Graphic Design Resume Templates and Examples for 2024

Graphic Design Resume Template Example

PDF

DOCX

Google Docs

If you seek a role as a graphic designer, the first step is writing a resume that positions you as a top candidate and highlights your qualifications, including knowledge of typography and branding guidelines. Review our list of tips, including examples, that can level up your resume.

Resume Template Tips for Graphic Design

• Choose a template that aligns with your design style: Your resume should reflect your personal design style. Select a template that complements your aesthetic and showcases your design skills.
• Keep it simple: A clean, simple design can go a long way. Avoid cluttering your resume with too many graphics or images — this can make it difficult to read and might call your design skills into question.
• Prioritize readability: While it’s important to have an eye-catching resume, you also need to ensure the actual content is easy to read. Use design principles and avoid using fonts that are difficult to read or colors that clash.

How To Write a Graphic Design Resume

As a graphic designer, your resume must demonstrate to potential employers your expertise in design and branding principles. Your graphic design resume should include these sections:

Contact information

Give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Ensure your contact information is current so potential employers can contact you for an interview.

Profile

In about two to three sentences, summarize your professional background, relevant skills, and experience as a graphic designer. Use this section to make a strong, eye-catching introduction. Emphasize your unique strengths and integrate keywords from the job description to show you’re a good match for the position.

Key skills

As a graphic designer, show that you have a combination of hard and soft skills to prove your value to the company you’re applying to. Technical/hard skills are specific to your job, while soft skills are the capabilities and personality traits that allow you to succeed in any role. By listing both, you can show that you have the technical expertise and personal qualities needed to excel.

Common hard and soft skills for graphic design

Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs

When describing your experiences, it’s important to use powerful action verbs. These help create an impact when you’re delivering information, giving the reader a clear understanding of what is happening. By using action verbs, you can emphasize your role in the projects you’ve worked on and highlight the skills you’ll need on the job.

Here are some common action verbs to consider using on your graphic design resume:

Professional experience

In your work history section, list your most relevant experiences. Related jobs, internships, and school projects can be mentioned here. Create bullet points under each experience to list your duties and achievements. How many clients have you had? How are you on a team?

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

When quantifying your experience as a graphic designer, it’s important to highlight your accomplishments and the impact of your work on the project’s or company’s success. Be specific and quantify your accomplishments when possible.

For example, instead of saying, “I designed a logo for a client,” you could say, “I designed a logo that increased the client’s sales by 20%.” By doing this, you’re not only highlighting your design skills but also demonstrating how your work contributed to the company’s success.

Here are some examples of how you can quantify your experience as a graphic designer:

What if you don’t have experience?

If you’re a graphic designer with little to no experience, there are several things you can do to make up for it on your resume:

• Create a strong portfolio: This collection of your best work showcases your skills and abilities as a graphic designer. Include your best work in your portfolio and focus on any projects that demonstrate your creativity and technical skills.
• Highlight your education: If you have a degree or certification in graphic design, make sure to include it on your resume. This will show potential employers that you have the foundational knowledge needed to succeed in the field.
• Include relevant coursework: If you don’t have much work experience, consider including relevant coursework on your resume. Demonstrate to potential employers you have the skills and knowledge needed for the job.
• Network: Attend industry events and connect with other professionals in the field. You can learn more about the industry, potentially leading to job opportunities.
• Volunteer or freelance: Consider volunteering or freelancing to gain experience in the field. This will give you the opportunity to work on real-world projects and build your portfolio.

Education and certifications

Even if you haven’t graduated yet, list your graphic design or related degree in your education section. You can provide the expected graduation date so hiring managers know when you’ll be finished with school.

If you’ve earned any design-related certifications, include those as well. Anything to help set you apart from other candidates is great to show your commitment to the field.

Check Out Related Examples

Editor Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Acting Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Artist Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Graphic Design Resume Template Text Example

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

A resume should be a forward-looking value proposition that showcases your most relevant accomplishments for a target role — not a rear view summary of your previous roles and responsibilities.