What makes a web designer resume a success?

I believe that the approach towards creating a successful web design resume is different to creating a standard resume. I perceive web designers to be creative rather than technical people. I always admired and took a notice of those web designers’ resumes that not only listed their career achievements but also showcased their creative flair.
If you want to create your very own web designer resume as well, here are a few tips that I would like to share with you. By no means are they generally agreed by the wide web designer’s audience :-). They are simply a collection of my own keen observations – those that in my opinion make my own resume stand out and attract clients as well as employers.

1. Make sure you know who you want to appeal to

Your target audience for your resume is as important as your target audience for your web design. Therefore, make sure you know who will be most likely reading the resume. If it is a person in a creative agency, go ahead and create something noticeable. If it is a person in a corporate IT world, you might want to stay within the standards and follow the usual resume structure and format.
I personally keep two versions of my CV (resume) specifically for the above purpose. One is a creative and full of colours PDF file and the other is plain but well-arranged Word document.



My creative – web designer CV (click on the image to view the resume).



My standard - (Word document) based CV (click on image to view & download).

2. List only related positions and work experience

Time and time again I see resumes, which are to target jobs in the creative industry but which list previous experience such as: Sales assistant, Waiter and Receptionist. I understand that if you are just entering the industry, you might feel you have nothing to put into the “work experience” column of your CV. The key is putting the effort in being creative with what experience you actually have.
For a moment put yourself in the shoes of an employer who is looking for a web designer. Do they need someone whose experience covers  working solely in catering industry? Probably not. Will they be more likely to hire someone who has done some unpaid work but the one that is related, even if it is just short work experience? Probably yes. If you call yourself a web designer, I bet you have done some voluntary work in your life and created a website or two either for your friends, family or school you visited. It was probably for free and not the most beautiful website the world has ever seen. But it was a work experience! And the one you definitely have to put on your CV. Think of how you can present it in the best light you can. Be creative.

3. Learn industry keywords and use them
   • Client – use this word anytime you describe a person you have done  work for
   • Skills – use this word anytime you talk about what you have learned and know (people from Marketing and HR departments respond to it very well )
   • Technology and software packages you know –  CSS/XHTML coding, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, hand-coded (don’t worry to be too technical. In these days, the above terms are widely known and even people from HR departments know them; and if not, they usually bring along a colleague from Production department who does and who is there to pick up on those)
   • Feedback – learn to use this word very often. Feedback on your work from your client is something that you as a web designer will have to learn how to work with. No escape there. For many web designers it is one of the hardest things to learn. Show to your future employer that you already have the experience with it.
   • Talk more than less about all your work experiences

Each industry in the world uses a particular set of keywords. People in that industry use them on every day basis because they help us understand each other. If you want to step into the web design industry, learn these keywords and start using them. You will help the people who are already in the industry to not only understand you but feel like you are one of them!

Example:
I have acquired the skill of coding XHTML/CSS pages when I was creating a website for my client from the catering industry. I designed the website layout in Photoshop, sliced it and hand-coded it in Dreamweaver. I’ve been very responsive to my client’s feedback and suggestions throughout both the design and development stages. It was much appreciated and ensured the delivery of the website to the client’s full satisfaction.

Instead of saying:
I coded my first page when I made a website for my uncle who owns a restaurant. I used a graphic package to create the website design and then coded it. My uncle was very happy with the result.

4. Make it easy for your future employer to understand which skills you actually have

As a web designer you probably have multiple skills: you can design a website in Photoshop, slice it and code it in Dreamweaver. You might be able to set up a Wordpress blog or create a Flash animation. And you can do a dozen of other things too.
This is great as long as you state clearly at which level the skills that you posses are. Are you a top class graphic designer who happens to be able to code the pages as well or are you able to put a design somehow together but are a rockstar css coder?
Don’t worry that you are not the best in all of the disciplines. Hardly anyone is But to avoid disappointments on the side of your employer and on your own, make it very clear where your best areas lie.
Here is how I help my clients/agencies understand what I believe I know best:



The above is a little table that I feature on my Web Designer CV. Note: One can question what “the expert level” means and how I came to the conclusion that I am an expert in certain areas. Well, to be fully honest, I just believe that I am and hope it is true The bottom line is that my portfolio speaks louder than words so I don’t worry too much about it – more about this later.

5. Target your resume to a specific job or NOT?

This is a piece of advice you hear from most Career Advisors. I generally agree (it makes sense) but in practice I only keep two versions of my resume (as explained above) and only one version of a cover letter. The reason is that I see a greater benefit in replying to a larger number of job postings than in replying to a few of them with a perfect resume and a targeted cover letter.

6. And finally: The absolute essential ingredient: link to your portfolio!

Another reason why I believe I can only keep two versions of my CV and one general Cover letter is simple. Web design industry is not about words but real examples. My CV and cover letter is not targeted to a particular job but always features the most important line “Portfolio: www.souldeepdesigns.com”
I see many want-to-be web designers that are yet to make their online portfolio website. And I see many very good web designers with no portfolio website at all. The difference is that the second group has a set of links to include on their CV or in their cover letter that represents their past work – and that, in fact, is their portfolio.
So if you too want to give a clear and definite measure of your true skills and that way help your employers recognize your potential and offer you a job, create a portfolio of your past work. It can be a list of links; it can be a PDF file or a template website which you have just filled with your work. All of those are fine as long as they show your work and your skills – be it just college projects! Please see my very first portfolio that I designed straight out of the university when I was looking for my first web designer role – all of the work is either university projects or volunteer work experience! And the employers‘ response? I got a job in less than two weeks for above the average graduate salary!

The web design industry is an industry of practical skills. No qualifications needed, no years of climbing up the ladder acquiring job titles needed, no suits and ties needed…just the core skill set. And whatever your core skill set is, whatever level it is at, you need to be creative enough to present it in such a way that your future employer can see it, understand what the actual level is and what your potential to grow is.

I wish all of you a lot of success in applying for your positions.

If this post was helpful to you in any way, please feel free to leave your comments on how you are getting on below. Also please feel free to share your own tips on how to create a successful web design resume!

In my next post, I’ll explain how I created my own web designer CV step by step! (coming early 2010)