[nycdunz]

Since some of you are graphic designers in here, i'm assuming that your resume should stand out from all the rest of the crowd. Is this true? I'm trying to do my resume and would like some advice on what to do and what not to do.

Also I would like to have a pdf version as long as a regular text version... what is the best program to make a PDF compatible resume in? Can I use photoshop? I'm assuming it will keep the text crisp and sharp since its in vector, only bitmaps will be resolution dependant correct?

Also is it okay to make your resume look like a work of art instead of just a typical ordinary one or is this a bad rule of thumb? I am trying to land a job and would very much like to get in! Thanks for the help guys.

I'm already setting up my online portfolio, picking out some of my best work to put on my website in case they wanted to see.

I think having an online portfolio is much better, since its much easier and more convenient for the employer to look at your work.

[Thorzdad]

It should clean and simple with a definite eye toward proper layout and design. I would not go for the "umpteen Photoshop filters and layers" approach. If I'm interviewing someone, I want to see that they have a more refined, mature eye, (ESPECIALLY when it comes to type layout) and not the eye of someone just discovering all the cool stuff their software can do.
A nice attractive header image of some sort would be okay, though.

Having an online portfolio is a good start, but you will still need to have a physical book of work for the interview. Any designer worth his salt (i.e. the person interviewing you) knows that what one sees online cannot accurately represent the physical piece...especially when it concerns printed pieces. If you show up for the interview without a well-presented book, you might as well go home. Unless you are applying at a firm that does work exclusively for online application...and even then, a book full of webpage layouts would be a good idea. Part of the interview, afterall, is showing how well you can communicate and explain your ideas.

A PDF-based resumé is perfectly fine. Personally, I would create it in either InDesign or Illustrator. They both output nice, clean PDFs. Never use Photoshop for long-form text (such as in your resumé) It's just not meant for that.

Good luck!

[nycdunz]

thanks for the input, much appreciated... i haven't updated my portfolio since i graduated, and thats like 7 years ago :/, I really need to do so. I heard its best to start with your best piece first and last, correct? Any particular way to set up a physical portfolio or no?

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by nycdunz

thanks for the input, much appreciated... i haven't updated my portfolio since i graduated, and thats like 7 years ago :/, I really need to do so. I heard its best to start with your best piece first and last, correct? Any particular way to set up a physical portfolio or no?

Setting up a portfolio really depends on who you will be interviewing with. Lets suppose it's a general "graphic designer" position, though.
Personally, I think a good book should start strong and end strong. Imagine you are making a movie...or writing a story. You want to hook them in with a strong start and end it with a good, solid finish. But keep it entertaining between the two. Avoid cramming-in dozens of pieces. An art director will get a good idea of your talent within the first 6 or 7 pieces. I, personally wouldn't feature more than 12 pieces or so. Maybe stick some additional printed pieces in the back, just in case. What pieces you use depend entirely on you. Again, whenever possible, tailor it to the firm you are interviewing with.

Another approach I've seen is to separate your book into discrete sections...printed pieces, web design, logo design, etc.

7 years is a long time to go without updating your book (though, sad to say, it's very easy to let it go until you need it. It's happened to me)

[nycdunz]

yes very long, but now i have acquired so many samples of my artwork from the past 7 yrs of work I've done so I guess that leaves me with a lot of options for my portfolio.

[andi*pandi]

make sure the resume is readable. imagine HR making photocopies for their records, all the people you'll interview with... unless you're interviewing at very small shops, multi-color art pieces aren't going to work.

[mitchell_pgh]

1) A very clean resume is ideal. Don't be afraid to be a little creative, but remember that HR is usually the first person to review your resume [and sometimes larger companies have resumes scanned and entered into a database]. Considering you don't know who will be seeing the resume... keep it simple.

2) The portfolio is key. Without a good portfolio you will flounder in an interview. Much of the time, the people making the final decision will be pulled in at the last second. They don't want to hear "visit my website." You should have a clean portfolio that logically walks you through your experience. Always start and end with a strong piece and have technically important pieces in the middle (example: I have my nice brochures and glossy artwork in the front and back, but fill the middle with functional pieces [direct mail, 2 color work, postcards, etc.] The front and back give the "wow" and the middle gives the "oh, and he can do that."

3) ALWAYS remember that companies hire people. Keep the conversation upbeat even when you are touching on difficult subjects. I've had people interview wearing "artistic" looking clothing, and while I didn't care, the other people pointed it out as being "strange."

4) Be prepared to talk about the design process. I generally ask designers "would you mind walking me through a typical project from start to finish" I'm generally looking for a structured workflow. The first thing I generally want to hear is "I start by gathering as much information as possible and prioritizing the project."

5) Remember that the person interviewing you may not know anything about design. If they know about design, you don't need to name drop... but if they don't, I generally make sure that they understand that I have mastered Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign (bla bla bla: all buzzwords). I've actually had people check boxes after saying "Adobe Acrobat."

Beyond that... just follow the basic interviewing suggestions.

[art_director]

What type of company are yopu apply with? What's the position?

[nycdunz]

I am trying to apply for a graphic design position, its a pretty big company, they have in house graphics department, they are responsible for designing booths for events and exhibits all across the US...

I would really like to move up, and plus they offer benefits, which my current company doesnt.

Another thing I am afraid of is the salary question. I'm not sure what graphic designers make these days averagely. and I don't want to blow my chance by offering something too high.

I am in Houston, TX and i'm guessing 40-45k should be something decent to ask for?
I mean i have plenty of experience in graphics, been a designer for about 7+ years now. So I'm not applying for entry level job, but more of a mid to high level.

Mitchell great advice, I am really taking all this into consideration when I go for my next job hunt. It's been awhile and I kind of want to refresh.

Do you guys carry a big portfolio or something like a binder you can carry in your hands? My old portfolio is kind of large, and if i could find something smaller then i would. I mean I have a few poster sized pieces, but most of my pieces are small business cards, flyers, letter sized stuff... is it possible to shrink the poster down to a letter size in order to save space and carry it with me in a compact type of portfolio?

Another thing, is it bad to include too many pieces in your portfolio? How many is enough, and when should i stop? The work that I've done in the pass is mostly based on print material such as business cards, logo, poster, flyers, corporate identity, direct mail, cd covers, cd faces, calendars, brochures, invitations, etc...

Lastly, on my resume, I have it laid out in this order: Objective, Education, Skills, Achievements, Work history... is that fine? I''m not sure what order is the best. I'm not the best when it comes to writing so its difficult for me to word things. I just want it to be perfect this time around so that I can really get this job.

The job requirements states that they are looking for someone with a bachelors degree but i only have an associates. Should I even go forth with applying or don't waste my time?

Thank you all for all your professional advice on all my questions. I am praying that next year will bring me good luck on finding a new job.

here's an example of my resume, let me know if i can do anything to improve upon it.

Thorzdad, very nice work you do, I saw your website... I love it!

[ChrisF]

Originally Posted by nycdunz

here's an example of my resume, let me know if i can do anything to improve upon it.

There's nothing that makes me ignore a resumé faster than the statement "very detailed oriented." If you're going to say that you're detail oriented, be absolutely sure you've not included a typo as you did here.
Because you say you don't write well, get someone whom you trust to proofread the resumé. Preferably, this person will be someone who does write well. Listen to his or her advice.
Also, for the portfolio, include only your best work. Edit, edit, edit.
This PDF looks like it's a low-quality JPEG. If you generate your resume in a program other than Photoshop, the text will be much cleaner as it will remain text rather than become raster data as it has here. Your audience will know the difference, and that matters.
Mitchell's #4 tip is key- anyone can learn how to work a program. The differentiation is in the process. Be prepared to discuss the decisions you made in every piece in your portfolio, and what led to those decisions.
Finally, in my opinion, your objective leans too much toward "I want ____" and in reality a company is really only trying to get something from you. Not sure it helps.
Oh yeah, I forgot... with the degree requirements, your resumé may never get beyond an initial review by HR. It's hard to predict that sort of thing, but don't take it personally if you never hear from them.

[nycdunz]

Thought I had a pretty decent resume, so what can I do to improve on it, any suggestions on a good objective?

Do they actually check to see what kind of degree you had? If my mind serves me right, I don't ever remember any employer having to actually see my degree. I know I am more than qualified for the position, it's just I think this whole "piece of paper" thing isn't a good way to judge on whether or not somebody qualifies for that job. I think experience plays more of a role than anything here. After you told me that, I feel like no job would even consider me now. I am aware of my resume posted up being low quality, its just so everyone can see. My actual resume is done in Illustrator.

[ChrisF]

Originally Posted by nycdunz

Do they actually check to see what kind of degree you had?... After you told me that, I feel like no job would even consider me now. I am aware of my resume posted up being low quality, its just so everyone can see. My actual resume is done in Illustrator.

Well it wasn't my intention to discourage you, but rather a general bit of advice. Send in your resumé. My point was that when applying for jobs at large companies, the first person to see your application is usually an HR person. That person will often eliminate resumés for any number of reasons, whether or not that person is actually qualified to make such decisions about designers.

[mitchell_pgh]

I would consider rewriting parts of your resume. I read a number of resumes and I feel your resume looks very thin. I'm guessing, but I bet you have more to offer than 20 lines of information. My resume is roughly 2x longer and still clean and easy to read.

- OBJECTIVE: Your objective seems ambiguous. I'm not one for a long objective, but it should show a little passion. Also, there is a lot about what they can give you... but what about what you can give them?

- What did you do from 1998 (the year you graduated) to 2001 (the year you started your business)? Gaps in your resume aren't good... and you are too young to exclude 3 years. If you didn't do anything... be creative.

- Regarding your current position, I would rewrite the entire thing. For starters, if the name of the place is a church, they know it's a church, and you don't need the word "church" or "funeral" in the body. I would focus on the projects you completed. You would set off my "overly religious" alarm bells. It sounds like you did a number of things... that should work to your advantage.

- Regarding your degree, why not simply put:
[Name of college or art school]
Associates Degree, 1998

- Your achievements look thin. Bulk it up. If you only have had one achievement since 1998, don't be surprised if HR doesn't call. Achievements aren't always awards.

- Bulk up your skills. From your resume, I see that you know how to use 4 programs on 2 platforms. Do you use Microsoft Office? I would put 2x more programs... Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Office, FTP applications, FileMaker Pro (Database), etc. etc. This is one of the few areas where I like to see more as compared to less. You never know when they may say "well, we need someone that can design AND knows how to keep track of a database of [whatever]." Also, HR may have a check box for things to look for, and if you don't have "Acrobat" and "Microsoft Office" that's two less checks.

Have someone proofread it... and then take it to someone else to proofread. One mistake can easily cost you a job [it cost me one when I was fresh out of college].

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by ChrisF

Well it wasn't my intention to discourage you, but rather a general bit of advice. Send in your resumé. My point was that when applying for jobs at large companies, the first person to see your application is usually an HR person. That person will often eliminate resumés for any number of reasons, whether or not that person is actually qualified to make such decisions about designers.

BINGO

The #1 mistake people make when submitting resumes is that they assume that the person reading the resume has some understanding of the position.

With larger companies, this usually isn't the case. The HR departments of many companies will weed out bad resumes and pass along 5-8 good resumes. The trick is to get your resume in the 5-8 that they pass along.

[ChrisF]

Some other thoughts: especially since your work history is a little short, you might consider including some non-work activities too. Involved with any clubs? Any hobbies you do which you really enjoy?
I went through 3 interviews at a Fortune 500 company; one of the interviews was with the VP of Information Technology. We spent the entire interview discussing a club of which I am a member and he is a former member. Did I get the job? No, but that may have been because I told the HR guy I thought their pay scale was way lower than was reasonable. In hindsight, it was probably not such a good decision, but nothing can be done about that now.
A friend of mine who's recently out of college was applying for jobs and discovered that in all the interviews, the interviewers were more interested in the non-academic portions of his resumé. He's in a scientific field where all recent graduates all pretty much have the same qualifications, so it's a little different in his case, but not entirely so.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by ChrisF

Some other thoughts: especially since your work history is a little short, you might consider including some non-work activities too. Involved with any clubs? Any hobbies you do which you really enjoy?
I went through 3 interviews at a Fortune 500 company; one of the interviews was with the VP of Information Technology. We spent the entire interview discussing a club of which I am a member and he is a former member. Did I get the job? No, but that may have been because I told the HR guy I thought their pay scale was way lower than was reasonable. In hindsight, it was probably not such a good decision, but nothing can be done about that now.
A friend of mine who's recently out of college was applying for jobs and discovered that in all the interviews, the interviewers were more interested in the non-academic portions of his resumé. He's in a scientific field where all recent graduates all pretty much have the same qualifications, so it's a little different in his case, but not entirely so.

I had the same experience. I designed a quarterly newsletter for a hiking club and come to find out the owner of the company was a big hiker:

1) It showed that I could create a newsletter from start to finish
2) It showed that I had similar interests as the owner

We talked about that for over 20 minutes... and it was something I said in passing.

[iREZ]

do: make a clean, well designed resume that reeks professionalism.

dont: uncrumple it out of your back pocket, lay it on desk and flatten with your hands as best you can right before handing it to your future non employer.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by iREZ

do: make a clean, well designed resume that reeks professionalism.

dont: uncrumple it out of your back pocket, lay it on desk and flatten with your hands as best you can right before handing it to your future non employer.

And DON'T: Leap across the table and throttle your interviewer as he mindlessly flicks cigarette ashes all over your portfolio during the interview. (Actually happened to me once. The ashes. Not the throttling)

[shecky]

stylistically, an over-designed resume with lots of "stuff" going on is the biggest cry for help out there. make a resume clean, simple, well organized and with meticulous attention to typography.

a physical portfolio is always going to be more important than the online one, UNLESS you are doing work in that medium (web, etc.) i keep some motion pieces on my website that i usually refer to with screenshots and a URL in my physical portfolio.

i agree with what everyone else has said about interviewing, but i want to reiterate that at the end of the day, they are hiring a PERSON, not a portfolio; so do not forget to be the best person you can be, not just have the best portfolio.

i will PM you my URL so you can look at what i did for my portfolio + resume.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by shecky

stylistically, an over-designed resume with lots of "stuff" going on is the biggest cry for help out there. make a resume clean, simple, well organized and with meticulous attention to typography.

a physical portfolio is always going to be more important than the online one, UNLESS you are doing work in that medium (web, etc.) i keep some motion pieces on my website that i usually refer to with screenshots and a URL in my physical portfolio.

i agree with what everyone else has said about interviewing, but i want to reiterate that at the end of the day, they are hiring a PERSON, not a portfolio; so do not forget to be the best person you can be, not just have the best portfolio.

i will PM you my URL so you can look at what i did for my portfolio + resume.

You are spot on. Regarding web sites, having a print out is a necessity. Usually there isn't enough time in a first interview to fire up a laptop and browse to your work. In fact, sometimes they don't need to visit the site to know you have skills. A nice screen shot usually says volumes and is quick.

[Oisín]

Small mini-semi-derailment, since there are so many people who seem knowledgeable about this subject in this thread:

Ignoring the actual content (for various reasons, one of the main ones being that it’s in a language you’re not likely to fully understand ), would you design gurus here say that my résumé more or less lives up to the standards you’ve all been raving about here? Or would I get chucked in the waste-bin immediately?

Ta for comments

(I’m not a designer, by the way; I just like to fancy my résumés up a bit)

[Thorzdad]

Oisín...The basic layout is nice and neat, but that first page is terribly sparse and empty. It really needs something to grab the eye. An attractive header, perhaps, or just more text? Your name should be at the top and larger. It should lead.

[Oisín]

Oops, sorry, I forgot to mention that—the first page isn’t part of the résumé; it’s an application for a specific job that I sent the company (or rather, brought along to the interview with me) together with the résumé itself. It’s only the second page that’s the résumé

On the résumé itself, then, my name is actually the first thing on the page (after the heading, “Curriculum Vitae”), though it’s not a heading or anything—should it really be larger than the rest of the text?

(Also, since I was actually asked personally by one of the people who were ‘interviewing’ me to apply for the job to begin with, the application itself is a bit unorthodox and less ‘introductory’ than a regular application would be)

[andi*pandi]

I like the resume layout, very clean, the dates and job titles (?) pop out nicely. In America, it is more common to put your address up top with your name for easy reference, but that's a style/custom thing. We also DO NOT put our birthdays on resumes, we are not required to due to age discrimination. Although most employers can figure it out by length of employment...

[Oisín]

The numbers on the right are indeed dates; but the words on the left are categories, rather than job titles. Starting from the top, they are: Name, birth date, education, other qualifying exams, foreign stays, job experience, computer knowledge/experience, language skills.

I usually make a new résumé like this for each job application, including only relevant information—for example, if I’m applying for a job as a graphic artist, it won’t matter one iota that I took the HSK (Chinese proficiency) exam in 2004; but for this job, where knowledge of the Chinese language was part of why they wanted me, I naturally included it. There are actually only two previous jobs listed on this résumé, since I haven’t had more relevant jobs than two before this one (not true, there was one other, but I forgot it when I wrote the résumé).

Edit: About the birth dates—I suppose that makes sense. I don’t honestly know if it’s customary to include your birth date or not; I would just never have even thought about writing a résumé without including it. It would be like not writing your last name, almost. But then again, I think we have a slightly different attitude towards giving out our birth dates and social security numbers to all and sundry here than you do in the States

[Chuckit]

To my knowledge, nobody in the US puts their birthdate on their resume. I think many employers would actually feel uncomfortable if it were there, like you were trying to set them up for a discrimination claim or something. It seems more like putting "I'm black" than your address, which is necessary to contact you.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by Oisín

Small mini-semi-derailment, since there are so many people who seem knowledgeable about this subject in this thread:

Ignoring the actual content (for various reasons, one of the main ones being that it’s in a language you’re not likely to fully understand ), would you design gurus here say that my résumé more or less lives up to the standards you’ve all been raving about here? Or would I get chucked in the waste-bin immediately?

Ta for comments

(I’m not a designer, by the way; I just like to fancy my résumés up a bit)

DO NOT SEND YOUR RESUME OUT!!!

All the letters are messed up!

[nycdunz]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I would consider rewriting parts of your resume. I read a number of resumes and I feel your resume looks very thin. I'm guessing, but I bet you have more to offer than 20 lines of information. My resume is roughly 2x longer and still clean and easy to read.

- OBJECTIVE: Your objective seems ambiguous. I'm not one for a long objective, but it should show a little passion. Also, there is a lot about what they can give you... but what about what you can give them?

- What did you do from 1998 (the year you graduated) to 2001 (the year you started your business)? Gaps in your resume aren't good... and you are too young to exclude 3 years. If you didn't do anything... be creative.

- Regarding your current position, I would rewrite the entire thing. For starters, if the name of the place is a church, they know it's a church, and you don't need the word "church" or "funeral" in the body. I would focus on the projects you completed. You would set off my "overly religious" alarm bells. It sounds like you did a number of things... that should work to your advantage.

- Regarding your degree, why not simply put:
[Name of college or art school]
Associates Degree, 1998

- Your achievements look thin. Bulk it up. If you only have had one achievement since 1998, don't be surprised if HR doesn't call. Achievements aren't always awards.

- Bulk up your skills. From your resume, I see that you know how to use 4 programs on 2 platforms. Do you use Microsoft Office? I would put 2x more programs... Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Office, FTP applications, FileMaker Pro (Database), etc. etc. This is one of the few areas where I like to see more as compared to less. You never know when they may say "well, we need someone that can design AND knows how to keep track of a database of [whatever]." Also, HR may have a check box for things to look for, and if you don't have "Acrobat" and "Microsoft Office" that's two less checks.

Have someone proofread it... and then take it to someone else to proofread. One mistake can easily cost you a job [it cost me one when I was fresh out of college].

I do agree with you on my objective, it does certainly sound like i am not offering anything but more like what they can offer me, do you have any suggestions on a good objective for a graphic designer so i can modify a little bit to suit my needs?

Also about my skills section, i know a lot about computers, but i thought putting all of that irrelevant stuff was unnecessary and will make the resume too cluttered. I was trying to keep it clean, simple and to the point. I know a little of microsoft office, adobe acrobat, ftp, unix, and other programs, but i didn't want to list every single one.

So on my achievements since i only have 1, its best i should leave that off then?

I also want my resume on 1 page if all possible... so i am trying to only put the necessary things and leaving out stuff that may be unecessary.

After i graduated i was trying to look for a graphic design job, and i had no luck for 3 years, seriously, so i worked at the malls, some restaurants. I sure don't want to put that on my resume. I'm afraid it will make me look bad. So what should i do in this case?

[andi*pandi]

you should put it in, but also put you were freelancing or something. Industry knows its sometimes hard to get a start, and knowing you worked at the Gap is better than thinking you were a crack fiend with no job.

I left my before-and-after-college job on the resume until I had enough industry jobs and it rolled off the bottom. If I ever applied to a design job in telecommunications I may put it back on there. Right now I have it listed in my Other section, where I list various non-design job titles and interests.

[mikochu]

With my resume, I try to keep it clean. Tailer it to the specific job you're applying for. Keep it one page and stylized. I like using sans-serif fonts for the heading and titles, and I use serif fonts for the content. Make sure you have a professional email address and not some [email protected] type of email address. List relavent jobs...and if you don't have jobs, include projects you've done. Try not to embelish. List your portfolio as being available upon request...

Also, if you don't want to do something in particular, leave it off your resume...

[birdman]

The way I got around the "odd jobs" issue was by having a "Relevant Experience" section first that listed my three most recent jobs that nurtured the design skill set I have today. This includes "Freelance Designer" from 1997 (when I was still in high school) to Present, and covers the 10-month period after college graduation when I was technically unemployed and living with my parents. Even with that, my last interviewer still asked about the "gap" in my employment, which I used as a segue into elaborating on my freelance experience.

Then I have another section, "Other Experience," which lists the three most recent non-design-related jobs I had, which were mostly data entry gigs during college summers, as well as some of my music-related activities.

I'll just echo what others have said: any resume, including and especially a graphic designer's, should be clean, easy to follow, and quickly convey the information you need to get across. A larger company may have hundreds of resumes to sift through, and you don't want to make them have to hunt for what they need. A smaller company may only be hiring now and then, so the whole hiring process means someone has to take time out of their regular work schedule to read resumes -- again, you don't want to slow them down.

Here is the online version of my resume, if anyone is curious. Hopefully I've lived up to my own advice.

-birdman

P.S. I personally am not a fan of objectives on resumes, as I feel that space on the page can be put to better use. My reasons for seeking employment with their company should be stated in the cover letter, and besides, *I* want to be the one to decide if this job is in tune with my career goals, not them. I once had a job interview where I was talking about two freelance projects I had pending at the time. He asked, "Well how will you finish those if you get this job?" I think he was trying to ask how I would manage my time, but he also could have been trying to get me to say, "I'll just dump on these other clients once I find something more lucretive -- just like I'll do to you too!!" I almost felt like saying, "You honestly think I'd turn down a full-time job so I could finish two dinky freelance projects? Don't concern yourself with how I'll finish them; I'll find a way."