Graphic Designersresume guide.
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. A strong Graphic Designers resume shows active listening, speaking and active learning, and names the tools you have worked with, such as JavaScript, Hypertext markup language HTML and PHP.
See a sample Graphic Designers resumeAnnotated against this guide · 3 templates↓This guide, on a real page.
A Graphic Designers resume built in ResumeXRays, annotated against the data below. Flip the pages, try a template, then make it yours.
- 1Say how you use AI, and how you check it.Many design postings now ask for AI tool experience. Saying you speed up concepts and still finish to brand standard shows the judgment employers want, not just the tool.
- 2Show what the design changed."Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites" from the guide becomes a packaging redesign tied to a sales lift.
- 3Count your motion work.Adobe After Effects is an in-demand tool in this guide, and video content keeps growing. A click-through number proves the motion pieces worked.
- 4Prove your files are print-ready."Prepare digital files for printing" is a core task in this guide. Zero reprints is the plain proof.
- 5Spell tools the way postings do.Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Figma are the hot tools this guide lists. Writing them in full helps you match job posts.
- 6Keep education to one line.Most graphic design roles ask for a bachelor's degree. The degree and school are enough here, and your portfolio does the rest.
Sample resume. The candidate is fictional; the layout and templates are real.
01Also called
O*NET02Skills employers expect
O*NETImportance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | High | Intermediate |
| Speaking | High | Intermediate |
| Active Learning | High | Intermediate |
| Critical Thinking | High | Intermediate |
| Writing | High | Intermediate |
| Complex Problem Solving | High | Intermediate |
| Coordination | High | Intermediate |
| Judgment and Decision Making | High | Intermediate |
| Reading Comprehension | High | Intermediate |
| Social Perceptiveness | High | Intermediate |
03Knowledge areas
O*NET- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- Fine Arts
- Communications and Media
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
04Common responsibilities
O*NETOrdered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Use computer software to generate new images.
- Prepare digital files for printing.
- Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
- Research the target audience of projects.
- Draw and print charts, graphs, illustrations, and other artwork, using computer.
05Software and tools
O*NET79 tools across 27 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.
- JavaScriptHotIn demand
- Hypertext markup language HTMLHotIn demand
- PHPHotIn demand
- Cascading style sheets CSSHotIn demand
- AJAXHot
- DrupalIn demand
- Extensible hypertext markup language XHTML
- Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
- Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP
- Adobe ColdFusion
- Autodesk AutoCADHotIn demand
- Bentley MicroStationHotIn demand
- Autodesk RevitHotIn demand
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DHotIn demand
- Dassault Systemes CATIAIn demand
- PTC Creo ParametricIn demand
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- SignCAD Systems SignCAD
- Adobe PhotoshopHotIn demand
- Adobe IllustratorHotIn demand
- Adobe Creative Cloud softwareHotIn demand
- Trimble SketchUp ProHotIn demand
- CanvaHotIn demand
- SmugMug Flickr
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Adobe FreeHand MX
- Adobe After EffectsHotIn demand
- Apple Final Cut ProIn demand
- Adobe Premiere ProIn demand
- Maxon Cinema 4DIn demand
- YouTube
- WeVideo
- Apple iMovie
- Adobe InDesignHotIn demand
- Microsoft Publisher
- QuarkXPress
- Adobe PageMaker
- Adobe FrameMaker
- Adobe Distiller
- WordPressHotIn demand
- FacebookHot
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Social media sites
- Adobe Macromedia HomeSite
- Microsoft PowerPointHotIn demand
- Google Slides
- Apple Keynote
- Apple iWork Keynote
- Microsoft AccessHotIn demand
- Structured query language SQLHotIn demand
- FileMaker Pro
- VerilogIn demand
- Adobe ActionScript
- Adobe AcrobatHotIn demand
- PDF readers
- Microsoft OutlookHotIn demand
- IBM Notes
- Web browser softwareIn demand
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Office softwareHotIn demand
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Microsoft WindowsHotIn demand
- Apple macOSHotIn demand
- Microsoft WordHotIn demand
- Google DocsHot
- Intuit QuickBooksHotIn demand
- Google Drive
- Oracle Eloqua
- Extensible markup language XMLHotIn demand
- FigmaHotIn demand
- Avid Pro Tools
- jQueryHotIn demand
- Nuance OmniPage Professional
- Microsoft VisioHotIn demand
- Microsoft ProjectHotIn demand
- Google AdsIn demand
- Microsoft ExcelHotIn demand
06Education and preparation
O*NET07Putting it on your resume
ResumeXRays guidanceLead with what you built. For a Job Zone 4 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.
Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "JavaScript, Hypertext markup language HTML, PHP, Cascading style sheets CSS" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.
Show speaking and active learning, not just active listening. Speaking and active learning rank close to active listening for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.
Run your resume through the free scan →See your fitbefore youhit apply.
Drop your resume and see what a parser flags before you send it. Free, no card.
Analyze your resume free →$0 to start · No card · Free plan forever