The Art of Writing a Prestigious Art Director Resume

If you want to get your dream job, an attractive art director's resume is a must-have. Your resume should showcase your creativity and expertise in design solutions and effective advertising concepts. An art director can also work in publishing, creating creative concepts for newspapers and magazines. Therefore, knowledge of print production styles and innovative ideas for print ads also help your resume stand out.

Let's look at some more writing tips to help you write a strong art director resume that sets you apart from the other job seekers.

According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, the industries with the highest employment levels for art directors include advertising, public relations and related services, newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers, motion picture and video industries, specialized design services, and management, scientific and technical consulting services.

The average yearly salary for art directors, including bonuses, tips, and overtime pay, is as follows:

• Entry-level $52,000
• Early-career $58,000
• Mid-career $70,000
• Late-career $76,000
• Experienced $75,000

The average yearly salary for an is $69,000 (Payscale)

Example of an Art Director Resume

How to Make an Art Director Resume

The job market in the art director industry is competitive but having an impressive and professional resume increases your chances of landing the job. It is essential to personalize your resume to the job you are applying for. A mistake you should avoid is using one generic resume to apply for all the jobs, as this will cause you to miss out on many job opportunities.

Some of the ways you can personalize your art director resume include:

• Use the right keywords and action verbs to ensure that the applicant tracking systems do not filter out your resume.
• Use the correct resume format to ensure your resume is easy to read.
• Add a resume summary that is well-written to interest the recruiter in reading the rest of your resume.

The layout of an attractive Art Director Resume

The best layout for your art director resume is the reverse-chronological format. This format focuses on experience and is perfect if you have a lot of experience. It is also a favorite of most recruiters since it is easy to scan on ATS systems.

The structure of the Art Director Resume

You can also consider using the functional resume or the combination resume format for your art director resume. The functional resume, also known as a skills-based resume, focuses on art director skills and is perfect for recent graduates and people changing their careers.

The combination resume, also known as a hybrid resume, blends the best features of the reverse-chronological and combination resume formats. It focuses on your skills and experience and is perfect for candidates with some experience.

The structure of your art director resume should have the following sections:

• The header section
• Resume summary/resume objective
• Work experience
• Education section
• Skills section
• An additional section (volunteer experiences, awards/honors, computer skills, certifications, languages, and interests/hobbies)

Start with the Header of the Art Director Resume

The header section contains your full name, job title, contact information, and a link to your website or portfolio. The information in this section should be accurate because if you put the wrong contact information, the hiring manager cannot reach you.

Example of a good header for an Art Director

Here is an example

CORRECT

Hattie Clark

Senior Art Director

665-459-216

hattieclark@gmail.com

Fair Oaks, CA

Example of a bad header for an Art Director

Here is an example

INCORRECT

Hattie Clark

Senior Art Director

665-459-216

hattieclark@gmail.com

3035 Woodland Terrace

House number 33

Date of birth 14/02/1987

Fair Oaks, CA

hattieclark@behance.com

Is a photo required in the Art Director Resume?

You do not need to add a photo to your resume. Most hiring managers advise against it as it may cause discrimination towards the candidate. In any case, recruiters google you, or check your social media, and eventually see how you look. US companies also indicate that 80% of applicants with photos in their resume will not be considered. On the other hand, if you are going to have a photo on your resume, make sure the photo is professional.

Choosing your Art Director Title

Job titles vary depending on the job and company. Therefore, it is essential to personalize and tailor each job title to the job you are applying for. Using one job title for all positions will cause you to lose many job opportunities.

How to write an Excellent Professional summary for an Art Director

A professional summary is a short paragraph at the beginning of your resume that summarizes your experience, skills, and professional accomplishments. The resume summary should compel the hiring manager to read the rest of your resume, so it needs to be well-written and engaging to read. The professional summary is perfect if you have years of experience in the art director industry.

CORRECT

Creative Senior Art Director with more than eight years of experience in product publishing and print design. Adept at producing innovative designs for multiphase projects in collaboration with other production artists and junior designers. Recipient of the ADG Excellence in Production Design Award in 2019.

INCORRECT

Hardworking graphic designer with experience in web design and logo design. Driven by the goal of providing the best possible service to customers.

Work Experience in the Art Director Resume

The work experience section shows the hiring manager what you can do based on your previous work history. As you will see from our art director resume examples, you put this section right after the professional summary.

Describe your professional experiences on your Art Director Resume

It is always better to add relevant experience to the job you are applying for in this section. However, if you don't have relevant experience, you can add any other experience that allows you to talk about any transferable skills useful in the new job.

When listing the experience, you will start with the workplace's name, job title, and years you spent at each workplace. It is also important to list three to five duties and achievements using bullet points under each workplace. It is also advisable to quantify your accomplishments to show the hiring manager the value you will bring to the company.

Examples of professional experiences for Art Director beginner/junior

Here is an example

GCA Digital Consulting
Assistant Art Director
June 2012-August 2015

• Assisted with completing project designs created by the design team.
• Worked under the key art director to create a design theme and graphics focused on the client's business to strengthen their brand identity.
• Increased sales by 20% by creating innovative design packages for marketing initiatives differentiated from other brands to drive sales.

Examples of work experience for Senior Art Director

Here is an example

Creative YR
Project Manager
March 2017- December 2020

• Collaborated closely with clients for concept development, to develop effective marketing and designs, and determine schedules for completion.
• Adjusted image sizes and selected appropriate fonts to finalize projects received from the production staff.
• Prepared advertising packages for three new products, including displays for stores, marketing materials, and attractive packaging for products without going over budget, decreasing project cost by 15%.

Education in the Art Director Resume

A professional resume should always have an education section, whether it's one of the requirements or not. A resume sample is a good guide if you do not know how to add education to your resume. Your educational qualifications can help you beat the other candidates and get the job. If you have a bachelor's degree or high school diploma, you should add it under this section. If you have a Master's degree, you can leave out the high school diploma.

Should you start with education or work experience for your graphic design resume?

The format you choose for your resume determines whether you start with education or experience. If you use the reverse-chronological format, you will start with experience. If you choose the functional format, you will start with skills and education.

How to properly list your education in an Art Director Resume

When listing your education, you will start with the name of the school, location, degree earned, and program length.

Example of the education section of an Art Directors Resume

Here is an example

Skills to put in the Resume for an Art Director

There are specific art director skills you need to include in your resume to show the hiring manager you can perform your duties efficiently and effectively. You also need to ensure that the applicant tracking systems do not filter out your resume by adding the required skills you can find in the job description. You should list the skills in the bullet-point form to make it easy for the recruiting manager to see them.

What are the main skills sought for in an Art Director Resume?

• Adobe creative suite
• Adobe photoshop
• Project management
• Graphic design
• Art direction
• Adobe Illustration
• Microsoft Office
• Product development

• Creative skills
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking skills
• Attention to detail
• Problem-solving skills
• Leadership skills

What skills for a junior Art Director?

• Digital Illustration
• Graphic Design
• Account management
• Customer service skills
• Multitasking skills
• CRM systems
• GIF animations
• Lead development
• Decision-making

What skills for a qualified senior Art Director?

• Budget management
• Advertising
• 3D design
• Visual product development
• CorelDraw
• Creative problem-solving
• In-game animation
• Desktop publishing

Write the Ideal Resume Hook for an Art Director Resume.

A resume hook is a set of words that summarizes your value proposition and accomplishments in your art director resume. You can write it as a personal description, achievement, quote, or testimonial.

Example of a tagline for a junior Art Director

Here is an example

Talented Graphic Artist with proven ability to design applications for print, web, and broadcasting concepts. Well-known in the visual arts world for a creative and unique style.

Sample tagline for a senior level Art Director

Here is an example

Art Directors Guild Award Nominee

Additional Headings for your Art Director Resume

An additional section on your art director resume is essential if you want to stand out. It gives the hiring manager more insight into who you are and the other qualifications that make you the best person for the job. Some of the sections you can add to your resume include volunteer experiences, awards/honors, certifications, computer skills, and languages.

Let's look at some of these sections in detail.

Computer skills and certifications in an Art Directors Resume

If you have specific computer skills that will set you apart from the other job seekers, you should add them to this section. Some resume examples list these in the skills section, but that may make it hard for the hiring manager to see them.

If you have any certifications that will help your resume look more appealing, you should add them under a certifications section. Most hiring managers spend less than ten seconds on a resume, so you don't want them to miss anything on your resume that increases your chances of landing the job. Some of the certifications that will look good on your art director resume include:

• Certifications in Graphic design, including web graphics, production design, digital imaging, and color theory.

Interests in an Art Director Resume

The interests section may be confusing because you don't want to put something on your resume that could cause you to lose the job opportunity. When listing your interests, it is better to add the ones that fit the profile. For example, interests such as blogging, podcasting, or volunteering at a community shelter will look good on an art director resume. If you don't have any interests that fit the profile, you can leave them out of the resume.

Languages in an Art Director Resume

You should list the language skills in your resume under a separate languages section instead of the skills section. This is because bilingual candidates appeal to recruiters as most companies expand to other areas of the world, so you want them to see this qualification in your resume.

When listing the languages, use the official language reference as stated below:

• The DELF (a score of at least 70%) in French
• For English, IELTS or TOEFL (with a score of 30 points or higher)
• SIELE for Spanish

Summary: Key Points for Writing a Perfect Art Director Resume

Here are the key takeaways from this article:

• The correct resume format is essential because it's the first thing the recruiting manager will see on your art director resume.
• Using the right keywords and action verbs is important to ensure the applicant tracking systems do not filter out your resume. This also increases your chances of landing an interview.
• Your resume should always be tailored to the position you are applying for. Sending one generic resume will cause you to miss out on incredible opportunities.
• Always proofread your art director resume to ensure it does not have any typos and other errors.

Write a Cover Letter That Goes With Your Art Director Resume

Some recruiting managers may not ask for a cover letter, but you should always accompany your resume with one. This is because it helps your job application stand out and increases your chances of landing an interview. A cover letter summarizes some of your achievements and career goals and allows you to express your passion for the job.

Frequently Asked Questions for Art Director Applications