Graphic Design Resume

As a graphic designer, you probably already know how to create an eye-catching design for your resume. But knowing what to include on your resume to impress employers might not come so easily.

Whether you’re trying to track down more freelance projects or simply want find a steady graphic design position at a large company, here are five tips for creating a great graphic designer resume that highlights your skills without sacrificing visual appeal:

1. Write a winning graphic designer objective

A resume objective provides a quick, three-to-four sentence overview of your relevant experience, achievements, and skills, while also letting you directly address the specific company and role you’re applying for.

Resume objectives are an ideal resume opening for graphic designers because hiring managers often don’t have much time to look through a full portfolio.

For graphic design work, you want your resume objective to communicate four key pieces of information:

• Years of design experience, your job title, and your primary responsibilities
• Your most important accomplishments or notable projects you worked on
• Your most valuable technical skills (like Figma or Adobe Creative Suite)
• Your immediate career goals

Here’s an example of a strong graphic designer resume objective:

Senior Graphic Design Specialist with 6+ years of experience in the management of the complete design process, from conceptualization to delivery. Spearheaded the design of new branding guidelines for my last company, helping to increase conversions by 15%. Skilled with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) Microsoft Office and web design applications (Dreamweaver, HTML). Seeking to leverage my design skills to obtain a role as a Lead Graphic Designer at Homebody Studios.

After reading just the first sentence, employers already know the candidate’s professional level, years of experience, and that they have managed all levels of the design process. The candidate then highlights a key professional accomplishment and lists their technical skill set. The closing sentence establishes the candidate’s career goals.

2. Highlight key graphic design resume skills

Employers need designers who are experienced with the latest design software and have a well-developed set of skills. The best way to impress any company hiring for graphic design positions is by putting together a clear, detailed resume skills section.

Whether you’re a freelancer or looking for an in-house job, here are some of the top graphic design skills that employers are looking for:

Your technical abilities aren’t all employers care about, however. The best graphic designers are also strong communicators, responsive, and creative. Be sure to include a balance of hard and soft skills on your resume to show employers that you have all the qualities that they’re looking for in a candidate.

Here are some graphic design soft skills to include on your resume:

3. Address the job description

While it may be tempting to present your work experience creatively, it’s not usually an effective way to convince employers that you’re the best person for the job. Instead, the goal of your work experience section should be to address the needs laid out in the job description.

When you build a resume for a graphic design job, start by going through the job ad for the position you want and taking note of the qualities listed in the “Requirements” section.

Take this actual job description for example:

This position emphasizes the ability to cooperate, coordinate, multi-task, and be involved in the entire design process.

Here’s an example of an experience section from a graphic design resume that addresses the requirements of this job:

EXPERION, New York, NY

A B2B marketing firm that has helped over 200 companies position, promote and market their unique brands.

Senior Graphic Design Specialist, May 2011 – present

• Lead in the design, development and implementation of the graphic, layout, and production communication materials while helping clients cut their costs by an average of 12%.
• Worked with the marketing team to develop innovative graphics and materials.
• Supervise the assessment of all graphic materials to ensure quality and accuracy in the design.
• Oversee the efficient use of production project budgets ranging from $2,000 – $25,000.

STEPPING STONE ADVERTISING, New York, NY

A full-service ad agency devoted to the well-planned execution of customized direct and digital marketing campaigns.

Graphic Design Specialist, Aug 2009-May 2011

• Developed numerous marketing programs (logos, brochures, newsletters, infographics, presentations, and advertisements) and guaranteed that they exceeded the expectations of our clients.
• Managed up to 5 projects or tasks at a given time while under pressure to meet weekly deadlines.
• Recommended and consulted with clients on the most appropriate graphic design options based on their overall marketing goals.
• Created 4+ design presentations and proposals a month for clients and account managers.

Notice that the skills mentioned in the job posting are featured extensively in this example. This is one of the most effective ways to impress employers and demonstrate to them that your experience perfectly matches what they want in a new graphic design hire.

4. Add a portfolio section to your resume

Ultimately, the most important thing an employer considers when hiring a graphic designer is that the candidate’s work is high quality, and that it fits their needs.

However, the quality of your work can’t easily be put into words on your graphic design resume. That’s why it’s essential to provide a link to your portfolio, so that employers can easily take a look at your work themselves.

Start by creating a new section on your resume and titling it “Portfolio” or “Projects.” Then, list out the different types of design work you did, followed by a more in-depth explanation of the projects you’ve worked on (or are currently working on).

Here’s an example of what a graphic design portfolio section looks like on a resume:

If you’re running out of space on your resume, consider just adding a link to your portfolio in the header of your resume instead of creating a dedicated section.

5. Keep your design functional

As a designer, it’s tempting to make a visual resume that’s creative and eye-catching. However, the problem with using a nontraditional format is that your resume ends up being difficult to read and makes it hard for hiring managers to find the information they’re looking for.

Ultimately, the best graphic design resumes are both functional and attractive. So while you don’t need to make your resume look bland, you should stick to a traditional resume format that lays your information out in a logical, easy-to-read fashion instead of using a unique layout.