Complete Guide to Writing an Eye-Catching Designer Resume

A majority of graphic designers think that coming up with an attractive resume is easy. They believe that employers will quickly ‘fall in love’ with their designer resume and they’ll instantly land their dream job. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

They fail to remember that designer job posts receive thousands of applications! This means that when you begin crafting your designer resume, you’ll need to use a unique approach to make sure yours stand out.

Here are some tips to ensure you create an eye-catching designer resume that will get you noticed:

Make sure you choose the best format

Even though you’re a graphic designer, you don’t need to write a flashy resume. Remember that graphic design is all about conveying relevant content. Note that the content aspect comes first!

A simple resume design is the way to go, as to not make things complicated for the hiring manager, who has a ‘mountain’ of others to go through and little time to do it. Avoid ‘burying’ important information under exaggerated layouts.

There are three formats for a resume:

• Functional - The functional resume format frames the candidate in terms of the skills and abilities that are most relevant to the position.
• Reverse Chronological -  presents your work experience information from newest (most relevant) to oldest (least relevant)
• Combination - A combination resume is literally a combination of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats.

Whatever design you choose, make sure to include a good amount of white space to avoid straining their eyes. You also want to use a clean, legible font for better reading.

Clear contact information

Include all of your contact information at the top to help the company get in touch with you when you get shortlisted. However, it should not occupy a lot of space. Keep it as clear and as brief as possible. Here, you’ll need to fill in your name, phone number, professional email address and a reliable link to your website.

Choose a summary over an objective

Are you writing a designer resume to land a job in the company of your dreams? If you are, then start by indicating what you can do for the business through a summary statement. Here, mention all your achievements. Advertise yourself in a manner that’s both professional and fun.

A resume objective, on the other hand, is for designers with little to no experience. It ‘ignores experience’ and concentrates on your skills. Suitable examples include problem-solving and collaboration skills, as well as creativity.

Use bullet points

The sad reality is that employers will only take six seconds to go through your resume. So, you need to present yours in the best way. Here, you could start by talking about your recent job. List your achievements and responsibilities in brief and clear bullet points like in this example:

What if you don’t have any experience? Graphic designers with lack of exposure can quickly get some. Nowadays, you’ll find visual designers advertising their projects in online portfolios or by entering in competitions on sites like 99 designs, Creative Allies and Freelancer.com.

Educational achievements are important

As a graphic designer, you may think that a degree doesn’t matter. However, if you don’t have one, you’ll have to do extra work to gain enough experience. For designers with degrees, this is just an icing on the cake. Include the following details:

• The university and its location
• Major
• Type of degree
• Standouts, awards and honors

Even if you’re not through with college, you can still come up with a fantastic resume. Just concentrate on your interest, passion and achievements so far!

Certifications, awards and accolades

“We need to get this one.” These are just some of the words that should be coming out of the director’s mouth after she reads your resume. But this won’t happen unless it’s different from the rest.

To make your designer resume more unique, highlight the features that make you great.

You could talk about your certifications, awards, publications. Besides, activities like working with volunteer organizations attract potential employers. Take time in getting the right tips because even the smallest detail determines if you get a recruiter. Just like in other sections, the items you list should relate to the work you want to do.

Have a cover letter

Research shows that 45% of recruiters tend to skip resumes with no cover letter. Having such a document in your graphic design resume gives you a perfect chance to showcase your personality.

Include details such as:

• The name of your recruiter
• Show how you can offer your assistance
• Talk about something you like about the company.

Take a look at this example:

Using a detailed and attractive cover letter puts you a step ahead of other candidates. With all of the online templates available nowadays, it’s easy to create a cover letter. A suitable example is using a reliable resume builder. In any case, using the best career highlights in your resume quickly drives your achievements home.

Conclusion

While writing your designer resume, make sure that you connect every detail to the job on offer. Each bullet point should show the art director that you’re the best person for the job. Also, remember that while customized resumes are attractive, it’s better to use simple designs with top-notch content.

Potential employers should be moved by the type of resume that you put before them. Lastly, remember to use a cover letter to personalize your experiences, skills and also yourself. By following the tips outlined in this article, you’ll have no problems creating an excellent designer resume. You’ll even have recruiters hovering over you with juicy job offers!

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