Free example · ATS-ready

Graphic Designer Resume Example

Graphic designers live and die by their portfolio — but the resume is what gets you past the applicant tracking system (ATS) in the first place. Below is a complete graphic designer resume example, the ATS keywords that matter for design roles, and concrete tips to make every line count.

Graphic Designer Resume Sample

A clean, single-column layout that parses correctly in applicant tracking systems.

Jordan Lee
Austin, TX· [email protected]· (555) 014-2298· linkedin.com/in/jordanlee-design

Professional Summary

Graphic designer with 6+ years creating brand identities, marketing collateral, and packaging for consumer brands. Combines strong typographic craft with a data-aware approach to design that measurably improves engagement and conversion.

Professional Experience

Senior Graphic DesignerAustin, TX, 2021 – Present
Northwind Creative
  • Led the rebrand of three CPG product lines, lifting shelf conversion by 18% in A/B retail tests.
  • Built a reusable brand identity system in Figma adopted across marketing, cutting asset turnaround 40%.
  • Art-directed a junior designer and external print vendors to ship 50+ campaigns on deadline.
Graphic DesignerRemote, 2018 – 2021
BrightLabel Agency
  • Designed packaging and print collateral for 12 retail clients across food and beverage.
  • Standardized typography and color systems, reducing brand-inconsistency revisions by 30%.

Education

University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX, 2014 – 2018
BFA, Graphic Design
  • Graduated with honors
  • AIGA student chapter design lead

Skills

Core: Brand Identity, Typography, Layout Design, Print Production, Color Theory

Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Figma

Languages: English, Spanish

ATS Keywords for Graphic Designer Resumes

Applicant tracking systems scan for role-specific terms before a recruiter reads your resume. Include the ones that are genuinely true for you — and mirror the exact wording from the job posting.

Hard skills & tools
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • Figma
  • Typography
  • Brand Identity
  • Layout Design
  • Print Production
  • Color Theory
Soft skills
  • Visual Storytelling
  • Attention to Detail
  • Client Communication
  • Time Management

How to Write a Graphic Designer Resume

Three things that move the needle past the ATS and onto a recruiter's screen.

01

Lead with measurable impact, not tools

Recruiters assume you know Photoshop. What sets you apart is outcomes: "Redesigned packaging that lifted shelf conversion 18%." Put the result first, the tool second.

02

Mirror the job posting’s exact keywords

If the posting says "brand identity systems", write "brand identity systems" — not "branding". ATS matches phrases literally, so reuse the employer’s wording where it’s truthful.

03

Keep formatting ATS-safe

Avoid text inside images, multi-column tables, and decorative fonts in the file itself. Your creativity belongs in the portfolio link — the resume must parse cleanly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a graphic designer’s resume be visually designed?

Keep the submitted resume clean and ATS-parseable (single column, standard fonts). Showcase visual design through a portfolio link, not the resume file itself, which is often read by software before a human.

What ATS keywords matter most for graphic design roles?

Core tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, InDesign), plus discipline terms like typography, brand identity, layout design, and print production. Always mirror the exact phrasing used in the job description.

Build your own Graphic Designer resume

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