How to write a great web designer CV

A great CV is like a great website. It should be well-presented, easy to navigate and convert to its intended goals. Whether you’re applying for an entry-level role in web development or a position as a senior web designer, crafting a compelling CV is key to success.

This guide will show you:

• What hiring managers want to see in a web designer CV
• How to structure your web designer CV
• CV writing tips to write the perfect CV

Hiring managers will want to know about any experience you have designing websites. This could be in a paid role, as an intern, volunteer, or even as a hobby. What’s important is that you can create web pages that are user-friendly, visually appealing, and in line with both client and customer specifications.

 

Discuss your knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and relevant back-end programming languages, like Python and Ruby. Other technical skills to touch on include graphic design, version control, testing, and debugging. Examples of your previous work as a web designer will showcase these skills.

The structure of your professional CV should include the following:

Add your contact information to the page header at the top of the CV. This information includes your:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Mailing Address
• Professional profile link, such as your LinkedIn, or portfolio website

Present your contact information clearly so the hiring manager can easily contact you should they wish to proceed with your application.

 

 

The next section is the CV summary or CV objective. It is a short 2-3 sentence paragraph. If you have several years of experience as a web designer, you will write a CV summary highlighting your most significant achievements and skills. However, if you have very little experience or you are a recent graduate, the CV objective would be a better choice for you. In the CV objective, you would state your overall career goals.

 

 

Use the skills section to tailor your CV to the needs of the role. To do this, study the job description and pick out some of the essential or desirable skills to include in this section. You will want to include a mix of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills relevant to the role of a web designer include:

• Graphic design tools, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Front-end development, such as HTML5, jQuery, and CSS
• Back-end development, such as PHP, Java, Python
• Testing and debugging
• Search engine optimization (SEO)

Here are some relevant soft skills:

• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Communication skills
• Teamwork

Aim for a mix of soft and hard skills, with emphasis on role-specific hard skills.

 

 

In the work experience section, run through your previous job titles from the past 10 years that are relevant to web design. For each position, list your key responsibilities and accomplishments in bullet points. Use this section to inform the hiring manager of where your talents lie as a web designer. For example, this could be wireframing, user experience design, or graphic design.

 

 

List your highest level of educational achievement in the education section. This could be your college diploma or your bachelor’s degree. You should also include relevant certifications in this section, such as the Master Certified Web Professional – Designer certificate.

Use the tips below to write the best CV possible for a web designer position:

 

Do:

• Quantify your experience. 

Use specific examples and statistics when discussing your work history. This will add context to your previous experience and give the hiring manager a better understanding of your key strengths.

• Tailor your CV to the role. 

Always tailor your CV to fit the needs of the role and the organization. Adapt the CV summary, skills, and work history sections to highlight only the most relevant skills and accomplishments for the position.

• Use a CV template.

A CV template will spare you the time and effort that comes with designing your CV. Our CV builder tool is packed with hundreds of great templates ready for you to use for free.

 

Don’t:

• Go overboard with graphics.

As a web designer, you may be tempted to add graphics and multimedia to your CV. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, ensure that the content of your CV is easy to scan, and clearly presents your credentials.

• Include your GPA. 

Unless your GPA is exceptionally high or you have graduated within the last year, there’s no reason to include it on your CV. This is especially true if you already have a few years of experience in the industry.

• Forget to proofread. 

Attention to detail is key to web design. Don’t give the hiring manager a reason to discard your application by failing to check for spelling and grammatical errors before submission.