The Graphic Design CV Ep35 45 Beginners guide to Graphic Design

Hello and welcome to this beginner's guide series to graphic design. From what graphic design is, skills to be a graphic designer, design theory, education you need, equipment you need, to the graphic design portfolio and interview advice. This series is for anyone at any level. So if you're interested in graphic design and considering becoming a graphic designer then join me as I discuss a series of graphic design topics. So as a graphic designer when you apply for a job you will showcase a portfolio of your work. This will display all your creative skills and work you have done to date. As I have said in previous episodes of this series a good portfolio is arguably the most important thing you will need to get a job. It is what you are judged on. However there is something else potential clients or employers will judge you on and that is your experience. Now graphic design can be particularly competitive. When many applicants are applying for a position experience can often be the deciding factor. So as well as showcasing your work you will need to showcase your experience. This comes in the form of a CV that will go along with your portfolio. Now I often get asked a lot of questions about the graphic design CV. Questions like what makes for a good design CV? What type of CV is best print or digital? What should I include? How many pages should it be? How much type should I include? What are employers looking for? And what's the best program to use to build my CV? So in this video I'm going to discuss the graphic design CV and answer these questions. In this video I'll also be sharing my experience and offer some tips for you to keep in mind. So the graphic design CV should go hand in hand with the portfolio. The CV should clearly state your skills and relevant experience. Often when I apply for a job I will send two documents the portfolio and the CV. So let's look at some of those questions. So the first question is what makes for a good design CV? There are lots of factors that make for a good CV. All of which you should try and implement in yours. So first is originality. Employers will see hundreds of CVs. This is where you have a chance to stand out and create something a little different. Here you can consider orientation, colour, typography and composition. If you have a personal brand you can apply it here. Well structured. Now you have to imagine that the employer is browsing through lots of CVs at a fast pace. And chances are the employer will be looking for something specific. In my experience presenting a clear hierarchy is key. So throughout your CV aim to create a clear hierarchy of information. They might only glance at your cover page for a few seconds. So one of the first things you want them to see are your key skills. So on your front cover you should consider including a list of your key design strengths. To software expertise. This will catch the attention straight away. If you meet the criteria chances are they will put your CV into the shortlist. Now typically you will have to include details about your experience. And if you have a lot this can mean creating a CV with a few more pages than you may want. If you choose to add more info then leave that towards the back. If someone does not want to read it that's fine. As long as the key facts are presented clearly first. Keep the layout simple and clear. Now employers will be put off if the layout of a CV is too complex, too busy or hard to navigate. This will demonstrate poor design skills, reflect badly on you and discourage the reader. If you have a personal brand keep it subtle. The purpose of your CV is to be read and digested quickly. The reader should be able to digest key facts in less than a minute. Don't distract from that. So it will help to keep your layout nice and simple. Show you have thought about it and taken care to compose it. This will make a good impression. Good typography. Now remember an employer will be scrutinizing everything they see from you. Your portfolio and your CV. Your CV is a representation of you. Take maximum care and make sure your typography is flawless. If your CV is nicely balanced, easy to read it will make a good impression. Errors and sloppiness will reflect badly on you. What type of CV is best? Print or digital? Well today it is very common to send a CV over email or upload it to a portfolio design website as a PDF document. A lot of employers will be looking at these on screen and then more than likely will print them out. Now my advice here is to create a digital PDF that can be both viewed on screen and printed. This means only having to create one document. So you could consider creating a landscape CV as this will look nice on screen. In your PDF you could also include hyperlinks to your portfolio website or social media pages. Remember your digital CV will also have to work in print. So try and create a clear design with contrast between the type and any background color you may use. If you are smart here you can kill two birds with one stone. What exactly should I include? So in your CV you should include in order your key skills. This is one of the first things you want someone to see. This could be a list of your design strengths to software experience. A personal profile. So this should be a short paragraph about yourself between 50 and 100 words. This is where you get to say a few words about you as a person and as a designer. Here you can talk about your particular passions, interests and what you specialize in. This should be one of the first things they see so aim to have this towards the front. Education and qualifications. This should be a breakdown of your relevant education. You don't need to go that far back here. A list of your relevant education regarding art to design will be best here. Work experience. So depending on how much experience you have this will be a list of the places you have worked. Again only include design related work experience and make sure it is in order of most recent. For each experience provide a brief summary of what your role was, your responsibility and what you achieved. Awards. Anything you can add to give you the edge and impress your potential employer is a bonus. If you have any design awards be sure to include them. Hobbies and related interests. Here is another chance to get your personality across. If you have any related hobbies or interests you can include these with a brief summary of each. So those are some key sections to include in your CV. So the next question is how many pages should it be? So as you strive to create a clear and balanced layout you may have to spread your CV over a few pages. The reader can always take or leave the finer details about your experiences towards the back. How much type do I include? So as part of a simple and clear layout try and keep type to a minimum. Try and edit the type as much as possible. Remember the reader should be able to digest key facts in less than a minute. Aim for bite-sized paragraphs that are to the point and easily read and digested. Also when using type try and implement a clear hierarchy. This will help the reader navigate through your CV and find exactly what they are looking for. What are employers looking for? Now this really depends on what type of job you're looking for and at what level. Typically in the industry there are three significant levels. Junior, middleweight and senior. At junior level you may have just graduated from university or looking to get your first job. An employer will know you won't have much industry experience so will mainly be looking for potential, a good attitude, an interesting character and passion. At most senior levels employers will be expecting a more unique and original CV. Employers will be focusing more on your experience and what you have already done. Employers will be looking for higher education, years of experience, a proven track record, well-known brands you may have worked for, achievements, awards and responsibilities you would have had and managed. So the last question is what's the best program to use to build my CV? Well when it comes to working with anything layout and type focused I would always recommend Adobe InDesign. In InDesign you also have the ability to create interactive PDFs where you can embed links to your online media. Now if you don't have access to Adobe InDesign as an alternative you can use Adobe Illustrator. With the use of artboards Illustrator will enable you to create a simple document like a CV with a few pages. So those are some factors to consider to ensure a good graphic design CV. If you'd like to take a closer look at the lists discussed in this video you can find out more in the PDF document that accompanies this video series. Download link is in the description. So what do you think? Do you agree with the points I have raised or have I missed anything? Be sure to share your comments below. Well I hope you enjoyed this video If you did hit the like button on my Facebook page. If you'd like to see more videos like this in future hit the subscribe button and you can also follow me on Twitter at TastyTuts. Now some of you watching may not have gone through the traditional creative education process. You may currently be in a different career entirely and you're thinking about a career change and getting into graphic design. Now you may be wondering is it too late for me to be a graphic designer? Where do I begin and do I need to go back to school? In the next video I'm going to discuss these questions recommend some approaches and things you can keep in mind. So see you in the next video.