Design Director Resume Example
Starting a career as a design director gives you the chance to gain experience in leading creative teams and collaborating with stakeholders. A professional resume for design director applications will showcase your relevant skills and career achievements, to help you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we'll discuss how to create a design director resume that catches the eye of employers, with tips and examples to help you write your own.
This complete guide to a design director resume will equip you with the tools you need to compete in your applications. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your design director resume.
What to include in a design director resume
Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a design director resume being no different.
A functional or skills-based resume format might be best for applications where you have little or no relevant design director experience. This layout prioritizes your skills and education sections above your work experience. Likewise, an entry-level resume might focus more on soft and transferable skills, as well as details about internships, voluntary work or relevant training you've completed.
When applying for mid-level design director positions, it's typically best to opt for a reverse-chronological resume format. This is because work experience tends to be the most important resume section for this level. In your resume work experience section, outline your relevant achievements and showcase the impact you've made in your career to date. Make sure everything you include is relevant to the job description.
As a highly experienced candidate, you'll want your design director resume to showcase your depth of relevant work experience, as well as other achievements. Use a reverse-chronological format and add additional sections to prove you're a strong candidate. It's likely that your senior resume will be longer than a standard resume of one-to-two pages. This is because you'll be listing additional achievements beyond your work experience, such as awards, publications and professional memberships.
While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:
Header and Personal Information
Your design director resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Make sure your resume header is as brief as possible and doesn't take up too much valuable space. Choose a clear, professional design that sets the tone for your application.
Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.
Rylee Mendoza
rylee.mendoza@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC
linkedin․com/in/rylee–mendoza123
Resume Summary
In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for design director roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for design director roles.
Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.
The best resume summaries reflect the job description and focus on qualities that are relevant to working as a design director, while highlighting elements of your personality that make you an ideal candidate. They also quantify the information provided with evidence. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a design director resume summary in the graphic below.
Good example:
Dynamic and innovative Design Director with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and extensive experience as a Creative Director. Proven track record in leading creative teams, conceptualizing and executing high-impact visual campaigns, and driving brand strategy to achieve business objectives. Adept at blending artistic vision with strategic thinking to deliver compelling design solutions across various media platforms. Highly skilled in project management, client relations, and fostering collaborative environments. Passionate about pushing creative boundaries and delivering exceptional results
Bad example:
Design professional with a background in graphic arts and experience in creative roles. Led teams and worked on visual projects to support business goals. Combined creative ideas with planning to create designs for different media. Managed projects, worked with clients, and encouraged teamwork. Interested in exploring new creative ideas and achieving good results
On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.
Work Experience
Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as a design director. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.
Under each job entry, add several bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and achievements. Consult the job description for a list of the key requirements for the role and make sure your work experience section showcases how you meet these requirements.
A good resume work experience section includes your most relevant previous jobs and highlights your key achievements in each role. To make the best possible impression on hiring managers, make sure each entry in your work experience section references skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you added value to each role with quantifiable evidence and outcomes. Review some strong examples of resume work experience sections in the graphic below.
Good example:
Creative Director, January 2022 - Present
Luminary Design Studios, Chula Vista
- Led rebranding initiative for Fortune 500 company, increasing brand recognition by 45% and driving a 30% surge in sales
- Directed award-winning ad campaign, earning three industry accolades and boosting client engagement by 50% within six months
- Spearheaded digital transformation project, enhancing user experience across platforms, resulting in a 40% increase in online conversions
Bad example:
Creative Director, January 2022 - Present
Luminary Design Studios, Chula Vista
- Managed various projects to improve brand presence and market reach
- Oversaw creative campaigns to enhance client interaction and satisfaction
- Directed team efforts to optimize digital user experiences
In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.
Education and Qualifications
In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to design director roles.
Typically, working as a design director requires a university or college degree, which you'll need to list on your resume. If you're working in this sector, it's usually a good idea to highlight your Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design degree or other relevant qualifications. Focus on qualifications that showcase your user experience (ux) or visual design software.
Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.
If you were a member of any clubs or societies, or volunteered for any causes while studying, you could also mention these in your education section.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, 2017 - 2020
New York University, New York, NY
Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for design director jobs. These could be brand identity development, time management efficiency or various other relevant skills. Again, refer to the design director job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.
How to include hard skills on your design director resume
Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for design director jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a design director resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.
Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective design director resume hard skills list looks like.
- User experience (ux)
- Visual design software
- Project management tools
Adding soft skills to your design director resume
In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for a design director job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a design director resume.
- Creative problem solving
- Effective communication skills
- Emotional intelligence (EQ)
Licenses and Certifications
Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to design director jobs. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for design director roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.
Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a design director resume:
- Certified Design Expert, 2022
- UX Master Certification, 2022
- PMP Certification, 2022
Hear from experts:
Optional Sections
To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a design director resume. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.
Personal Interests
Listing your hobbies and interests can reveal key qualities that some employers may value. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.
Voluntary Work
Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your design director resume. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.
References
Although it's rare to include references on a design director resume, some employers may ask for it. Don't add references unless they're specifically mentioned by the employer in the job advert. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.
References will be available upon request.
Best words to use in a design director resume
Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. Choose from the list of words below to increase the impact of your work experience section.
- Lead
- Innovate
- Strategize
- Collaborate
- Mentor
- Design
- Execute
- Conceptualize
- Oversee
- Direct
For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.
Example of a design director resume
The design director resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC
•
rylee.mendoza@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/rylee–mendoza123
Accomplished Design Director with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design and extensive experience serving as a Creative Director. Proven expertise in leading creative teams, developing innovative design concepts, and executing comprehensive brand strategies. Adept at managing multiple projects from inception to completion while ensuring high-quality and impactful visual communication. Skilled in fostering collaborative environments and driving creative excellence to achieve organizational goals
Creative Director
2020
-2022
Luminous Visions Studios (Sacramento)
- Successfully led rebranding initiative for a global tech company, increasing brand recognition by 35% within six months
- Directed and launched award-winning advertising campaign, resulting in a 50% sales increase and multiple industry accolades
- Spearheaded cross-functional creative team to deliver 150+ high-impact marketing assets, driving a 40% boost in customer engagement
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design
2017
-2020
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (Pasadena, CA)
User experience (ux)
Visual design software
Project management tools
Creative problem solving
Effective communication skills
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
Certified Design Expert
UX Master Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Best practices for a design director resume
Advice to help you craft a winning resume
- Quantify the impact you've made in different roles by offering evidence of your key abilities and your contribution.
- Use a professional resume format with clear headings, a defined structure and consistent margins for optimum readability.
- Keep your design director resume concise, with a target length of one page for less experienced candidates, and two pages for senior positions.
- Add your relevant education details, including any high grades such as your GPA or degree result.
- Include any relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role, for maximum readability.
Keep away from these common resume mistakes
- Don't add personal information such as your age, gender, a photo or marital status, as these can lead to bias in the hiring process.
- Don't include hobbies unless you're light on work experience and they help you prove a skill required for the job.
- Don't lie or exaggerate on your design director resume, as this can create false expectations in employers and harm you in the future.
- Don't forget to review your contact information before sending your resume, to ensure it's all up-to-date.
- Don't use an unprofessional email address. Instead, create a simple email address based on your name.
How to make an ATS-friendly resume
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. When drafting your design director resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.
Here are a few quick tips for creating an ATS-friendly resume:
- Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
- Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
- Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
- Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
- Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.
If you need help creating a professional resume, take a look at our expert career articles and variety of resume examples created by careers experts.
FAQs for a design director resume
Now that you know how to write a professional design director resume, you might also want to learn how to write an accompanying cover letter that makes a similar impact.
Check the job description to see whether a full, formal cover letter is necessary. In some situations, it might be more suitable to simply send a brief email to introduce yourself and accompany your resume.
If you decide you want to write a traditional cover letter, follow the standard letter-writing conventions around layout and structure. In the main body of the letter, write an opening paragraph to introduce yourself and explain why you're applying for the design director role. Your second paragraph is typically where you highlight your key relevant skills and achievements. Finally, close by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and leave a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to make contact with you.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
Even if you have little or no relevant work experience, it's still possible to write a design director resume that makes a strong impression on employers. Use a functional resume format instead of the standard reverse-chronological structure. This emphasizes your skills and education over your work experience. Optional sections at the end of your resume can play a stronger role if you're lacking relevant work experience. Use certifications and training, hobbies and interests, volunteer roles and internships to show you've got the necessary skills for the job.
A resume headline can catch the attention of the reader and give them a strong first impression about your suitability for design director jobs. Resume headlines can also help you pass the ATS stage of the selection process, by highlighting the job title and one or two key details. Take the time to draft a concise, eye-catching headline which includes the job title, one or two key skills and reference to either your experience level or track record.
Below you can see a resume headline example:
- Junior Design Director Seeking Opportunities
- Innovative Design Director Extraordinaire
- Senior Design Director & Innovator
The best format for your resume depends on two key factors. Firstly, the amount of relevant work experience you have. Secondly, the type of role and its level of seniority. If you're applying for a junior position or changing careers, you might want to consider a functional resume. This highlights your skills and education over your work experience. For more senior roles where you have plenty of relevant experience, use a reverse chronological format. This resume structure places work experience at the heart of the document, using it as a showcase for your skills and achievements.
Takeaways for a winning design director resume
Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.
Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.
Sources:
(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
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