Stunning Graphic Designer CV Examples for This Year

Graphic design is a highly attractive career that offers chances for advancement. Here’s how to write a professional CV and land a new job in the field.

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Graphic Designer CV Examples

If you want to work in graphic design, an effective CV is one of the most important tools to have at your disposal. While using CV templates can be helpful with maintaining proper formatting and introducing design elements, it’s also important that you also know what information to include in a graphic design CV to make a real impact.


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What To Highlight in a Graphic Design CV

Hiring managers in the field of graphic design are looking for job seekers that have a creative mind and good technological proficiencies, as well as the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. When you write your CV, you should highlight previous design work and what your specialties are (for example, web design or traditional illustration). Emphasize your unique achievements and skills to create a CV that will stand out to a recruiter.

Structure of a Graphic Design CV

If you are writing your graphic design CV, you should include the following sections and information to ensure that hiring managers have an idea of the full scope of your abilities.

Header

The CV header should include your full name, up-to-date contact details with your phone number and email address, and your professional social media links, like your LinkedIn profile.

CV summary or objective

Depending on your experience level, you should include either a CV summary or a Career objective statement. A CV summary is a sum-up of the best skills and qualifications that make you right for the role, which is why it is best for those with a lot of work experience. If you have a short work history, a CV objective statement will be better, as it focuses on your job-ready skills, career goals and intentions.

Skills

The CV skills section should contain bullet points detailing 8 to 12 key graphic design skills that make you right for the role. You should include both hard and soft skills. Examples of the soft and hard skills that are commonly included in graphic design CVs are: 

  • Typography
  • InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • HTML/CSS
  • Infographics
  • Time management
  • Basic design principles
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Website design
  • Print design
  • Teamwork

Work experience

Your work experience section should be presented in reverse-chronological order and contain up to 10 years of experience (unless the job posting states a need for more). Remember that your work history section is not just a list of previous roles to show you are qualified for the next job. It is also a chance to prove your skill set by discussing your achievements and roles in previous design projects. When you list a previous job, you should include the job title, employment dates and company name as well as an overview of your responsibilities and achievements.

Education

Your education section should contain your most advanced and recent qualifications. Don’t  list less relevant or advanced qualifications and certifications unless they offer a distinct value. For example, if you have specific qualifications for programming as well as a design degree, mentioning both could be helpful for a graphic design job that also involves web programming.

If you want to make the process of creating your CV as easy as possible, you can use a CV builder, such as the one offered by CV Help.

Do’s and Don’ts for a Graphic Design CV

If you want your CV to stand out, pay attention to these simple do’s and don’ts!

Do:

There are three different CV formats that you can use. While the chronological CV format is traditional, a hybrid or functional format can be more useful for those who lack work experience, or want to highlight skills. 

  • Use active language.

Passive language is very counterproductive. While a statement like “Was responsible for” might seem professional, it is also passive and listless. If you instead say “managed” or “developed” you will show that you are in charge of your career and progress. 

  • Seek a second opinion.

Asking someone that you trust to read and evaluate your CV is a great way to find weak spots and issues. Even if the person is not directly involved in graphic design, a family member with experience in undertaking job searches and applications can offer sound advice.

Don’t:

  • Be humble.

Though it can be tempting to be humble when writing a CV, this will get you nowhere. Be your own biggest fan and be upfront about your skills and strengths to catch a recruiter’s eye. 

  • Use an unprofessional email.

Using an unprofessional email address is a simple mistake that could cost you a great job. It is best to create a simple, professional email address using your name for inclusion on your CV if you don’t already have one. 

  • Ignore standard formatting.

The standard CV formatting requirements are in place for a reason. While it can be tempting to use smaller margins to get more space, you should resist this urge. Margins of 0.5 to 1 inch and font sizing of 10 to 12pt are best because they make a CV easy to scan. Messing with these formatting guidelines and reducing white space could lead to your CV being rejected because applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to scan resumes might find it unreadable.

FAQ: Graphic Designer CVs

Q: Do I need to include a cover letter for a graphic design application?

You should write a cover letter to support your next graphic design job application. A cover letter is a useful document that can help you to stand out from the crowd of other job applicants by letting you address the hiring manager directly and providing extra information about your background to support your case. 

Q: How can I write a graphic design CV without a lot of experience?

If you have recently graduated from university or college but have no direct professional experience in graphic design, there are some steps you can take to help your CV stand out. Showcase any relevant experience you have, such as freelance projects, relevant coursework, volunteer work, and internship experience. Remember that entry-level roles will not expect a huge amount of work experience, so you focus on the skills and qualifications you already have.

Q: How do I change my graphic designer CV to apply to different jobs?

If you want to modify your old graphic design CV to help you get a new job or facilitate a career change, there are a few steps you can take. Firstly, you should remember that your design skills may still be relevant. Creativity is a sought-after soft skill! However, you should start by reading the job description and highlighting the skills that are classed as necessary, and include any you have in your CV. This will help you to pass ATS. 

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