Introduction

In the creative field of graphic designing, the importance of a resume goes beyond being just a professional document. It is a canvas of self-expression and creativity, that allows you to showcase your aesthetic sensibilities. Graphic designers are inherently storytellers and this quality of yours should be reflected in your resume as well.

A graphic designer resume needs to go beyond conventional expectations of a resume, as it should weave a narrative of your design journey, influences, and the unique perspective you bring to the table. Your goal is not only to simply list qualifications but to create an immersive experience that employers can visualize while reading your resume.

However, to create an eye-catching graphic designer resume, you need to put thoughtful consideration into each element of it, from the layout to the content, everything needs to be pitch-perfect. Since it is the visual structure that guides the employer through your professional narrative, you need to create an effective layout design that enhances the readability of your resume.

The following guide will help you explore not just the technical aspects of resume design but will also provide you with several tips that can help elevate your resume from a standard professional document to a stunning piece of art. Whether you are an experienced graphic designer or a newcomer, the following guide will help you create a resume graphic designer that not only reflects your skills and accomplishments but also presents a unique and unforgettable expression of your design identity.

Creating an Eye-Catching Graphic Designer Resume

Graphic designers usually have a misconception that creating a resume is a piece of cake, however, they are unaware of the minor intricacies involved in resume-making that could cost them their dream job.

They mainly believe that employers will instantly love their designer resume and right after that they are going to get the job. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. They fail to consider the fact that even designer job ads receive hundreds of applications, which makes their chances of selection even lower.

Therefore, to stand out from the crowd, a graphic designer needs a unique approach that gives them a competitive edge immediately.

How to Write a Graphic Designer Resume

To create a resume that instantly grabs the recruiter’s attention, you must follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1 – Input Your Personal Information

The first thing you need to do is to include the basic information about yourself. This should include:

·         Your name: Add your first and last name at the top of your resume.

·         Your email address: Add your email address directly under your name. You should use the one that you regularly check to ensure you receive all messages from the hiring organization.

·         Your phone number: Add your phone number underneath your name as well. You must ensure that the contact number you provide makes it easier for recruiters to reach you.

·         Link to your online portfolio: You can also include a clear link to your only portfolio that showcases your previous projects and design work.

Step 2 – Craft a Professional Summary

The professional summary section is the most crucial part of your resume graphic designer because several times recruiters evaluate candidates based on this section only. Therefore, you must give extra attention to this particular section.

Your professional summary summarizes who you are as a graphic designer and what you aim to achieve. For this section, you have to mention your years of experience, any major accomplishments you have in your field of work, and any other qualities that give you a competitive edge over the others.

The professional summary section does not need to be very lengthy, for maximum effectiveness, limit it to around three to five sentences. This section simply needs to provide the gist of your entire resume.

Step 3 – Describe Your Work Experience

This section focuses on the work experience you possess related to the graphic designing job. Your work experience must include the names of the organizations you worked for and a few details of your job responsibilities for each role. Include the dates of employment with each job so that employers can see how long you worked in each role.

To list down your job responsibilities, you can consider including three to five bullet points and feature an action verb when starting each one. Try to use numbers or metrics as much as possible to make your accomplishments and results seem more realistic and measurable.

Step 4 – Mention Your Hard or Soft Skills

To showcase skills in your resume, you have to review the job description carefully and locate any keywords that mention hard or soft skills that are required in the role.

Hard skills are also known as technical skills that usually people learn from training, school, or on-the-job experience. On the other hand, soft skills are the novice skills that you naturally possess and can improve and develop further.

Including a skills section that features relevant keywords from the job description can help you stand out from the crowd. You can include these skills when listing your job duties in the work experience section by explaining how you applied them to enhance your productivity. Some of the skills that you can include in your resume graphic designer are:

·         Branding

·         Typography

·         Logo Design

·         Graphic Design & Layout

·         Video Editing & Animation

·         Color Theory & Management

·         Multimedia Development & Presentation

·         Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign & Illustrator)

Step 5 – List Your Academic Degrees

This section includes any academic or vocational degrees that you have obtained related to graphic design. Most employers prefer graphic designers who at least have a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, animation, web design, or a related field. For each entry in this section, write the name of the degree you earned, the institution you earned it from, and the dates you attended.

Step 6 – Include Your Certifications

You can include any certifications that you obtained from a university, certification program, or some other medium like an online learning course. For each entry in this section, you have to include the name of the certification, the institute from which you earned it, and the date that you earned it.

Step 7 – Proofread Your Graphic Designer Resume

After writing the entire resume, you must review it carefully to ensure the design, colors, and sections align with each other properly and are easily scannable. Try to keep your font at a professional size, i.e., 10 and 12 points, and style, i.e., Helvetica, Arial, or Times New Roman. You must also make sure that the information you include in your resume directly relates to the role and follows proper grammar and spelling guidelines.

Tips to Create an Eye-Catching Graphic Designer Resume

Creating an impressive graphic designer resume can be quite intimidating as it should not only look visually appealing but it should also strike the right balance between creativity and professionalism. To ease things out for you, here are a few tips that you can follow to create a resume that grabs the attention of a recruiter instantly:

Avoid Getting Too Creative

Even though creativity is an essential skill for a graphic designer it needs to be limited when incorporating it into your resume. If you plan on applying to online job postings, your resume is probably going to pass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Since this is an AI-based software, it usually has trouble reading files with design elements like unusual fonts, images, or text boxes.

When your resume is passed by the ATS software, it usually strips out many design elements and delivers a plain text version to the recruiter. Therefore, it is best to stick with a simple template anytime you apply online.

Tailor Your Resume

Although the content of your resume graphic designer does not change drastically from one application to the next, however, you should always take some time to tailor your resume for every job you are applying for.

When tailoring your resume, you can cut whatever you think would not be relevant to a particular role. This will not only make your resume to the point but it will also keep it to a single page.

Since design goals and aesthetics vary from one company or industry to the next, therefore, as a graphic designer you have to be very thoughtful about the design work you choose to incorporate into your resume. You need to pick the samples that best portray your personality and your creativity.

Include Your Portfolio Links

While it is best to keep your resume simple, there are still ways through which you can showcase your creativity. You can create a designated portfolio section on your resume where you can include links to your work.

You can also include links to past projects within the experience section of your resume. By this, you can show the employer your creative side and still keep your resume professional.

Key Takeaways

Writing a graphic designer resume can be quite challenging, but by following proper steps and tips, you can pave your path to success!