As an art director, effectively showcasing your diverse project portfolio and creative leadership skills in a concise resume can be a daunting challenge. Our guide provides you with targeted strategies to distill your artistic achievements into a compelling narrative, ensuring your resume stands out to potential employers.
- Sample industry-leading professional resumes for inspiration and art director resume-writing know-how.
- Focus recruiters' attention on what matters most - your unique experience, achievements, and skills.
- Write various resume sections to ensure you meet at least 95% of all job requirements.
- Balance your art director technical expertise with personality to stand out amongst candidates.
If the art director resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:
- Narrative Designer Resume Example
- Design Manager Resume Example
- Jewelry Designer Resume Example
- Lighting Designer Resume Example
- App Designer Resume Example
- Presentation Designer Resume Example
- Electrical Designer Resume Example
- Video Production Manager Resume Example
- CAD Designer Resume Example
- Costume Designer Resume Example
Optimize your art director resume format to pass the recruiters' assessment
You may be wondering just how much time you need to spend on designing your art director resume.What recruiters are looking for is systematised content that is clear and coherent. Thus, your art director resume needs to answer requirements and why you're the best candidate for the role from the get-go.
Often, a clear layout consists of:
- Sorting your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your most recent and relevant roles. This is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals;
- Writing your contact information (e.g. personal phone number and email address) and your portfolio or LinkedIn link in your art director resume header. If you're wondering to include a photo or not, always make sure that it's appropriate for the country you're applying in;
- Use the basic, most important art director resume sections - your experience, education, summary, etc. Use your resume's real estate wisely to tell a compelling, professional story and match job description's keywords;
- Don't go overboard with the length of your resume. One page is absolutely fine if you happen to have under a decade of relevant experience.
Are you still wondering if you should submit your art director resume in PDF or Word format ? The PDF has a few more advantages, as it doesn't change the format and the text can't be altered upon application.
Format matters most when your art director resume is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS).
The ATS parses resumes, looking for specific keywords, skills or experience that match the job description.
P.S. We recently did a study on how the ATS works and were able to demystify three of the biggest misconceptions about how it assesses candidate resumes.
To pass the ATS evaluation, select any of the serif or sans-serif fonts. Popular choices that would help your art director resume stand out include Raleway, Exo 2, Montserrat, etc.
Most traditionalists go for Arial or Times New Roman, but it's often the case that many candidates choose these fonts, and you'd thus lose points on the uniqueness front.
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PRO TIP
If you're in the process of obtaining your certificate or degree, list the expected date you're supposed to graduate or be certified.
The five (plus) definite sections your resume for a art director job should include are:
- Header with your headline, contact details, and/or a preview of your work
- Summary (or objective) to pinpoint how your success aligns with the role
- Experience with bullets of your most relevant achievements in the field
- Skills to integrate vital job requirements (both technical and personal)
- Your further dedication to the field, showcased via relevant higher education and/or certifications
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Demonstrative portfolio showcasing a strong visual aesthetic and prior successful campaigns or projects.
- Proficiency in design software and technologies (such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.) and an understanding of digital content delivery platforms.
- Leadership experience with ability to manage and collaborate with creative teams and cross-functional groups.
- Understanding of brand development, marketing strategies and the ability to deliver on creative briefs within budget and timelines.
- Experience with project management tools and methodologies, preferably with a track record of completing projects efficiently and meeting deadlines.
Writing your art director resume experience
Within the body of your art director resume is perhaps one of the most important sections - the resume experience one. Here are five quick tips on how to curate your art director professional experience:
- Include your expertise that aligns to the job requirements;
- Always ensure that you qualify your achievements by including a skill, what you did, and the results your responsibility led to;
- When writing each experience bullet, ensure you're using active language;
- If you can include a personal skill you've grown, thanks to your experience, this would help you stand out;
- Be specific about your professional experience - it's not enough that you can "communicate", but rather what's your communication track record?
Wondering how other professionals in the industry are presenting their job-winning art director resumes? Check out how these art director professionals put some of our best practices into action:
- Spearheaded the rebranding initiative for XYZ Corp, overseeing a creative team of 15 to deliver a fresh, modern brand identity.
- Developed and executed innovative multimedia advertising campaigns for high-profile clients, enhancing brand awareness and increasing market share by 25%.
- Managed the art department's annual budget of $3M while optimizing resource allocation to meet project deadlines and maximize ROI.
- Mentored a diverse team of 10 graphic designers, contributing to three designers winning industry awards for their work.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to roll out a new product line, coordinating visual storytelling that contributed to a 15% sales increase.
- Implemented strategic staff development, resulting in a 40% increase in department productivity and a 20% decrease in project turnaround time.
- Oversaw the visual design of a viral marketing campaign for an iconic brand, achieving over 50 million online views and significant media coverage.
- Coordinated with international teams on global marketing initiatives, ensuring brand consistency and local cultural relevance across 20+ countries.
- Initiated a digital transformation in the design workflow, integrating cutting-edge software to improve design quality and reduce project delivery times by 30%.
- Redesigned the corporate identity for several Fortune 500 companies, enhancing public perception and revitalizing brand presence in the market.
- Managed the conceptualization and execution of an augmented reality campaign, leading to a 40% increase in customer engagement rates.
- Cultivated and sustained important client relationships, securing repeat business and referrals that constituted 60% of the department's annual revenue.
- Directed the visual aspect of an animated short film that won several awards at international film festivals and increased the studio's visibility.
- Led a team to reimagine the user experience for a major e-commerce platform, elevating user satisfaction scores by 35%.
- Negotiated and managed contracts with key vendors, improving supply chain efficiency and reducing material costs by 20%.
- Directed and curated an art exhibition that attracted over 100,000 visitors, significantly boosting local tourism and cultural interest.
- Improved the in-house photo shoot processes, enhancing the quality of final images and reducing editing time by 25%.
- Launched a successful influencer marketing program that resulted in a 50% growth in social media followings and a 30% increase in online sales.
- Pioneered an interactive digital ad campaign that increased consumer time-on-site by an average of 70 seconds and boosted conversion rates by 10%.
- Designed and oversaw construction of engaging retail environments for multiple high-end clients, directly increasing store traffic by 20%.
- Supervised the development and execution of a comprehensive social media strategy that doubled engagement metrics within a year.
- Revitalized a legacy product's packaging design, refreshing brand perception and leading to a record-breaking sales year.
- Drove the effort to source eco-friendly materials for new packaging designs, reducing environmental impact and aligning with corporate sustainability goals.
- Executed a major photography project with an internationally acclaimed photographer, receiving industry acclaim and solidifying brand prestige.
- Designed an award-winning website interface for a notable tech startup, contributing to a successful third round of funding and a valuation increase.
- Coordinated a unified brand style guide, resulting in a consistent experience across all customer touchpoints and a reduction in cross-departmental design revisions by 40%.
- Pioneered the use of drone photography in promotional materials, setting a trend within the industry and distinguishing the brand from its competitors.
- Supervised and directed set design for major theatrical productions, receiving critical acclaim for innovative use of technology and visual effects.
- Championed a collaboration with an up-and-coming fashion designer, resulting in a featured cover story in a leading industry publication.
- Organized a cross-functional team for a new product launch, aligning design vision with marketing strategies and securing a 20% increase in pre-order sales.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the number of successful advertising campaigns you have directed to highlight your experience.
- Mention the percentage increase in brand engagement or revenue you've achieved through your creative strategies.
- Specify the budget sizes you have managed, showing your financial responsibility and decision-making ability.
- List the number of cross-functional teams you've led to emphasize your leadership and collaboration skills.
- Detail the number of projects you've delivered on time and on budget to demonstrate your project management proficiency.
- Report the decrease in production costs achieved through your innovative approaches to project execution.
- State the number of industry awards you have won, underscoring the recognition your work has received.
- Quantify the size of the audiences reached through your creative campaigns to reflect your influence and reach.
Action verbs for your art director resume
What if my art director experience doesn't match the requirements?
You've just graduated from college and may have no real world job experience . What should you include within your resume then?
Instead of making up information or adding irrelevant past jobs (e.g. your on-campus work during freshman year), you can:
- Shift the focus from your professional experience to your community impact with your volunteer work. This would showcase numerous soft skills you've built over time (e.g. interpersonal communication);
- Highlight the projects you've completed, as part of your coursework, or, on your own. Thus, you will align your technical background with recruiters' requirements;
- Consider spotlighting your transferrable skills. Or, what lessons and talents your current professional and personal experience has taught you and how they could benefit your potential employers;
- Even if you've had a few months of internship experience, that is relevant for the role, make sure to include this. Recruiters do care about the years of experience you happen to have, but, at the end of the day, your profile would also be assessed based on role alignment.
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PRO TIP
If the certificate you've obtained is especially vital for the industry or company, include it as part of your name within the resume headline.
Featuring your hard skills and soft skills on your art director resume
The skills section of your art director resume needs to your various capabilities that align with the job requirements. List hard skills (or technical skills) to showcase to potential employers that you're perfectly apt at dealing with technological innovations and niche software. Meanwhile, your soft skills need to detail how you'd thrive within your new, potential environment with personal skills (e.g. resilience, negotiation, organization, etc.) Your art director resume skills section needs to include both types of skills to promote how you're both technical and cultural fit. Here's how to create your bespoke art director skills section to help you stand out:
- Focus on skill requirements that are listed toward the top of the job advert.
- Include niche skills that you've worked hard to obtain.
- Select specific soft skills that match the company (or the department) culture.
- Cover some of the basic job requirements by including important skills for the art director role - ones you haven't been able to list through the rest of your resume.
Get inspired with our art director sample skill list to list some of the most prominent hard and soft skills across the field.
Top skills for your art director resume:
Graphic Design
Typography
Adobe Creative Suite
Layout Design
Brand Development
Photography Direction
UX/UI Design Principles
Illustration
Motion Graphics
Print Production
Creative Vision
Leadership
Communication
Time Management
Critical Thinking
Problem-solving
Collaboration
Attention to Detail
Adaptability
Project Management
PRO TIP
List your educational qualifications and certifications in reverse chronological order.
The art director resume sections you may underestimate: certifications and education
Your education and certifications provide insight into both your technical capabilities and personal attributes, such as perseverance. When crafting your art director resume, consider how you present these elements:
- For your higher education degrees, prioritize listing those most relevant to the job or indicative of your academic dedication;
- Include applicable coursework as a stand-in for relevant experience or if it might impress recruiters;
- Include incomplete higher education only if it's pertinent to meeting job requirements;
- If your degree is from a renowned university, mention how often you made the Dean's list to underline academic excellence.
Regarding certifications, it's not necessary to list all of them. Instead, match up to three of your most recent or significant certificates with the technical skills required in the job description.
Below, we've selected some of the top industry certifications that could be vital additions to your art director resume.
The top 5 certifications for your art director resume:
- Graphic Design Certification (GDC) - Adobe
- Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) - American Marketing Association
- Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) - Adobe
- User Experience (UX) Design Certification - Nielsen Norman Group
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) - Scrum Alliance
PRO TIP
The more trusted the organization you've attained your certificate (or degree) from, the more credible your skill set would be.
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Professional summary or objective for your art director resume
art director candidates sometimes get confused between the difference of a resume summary and a resume objective.
Which one should you be using?
Remember that the:
- Resume objective has more to do with your dreams and goals for your career. Within it, you have the opportunity to showcase to recruiters why your application is an important one and, at the same time, help them imagine what your impact on the role, team, and company would be.
- Resume summary should recount key achievements, tailored for the role, through your career. Allowing recruiters to quickly scan and understand the breadth of your art director expertise.
The resume objectives are always an excellent choice for candidates starting off their career, while the resume summary is more fitting for experienced candidates.
No matter if you chose a summary or objective, get some extra inspiration from real-world professional art director resumes:
Resume summaries for a art director job
- With over 10 years of experience at a leading New York design agency, adept in crafting unique visual narratives and branding strategies. Successful rebranding campaign increased client revenue by 30%. Seeking to leverage advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and leadership talents to produce groundbreaking art concepts.
- Dynamic professional with a decade of experience guiding creative teams in a bustling London digital marketing firm. Key contribution: elevated a major brand's market presence, enhancing social media engagement by 50%. Expert in multimedia production and passionate about delivering visually compelling messages.
- Former Senior Graphic Designer transitioning to art direction after 8 years creating high-impact visual content for top-tier advertising agencies. Awarded ‘Best Digital Campaign’ for a pioneering interactive video project. Skilled in cross-disciplinary collaboration and eager to apply a keen aesthetic sense in a new artistic leadership capacity.
- Award-winning cinematographer with 15 years in the film industry, seeking to pivot to art direction. Possess a proven track record of managing set design and visual storytelling for over 20 feature films. Brings a deep understanding of color theory and composition, and is eager to transfer cinematic expertise to craft compelling brand identities.
- Aspiring to develop a career in art direction with no prior direct experience, but brings a fresh perspective grounded in a Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts and two years as an assistant in a fast-paced creative studio. Enthusiastic to apply theoretical knowledge and innovative design skills to create impactful visual stories.
- Recent graduate with a Master's in Fine Arts, poised to dive into art direction, blending cutting-edge design principles with a passion for visual innovation. Eager to leverage a robust educational background, including a successful thesis exhibition, to facilitate collaborative art projects that resonate with contemporary audiences.
Showcasing your personality with these four art director resume sections
Enhance your art director expertise with additional resume sections that spotlight both your professional skills and personal traits. Choose options that not only present you in a professional light but also reveal why colleagues enjoy working with you:
- My time - a pie chart infographic detailing your daily personal and professional priorities, showcasing a blend of hard and soft skills;
- Hobbies and interests - share your engagement in sports, fandoms, or other interests, whether in your local community or during personal time;
- Quotes - what motivates and inspires you as a professional;
- Books - indicating your reading and comprehension skills, a definite plus for employers, particularly when your reading interests align with your professional field.
Key takeaways
- Your resume layout plays an important role in presenting your key information in a systematic, strategic manner;
- Use all key resume sections (summary or objective; experience; skills; education and certification) to ensure you’ve shown to recruiters just how your expertise aligns with the role and why you're the best candidate;
- Be specific about listing a particular skill or responsibility you've had by detailing how this has helped the role or organization grow;
- Your personality should shine through your resume via the interests or hobbies, and strengths or accomplishments skills sections;
- Certifications go to provide further accreditation to your technical capabilities, so make sure you've included them within your resume.
