Visual Designer Resume Example & Writing Guide

A well-made resume is very important for visual designers looking to get hired. It's the first thing employers see, so it needs to quickly show off your design skills and work history in the best way possible.

But creating a visual designer resume isn't always easy. What should you include? How should you organize it? What will make busy hiring managers want to interview you?

This guide gives you the answers. It has expert tips for writing each section of your resume, from the summary down to your education. You'll learn what skills and experience to focus on, how to describe your work, and how to make your resume visually appealing.

There's also a complete visual designer resume example you can use for inspiration or as a starting point. With this guide and example, you'll be able to make a resume that gets you more interviews and job offers. Let's get started!

Your summary or objective section is a vital part of your resume. Biases aside, when hiring professionals scan through your document, it’s usually the first thing they read. Practically speaking, in this section exists your first opportunity to make a robust, advantageous impression that sets the tone for the rest of your resume. So let's delve into the key elements you need, in order to craft an accomplished summary/objective section, suited for a Visual Designer.

Understand What It Needs to Achieve

First up, it's important to clear up what a summary or objective section sets out to achieve. Essentially, it’s a succinct statement that outlines your experience, skills, and career ambitions. It should be a succinct bird’s-eye view of your professional life, designed to convince the reader you can deliver what their company requires. The key here is not just to inform, but to engage – keep it punchy, down-to-earth, and most importantly – authentic.

Draw Upon Your Unique Selling Points

Leverage the distinctiveness that sets you apart from the rest. As a visual designer, you are usually equipped with a unique set of skills – a sharp eye for detail, creativity, technical skills – whatever they may be, make sure they align with the needs of the job. Integrating your unique selling points can help to depict you as a perfect fit for the position. Remember that the intention here isn’t to say everything about you, but rather to provide enough quality information to pique curiosity and foster a thirst for more knowledge about you.

Be Specific and Targeted

Tailor your objective section to match the exact job you are applying for. Visual design includes an array of career trajectory after all. To illustrate, if you're applying for a role in UI design, mention it, and tailor your summary to encompass the key skills and experiences that a role of this nature entails. Furthermore, don't be a stranger to the job posting – recurrently, you can find useful information to help tailor your resume more specifically.

Show, Don't Just Tell

Finally, keep an eye on how you present these exemptions. Avoid overly ubiquitous claims or generic statements. Rather than stating "I have excellent communication skills," demonstrate it. For example, having "Facilitated virtual workshops to assist a team of 20 in acclimating to new design software," effectively shows your communication skills in action within a relevant, professional setting.

In light of everything, time is of the essence – employers won't give your resume a lot of time. Your summary acts as a concise, impactful anchor to your resume. It sums up who you are professionally, quickly brings attention to your key skills or achievements, and paves the way for further depth in the rest of the document. Like any good design, a successful summary or objective section is both functional and aesthetically pleasing — much like the role of a Visual Designer.

The Work Experience section of your resume is a critical component when applying for jobs, especially in creative fields like visual design. Here, you communicate not only where you've worked and what roles you've filled, but you also showcase the breadth and depth of your abilities. However, writing such a section can feel daunting. To streamline this process – fortunately – there are certain strategies you can employ.

Focus On Relevance

Firstly, relevance is key. You may have years of experience in varied roles, but only those that are relevant to the role you are currently applying to should be highlighted in your resume. Suppose you did graphic design for a marketing company five years ago – that's relevant. But, if you worked as a barista in the meantime – as charming as that might be – it doesn't contribute to your narrative as a visual designer, so it's best to leave it out.

Show Rather than Tell

Use action words and quantifiable results to talk about what you did in your roles. Think about your greatest achievements and how you can articulate them in a clear, concise way. Did you overhaul a website design that led to an increase in site traffic? Did you create a brand identity that got recognized at an industry award event? Here's where you tell those stories.

Tailor For Each Application

Though it might seem easy to create a generic version and simply distribute it everywhere, it's not the best approach. Take the time to tailor your Work Experience section for every job application. Study the job description, understand what they’re looking for, and mirror those requirements in your resume. This customization shows the potential employer that you are not only serious about the job but you are a perfect fit for the role.

Order Matters

In the Work Experience section, follow a reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent role and go back from there. This gives the potential employer a view of your current abilities and shows how you have progressed in your career over time.

Keep It Simple & Clear

Lastly, no matter how much information you have to share, try to keep your Work Experience section clean and easy to read. Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs, keep your job titles bold and noticeable, and make sure your descriptions are as specific and concise as possible. Simplicity and clarity should be your guiding principles. Whether a hiring manager is doing a quick initial skim or a thorough read-through, they should be able to extract relevant information without any difficulty.

Your Work Experience section, when handled with care, is a tool that significantly benefits your job application. It's the narrative of your professional journey as a visual designer. By displaying relevance, highlighting achievements, customizing for each role, logically ordering your experiences, and prioritizing readability, you give yourself the best chance at winning that vital first impression.

Adding your education and certificates to your resume is relatively straightforward. Firstly, create a dedicated section titled "Education" or "Certifications." The entries in this section should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent qualification at the top. Provide key information such as the institution name, degree or certificate earned, and the year it was completed. For a visual designer, highlighting pertinent certifications such as Adobe certification can give you an edge over other candidates. Remember, honesty is key. Only list genuine qualifications that you can substantiate.