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