Having creativity alone won’t land you a job. There are thousands of graphic designers out there who need a job just like you. Of course, the most amazing job deals will go to the graphic designer who can present himself best.
In many cases, a graphic design resume is a do-or-die factor. How you present yourself on paper will help hiring personnel determine if you’re the right fit for the job. Many times, an online portfolio will make a difference. While too much information can be overwhelming, like sorting out multiple graphic design resume examples laid on your table, it is important to develop a personalized structure. This will highlight the skills and output that you want your recruiter to see first.
Simply creating flashy graphic design resumes won’t do the job. With tons of applications at hand, hiring personnel only takes 6 seconds to give you a shot. In those precious seconds, they should quickly see you’re the one they’re looking for. It takes skills to get the attention of a sharp eye. But how do you do that?
Image taken from Chiara Scarabotti website
Tips to Create the Perfect Resume Graphic Design
For graphic designers, here are some factors you should consider in crafting your graphic design resume if you want to avoid the reject pile.
1. Your Graphic Design Resume Must Have a Format
Creating a graphic designer resume is not just about showcasing your design skills. You have to strike a balance between conveying a remarkable design with a proper format. If the information the hiring personnel needs are drowned in your design, you won’t stand a chance. There are three winning formats you can choose from:
• Functional Resume
A functional resume format is built to highlight your relevant job skills. Instead of focusing on your work history, functional resumes draw attention to the skills you’ve developed through your career. You don't need to mention your work experience in a functional resume. You only need to write your company’s name, location, and job title for previous positions you held. It’s the best to have when you're starting your career or have learned numerous job-related hard and soft skills.
• Reverse-Chronological Resume
A majority of people use this resume format to create their resume graphic design. A reverse-chronological resume begins with your contact details and a brief introduction about yourself. The highlight of a reverse-chronological resume is the work experience. Hiring managers are particular about your work experience (if you have any), and this type of resume makes it easier for them to gauge the applicant’s skills and job compatibility.
One of the best graphic design resume examples we got here is from Alexis Musick website. It doesn’t give you a hint about how traditional resumes back in the day, but it speaks more about Alexis’s creativity and artistic craft. Most graphic design resume examples such as this speak louder about yourself.
Images taken from Alexis Musick website
• Combination Resume
This type of resume is a combination of both the chronological and functional resume formats. A combination resume starts with your core skills like a functional resume but has a detailed work experience section like a reverse-chronological resume. Combination resumes are best if you have many skills and a long career using those skills.
2. Always Make Your Contact Information Visible
With many things in your resume graphic design, your contact information still needs to be recognized immediately. It’s best to include your contact information on all pages of your resume. Sometimes, when the hiring personnel sees you’re a good fit, they won’t bother scrutinizing information on each page.
Your contact information should always include:
- Your name
- Phone number
- Your email address
- Website (if you have one)
- And a link to your cloud-based portfolio
3. Highlight Your Graphic Design Resume Objectives
On your end, the goal is to land a job, right? But on the employer’s end, the goal is to find someone who can do the tasks they need. This is where your experiences come to play.
But not just any experience, the ones tailored to your potential employer’s needs. Let’s say you’ve been a bank clerk before you chose to focus on graphic design, including that in the experiences section of your graphic designer resume won’t be helpful. You should relate all the experiences you must include to the job position you’re applying for. Many times, you won’t be given a chance to be interviewed. Your graphic design resume must speak for yourself.
4. Mention Your Graphic Design Education
Granted, not every graphic designer has a degree in education. You could’ve become a graphic designer by talent. But having an education is like a feather in your cap. If you have it, don’t forget to mention it. You should include:
- The university
- Degree and major
- Awards and honors (if you have)
If you don’t have a university degree for it, you can mention a graphic design online course or seminar you’ve attended. If none, make up for it with your portfolio. Even if you don’t have formal education in graphic design but still have what it takes to deliver what they need, you’ll have a good chance of landing the job.
5. Add a Link to Your Online Portfolio on Your Graphic Design Resume
Sometimes, employers view what you say in your graphic design resume as mere unproven words. Your portfolio is your chance to verify your claims. In many cases, employers will ask for samples of your work, so you have to create an online portfolio. Speaking of creating a website portfolio, have we told you about Strikingly intuitive website templates? The free customizable templates are just the thing you’re looking for to build the perfect graphic design resume.
You can simply upload your graphic design samples in cloud-based storage like Dropbox and give them the link to it. Better yet, if you have the resources, you can create your portfolio website. A portfolio website will showcase your samples and tell the potential employer you have experience designing a website which is a big plus factor. This is not a requirement, but if you can have one, it will be beneficial. You can visit the Strikingly blog, which gives you step-by-step guidance in building your very own graphic designer resume website.
6. Mention Awards and Certifications
Again, not a requirement but very helpful. This tells potential employers your designs are the top-of-the-class type. Mentioning your awards and certifications will make you more credible. It gives you added authority to the trade.
In essence, a job-winning graphic design resume should have:
- A format, in this case, I suggest the reverse-chronological order
- An engaging design that doesn’t drown out the important information written in it
- The objectives conveyed
- Elements proving you’re a good fit
- Tailored qualifications
Generic graphic design resumes rarely work. It always has to be tailor-fit to the needs of the company you’re applying for. Employers have to be assured you have what it takes to do the job. Your graphic design resume plays a major role in this. As I said earlier, it’s a do or die factor. It pays to take the effort to craft personalized graphic design resumes. If it increases your chances of getting hired, it’s worth the effort, right?
And when you have put time and effort into making the perfect graphic design resume, wouldn’t you want to showcase it on a global platform and unlock new business opportunities. Having your own graphic design resume website might not feel like the right thing for you, but what if we told you it's just the thing you need to boost your graphic design career?
Stunning Graphic Design Resume Examples
Building creative graphic design resumes is no child’s play. As a graphic designer, you might have the extra pressure of making a stunning graphic designer resume. But what exactly is the perfect designer resume?
Check out these graphic designer resumes and find out what you’ve been missing out on all these days.
1. Sethu Omanakuttan
Image taken from Sethu Omanakuttan website
Sethu’s graphic design resume is a perfect example of a designer who got a good hold of their skills and knew how to display their best. The designer uses Strikingly latest design features to create a mesmerizing onscreen display. The minimal design and placing of content just add to the appeal of the graphic design resume website.
2. Nimisha Bhagwat
Image taken from Nimisha Bhagwat website
You don’t need to be a fresher to own a graphic design resume website. Take it from Nimisha Bhagat, who has eight years of experience as a graphic designer. Her senior graphic designer resume is just what large firms need to gauge her technical expertise. And Nimisha has done justice to her website design by keeping it simple, focusing on what makes her experience count. Her website is targeted to her core strengths, giving her a great chance among tough competition.
3. Akshita Poojari
Image taken from Akshita Poojari website
An online portfolio must be to the point and direct visitors to the goal of the website. Akshitha’s graphic-designed resume portfolio does this exceptionally well. The use of white spaces and color combinations used in the website draw focus to the content. Clients instantly know what the profile is all about and ease their decision in choosing her for their next project.
4. M. Fadhzli
Image taken from M Fadhzli website
Fadhzli created his graphic designer resume website on Strikingly, making the best use of the range of personalizable options. His website stands out for its sleek design. The flow and segregation of content are just flawless. He even adds a chat option to instantly contact him, giving a hint of engagement through his personal website.
Benefits of an Online Graphic Designer Resume Portfolio
1. Extended Reach
The internet is the place for anyone looking to discover new opportunities and expand their portfolio. Being a graphic designer, it’s obvious that you diversify your reach, especially online, to market your skills efficiently Offline resources are limited in the extent of jobs or even the variety. Setting up your online portfolio, your profile can be viewed by hundreds of people every day. You can imagine the doors of fortune that it can unlock.
2. Availability
You don’t have to worry about if and when someone is capable of viewing your profile. Nor do you have to worry if your graphic design resume has reached the intended employer/client. Your online portfolio will be on display 24/7. Even when you don’t feel your best to look for better opportunities or too caught up with work, your online graphic designer profile will be doing it for you.
3. Showcase your Skills
The logic is that being a graphic designer, your profile must look stunning. Your graphic design resume skills talk about your credibility as a graphic designer. But even the most creative graphic design resumes cannot beat the freedom that an online graphic design resume offers to spill your creative beans. It also lets employers/clients see your creative skills and working capacity online.
4. Social Media Reach
You might say that you have social media accounts, which is necessary given that you are a graphic designer. But social networks have a limited reach unless you're actively marketing yourself. But an online portfolio is a great way to enhance your social media presence without much effort. By linking your online portfolio to your social media accounts, you can double the traffic that you currently have on your social media account.
Image taken from Strikingly website
You see, having a perfectly crafted graphic designer resume is just one-half of the job done because the resume won’t market itself. And that’s why you need to get on Strikingly and create a free graphic designer resume website now! The custom templates, tools, and endless personalizable options can help you shape your ideas and create a resume graphic design website with clients lining up at your doorstep. We’ve got a team of experts to help you land that dream job. All you need to do now is sign up to get started.
