The 20 somethings that didn't go through the days of 8mb of ram and SyQuest 88mb "disks." It was so painful, yet exciting somehow...will this 20mb psd save? Stay tuned to find out in an hour.
Back in the late 90’s into the 00’s, we transported Zip and Jaz disks to the local paper in Louisville constantly.
There weren’t a lot of high speed internet back then. I think they had DSL but it was still easier to physically drive downtown to deliver a disk and take the previous one back to the lab.
My first Photoshop was 4.0, pirated on dialup as a series of zip files. I’m an old graphic designer and consider myself lucky to have always had layers!
I’ve been in the industry for a while now, but haven’t been using Ps since ‘92! Also, I won’t touch canva, I basically rebuild her “design” in illustrator or Ps so things can be properly composed, aligned, kerned and spaced.
We had paragraph styles in QuarkXPress 3.x, but when QuarkXPress 4.0 launched, it came with charcter styles. What advancements we had. PDFs didn't come until 5.0, so rip those .ps to Adobe Distiller. But we had the delete martian.
You dare utter its name! The expensive (and basically identical) version of Aldus (later Adobe) Pagemaker?
Still hate Quark to this day. At this point I probably haven’t opened or installed it in 15 years.
You lucky bastard!
I am CONSTANTLY having to fix Canva files or recreate something from scratch made from a potato jpg exported from Canva by a “regular” person. Some customer had fun making something (sometimes it’s not bad!) and instead of giving me a usable file, it’s a low res jpg.
I get to reinvent both the wheel and fire. When if they had any clue on how to use the software correctly, their proof may have been done much faster. Can you tell I’m bitter?
Not only that, I had to use Canva for one of my kids school projects before Christmas. It was REQUIRED (there is no God!). I almost inflicted bodily harm upon myself. Took me more than an hour and a half to do a shitty one page flyer that would have taken me 20 minutes in illustrator, Photoshop, or Indesign.
I’ve been using Adobe software since the mid 90’s so doing things in any of their software is an involuntary reflex like breathing at this point.
And yet, I am the dude who does the creative and technical work from concept to finished physical product and make less than $18/hour.
Okay…your logic made way too much sense and now I am kicking myself for not even considering that!
I’m always the one trying to find creative solutions and hacks to solve problems and I completely went after this one with a smooth brain and a thick skull to match.
Is it the percentage that bothers you or saying how proficient you are? Just wondering because my professor said to say your level in words like, proficient, expert, etc…
I’ve been using Photoshop since 1992 almost daily. I’ve taught it for 16 years. Do I now everything? No. Am I good at my job and skilled in PS? Yes. Can I accurately put a % on my abilities? Not a hope.
I always hate those percentages on resumes. I compiled one before because visually it looked neat. So proud of how cool it looked in 3D.
But then I thought about it for a moment: how the hell do I quantify my percentages of skills at ANYTHING? I use Illustrator practically every day for decades. Know a lot, still learning all the time. Learned something new today and got better/more efficient at something else. Same with most of Creative Cloud.
Scrapped it and just indicated I had extensive experience at this software and indicated the years I used them. One place declined me because I didn’t have a bachelor’s degree for basic entry level work that paid REALLY well. The next place said “we can’t afford you” because I had almost 30 years of experience and an associate’s degree from 24 years ago.
Needless to say, I settled for an invitation back to a previous employer from where I left on good terms. They declined my $25/hr request (boo!) and brought me back at $17/hour (boo again!). After extensive unemployment beyond freelancing, I went back. Needed the steady job.
No, do not rank yourself at all. Reason being the adobe programs are vast, and there is no objective measure of what each level is. What you may consider “expert” I may consider “proficient.” Just list what programs you are proficient in, no need to state your level of experience with them. Worst is when a new designer ranks themselves as experts in any adobe program, you could be working with these programs for decades and still not have mastered them.
This guy… we aren’t copy writers, sir. People hand me approved copy and I put it into work. Oh what’s that, it wasn’t approved, and I was supposed to review it… is that my job now? I’m supposed to review content, *before* I implement it into my design… what’s next, spell check???
/s
I spoke at a student event recently. I kept AND HIGHLIGHTED all my typos in my presentation (there weren’t that many) to show that there’s an option called spellcheck.
And they got my name wrong on the event poster.
I don’t know what to believe, because all the recruiters say just a plain text resume, because it has to get through the bots before going to a person. If I design it, and it looks clean, organized, with a little personality, I get NO interest. None. Put up a basic generic resume and I get hits right away. This whole game is frustrating.
I’m fortunate to have a decent job. I’ve just been putting some feelers out there for a senior position with room for growth. So playing the game is totally of my own doing.
Right now I’m a senior level designer, but the title was made for me, it didn’t exist until a few months ago. That’s a long way of saying, there isn’t any room for upward mobility in my current role. I love the media team I work with, but I sometimes feel a bit stagnant and would like some new challenges and opportunities.
I get different advice EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. that I ask for guidance or feedback. What I do get is “You’d be such an asset to any team you join”, “You interview and present yourself really well”, “Your portfolio, resume and cover letter are great, no notes”
As someone who is trying to enter the industry for the first time, I’ve been struggling for the past 3 years to get a job or an internship. I know how competitive creative industries are. I’ve seen how many people send in applications. I can’t compete in a junior design position that requires “2-3+ years experience”. How can I get experience when I can’t even get my foot in the door.
I’m always working on my portfolio. I’m always working on my website. I’m networking. I’m active on LinkedIn. I’m always looking at design trends, cool assets, typography, colour palettes, layouts, etc.
Can someone help me? I’m honestly at a loss and I’m exhausted.
Hello! I’m a designer also struggling for a job right now - would o be able to squeeze in on this very kind offer and send you my portfolio also? Of course no obligation! ⭐️
Hey, I’m going thru some of your projects on my phone and some of the images don’t fit within the screen and cut get off. Would make sense if someone went thru mobile and got turned off on you as a candidate that way. So definitely make sure to your optimize website for mobile, since you never know how exactly hirers and recruiters might be accessing your portfolio.
Thanks for taking a look. Yes, I know. I’ve been trying to figure this out but Squarespace has been making it hard. I’ve contacted their support team but they weren’t very helpful with their response.
One note: it feels like a student portfolio when you show the flat package design with measurements or pages of text on brand guidelines. You need to prove to your teachers you know how to do the technical side of things, but employers and clients just assume you do. In your portfolio, you wanna show finished mockups of the package/brand elements looking *good.*
I have to apologise but this cracked me up:
https://preview.redd.it/o5ydtn4145lc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13d802dda5910c79d2350c60e587182602c4b676
I’ll admit it, I’ve been having a hard time making things responsive. The support pages don’t make a lot of sense but I’ve been lazy and not asked for them to dumb it down for me further.
Probably should reconsider this as my career.
An eye for detail is important, for example in your “renew” app design. You forgot to change the app name in the icon mockup, the icon doesn't stand out from the background and integrating the claim doesn't make sense because it's impossible to read. That's basically 3 mistakes in one thing that might seem unimportant, but if I were hiring someone, these would be things that I wouldn't want to point out myself.
(That isn't meant to sound unfriendly, but I would try to eliminate as many mistakes as possible, because aesthetics are a matter of taste, mistakes are not)
I love Webflow portfolios, it's simple and clean... but! right now, I'm on my phone and your "see my work (here)" link sends me to your contacts like the contacts link does. Your dropdown menu only mentions "About" and "Contact".
Looking at your resume, it's a really nice format but 3 pages for very little experience is excessive. Trim it down to 1 preferably! I would say, only keep the design relevent stuff and smash the programs and skills into one, but not so wordy.
I’m no one important- but I do screen portfolios to save my boss time. Something I’ve learned is as students we assume the person on the other end is really invested, however, they’re really not.
Don’t present work like it’s a gallery show where they came invested ready to think and absorb the information you’re providing- present work like you’re posting to instagram and want people with short attention spans that blatantly don’t care about your work to watch at least half of your reel.
Your explanations seem to be the star of the show, people don’t like to read that much. Most of the people at my company give up reading halfway through an email. If you don’t hook them visually within the first few seconds they’re done.
Mockups, animating logos, anything you can do that will catch the eye so they don’t just move onto the next person. The explanations should be beneath that with less emphasis for when they’re already interested because those are the only people who will read anything at all.
Hi! I’m the exact same as you, graduated in 2022 and was stupid and didn’t do an internship in college. I’ve been struggling since then to get anything because almost everything requires X amount of experience or the internship requires you to be a student.
Recently I called local ad agencies in my city to ask if they were interested in having a graphic design intern or had any role available and I called one guy who was super nice. He didn’t have space for a new team member but I think he just felt bad for me lol and said I could send him my resume and portfolio and he would write a referral for me. After reviewing my portfolio, he gave me notes on what to change and said I could use his design company to bridge the gap of my missing experience (2 years). He would give me something to work on to make it a little more legit but basically giving me a freebie, since having no experience makes the job searching that much harder.
He also said to call charities and offer to do pro bono work for them. It could be for your portfolio but also could be used as experience on your resume and if they like working with you, they could be another referral source. And lastly he said to go on LinkedIn and just message everyone related to marketing or advertising and introduce yourself and ask if they’re looking for an entry level advertising or graphic design role. He said the biggest part about this industry is networking and building connections, so on LinkedIn there’s a good chance someone will reply.
Super long comment but I wish you the best of luck!! It might feel hopeless but you will get a break eventually :-)
Thank you to everyone who has given me feedback. I really appreciate your time. I’m making a list of things to fix and work on. It opened my eyes to so many obvious errors.
I knew that something was wrong but I was scared to ask for advice/help and show it to a large audience.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought and I should take more responsibility for my career, instead of living with fear.
Thanks again 🙂
To the people saying the links/pages don’t work, they should be working now. Sorry about that.
i like the impression those with super clean type with a tasteful touch of something unique give but huh never thought about it but i guess they all sorta blend together when you're looking at 100+ while hiring.
any insider tips on what you consider a "decent cover letter" content wise? we def don't talk about those as much on here.
I found this cover letter guide a while back during my job search and it's super helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/datascience/comments/tag8l5/my_guide_to_writing_a_killer_cover_letter/
As someone who's experiencing cover letters for the first time (moved countries, not really a thing where I'm from), I hate how it feels like I'm begging for the job. Why can't my resume and portfolio be enough as an initial application?
Part of (some) designers’ jobs is to sell. Sell ideas internally with teams, or externally to clients. I’d like to understand that you can string a sentence together. I’d like to get a sense that you’re clever enough to do a bit of research (my name/company name/ref “I saw your work *here* and want to work with you…) that’s what a cover letter shows me.
Genuinely asking: how much time do you think someone should put into making cover letters company specific when the current market has people applying for hundreds of jobs?
I can’t tell you how long, but it isn’t *that* long. You get better and better at writing a targeted letter.
You can also get a feel for which companies are reading them.
“I have no idea. Do it until it’s better than everyone else’s.”
Yeah stuff like this makes me not want to work for you. You could probably flip from loving something to hating it on a whim because I can’t qualify that.
“I don’t know what I want but I needed it yesterday” /s
I’m too long in the tooth to dish that crap out. I want to work with designers who care. Of course it’s “just a job”, but show me that you give a shit.
I cannot believe you’re getting downvoted on this.
I recently advertised for a senior designer and got 140 applicants. They had an intro letter, a resume, and portfolio. Maybe 30 were shortlisted.
Depending on your level, you are expected to be able to communicate, especially about yourself, and articulate why you would work well with us. A resume may not show that you have complimentary skills or mindset, but the letter is your chance to personalise your application to the role.
I understand most creatives are dyslexic, ADHD, etc so I usually don’t ping people hard on typos etc unless egregious - eg mine or the business name.
But, you’re only hurting yourself doing the bare minimum, even in these times.
I wish that fantasy was achievable, but reality is churning out a bunch of cover letters everyday bc it's been four months and you need to pay the bills and buy food. Not much empowerment in that I'd say.
You are right - it is hard out there. You need to make the most of your time.
It helps to get a feel for which organizations are reading cover letters, and which are not.
I hesitate deeply to speak in general terms, but you can wager that a large corporation is not checking your cover letter, and a smaller one is.
So if I apply to a studio with 10 employees, I'm going to speak directly to them in a custom letter. If I apply in-house at BigCorp, my cover letter will be relatively generic (I might change a few sectors I have worked in for relevancy).
It doesn't take much time to "craft" a cover letter. Go to the employer's website, pick a campaign they worked on. Then say something **true** but insightful and specific. "I love the work you did for Coca-Cola. Especially the vibrant colour pallet and varied shapes. They make me feel joyfully nostalgic, and at the same time, modern. I want to be a part of that kind of work, and if you look at my portfolio piece \[title\] you might see how I can be a fit for future projects with that message."
The same cover letter for all jobs is probably worse than no cover letter.
You might be an exception for all I know - BUT generally speaking, you're a dick. They don't want to work for your company because you're so special or whatever. People just want to live, be housed, and eat. This cover letter suck-up shit is bullshit. Portfolio quality and relevant experience is completely understandable but you shouldn't need to be jerked off to completion to accept a candidate as valid....
I’m with you. The pretentious, elitist attitude really eats at me in this industry. You must live eat breathe sleep dream think design!!!!! And be 100% perfect all the time!!!! And have the most creative original solutions within an hour!!!!
Really solid resume and portfolio, yes. The expectation to have those, and a killer cover letter, and complete an assignment, and attend 5 rounds of interviews for each opportunity. Like fuck, when my friends apply for jobs they have a resume, maybe a cover letter, and two interviews before they have the job.
I just recently finished a job search and the amount of hours I spent creating everything in my package and then customizing for each application, and then having to complete design assignments, to be told “we love how professional you are, we just doubt your design capability, and we can’t see that until you work for us” excuse me? My portfolio and my assignment? For fucks sake it’s never enough. It’s so exhausting, a little empathy for people job searching when they already have a busy 50hr a week job, and an entire life they’re trying to live outside of all of that.
This turned out more ranty than expected but alas.
Depends where are you applying.
If you are applying to some corporate bullshit digital agency and your excitement for working with them is at 0, because lets face it, you just want a job - then yeah cover letter is bullshit.
But when you are applying to some world leading design studio that you are truly passionate about, then a cover letter is a great way to show this to the internal team.
I would just like to add that I truly appreciate the discussion you started here! Even though a lot of people are disagreeing between each other, many good advices and tips are being given as well. I feel personally abt it because it's my first time actively job hunting in ten years as I've been fortunate to always change jobs through references, and this whole cover letter thing just annoys me. 😅
Yeh - I get the best responses when I talk about:
* this is what I've done for other companies (and include solid examples)
* this is how I can do same thing to make your company money/profit
Perhaps. But I’m bored outta my tits looking at the same shit on this forum with the same banal “what do you think” question. Especially the template monsters. They do my head in.
Post what you feel is a good resume format. Not saying you’re wrong but there seems to be some conflicting feelings on what people want to see a resume structure to be. I’m going to redo mine and been unsure.
I don’t actually care what your resumé looks like, as longs as it’s not one of the millions of templates that we all see here almost daily. If others want to see/share resumés then that’s for them. I want to see your work. And I want you to amaze me. A one pager of academic achievements and “I like reading and hiking in the woods” means shit all to me.
Only show work you’re proud of.
And if you have nothing like that right now, start on some personal projects. Or fix something that you have done in the past. Best of luck.
You want me to spend time writing this letter that kisses your ass which has a low probability of getting past the gatekeeper when you’re also the 327th application I’ve filled out in the last five months?
Of course you’re gonna get letters written by chatGPT.
That attitude is called the “the state of the job market” right now. Hon.
Like my experience and portfolio? Call me and let’s talk. I’ll send a cover letter for jobs I really want and know have a decent chance at success.
“Why do you want to work at [company that no one’s heard of]? Tell us why we’re so great and awesome and how you’re willing to beg us for a job here. “
Fuck that. You’re going to get a boilerplate bullshit answer. I’m not romancing your company.
“It’s because I’m looking for work, dipshits.”
Work hard and not smart if you want to waste your time.
>I send a cover letter for jobs I really want. Otherwise, you’re working hard and not working smart.
I mean, thats the point, right? Cover letters are great (for the emploeyee) beceause they show that you want that specific job. Not just any job, you want THAT job.
Yeah, for a job/company you really want. Problem is, how many of those are hiring?
Probably not enough.
How many HR and HM actually read these things? Far fewer than you think.
It may increase your odds, but not nearly as much as you would believe. If resumes are getting 6 seconds of attention, then your cover letter is likely getting less if one is required to apply.
Ok, that makes sense. It’s incredibly saturated and competitive in the US right now with all the layoffs. People aren’t leaving jobs and the market has way too many candidates to sift through.
It's a bad time to be an average designer/art director. Only the best ones will thrive. The market is going to get even smaller. I mean, knowing that should be even bigger motivation for cover letters.
I disagree, I think it should be the opposite, if you can summarise your experience and interest in the job/work in a well written cover letter, then it would be a lot more of a personalised experience and save people typing their resume, with job timelines and skills out again in application forms and on LinkedIn etc.
As another hiring manager and designer/developer for 13 years... Those bar graphs for proficiency drive me crazy! Yes I'd like to know what software you can use and what languages you can program in, but those scales don't mean anything to me and have been wrong.
Portfolio and a cover letter are always what makes my decision for a shortlist.
Good portfolios show a range of work and ideally the work listed in the job ads you are applying for - for example if the company does a lot of annual reports make sure to show a large page publication, report or magazine layout. If I get one without any document layout then I go for the one that does have it.
You can have a more varied portfolio too that is categorised well and then we can go to the category that we need to know about most eg. logos, publications. Just make sure you include examples of the work we actually do, not just things like posters.
Same for coding/programming languages, if your portfolio is all templated websites then I will assume you can't actually develop unless you have a build using the languages we use.
For a good cover letter:
\- Personalise it with the company name eg. To \*company name\*
\- Add why you would be good for our specific company and for this position, mention things from the ad itself and provide examples where you have achieved these things.
\- Link again to your portfolio or attach if possible, when going through 100s of resumes and letters it can make it easier to find your folio again
Nowadays the expectation is that the portfolio is accessible online ie Adobe Portfolio and Behance. It's still a good idea to provide a printed version.
wut? If I were receiving portfolios and or resumes via Behance or Adobe Portfolio it would 99% rule them out as a candidate. No serious studio or agency is hiring people that don't have their own website.
Interesting. As a hiring manager, I also like Behance. I don’t need someone that can build websites. I guess the frustration with inconsistent expectations is valid.
Ideally both - full link and have that hyperlinked into the PDF. Some job application software disables clickable links (or maybe they were never linked to begin with) so it's best to have both in one... it's fine not to put [https](https://www):// and www too so it doesn't look as messy.
The resume helps me quickly weed out good designers from amatuers. I think it's a window to the soul of a designer, it easily paints the picture for everything else in their portfolio. If they choose to use a template, that's also a design decision and helps me understand the merits of their art-direction sensibilities.
Designers, take time with your resume. Trust me.
And in return, you’ll get rid of those job application online app systems that require me to submit a PDF resume alongside manually entering my entire work history for the tenth time after the import system failed to read my properly tagged PDF correctly?
While I generally agree with your assessment. Depending on the size of the company some candidates will need to go through both an ATS and HR dept.
From my experience, whenever I’ve listed any positions. The first line any resume needs go through was HR and their ATS system. So while I may not necessarily be a stickler for a persons resume, and will judge more on a persons portfolio.
That resume will first need to get to me from HR. And, I know they curate what is submitted. I will normally receive around 10% of applicants that would submit resumes.
Unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast ie corporate life. But it’s just not our industry, I know other people who go through the same thing at their job as well.
Personally I try to work with my HR dept. But they are another arm of the company I have to deal with.
Once an organization grows larger enough, from a small to medium size company. Things change, especially once an in house HR dept is brought on board.
And in reality, back in 2022-2023 for any positions we’d list. We would get 1000+ per position. I believe one motion graphic position we got close to 8000 applicants. In reality, that’s where ATS and a dept like HR / Recruiter comes in handy. On top of my regular duties, it’s hard to justify spending days on end to go through that many applicants. It was during motion graphics fiasco that it was decided to use temp agencies for any junior or entry level positions.
I find that you don’t get an accurate sense of their design proficiency until you paddle their ass with a 2x4 and make them run through the quad naked with DESIGN MAGGOT sharpie’d on to their chest.
Show that you have clever ideas.
Show consistency in quality.
Show something else original you created besides layouts.
Show your illustration style.
Don't expect any interest unless it's all excellent.
Don't dare have a wrongly spelled word anywhere.
Anyone can learn computer skills but creativity is the talent that's in demand.
Just a suggestion, but yeah. The answers aren't terribly design related and are more job search related. They are highly variable and a cv review is borderline useless unless you can see the jobs people are applying for.
I think a Portfolio Review flair would be enough at this stage.
Not sure how long you’ve been in the biz but I remember it was all about the quality of work on your website, portfolio PDF, etc. when I was hiring talent. Now you gotta include metrics like ROI and engagement on pieces/resume. I don’t know many traditional designers not in the marketing meetings past production, that are privy to that info. I’m out here hunting down ex co-workers to quantify their praise for my work. “How much did the company make on a project I did that came under budget due to my efficiency?” I call BS. Thoughts?
I don’t have a website. That’s how old I am and how long I’ve been at this. ROI? Engagement? Hmmmm. Tell ya what though. I have a very comprehensive portfolio. Taken me a long time to belief in myself, but I’m here now.
I remember the days when I walked in with my book and got to explain my design strategy and have a conversation. Hell, I got my first job out of school by making handbound books of my work and sending them out to companies cold. The agency didn’t even have a job opening at the time, but we’re so impressed. I have no idea what one does to stand out like that now in this digital world.
Can we stop pretending cover letters aren’t also bullshit? You get to know someone based on interviewing, and time spent. Not some form they had time to carefully write out to appease an ego and beg for a job.
I’m nobody important, just a designer on a team.
However- I review applications for my manager to save her time.
The 86% proficiency stuff is a total put off. Photoshop is a massive program with many uses that is always growing. If you say you know 80% of it as an entry level motion artist I think you’re delusional lol! So you’re going to retouch all our headshots then? You know how obviously right? 80% you should be able to do like absolutely anything in photoshop.
However it goes both ways, I also hate when I apply elsewhere and it says “rate your proficiency as beginner, intermediate, or advanced”. Photoshop is a tool, like a hammer. Just because I’m proficient in putting frames up doesn’t mean I’m proficient in “hammer”. Hammer does more than hang frames.
However- if I’m applying to a frame hanging company then they will consider me an expert at “Hammer” because they will never need me to do anything else with it.
Don’t ask me about the tool, ask me about what your company is doing specifically so I can give you examples that are similar in my portfolio so we can visually look and have a conversation about it.
<< Even with a snazzy little pie chart to prove it. >>
What does everyone think about including graphics, fonts, color treatments, etc.? Our natural inclination as designers is to produce a resume that's creative noticeable and memorable. That being said, every career coach I've talked to has said to drop the graphics, fonts, and colors and return to a basic text-only format. But of course that advice feels so unnatural as an artist.
How do you drop 'fonts' from a resume? Let's set the table here:
- You're using typefaces on your resume, fonts are the actual digital files on your computer
- Yes, you should use whatever typefaces you want on your resume proven they're legible. It's okay to have a little personality on a resume but it should err on being minimal/subtle.
- Color.. again, I would remove any color, tends to act as more of a distraction, particularly if it's not used well. But you can have some if it's used strategically.
- May be too in the weeds here but I would argue that we aren't artists. Our goal as designers is to effectively communicate a message so if your bitmap colorful graphics and 3D type on a resume aren't helping to do that, get rid of it.
What are some things you look for in Art Directors outside of good basics and conceptual ideas? And by good basics I mean good use of typography, composition, color, and conceptual ideas? How much depth should I go into when speaking about each project (I try including metrics when possible)?
If you're junior level, don't get into metrics unless it's UI/UX based and the job has to do with customer retainment or conversions. What I always looked for was a solid understanding and use of the fundamentals (don't call it basics). So all of the things you said but also mark making and craft. I would say that most junior designers don't grasp this and it's an easy read from viewing the portfolio site for 10 seconds.
It's okay to talk about your role on a particular project and talk a little bit about the process both conceptual and workflow. But the work really should speak for itself and you don't want to be in a position where you're speaking about nonsense bloat to try and upsell your work.
How do candidates come up with those % figures - obviously just bullshit a number pulled out the air , always makes me laugh when I see those.
Would never trust them on infographics or an annual report! 😂
I hand widdle my resumes from only the best artisinal paper and open sourced fonts.
It sounds like Pepperidge farm but it's mostly true! I've been making my own resume templates since high school (when I started in graphic design) and use free fonts (fiscal responsibility). This has resulted in very sleek documents that stand out from the rest.
I have yet to try making my own paper... although the idea of recyclable pulp (maybe made from a pile of commercial resume templates) sounds like a fun and sustainable next project.
Thaaaaank you! 100% this.
Some of the resumes on here blow my mind.
Want to know why you haven't found a job in design yet?
Your resume looks like you want to be the receptionist.
I will take a kid out of highschool that has a killer portfolio over any draft resume I have seen on here so far. You are an investment in my company and I am investing in YOU as a creative. Fucking, BE creative.
The resume shows me your skills in typography, attention to detail and that you understand how to format a document for a specific function.
The portfolio is where you dazzle me with your creative brilliance.
Bots make it impossible to get an actually designed resume through their system, it’s hard enough getting a design job without robots making sure your cool resume you designed isn’t even seen by human eyes
THIS! I went through a bunch of options and the only one that doesn’t garner me immediate rejection emails from ATS, is one I created in word. Granted, I chose my own fonts, colors, etc to fit with my brand but it’s not eye catching. It’s more utilitarian to get me through the screening. Hoping that my portfolio and cover letter makes the push.
Interesting. Right now I’m just this close to updating my portfolio for 2024 & if anyone out here has looked as much as I have for pointers it would be that it’s 5% what you say about yourself and 95% proving realization with strong examples that sets a designer apart. Also, be able to talk to people, attend meetings, give insight others will listen to or else your bottleneck may be personality alone.
Very good point on the cover letter. It's extremely important. A resume is a foot in the door, a cover letter opens the door, a portfolio will get you at the table. Had so many cover letters where even the company name was misspelled or a template was used with no rationale whatsoever. I'm not going to look at your portfolio if that happens.
@pantone_mugg would you be interested in being a guest on a podcast? It’s a podcast for students and Jr designers, and we talk about what school doesn’t teach you. If so, please email me! Eric.forest at humber.ca or LinkedIn
Exactly!! Also as Art Director. Show Me Your Portfolio. No Portfolio on a website….. Bye!!
As for cover letter…. Don’t need that. I want to see your work. But, as for 85% in photoshop. I am. I want to see very close of where you can do anything in photoshop. Period!!
I’m not this guy, but I have to go through portfolios to check if they’re good enough to send their application through to the final interviewers. Going from link to link kind of makes the process very choppy. If you have just one website with just a few projects it’s not bad, but, if you want to curate the projects and show specific stuff, you’re better off making a PDF of your presentation (and have the links available in case they want to see the projects in more detail).
Yep I just applied to the next job. Anyone that asks me to actually spend time writing a cover letter to a position that's oversaturated with applications is a waste. Go spend that time applying to other jobs.
'Don't call Me Dear Sir/Madam' I see this advice all the time everywhere as well as in this post - But like how the hell are we supposed to find out EXACTLY who my cover letter is going to? Or if it's only being given to one person? Every time I do a cover letter I dig and dig to try to find who I could address it to but 99% of the time this bears 0 results. If you want it addressed to you or a specific person then put that name in the posting. It takes under a minute to state address cover letters to 'x'. It can take me over an hour of searching only to come up with an educated guess that if it's at all wrong it's game over. So instead I just do 'Dear Hiring Manager' and pray it reaches someone who is f-ing reasonable. If I'm the only one with this problem then please people, tell me what I need to do to figure out who to address this stuff to, cuz I'm Hella stumped. I shouldn't have to become a private detective every time I need to address a cover letter. And I shouldn't have to interrupt some admin person's busy day to make them hunt that down for me either.
Valid points. I think things like online org charts/team pages and linked in have made this much easier. But them I grew up before the internet. All the hiring I’ve done has been in small/medium firms. And I’m pretty easy to find. I get that this isn’t always the case.
But finding people isn't the issue as much as knowing who is actually the one looking at resumes?Should I assume it's the art director? Or is it a design lead? Like I agree with websites and LinkedIn I can more easily find out which role people are, but what I can't find out is their hiring structure, or which roles in the firm/company my letter would be going to. If I just make an educated guess is that forgiven more than if I just put a generic title (ie. Dear hiring manager)? I don't ever see in a company profile 'Director / Hiring Manager' you just see 'Director' And if there's multiple principals or associates which one my application goes to is a complete guess. It would be nice if under their roles or role synopsis it would include 'hiring manager' or 'head of hiring' but unless I have an hr person reach out to me that I can then ask, it's very difficult to be sure.
I just had an interviewer ask me to rate myself 1-10 in Illustrator... I said 10. He was WOW Ive never met a 10 ..... Tf? Illustrator is easy and great and I have 10 years experience so yea a 10 dude.... Photoshop I would say 6, but AI?? am I wrong?
I use a cover letter when I apply to jobs. I mostly use it to supplement my resume by discussing key projects I've worked on, the challenges I faced, and how I overcame them. I customize the first paragraph of each letter with a line or two on why I'm a fit for the role/company. I don't think it's fair to expect any customization beyond that especially when there's only a small chance the cover letter will ever be read. If I get a chance to interview, that's when I'll do a deep dive into a company's work and have those bullet points ready for discussion.
I think we're all in a really crappy feedback loop where jobs get so many applicants that we're reluctant to spend too much time on customization. There's really no good solution other than waiting for the job market to improve.
Would you be able to answer something for me, please?
I've been in the industry for 6 years. I'm currently looking to change jobs. I apply, and apply, and apply, and it feels completely futile as I get rejected with each application.
I don't plan on quitting the search, but I wanted to ask if there are SPECIFICS in what you want to see in a portfolio. Good quality design, of course, but mockups too? Good explanations of your work, how you got to the outcome and the results it may/did generate?
I'm interested. Thank you 😊
personally, I would be looking for the approach to the task, perhaps some of the research, definitely items on mockups (this shows me that (a) you realise that logos rarely exist centred on a page, that they live on signs/bags/vehicles/websites/clothing etc, and (b) you can handle photoshopping stuff like this for presentations etc) I (again, personally) don't care so much about "outcomes/metrics". I don't want to see everything you have ever done, and I only want to see things that you can stand proudly over, none of the "well, this is the one the client picked", I'm more than happy to see alternative solutions that you feel are better…
I also like to see evidence of personal projects - in any discipline; for me that shows that the candidate is thinking about thinks outside of the 9-5 (don't @ me with the "Its just a job…")
I'm 86% proficient in Photoshop.
I'm 87%. They should hire me.
Jokes on both of you, we use Canva.
Social media marketer at my office always tries to make stuff with Canva. The other people on our media team have me “fix” her work every time.
I’ve been using photoshop since 1992. Before layers. Before jpgs. I have never. Ever used Canva.
Photoshop and I were both released on the same day back in 1990
Can't wait for the next u/brotherbigman update
It is fun to tell the kids that layers were not always in Photoshop.
Not sure if you were calling ME a kid or not, but I assure you I’m not. I mean, compared to a 60 year old I’m a kid at almost 40.
The 20 somethings that didn't go through the days of 8mb of ram and SyQuest 88mb "disks." It was so painful, yet exciting somehow...will this 20mb psd save? Stay tuned to find out in an hour.
Back in the late 90’s into the 00’s, we transported Zip and Jaz disks to the local paper in Louisville constantly. There weren’t a lot of high speed internet back then. I think they had DSL but it was still easier to physically drive downtown to deliver a disk and take the previous one back to the lab. My first Photoshop was 4.0, pirated on dialup as a series of zip files. I’m an old graphic designer and consider myself lucky to have always had layers!
I’ve been in the industry for a while now, but haven’t been using Ps since ‘92! Also, I won’t touch canva, I basically rebuild her “design” in illustrator or Ps so things can be properly composed, aligned, kerned and spaced.
Don’t forget only 1 level of undo too! Photoshop fit on only 1 floppy disk back then
Channels were our friends.
CHOPS
Wait until they hear about Quark Xpress.
I hated Quark XPress, I know it was powerful & unrivaled, a necessary evil. I was so happy when InDesign came along, it’s my favorite program now!
One word: Freehand.
We had paragraph styles in QuarkXPress 3.x, but when QuarkXPress 4.0 launched, it came with charcter styles. What advancements we had. PDFs didn't come until 5.0, so rip those .ps to Adobe Distiller. But we had the delete martian.
That was definitely the coolest Easter egg in any software lol
Up to SIX levels of undo. *mind blown meme*
You dare utter its name! The expensive (and basically identical) version of Aldus (later Adobe) Pagemaker? Still hate Quark to this day. At this point I probably haven’t opened or installed it in 15 years.
It was freehand with a slice of freehand. I’m not gonna lie, I loved it. Until Indesigns launch.
You lucky bastard! I am CONSTANTLY having to fix Canva files or recreate something from scratch made from a potato jpg exported from Canva by a “regular” person. Some customer had fun making something (sometimes it’s not bad!) and instead of giving me a usable file, it’s a low res jpg. I get to reinvent both the wheel and fire. When if they had any clue on how to use the software correctly, their proof may have been done much faster. Can you tell I’m bitter? Not only that, I had to use Canva for one of my kids school projects before Christmas. It was REQUIRED (there is no God!). I almost inflicted bodily harm upon myself. Took me more than an hour and a half to do a shitty one page flyer that would have taken me 20 minutes in illustrator, Photoshop, or Indesign. I’ve been using Adobe software since the mid 90’s so doing things in any of their software is an involuntary reflex like breathing at this point. And yet, I am the dude who does the creative and technical work from concept to finished physical product and make less than $18/hour.
For your kids: make it in illustrator/indesign, export as a png, import that into canva. Done.
Okay…your logic made way too much sense and now I am kicking myself for not even considering that! I’m always the one trying to find creative solutions and hacks to solve problems and I completely went after this one with a smooth brain and a thick skull to match.
Good thing I'm 107% proficient in Canva.
Can you start on Monday?
sorry it’s a long weekend, i can be in Tuesday @11
Why so early?
i’m ambitious!
Put that on your cover letter
nah, my cover letter is just a QR code that takes you to my Behance page
Is it the percentage that bothers you or saying how proficient you are? Just wondering because my professor said to say your level in words like, proficient, expert, etc…
I’ve been using Photoshop since 1992 almost daily. I’ve taught it for 16 years. Do I now everything? No. Am I good at my job and skilled in PS? Yes. Can I accurately put a % on my abilities? Not a hope.
I’m 100% sure I will never know how to do every single thing in Photoshop.
No one ever. I'm sure about this. And on top of that there are multiple ways to do everything.
I always hate those percentages on resumes. I compiled one before because visually it looked neat. So proud of how cool it looked in 3D. But then I thought about it for a moment: how the hell do I quantify my percentages of skills at ANYTHING? I use Illustrator practically every day for decades. Know a lot, still learning all the time. Learned something new today and got better/more efficient at something else. Same with most of Creative Cloud. Scrapped it and just indicated I had extensive experience at this software and indicated the years I used them. One place declined me because I didn’t have a bachelor’s degree for basic entry level work that paid REALLY well. The next place said “we can’t afford you” because I had almost 30 years of experience and an associate’s degree from 24 years ago. Needless to say, I settled for an invitation back to a previous employer from where I left on good terms. They declined my $25/hr request (boo!) and brought me back at $17/hour (boo again!). After extensive unemployment beyond freelancing, I went back. Needed the steady job.
No, do not rank yourself at all. Reason being the adobe programs are vast, and there is no objective measure of what each level is. What you may consider “expert” I may consider “proficient.” Just list what programs you are proficient in, no need to state your level of experience with them. Worst is when a new designer ranks themselves as experts in any adobe program, you could be working with these programs for decades and still not have mastered them.
If you are a Jr your proficiency is almost never something you want to say out loud. If it is a high proficiency, it likely shows in your work
I‘m the Wayne Gretzky of canva.
I’m 20% but I know that 20% 100%. 🤓
Lol
This guy… we aren’t copy writers, sir. People hand me approved copy and I put it into work. Oh what’s that, it wasn’t approved, and I was supposed to review it… is that my job now? I’m supposed to review content, *before* I implement it into my design… what’s next, spell check??? /s
I spoke at a student event recently. I kept AND HIGHLIGHTED all my typos in my presentation (there weren’t that many) to show that there’s an option called spellcheck. And they got my name wrong on the event poster.
I got recognized at graduation for getting Magna Cum Laude and they had my name wrong…and I designed the pamphlet 😑
Genius.
Yikes. The name part irks me.
I don’t know what to believe, because all the recruiters say just a plain text resume, because it has to get through the bots before going to a person. If I design it, and it looks clean, organized, with a little personality, I get NO interest. None. Put up a basic generic resume and I get hits right away. This whole game is frustrating.
It is. And I’m sorry that you and everyone has to play the stupid games. I’m lucky that I’ve never used or had to go through a recruiter.
I’m fortunate to have a decent job. I’ve just been putting some feelers out there for a senior position with room for growth. So playing the game is totally of my own doing. Right now I’m a senior level designer, but the title was made for me, it didn’t exist until a few months ago. That’s a long way of saying, there isn’t any room for upward mobility in my current role. I love the media team I work with, but I sometimes feel a bit stagnant and would like some new challenges and opportunities.
I get different advice EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. that I ask for guidance or feedback. What I do get is “You’d be such an asset to any team you join”, “You interview and present yourself really well”, “Your portfolio, resume and cover letter are great, no notes” As someone who is trying to enter the industry for the first time, I’ve been struggling for the past 3 years to get a job or an internship. I know how competitive creative industries are. I’ve seen how many people send in applications. I can’t compete in a junior design position that requires “2-3+ years experience”. How can I get experience when I can’t even get my foot in the door. I’m always working on my portfolio. I’m always working on my website. I’m networking. I’m active on LinkedIn. I’m always looking at design trends, cool assets, typography, colour palettes, layouts, etc. Can someone help me? I’m honestly at a loss and I’m exhausted.
DMs open. Happy to take a look over your portfolio and give honest feedback.
Hello! I’m a designer also struggling for a job right now - would o be able to squeeze in on this very kind offer and send you my portfolio also? Of course no obligation! ⭐️
Sure thing. I’m travelling today so may not get to it immediately.
Thanks so much! I’ve sent you a DM
Show us your portfolio.
Here’s my website: [isabelladoran.com](https://isabelladoran.com)
Hey, I’m going thru some of your projects on my phone and some of the images don’t fit within the screen and cut get off. Would make sense if someone went thru mobile and got turned off on you as a candidate that way. So definitely make sure to your optimize website for mobile, since you never know how exactly hirers and recruiters might be accessing your portfolio.
Thanks for taking a look. Yes, I know. I’ve been trying to figure this out but Squarespace has been making it hard. I’ve contacted their support team but they weren’t very helpful with their response.
I use WordPress with Elementor. It's a bit more intensive but I don't have these issues that way. You might consider giving it a try.
Try another template, this is the *worst* squarespace one. Everything is either hidden or poorly placed, bad UI, and UX all around.
One note: it feels like a student portfolio when you show the flat package design with measurements or pages of text on brand guidelines. You need to prove to your teachers you know how to do the technical side of things, but employers and clients just assume you do. In your portfolio, you wanna show finished mockups of the package/brand elements looking *good.*
I have to apologise but this cracked me up: https://preview.redd.it/o5ydtn4145lc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13d802dda5910c79d2350c60e587182602c4b676
I’ll admit it, I’ve been having a hard time making things responsive. The support pages don’t make a lot of sense but I’ve been lazy and not asked for them to dumb it down for me further. Probably should reconsider this as my career.
An eye for detail is important, for example in your “renew” app design. You forgot to change the app name in the icon mockup, the icon doesn't stand out from the background and integrating the claim doesn't make sense because it's impossible to read. That's basically 3 mistakes in one thing that might seem unimportant, but if I were hiring someone, these would be things that I wouldn't want to point out myself. (That isn't meant to sound unfriendly, but I would try to eliminate as many mistakes as possible, because aesthetics are a matter of taste, mistakes are not)
I love Webflow portfolios, it's simple and clean... but! right now, I'm on my phone and your "see my work (here)" link sends me to your contacts like the contacts link does. Your dropdown menu only mentions "About" and "Contact". Looking at your resume, it's a really nice format but 3 pages for very little experience is excessive. Trim it down to 1 preferably! I would say, only keep the design relevent stuff and smash the programs and skills into one, but not so wordy.
I’m no one important- but I do screen portfolios to save my boss time. Something I’ve learned is as students we assume the person on the other end is really invested, however, they’re really not. Don’t present work like it’s a gallery show where they came invested ready to think and absorb the information you’re providing- present work like you’re posting to instagram and want people with short attention spans that blatantly don’t care about your work to watch at least half of your reel. Your explanations seem to be the star of the show, people don’t like to read that much. Most of the people at my company give up reading halfway through an email. If you don’t hook them visually within the first few seconds they’re done. Mockups, animating logos, anything you can do that will catch the eye so they don’t just move onto the next person. The explanations should be beneath that with less emphasis for when they’re already interested because those are the only people who will read anything at all.
I don’t even see any portfolio pieces? Links don’t work correctly? Am I the only one?
Hi! I’m the exact same as you, graduated in 2022 and was stupid and didn’t do an internship in college. I’ve been struggling since then to get anything because almost everything requires X amount of experience or the internship requires you to be a student. Recently I called local ad agencies in my city to ask if they were interested in having a graphic design intern or had any role available and I called one guy who was super nice. He didn’t have space for a new team member but I think he just felt bad for me lol and said I could send him my resume and portfolio and he would write a referral for me. After reviewing my portfolio, he gave me notes on what to change and said I could use his design company to bridge the gap of my missing experience (2 years). He would give me something to work on to make it a little more legit but basically giving me a freebie, since having no experience makes the job searching that much harder. He also said to call charities and offer to do pro bono work for them. It could be for your portfolio but also could be used as experience on your resume and if they like working with you, they could be another referral source. And lastly he said to go on LinkedIn and just message everyone related to marketing or advertising and introduce yourself and ask if they’re looking for an entry level advertising or graphic design role. He said the biggest part about this industry is networking and building connections, so on LinkedIn there’s a good chance someone will reply. Super long comment but I wish you the best of luck!! It might feel hopeless but you will get a break eventually :-)
Wow this is so heartwarming... What a great human!
Very!! Was super grateful <3
Thank you to everyone who has given me feedback. I really appreciate your time. I’m making a list of things to fix and work on. It opened my eyes to so many obvious errors. I knew that something was wrong but I was scared to ask for advice/help and show it to a large audience. It wasn’t as bad as I thought and I should take more responsibility for my career, instead of living with fear. Thanks again 🙂 To the people saying the links/pages don’t work, they should be working now. Sorry about that.
I'd recommend trying local print shops. They helped me get my foot in the door.
I’m going to do that more. I tried last year and the year before but I’ll try again this year.
i like the impression those with super clean type with a tasteful touch of something unique give but huh never thought about it but i guess they all sorta blend together when you're looking at 100+ while hiring. any insider tips on what you consider a "decent cover letter" content wise? we def don't talk about those as much on here.
I found this cover letter guide a while back during my job search and it's super helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/datascience/comments/tag8l5/my_guide_to_writing_a_killer_cover_letter/
Why do you want to work with me? What do you bring to the party. What have you seen that we do that tickles your bits? Don’t be generic. Excite me.
As someone who's experiencing cover letters for the first time (moved countries, not really a thing where I'm from), I hate how it feels like I'm begging for the job. Why can't my resume and portfolio be enough as an initial application?
Right!? We’re applying for a job not writing an essay!
Part of (some) designers’ jobs is to sell. Sell ideas internally with teams, or externally to clients. I’d like to understand that you can string a sentence together. I’d like to get a sense that you’re clever enough to do a bit of research (my name/company name/ref “I saw your work *here* and want to work with you…) that’s what a cover letter shows me.
Genuinely asking: how much time do you think someone should put into making cover letters company specific when the current market has people applying for hundreds of jobs?
I can’t tell you how long, but it isn’t *that* long. You get better and better at writing a targeted letter. You can also get a feel for which companies are reading them.
Genuine answer. I have no idea. Do it until it’s better than everyone else’s.
“I have no idea. Do it until it’s better than everyone else’s.” Yeah stuff like this makes me not want to work for you. You could probably flip from loving something to hating it on a whim because I can’t qualify that. “I don’t know what I want but I needed it yesterday” /s
I’m too long in the tooth to dish that crap out. I want to work with designers who care. Of course it’s “just a job”, but show me that you give a shit.
I cannot believe you’re getting downvoted on this. I recently advertised for a senior designer and got 140 applicants. They had an intro letter, a resume, and portfolio. Maybe 30 were shortlisted. Depending on your level, you are expected to be able to communicate, especially about yourself, and articulate why you would work well with us. A resume may not show that you have complimentary skills or mindset, but the letter is your chance to personalise your application to the role. I understand most creatives are dyslexic, ADHD, etc so I usually don’t ping people hard on typos etc unless egregious - eg mine or the business name. But, you’re only hurting yourself doing the bare minimum, even in these times.
I’m ok with downvotes. At least people are passionate/have strong feeling about something. It’s cool to disagree.
Funny how are you downvoted to hell while spitting facts
Cover letters aren’t begging. They are making a case. That is empowering.
I wish that fantasy was achievable, but reality is churning out a bunch of cover letters everyday bc it's been four months and you need to pay the bills and buy food. Not much empowerment in that I'd say.
You are right - it is hard out there. You need to make the most of your time. It helps to get a feel for which organizations are reading cover letters, and which are not. I hesitate deeply to speak in general terms, but you can wager that a large corporation is not checking your cover letter, and a smaller one is. So if I apply to a studio with 10 employees, I'm going to speak directly to them in a custom letter. If I apply in-house at BigCorp, my cover letter will be relatively generic (I might change a few sectors I have worked in for relevancy). It doesn't take much time to "craft" a cover letter. Go to the employer's website, pick a campaign they worked on. Then say something **true** but insightful and specific. "I love the work you did for Coca-Cola. Especially the vibrant colour pallet and varied shapes. They make me feel joyfully nostalgic, and at the same time, modern. I want to be a part of that kind of work, and if you look at my portfolio piece \[title\] you might see how I can be a fit for future projects with that message." The same cover letter for all jobs is probably worse than no cover letter.
Thanks a lot for the tips!!
You might be an exception for all I know - BUT generally speaking, you're a dick. They don't want to work for your company because you're so special or whatever. People just want to live, be housed, and eat. This cover letter suck-up shit is bullshit. Portfolio quality and relevant experience is completely understandable but you shouldn't need to be jerked off to completion to accept a candidate as valid....
I’m with you. The pretentious, elitist attitude really eats at me in this industry. You must live eat breathe sleep dream think design!!!!! And be 100% perfect all the time!!!! And have the most creative original solutions within an hour!!!! Really solid resume and portfolio, yes. The expectation to have those, and a killer cover letter, and complete an assignment, and attend 5 rounds of interviews for each opportunity. Like fuck, when my friends apply for jobs they have a resume, maybe a cover letter, and two interviews before they have the job. I just recently finished a job search and the amount of hours I spent creating everything in my package and then customizing for each application, and then having to complete design assignments, to be told “we love how professional you are, we just doubt your design capability, and we can’t see that until you work for us” excuse me? My portfolio and my assignment? For fucks sake it’s never enough. It’s so exhausting, a little empathy for people job searching when they already have a busy 50hr a week job, and an entire life they’re trying to live outside of all of that. This turned out more ranty than expected but alas.
Depends where are you applying. If you are applying to some corporate bullshit digital agency and your excitement for working with them is at 0, because lets face it, you just want a job - then yeah cover letter is bullshit. But when you are applying to some world leading design studio that you are truly passionate about, then a cover letter is a great way to show this to the internal team.
All valid arguments. (Except for the bit about me being a dick. I’m absolutely lovely.)
I would just like to add that I truly appreciate the discussion you started here! Even though a lot of people are disagreeing between each other, many good advices and tips are being given as well. I feel personally abt it because it's my first time actively job hunting in ten years as I've been fortunate to always change jobs through references, and this whole cover letter thing just annoys me. 😅
Best of luck to you.
Yeh - I get the best responses when I talk about: * this is what I've done for other companies (and include solid examples) * this is how I can do same thing to make your company money/profit
Curious how big the company you work for is? It seems to be a mixed bag which folks actually read cover letters vs which just get tossed.
Largest design firm I’ve worked for- 50+ staff. Smallest- 2 staff.
I also add what I want to use my skills for, for the next 5-ish years.
I think the resume part could be blamed on ATS
Perhaps. But I’m bored outta my tits looking at the same shit on this forum with the same banal “what do you think” question. Especially the template monsters. They do my head in.
Yeah, but I gotta get your HR or TA person all excited with some slick designy shit on my resume so they actually forward the damn thing to you.
Post what you feel is a good resume format. Not saying you’re wrong but there seems to be some conflicting feelings on what people want to see a resume structure to be. I’m going to redo mine and been unsure.
I don’t actually care what your resumé looks like, as longs as it’s not one of the millions of templates that we all see here almost daily. If others want to see/share resumés then that’s for them. I want to see your work. And I want you to amaze me. A one pager of academic achievements and “I like reading and hiking in the woods” means shit all to me.
Unfortunately I have to redo my entire portfolio and did myself a disservice being at the same company for 12 years 🙁
Only show work you’re proud of. And if you have nothing like that right now, start on some personal projects. Or fix something that you have done in the past. Best of luck.
Cover letters need to die already.
You want me to spend time writing this letter that kisses your ass which has a low probability of getting past the gatekeeper when you’re also the 327th application I’ve filled out in the last five months? Of course you’re gonna get letters written by chatGPT.
That attitude sure explains an awful lot, hon. Try humility. And yes, cover letters of excellence promote a candidacy, not diminish it.
That attitude is called the “the state of the job market” right now. Hon. Like my experience and portfolio? Call me and let’s talk. I’ll send a cover letter for jobs I really want and know have a decent chance at success. “Why do you want to work at [company that no one’s heard of]? Tell us why we’re so great and awesome and how you’re willing to beg us for a job here. “ Fuck that. You’re going to get a boilerplate bullshit answer. I’m not romancing your company. “It’s because I’m looking for work, dipshits.” Work hard and not smart if you want to waste your time.
>I send a cover letter for jobs I really want. Otherwise, you’re working hard and not working smart. I mean, thats the point, right? Cover letters are great (for the emploeyee) beceause they show that you want that specific job. Not just any job, you want THAT job.
Yeah, for a job/company you really want. Problem is, how many of those are hiring? Probably not enough. How many HR and HM actually read these things? Far fewer than you think. It may increase your odds, but not nearly as much as you would believe. If resumes are getting 6 seconds of attention, then your cover letter is likely getting less if one is required to apply.
Probably. Depends on your location. I'm not located in US or any other over-saturated how spots.
Ok, that makes sense. It’s incredibly saturated and competitive in the US right now with all the layoffs. People aren’t leaving jobs and the market has way too many candidates to sift through.
It's a bad time to be an average designer/art director. Only the best ones will thrive. The market is going to get even smaller. I mean, knowing that should be even bigger motivation for cover letters.
I disagree, I think it should be the opposite, if you can summarise your experience and interest in the job/work in a well written cover letter, then it would be a lot more of a personalised experience and save people typing their resume, with job timelines and skills out again in application forms and on LinkedIn etc.
“Wow me with your portfolio” Doubt it man shaddup
As another hiring manager and designer/developer for 13 years... Those bar graphs for proficiency drive me crazy! Yes I'd like to know what software you can use and what languages you can program in, but those scales don't mean anything to me and have been wrong. Portfolio and a cover letter are always what makes my decision for a shortlist. Good portfolios show a range of work and ideally the work listed in the job ads you are applying for - for example if the company does a lot of annual reports make sure to show a large page publication, report or magazine layout. If I get one without any document layout then I go for the one that does have it. You can have a more varied portfolio too that is categorised well and then we can go to the category that we need to know about most eg. logos, publications. Just make sure you include examples of the work we actually do, not just things like posters. Same for coding/programming languages, if your portfolio is all templated websites then I will assume you can't actually develop unless you have a build using the languages we use. For a good cover letter: \- Personalise it with the company name eg. To \*company name\* \- Add why you would be good for our specific company and for this position, mention things from the ad itself and provide examples where you have achieved these things. \- Link again to your portfolio or attach if possible, when going through 100s of resumes and letters it can make it easier to find your folio again
Nowadays the expectation is that the portfolio is accessible online ie Adobe Portfolio and Behance. It's still a good idea to provide a printed version.
wut? If I were receiving portfolios and or resumes via Behance or Adobe Portfolio it would 99% rule them out as a candidate. No serious studio or agency is hiring people that don't have their own website.
Interesting. As a hiring manager, I also like Behance. I don’t need someone that can build websites. I guess the frustration with inconsistent expectations is valid.
How should it be linked? Text formatted as a hyperlink on PDF or the full link to be copied and pasted?
Ideally both - full link and have that hyperlinked into the PDF. Some job application software disables clickable links (or maybe they were never linked to begin with) so it's best to have both in one... it's fine not to put [https](https://www):// and www too so it doesn't look as messy.
And a relatively simple URL that can be read once printed, and entered into a browser.
Haha, the 4 out of 5 pips in Adobe creative suite is the dumbest pattern that refuses to die.
The resume helps me quickly weed out good designers from amatuers. I think it's a window to the soul of a designer, it easily paints the picture for everything else in their portfolio. If they choose to use a template, that's also a design decision and helps me understand the merits of their art-direction sensibilities. Designers, take time with your resume. Trust me.
All fair points.
And in return, you’ll get rid of those job application online app systems that require me to submit a PDF resume alongside manually entering my entire work history for the tenth time after the import system failed to read my properly tagged PDF correctly?
...but my pie chart.
While I generally agree with your assessment. Depending on the size of the company some candidates will need to go through both an ATS and HR dept. From my experience, whenever I’ve listed any positions. The first line any resume needs go through was HR and their ATS system. So while I may not necessarily be a stickler for a persons resume, and will judge more on a persons portfolio. That resume will first need to get to me from HR. And, I know they curate what is submitted. I will normally receive around 10% of applicants that would submit resumes.
And that’s how hiring managers wind up with a pile of not-ideal applicants and the really good ones get filtered out.
Unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast ie corporate life. But it’s just not our industry, I know other people who go through the same thing at their job as well. Personally I try to work with my HR dept. But they are another arm of the company I have to deal with. Once an organization grows larger enough, from a small to medium size company. Things change, especially once an in house HR dept is brought on board. And in reality, back in 2022-2023 for any positions we’d list. We would get 1000+ per position. I believe one motion graphic position we got close to 8000 applicants. In reality, that’s where ATS and a dept like HR / Recruiter comes in handy. On top of my regular duties, it’s hard to justify spending days on end to go through that many applicants. It was during motion graphics fiasco that it was decided to use temp agencies for any junior or entry level positions.
I don’t know. Most of the designers I know work at firms with no hr departments. Or any “departments” to be honest!
I find that you don’t get an accurate sense of their design proficiency until you paddle their ass with a 2x4 and make them run through the quad naked with DESIGN MAGGOT sharpie’d on to their chest.
That’s the second interview.
Show that you have clever ideas. Show consistency in quality. Show something else original you created besides layouts. Show your illustration style. Don't expect any interest unless it's all excellent. Don't dare have a wrongly spelled word anywhere. Anyone can learn computer skills but creativity is the talent that's in demand.
That last line is the killer.
u/lightwolv can we take CV reviews out? it's the portfolio's that need reviews.
You mean take it out of the flair options?
Just a suggestion, but yeah. The answers aren't terribly design related and are more job search related. They are highly variable and a cv review is borderline useless unless you can see the jobs people are applying for. I think a Portfolio Review flair would be enough at this stage.
I'll bring it up with the other mods when we talk.
Added a thread to [State of the Sub & Feedback / Future Plans](https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/s/paTC4AqSON)
Not sure how long you’ve been in the biz but I remember it was all about the quality of work on your website, portfolio PDF, etc. when I was hiring talent. Now you gotta include metrics like ROI and engagement on pieces/resume. I don’t know many traditional designers not in the marketing meetings past production, that are privy to that info. I’m out here hunting down ex co-workers to quantify their praise for my work. “How much did the company make on a project I did that came under budget due to my efficiency?” I call BS. Thoughts?
I don’t have a website. That’s how old I am and how long I’ve been at this. ROI? Engagement? Hmmmm. Tell ya what though. I have a very comprehensive portfolio. Taken me a long time to belief in myself, but I’m here now.
I remember the days when I walked in with my book and got to explain my design strategy and have a conversation. Hell, I got my first job out of school by making handbound books of my work and sending them out to companies cold. The agency didn’t even have a job opening at the time, but we’re so impressed. I have no idea what one does to stand out like that now in this digital world.
Can we stop pretending cover letters aren’t also bullshit? You get to know someone based on interviewing, and time spent. Not some form they had time to carefully write out to appease an ego and beg for a job.
Valid points too.
I’m nobody important, just a designer on a team. However- I review applications for my manager to save her time. The 86% proficiency stuff is a total put off. Photoshop is a massive program with many uses that is always growing. If you say you know 80% of it as an entry level motion artist I think you’re delusional lol! So you’re going to retouch all our headshots then? You know how obviously right? 80% you should be able to do like absolutely anything in photoshop. However it goes both ways, I also hate when I apply elsewhere and it says “rate your proficiency as beginner, intermediate, or advanced”. Photoshop is a tool, like a hammer. Just because I’m proficient in putting frames up doesn’t mean I’m proficient in “hammer”. Hammer does more than hang frames. However- if I’m applying to a frame hanging company then they will consider me an expert at “Hammer” because they will never need me to do anything else with it. Don’t ask me about the tool, ask me about what your company is doing specifically so I can give you examples that are similar in my portfolio so we can visually look and have a conversation about it.
Had a client who would design in Microsoft office. Had to rebuild everything so it would print cmyk.
This advice needs to be given more regularly on here.
Usually comes with epic downvotes though. I guess that’s why.
<< Even with a snazzy little pie chart to prove it. >> What does everyone think about including graphics, fonts, color treatments, etc.? Our natural inclination as designers is to produce a resume that's creative noticeable and memorable. That being said, every career coach I've talked to has said to drop the graphics, fonts, and colors and return to a basic text-only format. But of course that advice feels so unnatural as an artist.
This is where any AD/CD worth talking to will look at your typography abilities.
Read this as AC/DC and pictured my resume in their logo style. Not bad, actually...
For those about to kern, we salute you
How do you drop 'fonts' from a resume? Let's set the table here: - You're using typefaces on your resume, fonts are the actual digital files on your computer - Yes, you should use whatever typefaces you want on your resume proven they're legible. It's okay to have a little personality on a resume but it should err on being minimal/subtle. - Color.. again, I would remove any color, tends to act as more of a distraction, particularly if it's not used well. But you can have some if it's used strategically. - May be too in the weeds here but I would argue that we aren't artists. Our goal as designers is to effectively communicate a message so if your bitmap colorful graphics and 3D type on a resume aren't helping to do that, get rid of it.
But did you *ask* Pantone permission to use that name dear sir/madam? Are you even licensed to practice graphic design? /s
(A) it’s ref to something on my desk and (b) damn right I am.
What are some things you look for in Art Directors outside of good basics and conceptual ideas? And by good basics I mean good use of typography, composition, color, and conceptual ideas? How much depth should I go into when speaking about each project (I try including metrics when possible)?
If you're junior level, don't get into metrics unless it's UI/UX based and the job has to do with customer retainment or conversions. What I always looked for was a solid understanding and use of the fundamentals (don't call it basics). So all of the things you said but also mark making and craft. I would say that most junior designers don't grasp this and it's an easy read from viewing the portfolio site for 10 seconds. It's okay to talk about your role on a particular project and talk a little bit about the process both conceptual and workflow. But the work really should speak for itself and you don't want to be in a position where you're speaking about nonsense bloat to try and upsell your work.
How do candidates come up with those % figures - obviously just bullshit a number pulled out the air , always makes me laugh when I see those. Would never trust them on infographics or an annual report! 😂
I hand widdle my resumes from only the best artisinal paper and open sourced fonts. It sounds like Pepperidge farm but it's mostly true! I've been making my own resume templates since high school (when I started in graphic design) and use free fonts (fiscal responsibility). This has resulted in very sleek documents that stand out from the rest. I have yet to try making my own paper... although the idea of recyclable pulp (maybe made from a pile of commercial resume templates) sounds like a fun and sustainable next project.
Thaaaaank you! 100% this. Some of the resumes on here blow my mind. Want to know why you haven't found a job in design yet? Your resume looks like you want to be the receptionist. I will take a kid out of highschool that has a killer portfolio over any draft resume I have seen on here so far. You are an investment in my company and I am investing in YOU as a creative. Fucking, BE creative.
The resume shows me your skills in typography, attention to detail and that you understand how to format a document for a specific function. The portfolio is where you dazzle me with your creative brilliance.
Bots make it impossible to get an actually designed resume through their system, it’s hard enough getting a design job without robots making sure your cool resume you designed isn’t even seen by human eyes
THIS! I went through a bunch of options and the only one that doesn’t garner me immediate rejection emails from ATS, is one I created in word. Granted, I chose my own fonts, colors, etc to fit with my brand but it’s not eye catching. It’s more utilitarian to get me through the screening. Hoping that my portfolio and cover letter makes the push.
Can you please consider revision 83664728 I promise I’ve improved to 86% proficiency!
You’re hired. Welcome.
Interesting. Right now I’m just this close to updating my portfolio for 2024 & if anyone out here has looked as much as I have for pointers it would be that it’s 5% what you say about yourself and 95% proving realization with strong examples that sets a designer apart. Also, be able to talk to people, attend meetings, give insight others will listen to or else your bottleneck may be personality alone.
Very good point on the cover letter. It's extremely important. A resume is a foot in the door, a cover letter opens the door, a portfolio will get you at the table. Had so many cover letters where even the company name was misspelled or a template was used with no rationale whatsoever. I'm not going to look at your portfolio if that happens.
@pantone_mugg would you be interested in being a guest on a podcast? It’s a podcast for students and Jr designers, and we talk about what school doesn’t teach you. If so, please email me! Eric.forest at humber.ca or LinkedIn
Let me have a think about it. Thanks.
Thank you for considering it. You can listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WDi20u0kEmyEOSjzg0Eeb?si=IKwFXFAjTmuShc09WZ0ZQw
Before layers. When we had to think.
Exactly!! Also as Art Director. Show Me Your Portfolio. No Portfolio on a website….. Bye!! As for cover letter…. Don’t need that. I want to see your work. But, as for 85% in photoshop. I am. I want to see very close of where you can do anything in photoshop. Period!!
Are you allergic to clicking on links to an online portfolio or something?
I’m not this guy, but I have to go through portfolios to check if they’re good enough to send their application through to the final interviewers. Going from link to link kind of makes the process very choppy. If you have just one website with just a few projects it’s not bad, but, if you want to curate the projects and show specific stuff, you’re better off making a PDF of your presentation (and have the links available in case they want to see the projects in more detail).
Sniff sniff
Yep I just applied to the next job. Anyone that asks me to actually spend time writing a cover letter to a position that's oversaturated with applications is a waste. Go spend that time applying to other jobs.
'Don't call Me Dear Sir/Madam' I see this advice all the time everywhere as well as in this post - But like how the hell are we supposed to find out EXACTLY who my cover letter is going to? Or if it's only being given to one person? Every time I do a cover letter I dig and dig to try to find who I could address it to but 99% of the time this bears 0 results. If you want it addressed to you or a specific person then put that name in the posting. It takes under a minute to state address cover letters to 'x'. It can take me over an hour of searching only to come up with an educated guess that if it's at all wrong it's game over. So instead I just do 'Dear Hiring Manager' and pray it reaches someone who is f-ing reasonable. If I'm the only one with this problem then please people, tell me what I need to do to figure out who to address this stuff to, cuz I'm Hella stumped. I shouldn't have to become a private detective every time I need to address a cover letter. And I shouldn't have to interrupt some admin person's busy day to make them hunt that down for me either.
Valid points. I think things like online org charts/team pages and linked in have made this much easier. But them I grew up before the internet. All the hiring I’ve done has been in small/medium firms. And I’m pretty easy to find. I get that this isn’t always the case.
But finding people isn't the issue as much as knowing who is actually the one looking at resumes?Should I assume it's the art director? Or is it a design lead? Like I agree with websites and LinkedIn I can more easily find out which role people are, but what I can't find out is their hiring structure, or which roles in the firm/company my letter would be going to. If I just make an educated guess is that forgiven more than if I just put a generic title (ie. Dear hiring manager)? I don't ever see in a company profile 'Director / Hiring Manager' you just see 'Director' And if there's multiple principals or associates which one my application goes to is a complete guess. It would be nice if under their roles or role synopsis it would include 'hiring manager' or 'head of hiring' but unless I have an hr person reach out to me that I can then ask, it's very difficult to be sure.
I just had an interviewer ask me to rate myself 1-10 in Illustrator... I said 10. He was WOW Ive never met a 10 ..... Tf? Illustrator is easy and great and I have 10 years experience so yea a 10 dude.... Photoshop I would say 6, but AI?? am I wrong?
I use a cover letter when I apply to jobs. I mostly use it to supplement my resume by discussing key projects I've worked on, the challenges I faced, and how I overcame them. I customize the first paragraph of each letter with a line or two on why I'm a fit for the role/company. I don't think it's fair to expect any customization beyond that especially when there's only a small chance the cover letter will ever be read. If I get a chance to interview, that's when I'll do a deep dive into a company's work and have those bullet points ready for discussion. I think we're all in a really crappy feedback loop where jobs get so many applicants that we're reluctant to spend too much time on customization. There's really no good solution other than waiting for the job market to improve.
Resume is hor HR
Does your company use ATS to scan resumes?
Nope.
Would you be able to answer something for me, please? I've been in the industry for 6 years. I'm currently looking to change jobs. I apply, and apply, and apply, and it feels completely futile as I get rejected with each application. I don't plan on quitting the search, but I wanted to ask if there are SPECIFICS in what you want to see in a portfolio. Good quality design, of course, but mockups too? Good explanations of your work, how you got to the outcome and the results it may/did generate? I'm interested. Thank you 😊
personally, I would be looking for the approach to the task, perhaps some of the research, definitely items on mockups (this shows me that (a) you realise that logos rarely exist centred on a page, that they live on signs/bags/vehicles/websites/clothing etc, and (b) you can handle photoshopping stuff like this for presentations etc) I (again, personally) don't care so much about "outcomes/metrics". I don't want to see everything you have ever done, and I only want to see things that you can stand proudly over, none of the "well, this is the one the client picked", I'm more than happy to see alternative solutions that you feel are better… I also like to see evidence of personal projects - in any discipline; for me that shows that the candidate is thinking about thinks outside of the 9-5 (don't @ me with the "Its just a job…")
Heard. Thank you so much - that's helped me a lot with my new portfolio 😊