Art Director Resume Example

In the article, you'll find guidance on creating an art director resume that showcases desirable qualities for senior management and director-level appointments. The article will guide you on how to show your long-term vision and how your leadership has led to success for organizations. You'll also find tips on how to present your resume for the maximum impact with employers and key decision makers. Continue reading to discover the tips Jobseeker's career experts recommend for an effective art director resume.

Main sections of an art director resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with an art director resume being no different.

The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:

Resume Header

In your art director resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Profile

Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for art director roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for art director jobs below.

On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your art director resume summary.

Employment History

In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as an art director. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.

For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.

If you're writing an art director resume, you can afford to make your work experience section a little longer and more detailed than a traditional resume. Roles at this level require plenty of experience and examples of your achievements, so an extended work experience may be necessary. Most experts advise to go back no further than 10 to 15 years in your resume work experience section. However, for art director applications, where extensive experience is required, you may wish to go back further or list a greater number of previous roles. This can enable you to showcase your varied experience and expertise.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Poor examples of resume work experience sections tend to be vague and fail to quantify your achievements and the impact you've made in your career to date. They may also focus on responsibilities above relevant skills and how you've used them.

Education

In your education section, include details of your most relevant art director qualifications and educational achievements.

If you're applying for art director positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your digital illustration or UX/UI design.

Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.

If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.

Skills

Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to an art director role. Skills such as graphic design software or creative problem solving are particularly useful for art director jobs. Again, include any skills that match those listed in the job description. Focus particularly on technical skills required for art director jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as an art director.

How to include hard skills on your art director resume

Hard skills are the key technical skills required for art director positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, an extensive list of hard skills helps to make a compelling case for your art director job applications, as they show employers your understanding of the art director role. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective art director resume hard skills list looks like.

How to list soft skills on your art director resume

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume.

Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description. Your art director job application should focus on soft and transferable skills that showcase your credentials as a leader.

The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for an art director resume.

Certifications

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to art director jobs. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as an art director.

Take a look at some example certifications for an art director resume below:

Optional Information

To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to an art director resume. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.

Hobbies and Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Your hobbies and interests are useful for an art director resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. If you're thinking about adding hobbies and interests, just make sure they add something unique to your application, and showcase your personality and interests in unique and interesting ways.

Volunteer Work

Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your art director resume. Add your volunteer job title or role, the name of the organization, its location and the dates you were involved.

References

References aren't a standard art director resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.

Best words to use in an art director resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.

As an experienced art director, you'll want your resume to do justice to your experience and standing in your industry. As such, it's acceptable to submit a longer than average resume of two pages or more. For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.

Example resume for art director applications

Now we've covered the main sections to include in your art director resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When writing your art director resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:

• Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
• Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
• Using clear, simple headings makes it easier for an ATS application to scan your resume, as it can easily identify what's in each section of your document.
• Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
• Make sure your resume is as concise as possible, so ATS applications can easily scan and identify the required details.

Takeaways for your art director resume

The best resumes focus on your skills and the value you've added to previous roles, rather than focusing on your duties and responsibilities. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.

Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. Whether you're a junior or senior candidate, a professional cover letter can help to grab the attention of the employer. Jobseeker's cover letter examples were created by careers experts to provide useful tips and ideas for your cover letter.

Sources:

(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume

(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/