5 Steps For Producing an Effective Creative Resume

When applying for professional positions, learning how to create a creative resume can help you tailor your application materials for the roles. This type of resume may help you secure creative roles within various organisations. Learning about how to create such a resume may help you during the application and interview processes. In this article, we discuss the definition of a creative resume, describe its advantages, provide a list of steps for creating your own and give examples of such resumes.

Related: Top 20 Tools for a Visual Resume (And How to Create Yours)

How to create a creative resume

Follow these steps to create a creative resume:

1. Write a summary or objective

At the beginning of your resume, write a summary or objective that expresses your overall work experience or career goals. This summary or objective may be more creative and unique. For example, a resume for web design may have a personalised summary that highlights your creativity by adding interesting descriptions of your work experience or artistic elements.

Related: How to Write a 3D Artist Resume (With Template and Example)

2. Describe your work experience

In the next section, describe your previous professional positions, giving examples of duties you performed while in those positions. You may include any positions with duties that involved expressing creativity, such as visual design, photography or film. You may list the most relevant creative position first or list positions in reverse chronological order.

3. Provide your educational background

The next section in your resume may include your educational background, describing your relevant training, degrees and the institutions you attended. You may also want to consider adding information about any extracurricular activities or academic awards. Include any specials courses or training you completed that helped you develop creative skills, like drawing, painting, digital design and photography.

4. Add descriptions of skills

You may include a separate section that lists out any relevant skills. In this section, you may list your skills in a creative format, including information about the software or equipment you have proficiency in using. You can also describe your artistic abilities or highlight any other specific skills relevant to your industry.

Related: 139 Action Verbs to Make Your Resume Stand Out

5. Explain where to find examples of professional work

At the end of your resume, include a section that describes where employers may find examples of your professional work, such as a portfolio. For creative positions, this can be useful to illustrate your qualifications using examples. For instance, if you are interviewing for a video design position, you may include a link to previous video projects you worked on.

Related: How To Create a Portfolio and What Content To Include

What is a creative resume?

A creative resume is a resume that doesn't follow the conventional resume format. These resumes are often the best way to illustrate your creative abilities and skills to a recruiter. The template or format for these resumes can be a piece of graphic information, a small video, an online portfolio or an entire website. In some cases, you can make a resume using your creative skill for the respective industry where you are applying. The idea is to show and not just tell. For example, a web designer can add infographics on their resume, along with links to websites they created.

Read more:

• How to Create a Resume Infographic (With Definition and Tips)

• How To Format Your Resume (With Examples)

Advantages of a creative resume

Here are some advantages:

Use your resume to demonstrate your skills

Unconventional resumes may be suitable for people showing their skills in creative fields. They display their creative skills through resumes, creating a positive first impression. For example, an art director may add a small video of set designs from a project.

Related: Creative Skills in the Workplace

Show the value of your educational experience

This type of resume is useful for recent graduates who have little work experience. Entry-level designers can create an impact through creative resumes. For example, a graphic designer who just graduated can create a resume displaying the skills they learned in university or internships.

Provide examples of your work

Another benefit to a creative resume is its ability to show examples of your creative work. Online resumes make it possible for applicants to post video clips, audio clips or even photographs, making the process easier and faster. This can help you demonstrate your professional skills to employers with tangible examples.

Related: How To Write a Resume If You Are a Fresh Graduate

Creative resume examples

Here are two unique examples of a creative resume:

Example 1

Amanda Ryan
555-555-5555
amanda@mail.com

Objective

To secure a promising position as a design thinker in a reputable and fun organisation. To be able to apply and expand my knowledge and skills across various digital platforms while meeting the company's objectives and maximum consumer engagement.

Experience

Digital Marketing Assistant - Cinnamon Design Company
January 2017–present
Job responsibilities:

• Managing email marketing campaigns

• Troubleshooting email and website problems

• Working with social media platforms to make sure content is getting shared to the right places

• Designing promotional materials for specific events or sponsorships

• Building an email marketing list by gathering contact information at conferences, trade shows and other industry events

• Managing products for retail customers

• Tracking clicking rates of on-page elements of a webpage

• Create a social media advertising plan

• Monitoring AdWords conversion rates

Digital Designer - Carnation Design Arts Company
August 2013–December 2016
Job Responsibilities:

• Creating digital designs

• Researching and choose a colour scheme

• Creating layouts for multiple devices, such as laptops, tablets and smartphones

• Collaborating with UX designers

• Creating low fidelity wireframes or mockups

• Designing interfaces that are user friendly and visually appealing

• Tweaking existing designs to meet current trends in digital design.

• Giving user personas a voice

• Developing prototypes, wireframes and mockups from their designs

• Managing social media platforms to attract visitors and promote their products

• Creating promotional web pages that feature their product along with other information about the company.

• Tracking and selling products through digital channels such as eCommerce sites, social networks and other channels.

Education

BA in Marketing
University of Western Hampshire
2009–2013
Courses:

• Introduction to Advertising

• Advertising Management

• Business Marketing

• Communications

• Consumer Behavior

• Content Strategy

• Database Marketing

• E-Commerce Marketing

BA in Fine Arts
RFD Design University
2007–2009
Courses:

• Creative writing

• Drawing

• Photography

• Painting

• Sculpture

• Printmaking

• Art history

Skills

• *HTML: I have quite mastered HTML, the design and development tool for digital marketing. I can define headers, paragraphs, links, images and more in a text editor with perfection.*

• *Photoshop: I have a good working knowledge of in-demand Photoshop skills like photo editing, typography and freehand design.*

• *SEO: As a digital marketer, I am well-versed in SEO optimisation and keyword research through various tools.*

Example 2

Michele Parera
512-345-6788
michelep24@gmail.com

Objective

Aiming to leverage my experience, training and design skills while making a significant contribution to the company's success while creating meaningful art.

Experience

Martha West Publishing House - Design Manager
December 2019–present
Job duties:

• Composed an end-to-end design project from start to finish

• Managed a design team, assigned tasks and led project deadlines

• Worked with stakeholders to ensure end product meets the needs of the users and is implementable in a timely fashion

• Managed all aspects of a design process, from developing wireframes for user research to finalising visual designs for implementation

• Collaborated with developers on any changes or improvements needed in a site's underlying backend systems

• Created design rules and guidelines that apply to the entire design team, fostering a collaborative work environment

• Maintained a comprehensive knowledge of coding and database components, such as CSS, HTML, JavaScript

• Provided direction and guidance to other team members, both in my team and across the organisation

• Developed the design aesthetic for the organisation

Atlanta Design Institute- Design Assistant
January 2016–November 2019

• Researched and analysed trends to propose design solutions

• Conducted market research, data analysis and other work as appropriate

• Created visual merchandising displays based on customer insights

• Helped with colour correction and production assets for sales channels

• Selected products based on recommendations from the company's business partners

• Attended presentations and events to represent the brand

• Completed special projects, such as seasonal windows displays, pop-up shops or trade show booths

Education

MS in integrated Design, University of Western Hampshire
2014–2016

BA in Creative Design, University of G. West
2010–2014

Academic Awards

Full merit scholarship from the University of G. West.

Skills

• *Visualisers: Have functional knowledge of 3D visualisers and have closely worked with the art director to produce quality brand design through Photoshop and other tools.*

• *Adobe Illustrator: Have excellent knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, using it to prepare many visual aids as an illustrator for print publications and also for audio-visual medium.*

• *Display Designer: Have been an integral part of the outdoor advertising team of my company, designing stands and promotional materials for exhibitions and conferences.*

Related: 7 Steps to Write a Cinematographer Resume (With an Example)