Art Director Resume Example & Guide (+ Job Description)

To make a world-class art director, you must have a vision. Not only for your clients, but also for your career. The right mix of professional and creative.

How do you show that on your art director resume?

Let's find out together!

In this guide:

• An art director resume example that deserves job interviews. 
• Proven methods to structure your art director job description in a resume.
• Expert advice to improve your resume for an art director.
• A list of the key skills for a creative art director resume.

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Applying to a range of creative positions? See our other dedicated guides:

• Animator Resume
• Art Teacher Resume
• Artist Resume/Artist CV
• Dance Resume
• Graphic Design Resume
• Marketing Resume
• Marketing Manager Resume
• Project Manager Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Product Manager Resume
• Manager Resume
• Photographer Resume
• Film Resume
• Fashion Resume
• Social Media Resume
• UX Designer Resume & UI Developer Resume
• Program Manager Resume
• Journalist Resume
• Filmmaker Resume
• Landscape Architect Resume
• Best Resume Examples for All Jobs

Art Director Resume Example

I know you can’t wait to do it your own way.

1. Set Your Art Director Resume Format

While you are the authority on what gets through to the audiences and what doesn’t, I’m here to tell you what rules are usually observed while writing a resume for art director jobs.

Here’s what you should do for your resume format:

Art Director Resume Format

• List your experience in reverse-chronological resume format.
• Pick an elegant resume font like Noto or Helvetica in 10–12pt.
• Use 1-inch resume margins and negative space between sections.
• Follow this order of resume sections: Resume header, Objective, Experience, Education, and “Additional.”
• Limit the length of your resume to one page. Cut down on descriptions of your education. A two-page resume is also allowed, given that you have enough stellar achievements under your belt.
• Send your resume as a PDF, unless requested to do otherwise. 

Now that you’re on your way to a perfect resume for art director positions, let’s start preparing the hard copy. 

Expert Hint: If you are applying for these positions, your story might be as long as the one of the art itself. Focus on the most recent and most quantifiable achievements. If you held different positions with different responsibilities, the art director resume is one of the ones where a two-page resume is acceptable.

2. Nail Your Art Director Resume Summary or Objective

The intro paragraph of your art director resume may be the only thing that gets read. That being said, here’s some motivation for you—art directors’ median annual wage is one of the highest of all occupations, so says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So don’t play games, and state right away the absolute top achievements you have in your field, backed up by client names, numbers, and awards. In other words, write a targeted resume by picking the most relevant experience to include in your resume summary. Scan the job ad for specific skills and experience. These will be your resume keywords, and should be found throughout your art director resume. Not only will they work like subliminal cuts, but will save your job application from oblivion by helping you create an ATS-friendly resume.

Here are some right and wrong examples of a summary of qualifications:

Art Director Resume Summary—Example

Forward-looking art director with 17+ years of experience in the clothing industry. For the past 7+ years, solely responsible for the art profile of LookSharp, a menswear brand with 1100+ products in total. During this time, created 100+ original designs used across the product range. Maintained a database of 400+ photographers, stylists and editors, as well as a library of 55,000 art files. Implemented a hiring policy that saved $75k last year. Silver ADDY Award 2011 laureate, Best Video Campaign in 2018 Award (Drum Digital Advertising Awards US). Enthusiastic about applying creative and business experience at Bobby Productions.

Art Director with 17 years of experience in the fashion industry, satisfying conceptual briefs and guidelines for print, online, TV, and multiplatform regional and international campaigns. Managing own creative team and maintaining a network of professionals.

Show the magnitude of the impact you can make by including key metrics and achievements that you can translate to your new employer’s reality.

Are you aiming high and need to write an entry-level resume for an art director job?

No sweat. For a resume with no experience, highlight your relevant activities and qualifications in a resume objective.

Junior Art Director Resume Objective—Example

Creative junior designer with 5+ years of experience in designing and marketing products for 25 regular, diverse clients. Led and oversaw over 200 successful projects from start to finish. These included various industries such as automotive, apparel, and cosmetics, to name a few. Eager to apply advanced communication skills and creative abilities as Go For Sam’s art director.

Creative junior designer with 5+ years of experience in design and marketing. Responsible for hundreds of projects in varying industries. Seeking to fulfill the role of art director. Ready to start immediately.

Very good. The good example, that is. Next, move on to writing a shining work experience section for your art director resume.

3. Stand Out with a Clio-Award-Level Job Description for an Art Director Resume

Has enough paper been printed in the world to fit all the experience you have? Probably not. So, here's how to approach this task:

• Study your new employer closely, and determine their profile and what they will expect of you.
• Base the job description for your art director resume on facts that prove you can handle it.
• Use strong resume words and back your claims up with professional achievements. Let your portfolio speak for you—don’t describe the work, let them see it. Describe the impact it made, the profits, the awards. That’s how to capture this audience.

Were you not working for an extended period of time and not sure if or how to account for it on your resume? It’s always best not to be lying on a resume, and explain employment gaps the smart way. 

Art Director Resume Job Description

Art Director

LookSharp

2013–2020

• Responsible for the style of external communications and advertising of LookSharp, a menswear brand.
• Supervising the art direction of new menswear products, now 1100+ products total.
• Created 100+ original designs and patterns used across the menswear casual and formal ranges.
• Created 9 product category catalogs for wholesale clients, totaling 750 pages, 2000+ photos. Their introduction saw a 8% wholesale turnover boost in the subsequent year.
• Directed 150+ photo shoots for the brand, maintaining a database of 400+ photographers, stylists, and editors internationally.
• Managing and organizing the library of 55,000 art files, including photos, video, copy, drafts, mock-ups and concepts.
• Implemented remote hiring policy based on maximum freedom (100% (9) remote hires in 2019), saving $75k on equipment, employee perk and office costs.

Assistant Art Director

Creativ1s

2011–2013

• Promoted due to outstanding results of prepared campaigns, and receiving the Silver ADDY award from American Advertising Awards.
• Assigned to clothing industry advertising projects for clients like ASOS and Nordstrom. Developed online, print, video and email campaigns. Campaigns exceeded sales projections by 2 to 18%. 
• Successfully rolled out over 350 single advertisements in 12 campaigns. Scheduled, supervised, and picked photography for all materials.
• Saved $250k on unneeded stock photography by hiring prolific stock artists directly.

• An online luxury and casual menswear brand.
• Responsible for my own creative team of 12.
• Responsible for style of external advertising and art direction of new menswear products.
• Direct oversight over all phases of artistic production, from photoshoot to printing.
• Managing the company library of art files.
• Proven track record in making savings.

Once you have expanded on some points, you may end up with a long list of things you haven’t had space to talk about in your art director resume. You may have some technologies, mediums, and skills that you want to include, but don’t have space to discuss. You can list those in a resume skills section.

Art Director Skills for Resume

Soft Skills

• Active Listening
• Creative Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Conceptual Planning Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Negotiating with vendors
• Strategy Development
• Team Management & Delegation
• Written Communication
• Time Management Skills

Hard Skills

• Project Management
• Budgeting
• Marketing Skills
• Project Management Software (e.g. FunctionFox)
• Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge, After Effects, etc.
• Art Directors Toolkit 5i, Art Files 3
• HTML
• UX Design
• Typography
• Print Design
• Photography and Branding
• Copywriting
• Video Production
• Computer Skills

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

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4. Streamline Your Education in an Art Director Resume

Those days of plein-air painting and rebelling against the norms while studying art are now a pleasant memory. You now have so much experience it would crop up as a possible megalomania red flag if your art director resume boasted about your GPA from 2001.

For you, it's enough to list your major, school name, and graduation date.

Art Director Resume Sample—Education

BS in Fine Art

Columbia University

2003

Expert Hint: Some art director positions may require more than a bachelor’s degree. List your master’s degree first, keeping the reverse-chronological order, and read more about listing education on your resume.

5. Round Out Your Art Director Resume with Added Sections

After a career like this, you have some talking pieces. A few awards, a cupboard of very useful diplomas and certifications, and perhaps a language. If you feel it is relevant to your new position, space these out in separate bonus resume sections on your resume for art director jobs.

Consider these if it’s not too cramped already:

• Awards
• Certifications and Licenses
• Foreign Languages
• Activities, Hobbies, and Interests
• Volunteer Work
• Professional References
• Skills—if you haven’t included them as part of your other sections

Compare these two art director resume examples:

Art Director Resume—Extra Sections

Awards

• 2018 — Best Video Campaign (LookSharp) — The Drum Digital Advertising Awards US
• 2011 — Silver ADDY Award — American Advertising Awards

Certifications

• Project Management Professional (Project Management Institute)

Key Skills

• Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge, After Effects
• Art Directors Toolkit 5i, Art Files 3 (Code Line)
• Client Relationship Management
• Networking
• Active Listening

Added Information 

• Best Video Campaign Award, Silver ADDY laureate
• Project Management Professional (Project Management Institute)
• Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Bridge, After Effects
• Art Directors Toolkit 5i, Art Files 3 (Code Line)

As you well know, negative space is better than redundant information, so exercise caution.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to write a cover letter for your art director job resume. Since nearly half of hiring teams expect one, you don’t want to make the mistake of omitting it. Also, it’s a great way of highlighting your qualifications and of showing genuine interest in the position. 

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Key Points

Remember the following and add your own flair:

• Start with a professional art director resume format—margins, fonts, 1 page, reverse chronological.
• Use our art director resume example to inspire yourself while writing your application.
• Quantify the impact and achievements, instead of just describing work. Think about projects completed, budgets, schedule, improvements. 
• Limit the length of the education section to make space for experience.
• Write a fine art director cover letter.

Did you find our art director resume examples helpful? Are you writing a junior or senior art director resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.

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