5 Graphic Designer Resumes that Work in 2021

Why this resume works

• Whenever possible, make sure to quantify the impact of your work. This can be tricky for some graphic design roles, so it's okay to highlight overall impact (like improved ad performance above) even if your work isn't the sole reason for any improvement. 
• Portfolios are more or less a requirement for graphic design roles, so make sure to include a link to your own.
• If you choose to add a resume objective to your resume, try to customize it for each job you apply to. One way to do this is to match important keywords you find in the job description.

Why this resume works

• Graphic design is a great skill to have. When you can couple it with other skills like marketing, you'll be leagues ahead of everyone else. This resume does a good job of highlighting work that touches on multiple disciplines.
• Including numbers that highlight the impact of your work will drastically increase your chances of landing an interview. Companies often receive hundreds of applications for a single role, so you should do your best to stand out!
• Graphic designers are expected to be proficient with a lot of different tools. However, the standard for the industry is Adobe Creative Suite. So make sure to make it clear you're skilled at Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.

Why this resume works

• Graphic design is a very wide-ranging field, so make sure to highlight your specific areas of strength. Some of the most popular mediums we've seen are print media, video, website design, and logo design.
• Companies are looking for designers with initiative. Whenever you have experience leading something from beginning to end, you should make that crystal clear like in this resume.
• It's helpful and a sure sign of growth if you show an increase in responsibility throughout your career. For example, mentoring other graphic designers or taking a leadership role over the direction of your team are great ways to demonstrate growth.

Why this resume works

• As a Senior Graphic Designer, be very explicit about any kind of management or leadership role you hold in regards to other members of your team.
• Demonstrating impact by tying it to hard numbers makes it clear you're a designer that can think about how your work fits into a broader context. How many hours did you help your team save? How much did you help improve revenue or number of new customers? How many people viewed your designs in the real world?
• If you have hobbies and interests that are noteworthy or demonstrate leadership, be sure to include them on your resume.

Why this resume works

• Landing your first graphic design role is always the trickiest part of launching your career. If you're light on relevant work experience, feel free to include relevant projects. Luckily, graphic design is a very visual-based field. So your portfolio can speak for itself!
• Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door. Any recruiter reading your resume will treat internships like any other work experience, so make sure to demonstrate the impact of your work with hard numbers if possible.
• Graphic designers rely on a huge suite of software tools to do their jobs. In the skills section of your resume make it clear which tools you're proficient in. You don't have to be an expert to list a certain tool, but generally speaking only include skills you'd be comfortable talking about in an interview.