This is because your graphics design resume is the first thing the potential employer will look at before asking you anything. If they don’t feel impressed by the presentation of your resume, they may not invite you for an interview to give you a chance prove yourself and your skills in design. Therefore, be very vigilant when working on your resume to increase your chances of being hired. Here are a few tips to help you polish up your graphic design resume-:

Use the correct verb when writing about your skills

It is recommended that you use action verbs rather than using personal pronoun, “I” when writing about your skills in your graphic design resume. Preferably, you should use active verbs and tenses when making reference to your skills, duties and accomplishments.

Short but to the point bullet points

If you use bullet points in the graphic design resume, they should be short and precise. There is always a temptation to use lofty and redundant language hoping to fill up space so that your resume looks packed. Unfortunately, this will work against you. Those who will be going through your resume will have dozens others to go through and if they are unable to find what they are looking for in yours, it will find its way into the recycle bin faster than you can spell your mother’s maiden name. Therefore, ensure that the bullet points are used clearly and concisely as it will also show your ability to communicate effectively.

Format your graphic design resume chronologically

Some people seeking graphic design jobs are fond of stating their experience by grouping them or listing them according the job functions. This is ill advised since managers would like to see a progression on your development from the time you started out as a graphic designer to the present.  The best method would be to format your graphic design resume in a reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent jobs as you work backwards to your earlier assignments.

Customize your resume for each application

Have something like a template graphic design resume upon which you will tailor each resume according to the specific applications you will be making. This is so that you find it easy to give highlights to the particular qualifications that are directly related to the positions you are applying for. Sometimes, this might mean that you will have to reorder the bullet points or you do away with certain skills which might not be very relevant to position you are applying for.

Additionally, it is advisable that you mention the specific terms you find in the job description and for which you are making application. These might include terms like “project manager, lead graphic designer etc”. The reason for doing so is because with the current digital age, there are some companies who will scan applications for such keywords and if you used them, you shall have increased visibility to your graphic design resume.

Send resume by mail

Most applicants have been crippled by the digital age such that they can only send their graphic design resumes to recruiters via online only. The applicants who send such applications by mail usually end up standing out from their online counterparts. For increased chances of your resume getting noticed therefore, it would be a good idea to also send your resume by mail. But while doing so, you have to careful about certain things like ensuring that you use high quality, 100% bond stationery and with appropriate colors.

Also, if you are sending your resume to an advertising agency, consider using a shade different from the traditional ivory. If the application is going to a conservative organization, however, it would be okay to use the normal ivory. Additionally, remember to use a typography that is simple and easy to read, irrespective of where you are sending your graphic design resume.

Using these tips and of course giving clear references in your graphic design resume should be sufficient enough to land you an interview where you will have a chance to show the employer that you are the right fit for the job. But ignoring them won’t give you any competitive edge amongst your fellow applicants and your resume will never be recognized by any serious employers.

Learn how to give a brand personality!

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Survival in the graphic design industry can be elusive if you don’t have a portfolio to show your work. Clients will in most cases want to have a look at your previous designs to gauge your competency and suitability of you doing them a great job. Without a portfolio, you will have nothing to show, and it will be tough to land a gig in this highly lucrative and equally skeptical industry.

The good news, however, is that it is possible to have a graphic design portfolio from scratch that you can use it to market your design services. This is ideal when you are new in the industry and still struggling to win new clients. It is also applicable when you have been in the industry for some time, but you need to attract high-end customers who will pay more for your services. Use the tips given below to build your graphic design portfolio from nothing.

Start with what you have

As a new designer interested in building a portfolio from scratch, you need not look further than to begin with yourself. Your main reason for building a portfolio is to market your design skills to get a stream of clients for continued work. Since you are essentially running businesses, start by creating various marketing materials for your business then display them on your online profile.

For instance, you can make business cards, logo, brochures, and marketing flyers for your graphic design business then tell people that you are the one who made them when displaying them on your profile. Though you may not have handled any paid projects, potential clients will see what you did for your brand if they are convinced, they may be interested in hiring your services. This is the easiest way to start building your graphic design portfolio from scratch.

Redesign other projects

Your aim here in building graphic design portfolio from scratch is to display your skills and what you can do when given a real assignment. To do this, redesign other works, adding in your unique design intuition to make such look fresh and unique. You can then display such redesigns on your website or portfolio to show to the potential clients. This won’t just expose your artistic prowess but also will speed up the process of building your graphic design portfolio from scratch.

Target poor designs and make them look great

The other way to hasten the process of building your graphic design portfolio from scratch is to target local business with poorly designed logos and other marketing materials. Make a list of such businesses and dedicate your time to making their designs look great. Once you finish, approach them and show them that you can improve on their designs and give them a better image to the clients.

If your work is good, most of them will be pleased and might consider hiring your services. With this approach, you will have chances of landing real clients while at the same time adding to your graphic design portfolio paid project you did to your customers.

Volunteer free services for the very first clients

Offering your services for free is another method you can use to create a graphic design portfolio from scratch. With this method, you agree to offer free services for a limited number of clients, especially those who come first or those who order multiple services. If you already have some cool designs in your portfolio, clients will be tempted to take in your offer of free design services.

Make perfect designs for these clients; add them to your portfolio. Besides this method helping you to create your graphic design portfolio from scratch, you will increase your chances of getting hired by the same clients if they are pleased with your work.

Consider Community involvement

The community is a great non-digital dimension you can use in building your graphic design portfolio from scratch. For instance, you can create a poster for your local meet up group or a church event or just about anything that will be taking place around you. Once done, all you have to do is to include the piece of work in your portfolio and make reference to the community activity. This is an awesome strategy if you are targeting local clients with your services.

Additionally, you may find other participants in the event who might be pleased with your design and consider using your services for their marketing materials. These will be good clients for you since you are in the same group already; they will feel more comfortable in dealing with you as opposed to approaching new designers for their design works. When used wisely, community involvement can make building your graphic design on steroids due to the exposure the trust you can get.

Take some inspiration from these recognizable brands while building from scratch!

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There are various global design events held in different locations all throughout the years. These events have paramount importance to every designer. It is in such meetings where you meet like-minded designers meet and share a few insights regarding the design profession. They also offer an ideal forum for various stakeholders in the industry to share developments and chat the way forward in improving designing in many aspects.

It is also important to point out that it is during such events that outstanding designers in various fields get to be recognized and awarded for their contributions and activities in the industry. Therefore, if you are a designer, you need to take note of such global design events and make an effort of attending as many as possible.

Listed here are some of the major events watched by most designers worldwide. Be sure to attend them the next time you get a chance:

D&AD Professional Awards

D&AD Professional Awards is not an even per se, but it is worth booking in every designer’s diary. It is one of the biggest design competitions where participants submit design works in various categories for a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Entries to this event usually open in February with the announcing of the results and the winners coming late in April.

What Design Can Do

What Design Can Do is an annual global design event that seeks to evaluate the impacts of design on various industries. It brings together a group of internationally acclaimed designers to investigate the power of design as an agent of social renewal for two good days. It is especially ideal for designers from all disciplines who would like to manifest the social potential of the design profession. Expect to get wonderful discussions around design future strategies, lots of workshops and, of course, a plethora of networking opportunities.

Design Indaba

Design Indaba is a creative festival that takes place every February in Cape Town. Being one of the most established design events, it attracts diverse and lively participants cutting across various niches in design including graphics, product, art, architecture amongst other design disciplines. It will excite you to note that the event attracts close to 3,500 designers for three days of sharing and discussing matters design. It is an awesome event to network besides sampling the awesome culture of the people of South Africa.

OFFSET

OFFSET was held for the very first time in 2009 in Dublin Ireland, and since then, it has established itself as one of the top global design events every designer wants to attend. It shares the same home with the imposing Bord Gaise Energy Theatre situated on the banks of River Liffey in Dublin.

It is a three-day creative conference that attracts a wide range of speakers from the various design disciplines, including animation, graphics, advertising, illustrations, fashion, film and beyond. One attractive feature of the OFFSET that you get a chance to interact with the speakers, not just on stage alone but also you can meet them for further discussions in more intimate rooms where you can freely ask questions. With this kind of experience, you should make the OFFSET one of the global design events that you should never miss.

Generate New York

Generate New York is a global design event organized by NET Magazine and qreative Blog. This is the event you need to attend if you would like to meet the big names in web design industry featuring designers like Joon Yong Park, Mike Monteiro and Val Head. You will also enjoy the rich variety of speakers that usually grace the event to teach, inspire and network with the other designers from around the globe.

F5

F5 also ranks as one of the top global design events that need to be attended by every designer, especially those keen on learning and adopting new design trends before the masses become aware of them. The two day event takes place in New York, and it brings together various industry players to discuss and shape new standards in design and media. If you feel that you are a future-minded designer with the ability to create lasting change in the world of design, then this event is for you.

Semi-Permanent

Semi-Permanent is one of the largest events of its kind dedicated to spreading art and design inspirations. It is usually a weeklong event full of activities such as film and art, graphics design, animation, graffiti, stop motion, motion graphics, photography, visual effects, web design amongst others. Also prominently featured during this global design event are side events that include exhibitions, workshops, parties and competitions.

These are only a few of the global design events you can watch out for, but there are still others not mentioned here. Also, there will always be new events being introduced each year geared towards specific issues relating to the design world. Such events are very powerful for the development of every designer, irrespective of the field.

Check out the best ways to over deliver and get noticed before a design event!

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