How to craft an impressive graphic designer resume

Even for a graphic designer, as a creative professional and communicator of concepts, the idea of designing your own resume may become quite challenging. 

Being skilled in typography, illustration or web design, you often turn your work into posters, billboards, brochures and other advertising materials.

The question, however, is “How to create your own graphic designer resume so that it impresses your future potential employer?”

The following tips may help dispel some of your doubts.

Graphic Designer Resume Sample

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Hired by: K-Brite radio

Manière De Voir Senior Graphic Designer CV Example

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Hired by: Manière De Voir

Creative Designer Resume Template

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1. How to properly format your graphic designer resume

The format of your graphic designer CV turns into the first demonstration of your design skills and creative approach in the eyes of a hiring manager.

No wonder you are taking your resume preparation with all seriousness. When it comes to the overall look of your designer CV, you may consider four areas:

• The best graphic design software for writing a resume

As a graphic designer, you will definitely appreciate Adobe InDesign as the main tool for creating your curriculum, as you will have full control of text layout.

You can also make your own personalized logo and graphic elements for individual sections in Adobe Illustrator and import them easily into your InDesign document.

• Finest resume fonts for your graphic designer CV

You have probably guessed that Comic Sans is not the road you should take. With so many fonts, however, what should you use instead?

Many would like to reach for some stylish typeface, but remember that your resume should be easy-to-read and easy-to-skim in the first place. Fair typography options for your CV could be:

• Calibri
• Merriweather
• Constantia
• Gill Sans
• Cambria
• Georgia

If you do opt for a more creative approach, these 10 fonts will undoubtedly capture a hiring manager's attention.

• Top graphic design resume layout

Any art director will pay close attention to your resume layout. Make sure you position individual sections in a way they are easily readable.

Remember to use white space between content areas and between graphic icons and your text, allowing a reader to rest their eyes.

In order to distribute your segments wisely, you may consider a two-column layout with sections such as personal information, portfolio link, soft skills and hard skills on the left.

The main part of your page would then typically serve sections containing your graphic designer professional experience, education, certifications, awards and interests, using a reverse-chronological order.

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• Extra elements in your graphic designer resume

Nothing can distract a hiring manager’s attention from the content like flashy graphic elements and use of bright colors can do. Let us then avoid it. 

If you are hesitating whether to use bold colors or images to express your style, make sure you do not overdo it. "Less is sometimes more" has never been truer. 

Pick your color scheme wisely, focusing on subtle hues. You can still get extra attention using your own icons as focal points leading to the desirable area of your resume.

As a proper graphic designer, you will certainly put a lot of effort into making the form of your resume unique, and that is great. Just keep in mind that form is here to guide us in the content and not to distract us from it.

Choose your preferred template and make your resume shine.

2. How to write a strong graphic designer professional summary

Start the main part of the page with a concise and to-the-point professional summary. Make it stand out by using keywords from the job posting you are applying for.

Some examples of key expressions that you may incorporate in your summary could be:

• creative
• detail-oriented
• extensive experience with managing branding projects
• specializes in digital marketing campaigns
• possessing expert skills in creating illustrations

3. How to select the best graphic design soft and hard skills for your resume

As a graphic expert, there is no doubt you know your tools. Adobe Suite is a must, but any extra knowledge makes a difference. Don't be too humble when it comes to naming relevant programs you master, and include them in your hard skills section.

Many graphic designers focus on naming hard skills and tend to undervalue the soft ones. You know you are creative, and you should certainly mention it, but any art director will also appreciate the following competencies:

Check for more hard and sof skills to put on your CV.

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4. How to quantify your graphic design work experience

Your work experience section is here to describe your main responsibilities and work achievements in each of the relevant positions you've held. Remember to add hard data, such as percentages and numerical results, as these will become a tangible proof of your distinct contributions.

5. How to effectively list education in your graphic designer CV

Whether you have already successfully finished your studies or you are still studying, you may as well mention your main academic achievements, university projects relevant to the position, or even areas of passion if it is related to the job you are applying for.

Oh, and don't forget to complement your graphic designer resume with a link to a website or portfolio showcasing your completed work.

This invaluable addition serves as a visual testament to your experience and creativity, providing potential employers with a firsthand glimpse into your design prowess.