So as a Graphic
Designer, when you apply for a job, you will showcase a portfolio of your work.
This will display all your creative skills and work you have done to date. As I
have said in previous episodes of the series, a good portfolio is arguably the
most important thing you will need to get a job. It is what you are judged on. However,
there is something else potential clients or employers will judge you on and
that is your experience. Now Graphic Design can be particularly competitive. When
many applicants are applying for a position, experience can often be the
deciding factor. So, as well as showcasing your work, you will need to showcase
your experience. This comes in the form of a CV that will go along with your
portfolio. Now I often get asked a lot of questions about the Graphic Design
CV. Questions like, what makes for a good design CV? What type of CV is best, print
or digital? What should I include? How many pages should it be? How much type
should I include? What are employers looking for? And what's the best program
to use to build my CV? So, in this, I'm going to discuss the Graphic Design CV and
answer these questions. In this, I'll also be sharing my experience and offer
some tips for you to keep in mind. So, the Graphic Design CV should go
hand-in-hand with the portfolio. The CV should clearly state your skills and
relevant experience. Often when I apply for a job, I will send two documents: the
portfolio and the CV.
So, let's look at some
of those questions. So, the first question is, what makes for a good design CV?
There are lots of factors that make for a good CV, all of which you should try
and implement in yours. So first is originality. Employers will see hundreds of
CVs. This is where you have a chance to stand out and create something a little
different. Here you can consider orientation, color, typography, and
composition. If you have a personal brand, you can apply it here. Well
structured, now you have to imagine that the employer is browsing through lots
of CVs at a fast pace, and chances are the employer will be looking for
something specific.
In my experience,
presenting a clear hierarchy is key, so throughout your CV, aim to create a
clear hierarchy of information. They might only glance at your cover page for a
few seconds, so one of the first things you want them to see are your key
skills. So, on your front cover, you should consider including a list of your
key design strengths to software expertise. This will catch the attention
straightaway. If you meet the criteria, chances are they will put your CV into
the short list. Now typically you will have to include details about your experience
and if you have a lot this can mean creating a CV with a few more pages than
you may want. If you choose to add more info, than leave that towards the back.
If someone does not want to read it, that's fine as long as the key facts are
presented clearly first. Keep the layout simple and clear. Now employers will
be put off if the layout of a CV is too complex, too busy, or hard to navigate.
This will demonstrate poor design skills, reflect badly on you, and discourage
the reader. If you have a personal brand, keep it subtle.
The purpose of your CV
is to be read and digested quickly. The reader should be able to digest key
facts in less than a minute. Don't distract from that. So, it will help to keep
your layout nice and simple. Show you have thought about it and taken care to
compose it. This will make a good impression. Good typography, now remember an
employer will be scrutinizing everything they see from you, your portfolio, and
your CV. Your CV is a representation of you. Take maximum care and make sure
your typography is flawless. If your CV is nicely balanced, easy to read, it
will make a good impression. Errors and sloppiness will reflect badly on you. What
type of CV is best, print or digital?
Well today, it is very
common to send a CV over email or upload it to a portfolio design website as a
PDF document. A lot of employers will be looking at these on screen and then
more than likely will print them out. Now my advice here is to create a digital
DPF that can be both viewed on screen and printed. This means only having to
create one document, so you could consider creating a landscape CV as this will
look nice on screen. In your PDF, you could also include hyperlinks to your
portfolio website or social media pages. Remember, your digital CV will also
have to work in print, so try and create a clear design with contrast between
the type and any background color you may use. If you are smart here, you can
kill two birds with one stone. What exactly should I include? So, in your CV,
you should include in order, your key skills, this is one of the first things you
want someone to see. This could be a list of your design strengths to software
experience.
A personal profile, so
this should be a short paragraph about yourself between 50 and 100 words. This
is where you get to say a few words about you as a person and as a designer. Here
you can talk about your particular passions, interests, and what you specialize
in. This should be one of the first things they see, so aim to have this
towards the front. Education and qualifications, this should be a breakdown of
your relevant education. You don't need to go that far back here. A list of
your relevant education regarding art to design will be best here. Work
experience, so depending on how much experience you have, this will be a list
of the places you have worked. Again, only include design-related work
experience and make sure it is in order of most recent.
For each experience,
provide a brief summary of what your role was, your responsibility, and what you
achieved. Awards, anything you can add to give you the edge and impress your
potential employer is a bonus. If you have any design awards, be sure to
include them. Hobbies and related interests, here is another chance to get your
personality across. If you have any related hobbies or interests, you can
include these with a brief summary of each. So, those are some key sections to
include in your CV.
So, the next question is
how many pages should it be? So, as you strive to create a clear and balanced
layout, you may have to spread your CV over a few pages. The reader can always
take or leave the finer details about your experiences towards the back. How
much type do I include? So as part of a simple and clear layout, try and keep
type to a minimum. Try and edit the type as much as possible. Remember, the
reader should be able to digest key facts in less than a minute. Aim for bite
size paragraphs that are to the point and easily read and digested. Also, when
using type, try and implement a clear hierarchy. This will help the reader
navigate through your CV and find exactly what they are looking for. What are
employers looking for? Now this really depends on what type of job you're
looking for and at what level.
Typically, in the
industry, there are three significant levels: junior, middleweight, and senior.
At junior level, you may have just graduated from university or looking to get
your first job. An employer will know you won't have much industry experience,
so will mainly be looking for potential, a good attitude, an interesting
character, and passion. At more senior levels, employers will be expecting a
more unique and original CV. Employers will be focusing more on your experience
and what you have already done. Employers will be looking for higher education,
years of experience, a proven track record, well known brands you may have
worked for, achievements, awards, and responsibilities you would have had and
managed.
So, the last question is
what's the best program to use to build my CV? Well when it comes to working
layout and type focused, I would always recommend Adobe InDesign. In InDesign,
you also have the ability to create interactive PDFs where you could embed
links to your online media. Now if you don't have access to Adobe InDesign, as
an alternative you can use Adobe Illustrator. With the use of artboards,
Illustrator will enable you to create a simple document like a CV with a few
pages. So those are some factors to consider to ensure a good Graphic Design
CV.
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