positive, focus on what you learned in that role.

These resume tips will help your resume to stand out from the rest and get a better chance of getting a job interview, so remember to prepare for common interview questions.