Graphic Designer Skills for a Resume
Clients and companies hire graphic designers who create strong visual work that fits the brand and arrives on time. Show your tools, the kinds of projects you do and the results for the brands you worked with.
Updated
13 skills at a glance
Hard skills
What the work takes, how a hiring manager judges each skill, and a bullet point that shows it.
Brand identity design
Show the identities you designed and how they were used.
Example bullet pointDesigned logos and brand guidelines for five small businesses, used on signs, packaging and websites.
Typography and layout
Show layouts where type and hierarchy made the content clear.
Example bullet pointLaid out an 80-page annual report with a clear type hierarchy and charts.
Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
Name the programs and what you produce in each.
Example bullet pointDrew illustrations in Illustrator, retouched photos in Photoshop and laid out brochures in InDesign.
Figma
Show the screens or social assets you design and share in Figma.
Example bullet pointDesigned web banners and social templates in Figma that the marketing team could edit.
Packaging design
Show packaging you designed and its results.
Example bullet pointDesigned packaging for a snack range that won shelf space in two regional grocery chains.
Print production
Show files prepared correctly for print.
Example bullet pointPrepared print-ready files with correct bleeds and color profiles, avoiding costly reprints.
Photo retouching
Show the kind of retouching you do, and for what.
Example bullet pointRetouched product photos for an online store, keeping colors true to the products.
Motion graphics basics (After Effects)
Show short animations and where they ran.
Example bullet pointAnimated short social videos in After Effects that raised engagement on product launches.
Soft skills
Shown through what you did, never claimed as adjectives.
Creativity
Show ideas that stood out and worked.
Example bullet pointCreated a campaign concept that the client used across print, social and outdoor ads.
Taking feedback
Show how you used feedback to improve the work.
Example bullet pointTurned around client revisions within a day while keeping the design consistent.
Time management
Show several projects delivered on time.
Example bullet pointDelivered up to ten projects a week for a busy in-house marketing team.
Presenting ideas
Show how you presented concepts to clients.
Example bullet pointPresented three logo concepts with the thinking behind each, and the client chose one at the first meeting.
Attention to detail
Show errors you caught before print or launch.
Example bullet pointCaught a pricing error on a menu before it went to the printer.
Licenses and certifications
Give them a section of their own, with who issued each one and the year or expiry date.
- Adobe Certified Professional
Keywords from graphic designer job postings
Use the ones that are true for you, in your bullet points as well as your skills list.
- brand identity
- packaging
- campaign
- social
- clients
- concepts
- logo
- digital
Each posting has its own words. Our guide to tailoring your resume to a job description shows how to find them and where to put them.
Where to put your skills
- In a skills section: a short list of the hard skills the posting names, in its words.
- In your bullet points: every skill that matters should show up in something you did, with a result. That is where a hiring manager believes it.
- In your summary: two or three of the skills the job asks for most.
More on choosing them in how to choose and prove the skills on your resume.
Questions
What skills should a graphic designer put on a resume?
Brand identity, typography and layout, Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, packaging, print production, retouching and motion graphics, plus creativity and taking feedback.
Do I need a portfolio?
Yes. Link to your portfolio with your contact details; it matters more than anything else on the page.
How do I show results as a designer?
Mention clients and projects, and results where you have them, such as engagement, sales or a won pitch.
Put them to work
Start from a graphic designer resume that already uses these skills, for an invented person, and make it yours in the builder.