Graphic Designer Resume: Examples and Tips for 2024

Why’s it hard to write a good graphic designer resume? It’s not. But nobody does it. Why not? Poor branding.

Fix that, and you’ll get so much work you’ll need a new Wacom in a month. It all comes down to proving you’re no stranger to Photoshop, Illustrator, typography, and print design.

This guide will show you:

• A graphic designer resume examples better than most.
• How to ace your graphic designer job description on a resume.
• How to write a graphic design resume that gets the interview.
• Why picking the right few graphic design achievements is the #1 key to get hired.

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Looking for a different creative position? Explore our other guides:

• 3d Artist Resume
• Animator Resume
• Film Industry (General) Resume
• Game Design Resume
• Instructional Designer Resume
• Production Assistant Resume
• Social Media Manager Resume
• UX Designer Resume
• UX Researcher Resume
• Web Designer Resume
• Visual Artist Resume

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Professional Resume Examples.

Graphic Designer Resume Example

A graphic designer creates visual designs and graphics for a wide range of projects, including websites, advertisements, marketing materials, packaging, and more. A graphic design job requires creativity, strong visual design skills, and proficiency in using design software and tools.

Now, here’s how to write a graphic designer resume:

1. Use the Right Graphic Design Resume Format

Rule #1:

Get your graphic design resume format right. If you don’t, the manager knows you can’t tell CMS from crop marks.

Here’s how to format your resume:

• Pick the reverse-chronological resume format. It puts your most hi-res achievement first.
• Use the best resume fonts, 10–14pt, 1-inch resume margins, big headings, and negative space.
• Avoid creative graphic design resumes printed on pizza boxes or brochures. Cute won’t get you hired. If you're going to apply in person, make sure your graphic design resume is printed on a good-quality resume paper.
• Go for a one-page resume. This is the most appealing resume length.
• Start with a resume header. Name, phone number, email address. No snail mail or photo.
• After the resume header, add the following resume sections: graphic designer resume objective, then work experience, then education, graphic design skills.
• Add resume extra sections like additional activities, and hobbies to make the hiring manager notice you.

Expert Hint: Use a graphic designer resume PDF unless the job description says no. They’re noiseless, and they’re also machine-readable.

2. Start With a Hero Graphic Design Resume Objective

What’s first?

Lead off with a resume profile. Make it like a hero graphic, with—

1. An adjective (Talented, hard-working, creative)

2. Job title (Graphic Designer)

3. Years of experience (3+, 4+)

4. How you’ll help (provide high-quality design)

5. Flashiest achievements (cut costs by 15%)

These two graphic design resume summary examples are your proof:

Graphic Designer Resume Example—Summary

Creative graphic designer with 4+ years' experience. Seeking to deliver design excellence for Erica N. at Google with proven creativity and graphical skills. At KS Inc., developed 350+ projects, slashing costs 20% in 16 months. In team that received 2017 Shopify Design Award.

Graphic designer with 4 years' experience. Handled all graphic design duties and responsibilities at three different design firms. Extremely skilled in Photoshop and Illustrator, with high-level typographic ability.

Bam. That first graphic design resume sample is responsive. The measurable achievements will make hiring managers ooh and ahh.

But, what if you have no experience? You’ve still got achievements. Pack them into your graphic designer resume objective:

 

Graphic Designer Resume Example—Objective

Enthusiastic graphic designer with solid web design skills. Seeking to lower the workload of Sara S. at Marketing Cruller, Inc. Recipient of the D&AD New Blood Award, 2013. Designed 3 full web apps. One was written up favorably in SmashingMagazine.

See? No job, but a great graphic designer resume summary.

Should you write a graphic designer resume objective or a resume summary? An objective used to list your goals. It’s more powerful to show how you can help.

Expert Hint: Write your resume objective or summary for graphic designer jobs last. That’ll give you a whole palette of great material to pick from.

3. Write a Gorgeous Graphic Designer Resume Job Description

Most applicants won’t write a good resume job description. All they do is list their responsibilities. But no description or proof as to whether they did them well, or not at all.

If you write your graphic design job description right, you’ll stand out like Paula Scher.

Here’s how:

1. Read the job ad.

2. Highlight the graphic design resume skills and duties in the form of resume keywords.

3. In your resume bullets, show you bleed those things.

Let these graphic designer resume examples paint the picture.

Graphic Design Resume Example—Work Experience

Senior Graphic Designer
Kenna Senno Inc., New York
2016–2018

• Handled daily production for high-volume design firm.
• Led three designers to develop production and graphic materials.
• Slashed production costs by average of 20% in 16 months.
• Developed 350+ graphic design projects (catalogs, brochures, presentations).
• Boosted client transactions by average of 25%.

Senior Graphic Designer
Kenna Senno Inc., New York
2016–2018

• Handled all daily production for high-volume design firm.
• Developed production and graphic materials.
• Worked directly with clients.

Why will #1 excite the art director? It’s those juicy measurable resume achievements.

Graphic Design Resume Example—No Experience

Even with no job experience, you can write a graphic design resume sample like that.

Bonus tip:

Don't directly copy what the company wants without expanding on it. To hiring managers, that looks like forgetting to k e r n. So, for example:

Job ad wants: (1) daily design experience (2) leadership skills (3) strong design skills.

Graphic Designer
Ama Tama Designs, New York
2015–2016

• In charge of (1) daily design for popular, prolific design firm.
• (2) Led team project meetings for drive to increase ecommerce client revenue. Project achieved 120% of revenue targets for all client sites.
• Contributed to design for site that received (3) 2016 Shopify Design award.

That graphic designer resume example fits you to the job like it was sprayed on. Those accomplishments with numbers do the trick. By they are not just saying "I did X." They show you were in charge, present quantified achievements, and a received reward.

All of that on top of what the company wants!

This approach is known as creating a targeted resume and is by far the most effective way of creating your job application.

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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Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.

4. Showcase an Esthetic Graphic Designer Resume Skills List

Ok, why would you need to write down your skills? Doesn't the rest of your graphic design resume already show you're abolutely awesome? Of course it does, but a curated graphic designer skill list can make it even better.

The first major advantage of listing graphic design skills is that they are easy to read for ATS software. The other? It shows the recruiter you've read the job ad, understand the company needs, and have the skills to be a valuable employee.

And remember, Don’t copy skills lists. And don't flood your resume with them. 5-10 is the sweet spot. For reference, here are the most important resume skills for a graphic designer:

Graphic Design Hard Skills:

• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• Acrobat
• Free Hand
• Sketching
• Print Design
• InDesign
• HTML/CSS
• Corel Draw
• Typography
• Layout

Graphic Design Soft Skills:

• Communication
• Collaboration
• Time Management
• Color Theory
• Planning and Organization
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Creativity
• Technology
• Research
• Taking Criticism

If you know a lot of graphic design software, you may choose to remove them from your skill list, and instead show them in a separate known software bonus secion.

Expert Hint: Got stock imagery skills? Those are in demand. Check out this study by Graphic Design USA.

5. Turn the Education Section Into a Reason to Hire You

Who cares about education? The sad truth? On graphic designer resumes: not many people. But—

Use your resume education section as a rebrand and you’ll stand nine feet above the rest. These graphic design resumes examples show how:

Graphic Design Resume Example—Education

Education

BA Graphic Design, Broad Hill State University
2010–2014

• GPA 3.8 (Magna Cum Laude)
• Accepted to Senior Achiever Program to create own ecommerce site.
• Worked for student paper weekly articles illustrator.
• Pursued passion for online layout and product packaging design.

BA Graphic Design, Broad Hill State University
2010–2014

• GPA 3.8
• Received degree.
• Excelled in accounting classes.

That first graphic designer sample is a Rembrandt. Those achievements prove your passion. Why?

You cared about it way back when.

Expert Hint: Is your graphic design resume experience thinner than a raster layer? Show more resume education achievements like teams, groups, and projects.

6. Beautify Your Graphic Designer Resume With Bonus Sections

Most graphic designer resumes look identical. Like Lorem Ipsum text.

Make yours stand out, and you’ll look like David Carson in a world of kitsch. To do it, add resume extra sections that show you love design.

These two graphic design resume examples will help you decide what to include on your resume:

Graphic Designer Resume Sample—Extra Sections

Portfolio at www.paiva.com

• Web Design. Redesigned website for tripswithbikes.com to elevate the brand and produce easy user experience.
• App Design. Designed flow of Book Pal App to ensure eye-friendly, smooth navigation through multiple screens.
• Cookbook Design. Created engaging, clean design and layout for “The Ketogenic Companion.”

Additional Activities

• Certified in Adobe CS5 & Autodesk.
• Award: D&AD New Blood 2013.
• Volunteer Work: Designed website for animal shelter that raised donations by 25%.

See portfolio online at www.paiva.com

Additional Activities

• Walking my dog.
• Collecting vinyls.

Striking.

Those first graphic design resume samples stick out like a Banksy. They prove you love your art. That means you’ll self-motivate. And it drastically improves your value in the eyes of the recruiter.

After all, they want you to grow and exceed their expectations.

Expert Hint: For rave reviews, add a cover letter to your resume for graphic design jobs. Your job options will fractalize. Learn how to write a cover letter from our handy guide.

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Key Points

For a great graphic designer resume:

• Use the graphic designer resume template up top. It’s got all the elements to get you in the door.
• Customize your graphic design resume like a Maceala MacKenzie original. Each bullet point should match the job description.
• Don’t be arbitrary. Even education in a resume for graphic designer jobs should show accomplishments that fit.
• Add aesthetic extras like conventions and pro associations. But only if they match the job offer.

Do you need to write a cover letter as well? Check out the guide to write a cover letter for a Graphic Design position.

Got questions on how to write a great resume for a graphic designer? Not sure how to show graphic design on a resume? Leave a comment. We’re happy to reply.

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