Interior Designer Resume Example

This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft an interior designer resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Read on to discover tips for a creative resume, as recommended by Jobseeker's careers experts.

Key sections for an interior designer resume

Although the content of an interior designer resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.

While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:

Resume Header

A interior designer resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. 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.

Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Summary

The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for interior designer roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description.

Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for interior designer roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. The graphic below showcases some good examples of what to include in your interior designer resume summary.

On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. The visual above includes some examples of what not to do with your interior designer resume summary

Employment History

Under your work experience section, add any jobs you've had in the past that are relevant to the position of an interior designer. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.

The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.

Personal Portfolio or Work Samples

Any examples of your work as an interior designer will help the hiring manager to assess your suitability for interior designer jobs. If you have a portfolio or personal website, include a link to it here.

Online portfolios tend to be most relevant for creative roles, but you could provide details of any previous successful projects or work published online. Add a link to your portfolio or include separate links to your previous projects in this section. Conversely, those working in non-creative sectors may still have examples of their work published online. If you do, add links to this section to boost your chances of success.

Educational Achievements

In your education section, include details of your most relevant interior designer qualifications and educational achievements.

To work as an interior designer, employers tend to require candidates to have a specialist degree, such as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. If you have this degree, focus on it in your education section, while also mentioning any educational achievements that show your project management skills or building codes familiarity.

For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.

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.

Skills

Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to an interior designer role. Skills such as autocad proficiency or creative problem solving are particularly useful for interior designer jobs. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as an interior designer.

Highlighting your hard skills

Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for interior designer jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in an interior designer resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. It's best to aim for four or five key hard skills that match the job description. These can really showcase your suitability for the job.

For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for an interior designer resume are listed below.

Soft skills on your interior designer resume

In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for an interior designer job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.

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 an interior designer resume.

Certifications and Training

In this section, include any interior designer certifications, training or licenses you hold that are relevant to the job. 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, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as an interior designer.

Below you can find several examples of certifications for an interior designer resume:

Optional Sections

There are several additional sections you could add to an interior designer resume, to improve your chances of success. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.

Hobbies

Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. 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. Think about adding hobbies and interests to your resume if they add some insight into your personality that you can't express elsewhere in your application.

Volunteering

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for interior designer roles. Add your volunteer job title or role, the name of the organization, its location and the dates you were involved.

References

It's not typical to include references in an interior designer resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.

Best action words for your interior designer 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.

If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.

Sample resume for interior designer positions

The interior designer resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When writing your interior designer resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:

• 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 throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
• Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
• Adopt a clean, unfussy design that gives your content enough white space to breathe. Use professional, readable fonts and subtle use of color and other design elements.
• Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.

Key takeaways for your interior designer 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. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.

Using the professional resume templates and resources of Jobseeker can help you create a great-looking resume that stands out from other applicants. Sign up today and follow the simple steps to get started. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.

Sources:

(1) Careers for creative people, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/creative-careers.htm

(2) Occupational Outlook Handbook, Craft and Fine Arts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm