What can be so difficult about writing a good resume you may wonder? Though not many realize it, resumes for different jobs have certain peculiarities. This means there is no one-fits-all formula for writing a resume. Still, many job seekers make the same mistake - they create a generic resume, not taking into account the specifics of the job they are going to apply for.
SkillHub is here to help you avoid this mistake. On our website, you can find lots of handy guides on how to write a winning resume for a particular job. In this article, we are going to talk about graphic designer resumes.
Below is your step-by-step instruction on how to craft a winning resume for this job where you will find lots of handy tips and a solid graphic designer resume example for inspiration.
No matter if you are a professional graphic designer looking to advance your resume or just a beginner wishing to land your first project, this guide will come in handy to everyone!
It will guide you through every step of the process and help you create your own graphic designer sample resume that will impress recruiters and help you land a job!
How to Write a Graphic Designer Resume
In your job search, there is only one thing that matters most. Despite the common belief, it is not your qualification, experience, or skills. In fact, the thing that matters most is your resume.
No matter how huge your career accomplishments are or how much work experience you have, you will not land an interview if you can’t present your achievements the right way. Thus, to succeed and win a job, you have to know how to write a solid resume.
In order to land a graphic design job, you need to know how to write a resume for this particular job. To help you get started, let’s look at some key points that will help you write a resume for a graphic designer job:
- Carefully read the graphic design job description before you get to writing.
- Focus on your key skills.
- Keep it simple. If you look for design resume examples on the Internet, you will find plenty of various styles and designs. Indeed, a resume for such a creative job can and should showcase your creativity. But it’s important to keep it simple.
- Keep it functional. Getting back to the design of your resume, one more tip we have for you is to keep it uncomplicated and easy to navigate through for hiring managers. Simply put, you have to make it first of all functional.
These are just the basic instructions and tips. Keep reading to get more guidelines on how to create a flawless graphic designer resume!
Write a Graphic Designer Resume Summary or Summary Objective
Every good sample resume for graphic designer begins with a brief introductory passage.
There are two ways to begin your graphic design resume. Depending on the level of experience, you may want to use either a resume summary or an objective. The key difference between these two types of introductions is that a summary focuses on your professional achievements and, thus, is used when an applicant has vast experience.
An objective, on the contrary, strives to outline your professional goals, not factual experience, which is why it can be found in a sample resume for graphic designer fresher.
Here is a summary resume sample for graphic designer:
Senior graphic designer with over six years of experience. Possess strong skills in layout, graphic, and production materials design. Developed over 100 successful graphic design projects of different types, including infographics, logos, advertisements, brochures, and more. Winner of the 2013 BigCommerce Design award.
Put Your Education on Resume for a Graphic Designer
We all know that nothing can beat the real, hands-on experience, especially in such a creative job. Whether you are applying for a regular or remote position, your experiences section will most likely get the most attention of the hiring manager. So, does your education even matter if you want to be a graphics designer?
You can get a graphic designer job without a college degree. It’s true. If you don’t have a degree, you can always make an emphasis on your experience and let it make up for the lack of education. But, if you do have it, it is just one more chance to impress your potential employers. Thus, if you do have a college diploma, don’t hesitate to highlight it in your resume!
To stand out and show your education in the best light, include the following info:
- College name and location;
- Degree;
- Major;
- Awards, honors, etc.
Put Skills on a Graphic Designer Resume
One of the most significant sections in a graphic designer resume is the one that showcases your skills. When reviewing applications, every recruiter is looking for the right candidate with skill sets that match the job description.
If you look at any resume graphic designer sample, you will see how they all use the same keywords in the skills section. Why? Because recruiters are using automated resume-scanning software (also known as applicant tracking system) to filter the candidates who match the job and those who don’t.
To beat the ATS system and ensure your resume gets noticed, you need to tailor your graphic design resume skills section to the job description and use relevant keywords.
Here are some of the most in-demand graphic design skills:
- Sketching;
- Photoshop;
- Creativity;
- Illustrator;
- Time Management;
- HTML/CSS;
- Layout;
- Corel Draw;
- Taking Criticism;
- Communication;
- Typography;
- Teamwork;
- Color Theory;
- Acrobat;
- Technology;
- Free Hand;
- Problem Solving;
- Organization.
Add Contact Info to Your Resume
If you ask us about the one detail no sample graphic designer resume can do without, we’d say it is contact info.
Here is what contact info has to be in every resume for graphic designer sample:
- Name;
- Up-to-date phone number;
- Professional email address.
These basic details have to be included in a resume for any kind of job. But, when it comes to graphic design resumes, in particular, there is one more detail that has to be there. It is a link to your online portfolio. It lets recruiting firms recognize you are a good fit for a job.
Add Other Sections to Your Effective Resume
In this guide, we’ve already walked you through basic sections that have to be in your resume to help you get employed. All these steps will make your job application look complete and provide the hiring managers with all the info they need to define whether they want to recruit you or not. However, the best design resumes have much more to them.
If you want your graphic resume to impress and engage, you should also consider adding other sections to it.
Some additional sections that can complement your resume are:
- Languages;
- Honors and awards;
- Interests and hobbies.
While languages and awards can highlight your professionalism, adding some info about your interests and hobbies can show your passion for your job. This will also attract the recruiter’s attention. The main tip here is to ensure that all additional sections you add are relevant to a graphic designer job.
Add Cover Letter to Your Graphic Designer Resume
It may seem that people don’t write cover letters anymore. However, that’s not quite true. Although a cover letter may not be listed in the job application requirements, it should still be there because it is one more opportunity to make a good, lasting impression and win a job.
Besides, though job seekers tend to forget about the importance of a cover letter, recruiters and employers don’t. According to stats, about 45% of art directors and hiring managers will skip your graphic designer resume if it doesn’t come with a cover letter.
Therefore, we strongly encourage you to add a graphic design cover letter to your resume.
Here is what to include in your graphic designer cover letter:
- The recruiter’s name for personalization.
- 1-2 points you like about a particular company (why you want to work there)
- A few statements that explain how you can help a particular company or project.
A great cover letter should look like a snippet from your graphic designer resume sample. To make it flawless, we recommend pulling out 3-4 of the most impressive points from your resume and highlighting them in a cover letter to show why you are a good fit.
Use Key Action Verbs
As was already mentioned, using the right resume keywords can really get your resume noticed and help you get more interviews. And to make your work experience section shine, you also need to use the right action verbs.
Action verbs will strengthen your resume and help you make the right impression. Here is a list of effective verbs you may want to use:
- Authorized
- Clarified
- Designed
- Chaired
- Composed
- Acknowledged
- Cultivated
- Consulted
- Assimilated
- Delegated
- Analyzed
- Blended
- Built
- Coalesced
- Advocated
- Calculated
- Collaborated
- Authored
- Crafted
- Ignited
- Directed
- Contributed
- Spearheaded
Look for more keywords on the web or in graphic design resume examples.
Graphic Designer Resume Sample
Hopefully, after reading our guide you know how to create a job-winning graphic designer resume sample.
In this article, we shared some of the most effective tips and tricks, as well as sample resume graphic designer entries, and more. In conclusion, let’s once more look at the key takeaways that will help you create your own flawless resume sample graphic designer:
- Although it is never a bad idea to show a bit of creativity, don’t turn your resume into just another graphic design project. Be sure to keep it simple and clear.
- Start with a powerful resume summary or objective (choose the option that suits you most based on the level of your professional experience).
- Strengthen your experience section with lots of relevant keywords and action verbs.
- Carefully read the graphic designer job description and always make sure you tailor every little detail in your resume to match the job offer.
- Don’t be afraid to add a few extra sections to your resume to highlight your passion for graphic design.
- Add a compelling and engaging cover letter to win the job.
Follow all the tips and tricks from our guide and you will land your dream job with ease!