In any field, competition for jobs is fierce. Your resume is often the first chance you have to make a good impression on a potential employer. Because of this, it’s essential to ensure that your resume is well-written and free of errors. However, knowing what to include on your resume can be tricky, especially if you’re starting in your career. That’s where professional design resume templates can be helpful. By looking at models from other designers, you can better understand what should be included on your resume. From there, you can start to customize your resume to highlight your unique skills and experience better. With a little effort, you can create a professional resume format in 2023 to help you stand out from the competition and land the job you want.
Resume Examples for Design Jobs
When applying for design jobs, your resume is your chance to shine. To create a resume that will capture the attention of potential employers, it’s essential to focus on content and format. For example, include a summary of your skills and experience and specific examples of your work that showcase your strengths. In addition, use clean, simple lines and formatting to give your resume a professional look. By following these tips, you can create a resume that will make a strong impression and help you land the design job of your dreams.
How to Write a Design Resume
If you’re a designer, your resume should be as free of errors as one of your designs. This means proofreading for typos and ensuring that your layout is easy to follow. After all, if a prospective employer can’t make sense of your resume, they’re not likely to give you the benefit of the doubt regarding your work. Here are some tips on how to write a design resume that will make a good impression:
- Stick to a professional font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Stay away from creative fonts that might be difficult to read.
- Use cleaner, stylish layouts. Your resume should be easy on the eyes, so avoid clutter using plenty of white space.
- Highlight your relevant experience. If you have worked designing products, include information about those projects in your work history section.
- Use strong verbs to describe your accomplishments. For example, “designed,” “created,” “oversaw,” etc.
By following these tips, you can create a resume that is both professional and stylish – two qualities that any employer is looking for in a designer.
What Design Resume Should Include?
- Name and contact information.
- Resume summary.
- Skills.
- Education.
- Work experience.
- Additional relevant accomplishments.
Design Resume Summary
As a design professional, your resume is your opportunity to sell yourself and your skills to potential employers. To make the most of this opportunity, it’s essential to have a strong resume summary that quickly and effectively communicates who you are and what you can do. Here are some tips on how to write a practical design resume summary:
By following these tips, you can ensure that your design resume summary makes a strong impression and convinces employers to give you a closer look.
Design Resume Skills Samples
As a designer, your resume is your calling card—it should be an accurate representation of your skills, experience, and unique perspective. The skills section of your resume is where you can highlight your technical abilities and expertise. Here are some design resume skills samples to get you started:
- Drawing and sketching: Whether a product designer or a graphic designer, drawing is an essential skill for conveying your ideas. Be sure to include both digital and traditional mediums in your skills section.
- Adobe Creative Suite: Most designers are proficient in the industry-standard Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.). If you have advanced skills in specific programs (e.g., After Effects), list them here.
- Typography: An understanding of typography is essential for any designer, whether you’re working on web projects or print collateral. Include info on both digital and print typefaces in your skills section.
- Layout and composition: A strong sense of structure and composition is critical for creating harmonious designs that are easy for the eye to follow. If you have experience working with grid systems or laying out complex information, mention it here.
- Color theory: A sound understanding of color theory will help you create aesthetically pleasing and practical designs to convey their intended message. If you have experience working with color palettes or designing for specific colorblindness conditions, include that info here.
- Branding: If you have experience developing or managing brands, this is a valuable skill to list on your resume. Be sure to mention any relevant coursework or professional experience in branding and identity design.
- UX/UI Design: As more and more companies focus on delivering excellent user experiences, UX/UI design has become an essential skill for many designers. If you have experience designing websites, apps, or other digital products, include it in your skills section.
Education Section for a Design Resume
Your design resume should include an Education section highlighting your relevant academic achievements. If you’re a recent graduate, include your degree and GPA. If you have significant experience in the field, you may not need to include your GPA. You can also list any relevant coursework, honors, and awards. For example, if you took a class in web design, be sure to list it! You should include appropriate extracurricular activities, such as design clubs or competitions—it will give potential employers a better sense of your design skills and experience.
Here’s a sample:
Education
BFA in Graphic Design, Rhode Island School of Design | 2013-2017
Awards:
- Gold ADDY, American Advertising Federation Northeast
- Silver medal, Art Directors Club of Boston
Work Experience Section for a Designer
When it comes to working as a professional designer, experience is everything. A strong portfolio is essential for landing new clients and assignments in the competitive design world. For this reason, it’s necessary to ensure that your work experience section is up-to-date and includes your most impressive work. However, simply listing your previous gigs is not enough. It would help if you showed potential employers what you’re capable of by including strong visuals and highlighting your specific role in each project. By taking the time to craft a substantial work experience section, you’ll be sure to stand out from the rest of the applicants and land the design job of your dreams.
Check out this job experience section template:
Work Experience
Designer, ABC Company, XYZ Place
2018-present
- Designed and implemented a new website for a small business
- Worked with a team to create an advertising campaign that increased web traffic by 25%
- Wrote and developed user manuals and product guides
Buzzwords to Use in Design Resume
In the design world, certain buzzwords have taken on a life of their own. To be truly successful in the field, it’s essential to be well-versed in the language of design. Here are just a few of the buzzwords that you should include in your resume:
Including these buzzwords on your resume will show employers that you are a true design professional who is well-versed in the language of the industry.
Lindsay is a certified resume writer and interview coach. She obtained her certification in resume writing (CPRW) which will allow her resume expertise to help readers outshine the competition within the first 5 seconds of reviewing what they have on paper.
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