Still waiting for an interview call for your perfect design job? Your resume could be keeping you from it. Your resume is the first thing that gets you to an interview and if you are not successful at it, then it is time to redesign your resume for the position of the designer. Here is what designers need to do for a perfect resume:
Whether you are starting to look out for jobs or are an experienced professional looking for a better job, you need to have hands on your resume to stand out of the rest. A perfect designer resume depends on two things; how is it designed and what do you write in the resume? Unlike other conventional jobs, your resume as a designer reflects your creativity and gives employer an idea about your level of designing. Every detail matters in your resume. From the typeface you use to the colors and layout each detail matters.
When you design your resume just keep these things in mind and you are sure to end up a job of your choice in no time.
Start with not using a Microsoft Word to Design your Resume
Microsoft Word is the most common software used to design a resume. But for a creative job such as a designer you need to avoid using it as it is limited and has particular layout suitable for every other job application. Use software that enables you to design good looking documents that are creative and completely offbeat. Adobe Suite, InDesign, Illustrator and Fireworks are some tools that you can pick to design your resume.
Keep it as Short as Possible:
The six seconds resume theory also applies to the designer jobs. Employers are not interested to read pages in your resume. Do not include information about your nursery school and high school. If you are at entry level, you might want to include some achievements from the school, but it is advisable to limit yourself to the latest. Keep it plain and well formatted. This is going to catch more attention than a flabby one filled with information.
Include Your Portfolio:
When you are sending out our resumes to different employers, make sure you have samples of work included. This makes you look professional on one hand and on the other makes the employer surer about you. Not including work samples can keep you a step away from the position.
Refer Samples:
In an online world where technology has a part to play in almost everything that you do, you could use it to get ideas for your resumes. The internet has a lot of graphic designer resume samples and designs that can guide you to your perfect resume.
Flaunt Results:
Make sure when you are making your resume, you talk about your results mentioning your past clients and work experience. Use sentences that make your work noticeable to the employers. For example, instead of using “helped a client in some print media campaign”, try and insert how your campaign helped the client in increasing numbers. Having a measurable task on resume will give an edge.
Leave the Cliches:
Most of the earlier design resumes used jargon’s like “design rock star” or “ninja designer” or “out-of-the-box designer”. Today you could simply avoid using these cliches and instead add what you think makes you a rock star rather than a sentence.
The Debate of Color and Black & White:
The black and white resume is the best suitable choice for professionals other than designers. Designers get to put in some colors in their resume. As a designer you will have to be smart to choose the color combinations for your resume. Colors have a direct link with the emotions and using the right colors can give you the advantage of invoking different emotions of your employer.
For example use of blue color creates a sense of security and is considered a good choice for the resume. Rest it all depends on the type of document that you draft.
Use a Consistent Tone to Present Yourself:
Treat yourself like a brand and your resume as your branding document. Your portfolio, resume, cover letter or any other document that you might use for the application should have a design that is consistent.
Take Care of Typos and Grammar:
Your resume should be error free. Before you use your resume for any application, you need to be sure that there are absolutely no typos and grammatical mistakes. Proof read yourself once and when you are sure, make someone else read as the chances of spotting an error of a different person than you is much more.
Final Words:
Your resume in the end should be able to represent your personal tastes and styles. Also, your resume is never ready. With each passing day you can discover things that you can add or subtract from your resume. What is important is to keep your resume up-to-date, even if you are not looking to switch a job.
