10 Graphic Design Resume Tips

Whenever you try to get a job, you will always prepare a resume. Of course, everyone wants to get the job they want. Making the right resume is one key to get your desired post. A graphic design resume is a bit more challenging for you have to show your prowess in lay-outing and designing through your resume. Along with it, you also have to make sure you have written the right contents.

In this article, we will share to you some things that you need to consider in writing a graphic design resume.

1. The Paper Quality.

Image: EvelynGiggles

Sometimes, you would overlook the type of paper you are using for your resume. Of course, you would focus more on the design and contents of your resume but do not forget the type of paper you will use. Some employers are actually particular with your paper choices. Grab a good paper and it will give you more points to get the job.

2. The Layout.

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Since you are a graphic designer, make use of your lay-outing skills but do not make it look too crowded, complicated and over designed. Give it a graphic designer’s touch but do not over do it. Use plenty of white space so that it wouldn’t strain your prospect employer’s eye.

3. The Typography.

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The font and the font size are very important. Choose a good font. Be sure that you have chosen a font that is readable. Do not make it too small. Remember that the contents of your resume are very important for it is the key for you to get the job.

4. The Structure and Presentation.

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Your resume should look good in one glance. It needs to be concise, clean and informative. It also needs to be easy to read with the right usage of grammar and spelling.

5. The Needed Contents.

a. Your Name and Contact Information.

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Of course, this is important. This is placed in an area where it can easily be noticed-at the upper topmost part of the paper. It now depends on you on how you will make it look good and noticeable.

b.Your Personal Statement.

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A brief statement about your goals and your desired position. There will be a better impact if you will make a statement that is suited for the job. Avoid generic objectives; use a personal statement that will interest the employer.

c. Your Experience. 

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This is the part where you place your work experience which includes the job title, employment dates, brief job description and location.

d.Your Education. 

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In this section, include your academic background like what degree you finished, the date of graduation, the college you attended, and the location of your college.

e.Your Capabilities. 

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This doesn’t need to be too long but just state your special skills like good interpersonal skills, experience in managing projects, multitasking and others. This will help your employer to get to know you better.

f. Your Software Skills.

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Since you are applying for a graphic design job, this section is needed. List the software you use and other design related skills.

g. Your Awards and Recognition Received.

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Enumerate your awards and recognitions here. Also include publications or websites where you had been featured.

h. Your Affiliations. 

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Part of improving yourself as a designer is by joining different design organizations. So, write those organizations in this part.

i. Your References.

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Some people wouldn’t include this but merely state that “References available upon request.” Just be ready with your references when they ask for it.

6. The Not Needed Contents.

a. Personal Information. 

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It is not necessary to include information like your age, religion, hobbies, family status and others. Remember that your employer is interested on your professional life and not your personal life. So, there is no need to mention those things.

b. A Generic Objective.

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Do not make a generic objective. Make a personal statement instead. The employer will not be impressed to read that what you have written is prepared for wherever company and whatever positions you will apply for.

c. Things Not Related To Design. 

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Make sure that what you will include in your resume will only focus on you being a graphic designer. Do not include other things which are not really necessary.

7. The Cover Letter.

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Make a cover letter. Although, some employers do not require seeing this, there are still others who prefer to see resumes with cover letters. Make your cover letter look good too and be sure it is specially written for a certain company. Follow the right letter format and contents.

8. Have a Consistent Theme.

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Do not use a variation of concepts in your resume. That will look like a scrap book and not a resume at all! So use a consistent theme or concept from your cover letter to your resume.

9. Limit Number of Pages.

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It doesn’t have to be long. A one page resume is more effective for employers don’t have time to scan a bunch of papers when there are so many applicants. But you can use two pages if that is really necessary, especially if you had been in the field for a couple of years already.

10. Organize Entries Chronologically.

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It is recommended to arrange every entry in chronological order from the most recent job or award you receive moving backward. This is the manner employers usually want.

To give you more ideas in making a graphic design resume, here are 30 Artistic and Creative Résumés , 36 Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work and 38 More Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work.These might give you inspiration when you work on your own resumes. And do not forget the important points while you are making one. Remember that this is your ticket to success.

Author: Kareen Liez

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How to Grow Your Graphic Design Business

Of course, when you start a business, the next thing that will come to your mind is how to make it big. No one would want to have a business which remains the same from the start. There will always be growth if you do the right thing. So, whether you are a freelance graphic designer or you have your own company, both of you would aim for growth in your business.

In this article, we will give you 11 tips to help you grow your design business:

1. Use social media sites.

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These days, we can connect with people from anywhere around the globe through social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, Delicious and many others. You can take advantage of this to introduce your business and your services.

2. Market your field of specialization.

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Since each designer has his own specialty, you can start by marketing on that specialty. It is a particular field where you are most confident at. After doing that, you can expand to other design services already. Clients will be more pleased to see that your business is already expanding and is offering more services for them. For example, if your specialty is designingbusiness cards, you start with that. Then, as time goes by, you can begin adding other services like web designing and others. Also, if the client ask you to do something which you know, then do it or you can offer those services to them, too.

3. Have an updated online portfolio

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Make sure your online portfolio is updated all the time. There might be new projects that you would like to post or other new stuff that you could add to your portfolio. Be sure that your latest work is seen there so that clients could see that you are still active and you are doing lots of project. This will make them think that you are a good designer since many people availed of your services.

4. Send an online newsletter.

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You may also make your own newsletter. This could serve as a reminder to people that you still exist and that your business is still running. Make it regular. Include recent projects to your newsletter and put a link to your website. It doesn’t have to be lengthy; it only needs to be informative.

5. Use business cards.

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Have a business card that is worth keeping. This will not only remind your client about your company but this will also be another way to produce more clients for they will be referring you to their friends through your business card. This will be passed from one person to another.

6. Prepare your sales pitch.

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You have to know what to say to prospect clients especially if you are given limited time. You should be able to talk about your business in a few seconds anywhere you can find a prospect client. And, always bring your business card with you.

7. Offer free consultations and speak for seminars.

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Free consultations are great steps to introduce your business. Or you can accept invitations to speak in seminars. This might not bring in clients at once but this is your first step. Give away business cards and you’ll soon have a call from a new client.

8. Join online conversations.

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While you are using social media sites to market your business, try looking for forums where in you can join conversations and answer questions. There are many design sites that you can visit. This will make you known as a designer.

9. Connect with friends and former clients.

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Always see to it that you have established a good relationship with your clients. Clients whom you have done good work with can refer you to other people. Also, your friends and old acquaintances could help you.

10. Ask client to still work with you.

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After a project, you can tell a client that you were pleased working with him and you are still willing to work with him for other projects. You can ask for a feedback or a testimonial from the costumer which you can place in your portfolio. Also, tell them you will appreciate it if they refer you to other people who might need your services, too.

11. Brainstorm new ideas for your business.

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You can think of other ways to expand your business. You may sit down and list some of them. Others even throw parties to introduce a business. Think of strategies where you can truly gain clients.

Growing your business is quite challenging but nothing is difficult if you are truly determined to do it. You might have other tips to share about growing your design business. Do not hesitate to write in the comment section below so that others will also be inspired with what you have done to your own business.

Author: Kareen Liez

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Reasons Why Some Web Designers Use Monochromatic Color Scheme

There are various website designs that you could see in the internet. These designs use different concepts and ideas depending on what the website is about and depending on the taste of the website owner. Colorful websites are usual for it attracts the viewers through its colorful elements. But why don’t you try viewing and designing a less colorful website?

Monochromatic design is also used in web designing. When we say monochromatic, it means that the design uses one color. You choose a base color and then add white or black to change the shade of the color. There are different art works that use this kind of color scheme and had been successful in taking the interest of the viewers. Same is true for web designing. Monochromatic color scheme also gives a good impact to the readers of the website.

Here is an example of a monochromatic palette with the base color at the center. The left shows a darker shade of the color while the right shows a lighter shade of the color.

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Well, some of you might wonder why some designers and web owners opt to use monochromatic colors for their websites. In this post, we will unveil to you the reasons why monochromatic websites can be good that the more colorful ones. Come and take a peek!

1. Easy to design.

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Of course, working with a lot of colors is sometimes taxing for you need to make sure that you’ll be using the right combinations. That is why a monochromatic palette is much easier to make. You simply have to choose a color and then add white and black to it to attain different shades.

2. Colors can never clash.

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Since you are using only one color, the colors never clash. No one can say that you are using the wrong color combination. It is always safe to use monochromatic color schemes especially if you have trouble looking for the right colors.

3. Design is more minimal.

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There will be no competing colors in your website which makes it simpler to look at. The simplicity of the color schemes gives a simple impact to your website design. Peacefulness builds in the design and it even looks better than those with flashy colors and lots of elements on it.

4. Allows you to emphasize important elements.

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The use of monochromatic colors makes it easier for you to emphasize the more important elements. You can use contrasting colors for some elements in order for it to be easily noticed. It wouldn’t be hard to choose the right contrast, too. And it wouldn’t be hard to notice those elements when done this way.

5. Emphasizes the content.

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Upon landing on a website, a viewer or a reader would look into the flashy items in the website. This results into diverting their attention to other things instead of the content of the website. But if you use monochromatic design, the readers will immediately look into the contents of the site.

6. No distractions.

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For sure, there wouldn’t be distracting items in your websites. No rainbow of colors and fancy colorful elements that might distract the readers. Others won’t be able to finish reading your post because their attention will be driven to those items. But in using monochromatic, they’ll read without interruptions and will be able to appreciate your website even more. It is not just the design that matters, it is the content that is most important.

7. Accessible to people with color blindness.

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In a monochromatic website, the design uses different shades of color and not different colors. Hence, it is more accessible to people with color blindness. Contrast of colors is still the same whether the person could see the color or not. This means that you are not limiting your website to those who could see colors well but also to those who couldn’t. Everyone could read your website which is a good thing for you.

8. Easier to remember.

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Your website is easier to read and is also easier to remember. Some users dislike websitesthat uses too may colors. You can observe that more effective advertising uses monochromatic scheme for it is easier for people to remember it. Take for example the website of Lipton Green Tea. They used the color green which is associated with the product. Hence, it will stick to the mind of the viewers that when it comes to a delicious tea,green means Lipton Green Tea. Even one glance at it will make them remember the product easily.

9. Looks elegant.

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A monochromatic website doesn’t need shinny colors in order for it to look elegant. There is really that elegant touch whenever you use this kind of color scheme. Others look at it as classic while some view it as more modern. It depends on how a viewer looks at it but one thing is for sure, it will always look elegant.

10. Easy to the eyes.

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Unlike a website with too many colors, these type of websites are easy to the eyes. Readers prefer websites that are light for it is easier to read. It gives a more clear direction to the eyes and it doesn’t tire the eyes easily. That is why some people prefer monochromatic websites.

11. Easier to choose text colors.

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You will also get away from the hassle of choosing the right color for your text in order for it to be readable. You can actually choose black or white or a darker or lighter color of the color you have used.

As you can see, even if it is not that colorful, the websites still look great. Some may say that it is monotonous and boring but as you look at the websites, it doesn’t look that way. It really depends on how you work on your designs. Web designers use different base colors for their design. It could be green, red, purple,orange,yellow, brown,blue and many other colors. Have you tried making a website with a monochromatic color scheme? If you haven’t, why don’t you give it a try?

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