As a narrative designer, effectively showcasing your storytelling ability and project versatility is a complex resume challenge. Our guide steers you through this obstacle by providing tailored tips to highlight your unique narrative skills and the diverse range of projects you've shaped.
- Utilize real-life examples to refine your narrative designer resume;
- Effectively write the experience section of your narrative designer resume, even if you have minimal or no professional experience;
- Incorporate the industry's top 10 essential skills throughout your resume;
- Include your education and certifications to highlight your specific expertise.
If the narrative designer resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:
- Interactive Designer Resume Example
- Brand Designer Resume Example
- Sound Designer Resume Example
- Game Designer Resume Example
- Character Designer Resume Example
- Mold Designer Resume Example
- 3D Artist Resume Example
- Costume Designer Resume Example
- Visual Designer Resume Example
- Concept Art Resume Example
The importance of format and layout in your narrative designer resume
Consider you're an HR professional at company X, evaluating two narrative designer candidate resumes. John Smith presents a simple, traditional, and easy-to-read resume. Edward Price, however, uses a non-conventional, often illegible format. Whose resume would you spend more time on to understand their experience? This scenario underscores the importance of your narrative designer resume’s design. It should be simply formatted and clearly communicate why you are the ideal candidate for the role.
Achieve this balance by:
- Listing your experience, beginning with the most recent and relevant, in reverse chronological order;
- Ensuring your header contains essential information, such as contact details, a headline, and a portfolio link. Include a professional photo in the narrative designer resume header if you have one;
- Including only the most important and relevant resume sections to showcase your expertise and stand out from other candidates;
- Editing your narrative designer resume to be no longer than two pages if you have extensive relevant experience. Use your limited resume space judiciously.
Also, remember that your narrative designer resume might initially be scanned by an Applicant Tracker System (ATS).
When it comes to ATS:
- Opt for simple and legible fonts like Raleway, Rubik, Lato, etc., making your experience easy for the ATS to scan;
- Use serif and sans-serif fonts, both of which are ATS-friendly;
- Avoid overused options like Arial and Times New Roman, which, while suitable, may lack personality.
Contrary to a common myth, our recent study shows that the ATS can effectively process both one-column and two-column resumes. Learn more about this in the ATS myths guide.
Finally, when submitting your narrative designer resume, always export it as a PDF to ensure all information remains intact, making the document easier to print, read, and scan.
Keep in mind the market you’re applying to – a Canadian resume, for instance, might have a unique layout.
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PRO TIP
If you happen to have some basic certificates, don't invest too much of your narrative designer resume real estate in them. Instead, list them within the skills section or as part of your relevant experience. This way you'd ensure you meet all job requirements while dedicating your certificates to only the most in-demand certification across the industry.
Fundamental sections for your narrative designer resume:
- The header with your name (if your degree or certification is impressive, you can add the title as a follow up to your name), contact details, portfolio link, and headline
- The summary or objective aligning your career and resume achievements with the role
- The experience section to curate neatly organized bullets with your tangible at-work-success
- Skills listed through various sections of your resume and within an exclusive sidebar
- The education and certifications for more credibility and industry-wide expertise
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Experience with storytelling across various platforms (e.g., video games, interactive media, tabletop games).
- Proficiency in narrative design tools and software, such as Twine, Storyboard That, or Articy:draft.
- Understanding of game mechanics and how they integrate with and enhance narrative elements.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including writers, artists, and game developers.
- Portfolio showcasing previous narrative projects, highlighting writing samples, story outlines, and contributions to published titles.
Guide to your most impressive narrative designer resume experience section
When it comes to your resume experience , stick to these simple, yet effective five steps:
- Show how your experience is relevant by including your responsibility, skill used, and outcome/-s;
- Use individual bullets to answer how your experience aligns with the job requirements;
- Think of a way to demonstrate the tangible results of your success with stats, numbers, and/or percentages ;
- Always tailor the experience section to the narrative designer role you're applying for - this may sometimes include taking out irrelevant experience items;
- Highlight your best (and most relevant) achievements towards the top of each experience bullet.
You're not alone if you're struggling with curating your experience section. That's why we've prepared some professional, real-life narrative designer resume samples to show how to best write your experience section (and more).
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive narrative structure for 'Eternal Quest' series, leading to a 25% increase in player engagement and retention.
- Collaborated with a team of writers and designers to establish the game world’s lore, resulting in a nomination for Best Storytelling at the Game Awards.
- Oversaw voice-over production and script localization for 5 languages, enhancing global market appeal and contributing to a 40% growth in international sales.
- Crafted deep, interactive storylines for 'Galactic Odyssey', which contributed to the game being rated 9/10 on major review platforms.
- Spearheaded the creation of a dynamic dialogue system that allowed for player choices to impact game outcomes, significantly boosting replayability.
- Organized and lead narrative workshops with the creative team, improving team efficiency by 30% and cutting down production time.
- Introduced innovative nonlinear storytelling techniques to 'Timeless Realms', which increased critical acclaim and expanded the fan base.
- Managed the narrative team effectively to produce 15% more content per quarter while maintaining high-quality writing standards.
- Implemented user feedback mechanisms that provided valuable insights for story improvements, resulting in a user approval rating increase of 20%.
- Currently leading narrative development for the next-gen VR experience 'Phantom Realms', focusing on immersive storytelling to leverage the VR platform.
- Initiated a successful cross-discipline collaboration strategy which fostered cohesion between the narrative and the art departments, enhancing the visual storytelling.
- Authored a comprehensive world-building bible for 'Phantom Realms' that became the cornerstone for all future content expansions and transmedia applications.
- Designed branching story paths for 'Architects of Andromeda', effectively balancing player choice with narrative cohesion, which was crucial in securing a BAFTA nomination.
- Conducted a series of player experience research studies to inform narrative design choices, directly influencing a 15% increase in player satisfaction ratings.
- Authored compelling character backstories and dialogue for the main cast, cited by critics as a standout feature in the industry’s annual storytelling review.
- Led narrative development for 'Echoes in the Void', which received 'Best Indie Game Story' at the Independent Game Developers' Awards.
- Implemented an episodic content release model that helped maintain a consistent player base and increased month-over-month revenue by 18%.
- Mentored junior narrative designers, fostering a culture of learning and excellence in storytelling across the studio’s projects.
- Orchestrated the story campaign for 'Neon Samurai', incorporating player data to refine narrative elements, which boosted daily active users by 35%.
- Pioneered an interactive comic tie-in that broadened the game’s audience and contributed to a merchandising line generating over $500K in the first year.
- Developed a voice actor selection process that improved character believability and audience connection as reflected in a 22% uptick in community engagement.
- Integral in developing the narrative for 'Forgotten Epochs' MMO, aligning the complex story with gameplay elements to support an ambitious live service model.
- Executed a narrative road map that resulted in consistent monthly content updates, attracting a loyal player base and ensuring a top 10 placement in MMORPG rankings for 2 years.
- Piloted a narrative QA feedback loop which streamlined troubleshooting story-related bugs, improving patch deployment efficiency by 25%.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the number of narrative projects completed to demonstrate experience and productivity.
- Specify the size of the writing teams you've collaborated with to show your ability to work in a team environment.
- Mention the word count of scripts or content you've contributed to illustrate the extent of your writing capabilities.
- List the number of game or story genres you've worked with to highlight your versatility.
- State the total number of characters or storylines you've created to underscore your creative contributions.
- Report on the player engagement metrics influenced by your narratives, such as average playtime or session length, to display the impact of your work.
- Cite any increases in sales, ratings, or awards won by the games you've worked on as a result of your storytelling to show the commercial value you bring.
- Quantify the number of dialogues, missions, or levels you've designed to convey scope and complexity of your narrative design work.
Action verbs for your narrative designer resume
Guide for narrative designer professionals kicking off their career
Who says you can't get that narrative designer job, even though you may not have that much or any experience? Hiring managers have a tendency to hire the out-of-the-blue candidate if they see role alignment. You can show them why you're the best candidate out there by:
- Selecting the functional skill-based or hybrid formats to spotlight your unique value as a professional
- Tailoring your narrative designer resume to always include the most important requirements, found towards the top of the job ad
- Substituting the lack of experience with other relevant sections like achievements, projects, and research
- Pinpoint both achievements and how you see yourself within this specific role in the narrative designer resume objective.
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PRO TIP
If you happen to have some basic certificates, don't invest too much of your narrative designer resume real estate in them. Instead, list them within the skills section or as part of your relevant experience. This way you'd ensure you meet all job requirements while dedicating your certificates to only the most in-demand certification across the industry.
In-demand hard skills and soft skills for your narrative designer resume
A vital element for any narrative designer resume is the presentation of your skill set.
Recruiters always take the time to assess your:
- Technological proficiency or hard skills - which software and technologies can you use and at what level?
- People/personal or soft skills - how apt are you at communicating your ideas across effectively? Are you resilient to change?
The ideal candidate presents the perfect balance of hard skills and soft skills all through the resume, but more particular within a dedicated skills section.
Building your narrative designer skills section, you should:
- List up to six skills that answer the requirements and are unique to your expertise.
- Include a soft skill (or two) that defines you as a person and professional - perhaps looking back on feedback you've received from previous managers, etc.
- Create up to two skills sections that are organized based on the types of skills you list (e.g. "technical skills", "soft skills", "narrative designer skills", etc.).
- If you happen to have technical certifications that are vital to the industry and really impressive, include their names within your skills section.
At times, it really is frustrating to think back on all the skills you possess and discover the best way to communicate them across.
We understand this challenge - that's why we've prepared two lists (of hard skills and soft skills) to help you build your next resume, quicker and more efficiently:
Top skills for your narrative designer resume:
Narrative Development
Scriptwriting
Interactive Storytelling
Game Design Software (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine)
Dialogue Systems
Storyboarding
Character Development
Project Management Tools (e.g., Trello, JIRA)
Version Control Systems (e.g., Git)
Visual Scripting Languages
Collaboration
Creativity
Communication
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving
Adaptability
Attention to Detail
Empathy
Time Management
Storytelling
PRO TIP
If you happen to have some basic certificates, don't invest too much of your narrative designer resume real estate in them. Instead, list them within the skills section or as part of your relevant experience. This way you'd ensure you meet all job requirements while dedicating your certificates to only the most in-demand certification across the industry.
The narrative designer 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 narrative designer 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 narrative designer resume.
The top 5 certifications for your narrative designer resume:
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Narrative (CWTCN) - Wesleyan University
- Story and Narrative Development for Video Games (SNDEVG) - California Institute of the Arts
- Professional Program in Screenwriting (PPS) - University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Game Design and Development with Unity 2020 (GDDU) - Michigan State University
- Certificate in Storytelling and Content Strategy (CSCS) - University of Washington
PRO TIP
Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
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Professional summary or objective for your narrative designer resume
narrative designer 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 narrative designer 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 narrative designer resumes:
Resume summaries for a narrative designer job
- With over six years of experience as an acclaimed narrative designer, I specialize in crafting immersive storylines and character arcs for AAA titles. My portfolio includes critically acclaimed narrative-driven games, employing skills in branching storylines, dialogue systems, and environmental storytelling. Notably, the narrative overhaul I led for "EpicQuest II" increased player engagement by 40%.
- Proficient in transitioning journalism expertise into narrative design, I bring 8 years of storytelling skill in the media industry. Skilled in content creation, editing, and multimedia storytelling, I successfully adapted investigative reporting techniques to produce engaging interactive narratives for indie game studios with a passion for creating meaningful, player-driven experiences.
- After a successful 10-year career in screenwriting, I am eager to bring my talent for dialog and plot structure to the video game industry. My award-winning scripts have been praised for their character development and pacing, skills I have refined and am excited to translate into creating story-rich game environments that captivate players with every interaction.
- Dedicated to launching a narrative design career, my robust portfolio from creative writing workshops and online world-building communities showcases my capacity for creating compelling characters and expansive worlds. Though new to the gaming industry, my aptitude for quick learning and passion for interactive storytelling is poised to make a significant impact on player experiences.
- Drawing from 3 years' experience in tabletop RPG creation, my goal is to fuse my expertise in quest design and character development with the technical possibilities of video games. Enthusiastic about enriching gameplay with strong storytelling, I am committed to absorbing new narrative techniques and contributing to memorable gaming narratives.
- A recent graduate with a degree in Creative Writing, I am eager to channel my passion for story crafting into the dynamic and evolving field of video game narrative design. While my direct experience is limited, my academic success, including a published thesis on interactive storytelling, underpins my objective to create impactful and engaging game narratives.
Beyond your narrative designer resume basics - extra sections
Ensure your narrative designer resume stands out from the crowd by spicing it up with a couple of supplementary sections that showcase your:
- Prizes - as a special nod to what matters most in the field;
- Projects - ones that would really further support your application;
- Hobbies - include only if you think they'd further your chances at landing the role with personality
- Community impact - to hint at the causes you care about.
Key takeaways
- Ensure your narrative designer resume uses a simple, easy-to-read format that reflects upon your experience and aligns with the role;
- Be specific within the top one-third of your resume (header and summary or objective) to pinpoint what makes you the ideal candidate for the narrative designer role;
- Curate information that is tailored to the job by detailing skills, achievements, and actual outcomes of your efforts;
- List your certifications and technical capabilities to demonstrate your aptitude with specific software and technologies;
- The sections you decide on including on your narrative designer should pinpoint your professional expertise and personality.
