I thought we can start 2023 strong...with some (not only) design resume best practices.
As a loyal subscriber to Hirlevel, you'll get my Resume Writing Kit for completely free.
This kit includes:
2 professionally designed ATS-friendly resume templates you can easily customize (ATS= Applicant Tracking System)
1 product design resume example for inspiration or copy
2 cover letters (one for juniors, one for experienced professionals)
A list of powerful action verbs to get noticed
A resume writing tips document
I hope you like it!
Beat the Robots!
As a UX or product designer, your resume is essential for showcasing your skills and experience to potential employers. It should accurately and effectively communicate your strengths and achievements and highlight how you can contribute to a company.
Here are some tips for writing an effective resume as a UX or product designer:
Target your resume to each position
Add relevant details
Remove irrelevant details
Keep the formatting simple, e.g. using only a couple of fonts and simple styling. An abundance of font pairing knowledge is free by Google: link
Highlight your relevant experience and strengths
Review design resumes examples from the industry — get inspired by them
Decide if you need different resumes for different positions (you might want to tailor your resume for a UX designer position differently than for a product designer position)
Keep your resume short (1–3 pages, depending on experience)
Drive attention to important achievements by using bold text or different colour or italic
Show you are fit culturally
Remove old and odd jobs, but keep jobs with transferable skills
Proofread your resume → use online tools such as Grammarly (* Affiliate link)
Write about what you achieved, not about responsibilities
Include quantifiable and measurable results, e.g. that answer the question of how much or how many
Companies like to hire winners, share your awards, honours, and where you were first and best
Add a career or professional snapshot — a summary of yourself
Save & send resume in pdf format
Include a cover letter if there’s an option to do so
How to structure your resume
The must-haves in resume
The standard sections you need to include in your resume are:
Your name
Your contact details
Link to your portfolio
Highlights. Career snapshot — a professional summary (about yourself). It’s kind of like your mission statement. Highlights are a bulleted list of key achievements and skills that show why you’re a great match for the job. It has to be attention-grabbing, so they keep reading. People only scan resumes for 20 sec. You need to give them a reason to spend more time on yours.
Your work experience or personal project
Your education
Your skills
Additional details to consider adding to resume
Link to your social accounts, e.g. LinkedIn
Your visa status if it makes sense for the job you apply for
Skills to add to resume
Hard skills
User research
Design research
Usability testing
Report writing
Presentation skills
Facilitation skills
Design documentation
Project management
Design strategy & roadmap
Usability testing
Interaction design and prototyping
User interface (UI) design
User experience (UX) design
Visual design
Front-end development skills: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
User-centred design (UCD) process
Agile development methodologies
Graphic design using Adobe CC
Project management and team collaboration tools such as Asana or JIRA
Usability principles and heuristics
Accessibility and inclusive design
User personas
Customer journey mapping
Wireframing and mockups
Data analysis and visualization
Responsive design
Content strategy
User feedback analysis
User stories and acceptance criteria writing
Customer discovery and validation
Workshop planning and facilitation
Design handover for development
Visual quality assurance
Soft skills
Communication
Collaboration
Teamwork
Flexibility
Problem-solving
Creativity
Attention to detail
Creativity and problem-solving
Empathy and user-centred design mindset
Adaptability and flexibility
Time management and organization
Critical thinking and analytical skills
Persuasion and influence
Leadership and mentorship
Interpersonal skills
Self-motivation and self-direction
Learning and continuous improvement
Conflict resolution
Cultural competency and diversity awareness
Emotional intelligence
Customer service and client relations
Negotiation and diplomacy
Professionalism and ethics
Stakeholder management
Stakeholder alignment
Resume 101 rules
Focus on your achievement: In addition to listing your responsibilities and duties, highlight your accomplishments and the impact of your work. Use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your projects and the value you brought to your previous organizations.
Use specific examples: Rather than just listing your skills and experiences in a general way, provide specific examples of your work to illustrate your capabilities. This could include case studies, prototypes, or other examples of your design process and final products.
Tailor your resume to the job: Customize your resume to fit the specific requirements and preferences of the company and position you are applying for. This means highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant and necessary for the job.
Use a clear and concise format: Your resume should be easy to read and understand, with a clear and organized layout. Use headings, bullet points, and white space to make your resume visually appealing and easy to scan.
Include relevant keywords: Many companies use applicant tracking systems to review resumes, so it’s important to include relevant keywords and phrases in your resume to improve your chances of being noticed. Look at the job description and company website to get a sense of the language and terms they use.
Keep it up to date: Regularly review and update your resume to ensure it accurately reflects your current skills and experience. Be sure to remove any outdated or irrelevant information and add new achievements and projects as you complete them.
By following these tips, you can create a strong and effective resume that showcases your abilities and helps you stand out as a UX or product designer.
Your resume is an important tool in your job search, and crafting a high-quality document can help you land the job of your dreams.
Preparing for your interview
Notion board
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I hope you found this useful.
I cover the topic and more in my latest YouTube video:
Closing
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