What Should I Include on a Graphic Designer Curriculum Vitae?

A graphic designer curriculum vitae (CV) should include both a résumé and a portfolio, and you will need to make several important decisions to present each of these in the best light possible. Graphic design job seekers are typically competing with many others who are also quite talented. An objective to keep in mind when creating a graphic designer CV is how to show potential employers that you have something unique to offer.

CV tips for graphic designers include using a clean résumé layout, succinctly listing your strengths, and arranging your portfolio to showcase your best work. The best graphic designer curriculum vitae is one where the résumé grabs a potential employer's attention enough to make him or her want to look through the rest of the portfolio. Many graphic designers make the mistake of adding too many stylistic elements to their résumés, resulting in a cluttered-looking page. A more appealing résumé design sticks to a simpler layout while still demonstrating your versatile skills in selecting and arranging text.

When writing a CV, you should include all graphic design skills that are relevant to the job. These include software skills in popular image-editing and page layout software. Even if you are experienced in arranging page layouts without a text grid, use one for your résumé. A grid will ensure all your page elements line up correctly. During the initial applicant screening, the first thing a potential employer often looks for is proper text alignment in your CV. A Web graphic designer curriculum vitae is nearly always submitted in electronic format, unless the potential employer requests otherwise. In this case, your résumé should include links to examples of your best work that is already online. As a job seeker, this gives you the chance to show how well your choices of color, graphics, and text render on the Web. If you do not yet have work published on websites, publish your portfolio samples as Portable Document Format (PDF) files and send them along with your résumé for the employer to review.

When applying for print-based work, your graphic designer curriculum vitae should logically consist of your printed résumé followed by your portfolio pages. These should be printed on the highest-quality paper you can afford, and all pages need to be spotless. Printer lines or streaks on pages will not do when it comes to print graphic design job applications. Arranging your work in a bound book with protective sheet inserts shows a high degree of professionalism. Before even reading the content of your graphic designer curriculum vitae, your potential employer looks for indications that you know how to make the design choices that render best in print.