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Creative manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
Sue Jenkins,
Sue Jenkins
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical creative manager skills. We ranked the top skills for creative managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 6.9% of creative manager resumes contained project management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a creative manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 creative manager skills for your resume and career

1. Project Management

Here's how creative managers use project management:
  • Coordinated creative efforts to create departmental project management work flow and executive creative procedures.
  • Performed client relations, business development and project management duties.

2. Digital Marketing

Here's how creative managers use digital marketing:
  • Photographed and edited product photography to be used in printed and digital marketing material.
  • Designed all marketing and conference materials for the ClickZ and SES digital marketing brands in the US and Canada.

3. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.

Here's how creative managers use graphic design:
  • Researched and developed marketing campaigns including creating presentations, graphic design, production and time-lines.
  • Created graphic designs that were transformed into successful commercial images and products

4. Adobe Creative Suite

Here's how creative managers use adobe creative suite:
  • Implemented documentation practices, as well as flowcharts and relationship mapping (executed using Adobe Creative Suite).
  • Delivered visual solutions to support global marketing campaign execution leveraging Adobe Creative Suite.

5. Creative Strategy

Here's how creative managers use creative strategy:
  • Developed the creative strategy for effective graphical communications and conceptualization.
  • Lead and managed Acquisitions creative project scoping, online and social media creative strategy and online creative team.

6. Creative Concepts

A creative concept is a big idea that helps in capturing the audience's interest, attracting customers, influencing decisions, and help them to take action. A creative concept can be applied to all communication channels like messages, call to action, emails, etc. Generally, a headline or a tagline is the place where creative concepts play a vital role in successfully attracting the target audience.

Here's how creative managers use creative concepts:
  • Produced and presented creative concepts and current marketing analysis in monthly meetings with management while establishing alliances across corporate divisions.
  • Managed the development, design and execution of creative concepts delivering leading edge online marketing solutions.

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7. Creative Direction

Here's how creative managers use creative direction:
  • Provided management and creative direction for the Marketing and Communications department.
  • Worked directly on the agency's marquee accounts, while providing creative direction and oversight across all (130+) accounts.

8. Photography

Here's how creative managers use photography:
  • Managed leading fashion editorial photography studio, including set and lighting design.
  • Supervised Desktop Publishing, Image Processing and Photography areas of Creative Department.

9. PowerPoint

Here's how creative managers use powerpoint:
  • Created extensive presentation work on PowerPoint and Excel.
  • Produce visually stimulating proposals that include custom logos, floor plans, videos and PowerPoint or Prezi presentations.

10. Creative Process

Here's how creative managers use creative process:
  • Developed marketing creative process and corresponding documentation for ISO certification.
  • Managed the creative process between product vendors, The Home Depot merchants, print vendors, and the design teams.

11. Creative Services

Here's how creative managers use creative services:
  • Created requisition processes that kept the marketing/communications and creative services teams informed.
  • Created and implemented successfully a client delivery strategy for the Multimedia and Creative Services Team.

12. Email Campaigns

Email campaigns fall under the marketing efforts that involve contacting multiple recipients at a time. Email campaigns are the best way to reach subscribers and potential clients and give them relevant offers along with valuable content. It is also an effective way to strengthen the relationship with customers.

Here's how creative managers use email campaigns:
  • Designed and created all marketing materials, websites and email campaigns to market business and clients.
  • Created print advertising, coupons, email campaigns, and videos.

13. Integrated Marketing

Here's how creative managers use integrated marketing:
  • Collaborated with advertisers on branding and integrated marketing opportunities for in-house publication UPTOWN magazine.
  • Fostered strategic relationships with media companies for integrated marketing programs and cross-promotional opportunities.

14. WordPress

Here's how creative managers use wordpress:
  • Converted sites from a custom built CMS to WordPress.
  • Coded static and WordPress websites and responsive emails.

15. Brainstorming

Here's how creative managers use brainstorming:
  • Formalized and facilitated a unique style of cross-functional brainstorming sessions to support the development of new brand platforms and services.
  • Inspired new company culture, orchestrated brainstorming events, introduced Jump Start Your Brain.
top-skills

What skills help Creative Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What soft skills should all creative managers possess?

Sue Jenkins

Associate Professor, Marywood University

At Marywood University, we seek to develop transferable soft skills in our Art students through various classroom experiences. We do this by focusing on key aptitudes like strong verbal and written communication skills, teamwork and collegiality, problem-solving and creative thinking, design thinking, flexibility, and adaptability, giving and receiving feedback, and basics like time management, punctuality, and personal responsibility. In light of the global Covid pandemic, now more than ever, employers are seeking candidates with strong empathy skills, folks who strive to build Accessibility accommodations in all that they do, and people who are sensitive to and supportive of issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What skills stand out on creative manager resumes?

Sue Jenkins

Associate Professor, Marywood University

Arts Management covers a wide breadth of creative careers in visual and applied art, music, and the performing arts. In all these areas, the most important skills will demonstrate competence and evidence of leadership, time management, responsibility, and effective communication. Extracurricular experiences in college can readily provide those tangible skills that employers are seeking from future employees and like to see on resumes, such as club membership and service, volunteering, mentorship, and leadership roles like club President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Social Media Manager. In addition, employers are also looking at resumes for evidence of key accomplishments such as publications, solo and group exhibitions, honors, awards, and other types of noteworthy achievements. The more evidence of responsibility, ownership, and creativity a candidate can demonstrate, the better.

What hard/technical skills are most important for creative managers?

Sue Jenkins

Associate Professor, Marywood University

The types of hard skills employers find most important in our Covid world are mostly unchanged by the pandemic. Tangible hard/technical skills take time, patience, and persistence. These are skills that are developed over time through practice. Competent artists will have a variety of skills, including a strong grasp of the Principles & Elements of Art; be able to render drawings from life, images, memory, and imagination; have good composition skills and understand the rules of perspective; will grasp and demonstrate understanding color theory; can use the tools of their discipline with skill, and are knowledgeable about how to use a variety of artistic materials and tools with fine craftsmanship.

What creative manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Christopher Stagl MFAChristopher Stagl MFA LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Graphic Design, Troy University

Definitely video, motion, animation, and effects will continue to grow as some of the most needed skills - but if you can't think creatively, if you can't be unique and different in your problem solving and design thinking approach - then it doesn't matter how much technology you know or how good you are at Ai - you won't have a place in the industry. This industry is based on ideas - not technology. Skills can be learned, the most successful creatives think different.
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Read more about what experts have to say about creative manager

List of creative manager skills to add to your resume

Creative manager skills

The most important skills for a creative manager resume and required skills for a creative manager to have include:

  • Project Management
  • Digital Marketing
  • Graphic Design
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Creative Strategy
  • Creative Concepts
  • Creative Direction
  • Photography
  • PowerPoint
  • Creative Process
  • Creative Services
  • Email Campaigns
  • Integrated Marketing
  • WordPress
  • Brainstorming
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • Creative Projects
  • Brand Development
  • Business Objectives
  • Animation
  • Creative Briefs
  • Web Design
  • Creative Development
  • Video Shoots
  • Brand Marketing
  • Style Guides
  • HTML
  • Brand Management
  • Mac
  • User Experience
  • Direct Reports
  • Creative Design
  • Art Direction
  • Photo Shoots
  • Creative Solutions
  • Story Development
  • Print Production
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Creative Vision
  • Design Projects
  • Production Process
  • SEO
  • POS
  • CSS
  • Copywriting
  • Internal Clients
  • Channel Marketing
  • Product Launches

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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