Advocacy Director Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Advocacy Director resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
If you’re passionate about fighting for the rights of others, then advocacy might be the perfect career choice for you. As an advocacy director, you’ll work with an organization’s lobbyists, lawyers, and public relations team to develop and implement an advocacy strategy. You’ll identify ways to influence decision makers and create change through policymaking and legislation.
Here are some tips to write a compelling advocacy director resume that hiring managers will love plus an example for reference.
How to Write an Advocacy Director Resume
Here’s how to write an resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing bullet points, it can be tempting to focus on the tasks and responsibilities of your job. But if you want to stand out from other candidates, you need to go beyond that and focus on the results of your work.
For example, rather than saying you “managed social media accounts,” you could say that you “increased Twitter followers by 20% in six months, resulting in a 150% increase in website traffic.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific numbers and details about the project. It also ties in the outcome of the project—increased website traffic—which is always a good thing to do when possible.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit your resume for an advocacy director role, it’s likely that it will be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. These programs look for certain terms related to the job like “policy” and “lobbying” in order to determine whether your skills and experience match the position. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, you might not make it past the initial screening.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common advocacy director keywords as a starting point to help you add relevant terms to your resume:
- Advocacy
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Community Outreach
- Fundraising
- Program Development
- Grant Writing
- Public Policy
- Event Planning
- Volunteer Management
- Research
- Strategic Communications
- Policy Analysis
- Leadership Development
- Grassroots Organizing
- Program Evaluation
- Government
- Public Speaking
- Public Affairs
- Grant Management
- Fundraising Strategy
- Social Media
- Social Services
- Nonprofit Management
- Family Therapy
- Child Advocacy
- Crisis Intervention
- Event Management
- Child Welfare
- Program Coordination
- Working with Adolescents
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As an advocacy director, you need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and systems in order to effectively do your job. This might include familiarity with databases, case management software, or presentation tools. Additionally, many advocacy organizations are now using social media platforms to reach a wider audience, and directors who are familiar with these platforms will be better equipped to take advantage of this growing trend.