Freelance graphic designer CV Guide + Tips + Example
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So, you’re in the market for a job as a freelance graphic designer. A well-crafted CV is the place to start! Our guide to creating a great freelance graphic designer CV will help you make the most of your customer service, design skills and your ability to build relationships with clients so that you can get the job.
Get started by editing this freelance graphic designer CV sample template, or peruse our 40+ CV templates to find the best one for you.
Freelance graphic designer CV sample (text version)
Marcus Halibut
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Skilled freelance graphic designer with over a decade of experience in the field. Dedicated to staying up-to-date on new techniques and procedures related to graphic design. Excel at web platform development, desktop publishing, computer-aided design and video creation and editing software programs. Managed multiple projects simultaneously. Excellent communicator able to work as part of a team or as the sole designer.
Core Qualifications
- Design and digital imaging
- Typography
- Marketing
- Web production
- Branding
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Time management
- Attention to detail
Education
- California Institute of The Arts Santa Clarita, CA
Master of Fine Arts Integrated Media - California Institute of The Arts Santa Clarita, CA
Bachelor of Fine Arts Graphic Design
Work Experience
January 2017 – Current
DIVE Studios & Mindset – Los Angeles, CA
Freelance Graphic Designer
- Meet with clients either in person or online in order to discuss the scope of different projects.
- Advise clients on the best strategies to use for their particular products and desired audiences.
- Create unique images, audio messages, illustrations and logos for customers.
- Review all projects to ensure the end product is error-free.
Ensure 100 % customer satisfaction by presenting art to clients and giving them a chance for feedback.
May 2012 – January 2017
Hinge – Los Angeles, CA
Creative Director
- Directed a graphic design team of 15 and discussed project ideas, creative vision and goals.
- Maintained records of over 500 designs and illustrations created in the department.
- Scheduled workers in order to ensure all projects were finished on time.
- Increased efficiency of the designing stage by 33% through the implementation of new computer-aided design software.
June 2010 – May 2012
Razorfish – Los Angeles, CA
Artist
- Designed layouts using aesthetic design concepts.
- Assembled and marked the final layout to ensure every design was ready for the printer.
- Prepared rough sketches of logos and illustrations to give customers a clear idea of what the end product could look like.
- Collaborated with other graphic artists to complete 15 large-scale projects.
Conference Attendance
- The Bottom Lone: AIGA Design + Business – (2022)
- 2022 AIGA Portfolio Festival – (2022)
- Creative Design Systems: A Birds Eye View conference – (2021)
- One Designer, One Work – (2021)
Honors and Awards
- ADC 101ST Annual Award, Brand / Communication Design – (2021)
- Creativity International Graphic Design and Advertising Awards 2020, Design – (2020)
- Awarded AIGA Fellow Award for raising the standards of excellence within the local design community. (2019)
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- International Council of Design – (2022)
- American Institute of Graphic Design (AIGA) – (2021)
- Graphic Artist Guild – (2019)
Certifications and Licenses
- UI/UX Design Specialization – (2022)
- UX Design Professional Certificate – (2022)
- Graphic Design Specialization – (2021)
- Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) – (2021)
- Professional Certificate in Graphic Design – (2019)
Profession Relevant Skills
- Technical knowledge of many software programs, such as AJAX, Adobe FrameMaker, Autodesk and Adobe After Effects.
- Strong communication skills allow me to understand customers’ objectives.
- Excels at identifying problems and finding various solutions to fix the issue.
- Works well in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.
- Self-disciplined as I finish my work on time, no matter how many projects I’m working on.
- Creative thinker able to develop unique, clever advertising and logo design ideas.
- Expertise in relationship building, administration, business acumen, presentation techniques and user interface design.
Languages
- English
Native or Bilingual - French
Limited Working
Hobbies and Interests
I enjoy reading, painting and writing during my free time. I usually spend my days with my wife and four kids. I also enjoy sharing my experiences with the next generation of graphic designers. I do this by volunteering as a mentor with AIGA.
5 essentials of a top freelance graphic designer CV
Contact details
Without contact information, hiring managers cannot contact you to ask you for an interview. At the top of your CV, include your full name, city, state and ZIP code, followed by your phone number and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile and professional website, add those as well.
Personal statement
A personal statement, also called a professional summary, is your chance to shine. This is where you introduce yourself to the hiring manager and pitch your best technical and soft skills and relevant work experience. A personal statement for a freelance graphic designer CV should include one or two of your most notable professional accomplishments to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
Skills
Hiring managers want to know if your skills match their needs. Show them you have what it takes by creating a separate section and using bullet points to display your top hard and soft skills — from investment management to business operations and administration — as shown on our freelance graphic designer CV sample. If you are applying for your first job, include transferable skills, which are soft skills, such as communication, that you can use in any job.
Work history
Your CV must have a detailed employment history section, even if you don’t have work experience as a freelance graphic designer. List current and previous employers in reverse chronological order and provide company names, locations and the dates you worked for each. Add three bullet points of measurable achievements for every job you list. If you don’t have work experience in the field or if this is your first job application, mention extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, community service, professional and personal projects — anything that shows you have relevant work experience.
Education
Add all the educational institutions you’ve attended after high school to your freelance graphic designer CV. Use bullet points for each school and display its name and the year you graduated, unless it was more than 10 years ago. List your high school information and any post-high school classes taken if you did not attend college.
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Action words for a stand-out freelance graphic designer CV
Action words convey confidence and strengthen CVs because they tell the hiring manager exactly what you worked at. Combine them with numbers to really make an impact!
Here’s a short list of perfect action words for a freelance graphic designer CV:
- Create
- Design
- Prepare
- Collaborate
- Manage
- Lead
- Ensure
- Promote
- Execute
- Increase
- Direct
- Maintain
- Advise
- Promote
- Identify
Need a great CV for a freelance graphic designer job now? Our CV maker has all the tools you need to create a professional CV in minutes. You can make edits on the fly, download your CV, and save it as a PDF, .doc or plain text when you’re finished. Yes, it really is that easy!
Top skills for a freelance graphic designer CV
Review the job description carefully and match the required skills to your skills and traits.
Your skills might include:
- Design
- Digital imaging
- Typography
- Color theory
- Leadership
- Administration
- Customer service
- Relationship building
- Marketing
- Web production
- Branding
- User interface design
- Usability
- User
- Sales
- Business acumen
- Design software
- Communication
- Presentation
Certifications for a freelance graphic designer CV
It’s not mandatory to be certified as a freelance graphic designer to get a job, but those who are certified tend to get hired more than those who do not.
Certifications from a respected organization on your freelance graphic designer CV show that you are committed and highly trained in your field. Some programs take longer than others, and most are an ongoing commitment, but staying current in your field is crucial to performing at your best.
Various certifications are available for freelance graphic designers, including:
- Adobe Certified Associate (ACA)
- Graphic Design Specialization
- UI/UX Design Specialization
- UX Design Professional Certificate
- Professional Certificate in Graphic Design
Pair your CV with a matching cover letter
Freelance graphic designer CV FAQ
What’s the best format for a freelance graphic designer CV?
A CV for a freelance graphic designer job can be in any format that fits the industry, job and your work experience and goals. For instance, if you’re applying for your first freelance graphic designer job or are changing careers, it’s best to use a CV format that emphasizes your education or skills. However, if you have a steady career as a freelance graphic designer and have progressed through the ranks, you might want to showcase your work experience.
How many bullet points do you include for each job in a freelance graphic designer CV?
As you draft your CV, include three to five bullet points for every work experience you list, as long as your resume stays between one and two pages long.
How do you write the experience section of a CV for a freelance graphic designer job?
For any CV experience section, ask yourself two questions: “Is this experience relevant?” and “What are my greatest accomplishments?” This gives you a good starting point for what to include. With our resume builder, you can access a customized CV that perfectly showcases these qualities.
When you start adding more to your work experience, look closely at the job description. If you have performed tasks expected of new applicants, then include those. The job description is also an excellent place to get ideas for keywords that a hiring manager will look for.
Do’s and don’ts for building a freelance graphic designer CV
- Use measurable achievements to describe your design skills and experience.
- Use action words to impact your freelance graphic designer CV.
- Tailor your CV to your target freelance graphic designer job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your freelance graphic designer CV.
- Format your freelance graphic designer CV so that it is easy to read by ATS softwareand human eyes.
- Lie about your freelance graphic designer experience and skills.
- Boast about your “incomparable” freelance graphic designer abilities.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience irrelevant to graphic design.
- Forget to proofread. A freelance graphic designer CV with errors is unprofessional.
Top 4 tips for acing a freelance graphic designer interview
Learn about the company before your interview.
Learning about a company’s history, goals, values and people before the interview is important. It shows genuine interest, dedication and commitment — traits that hiring managers look for in top job candidates. Plus, having a glimpse of the company culture before you arrive will give you an idea of what to expect on arrival so that you can feel confident.
Practice!
A little practice now will go a long way during your interview. To practice for your interview, start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- Give Me an Example of How you Juggle Multiple Deadlines.
- Describe a Time when you Needed to Cope with a Stressful Scenario.
- Tell me About a Time You Failed to Meet a Deadline.
Ask a friend to interview you so you can get comfortable with the questions and imprint the answers in your mind. Ask them for feedback on your performance and answers, and write down their suggestions that resonate with you. You’ll feel confident and ready when it’s time for the real thing.
Ask questions.
Your interviewer will ask if you have any questions at the end of your session. You should always have at least three questions ready to ask; job candidates who don’t ask questions are not as likely to get hired because hiring managers assume they aren’t interested in the role or won’t put much thought into it.
Some questions you might ask for a freelance graphic designer job are:
- What do you expect from someone in this position during the first 30 days?
- What is your management style?
- What do you like most about working here?
Have references ready.
Having professional references ready before your interview will prepare you in case the hiring manager decides to move forward. Create a list of two former colleagues and a former manager willing to speak to your abilities to perform the freelance graphic designer job and who you know will give you a stellar review. Even better if they write a letter of recommendation for you.
If you are applying for your first full-time job and don’t have former colleagues or a manager for reference, it’s acceptable to get contacts from a former instructor, volunteer coordinator, internship manager, classmate, or community leader who will provide a positive review about your ability to perform the job.
Resume examples for the next step in your graphic web design career
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Freelance Graphic Designer CV Example
Kellie is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with extensive experience in digital media. She is passionate about helping job seekers navigate their careers. She earned a B.A. in English and writing from Temple University.
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