Creative Director Resume: Examples & Tips
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Creative directors handle teams of graphic designers, artists and other creative professionals, and are involved in every step of design production. fCreative directors are required to be exceptional leaders as well as technically proficient in design software, planning and execution.
Following are tips and resume examples to assist you in building your own distinguished creative director resume:
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Creative director example (text version)
Name: ARIANNA ROSE
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Industrious Creative Director offering proven success in bringing creative visions to fruition. Bringing over 10 years of experience managing design team members and projects. Expert in mentoring and coaching artists to encourage development of personal style and techniques.
WORK HISTORY
Creative Director
02/2015 to Current
Gearbox Software
Company Name, City, State
- Fostered highly communicative, collaborative team culture on over 200 visual product projects.
- Managed a team of 12 creatives on developing innovative and aesthetically pleasing designs at all levels with effective resource allocation and strategic planning.
- Managed a design budget of $250,000 annually and met company objectives while staying within budget.
Associate Creative Director
03/2012 to 01/2015
VML
Company Name, City, State
- Established performance goals for each team member and provided feedback on methods for reaching those milestones.
- Hired, developed and managed creative services team of 10 internal employees and freelancers.
- Upheld client satisfaction by designing accurate and detailed timelines for services and alerting clients of changes.
Digital Content Producer
07/2009 to 01/2012
AJC Creatives
Company Name, City, State
- Created, built and published imaged and content for a variety of websites and digital platforms.
- Cut delivery times by 30% through proactive tracking and monitoring of project timelines to ensure customer submission and approval of digital and print files.
- Developed collateral such as display, marketing and packaging materials to support product branding strategies.
SKILLS
- Digital art
- Art history
- Complex problem solver
- Adobe Creative Suite
- HTML/CSS
- Strategic leadership
- Design planning
- Communications strategies
EDUCATION
Master of Arts: Media Arts
Bachelor of Arts: Graphic Design,City, State
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Creative Director Resume FAQ
1.What are the skills specific to the role of a creative director?
Consider mentioning the following technical and soft skills:
| Technical skills: | Soft skills: |
| Excellent photo-editing skills | Ability to handle multiple projects and work under pressure |
| Presentation skills | Deadline-driven attitude |
| Proficiency in computer languages | A keen eye for detail |
| Turning complex data into easy-to-understand visuals | Creativity and visualization power |
| Project management | Strong work ethic |
| Infographic ideation and creation | Open to collaboration |
| Familiarity with creative software like Adobe Creative Suite | Excellent communication and interpersonal skills |
| Knowledge of typography | Time management and leadership skills |
| Technical Skills: |
| Excellent photo-editing skills |
| Presentation skills |
| Proficiency in computer languages |
| Turning complex data into easy-to-understand visuals |
| Project management |
| Infographic ideation and creation |
| Familiarity with creative software like Adobe Creative Suite |
| Knowledge of typography |
| Soft skills: |
| Ability to handle multiple projects and work under pressure |
| Deadline-driven attitude |
| A keen eye for detail |
| Creativity and visualization power |
| Strong work ethic |
| Open to collaboration |
| Excellent communication and interpersonal skills |
| Time management and leadership skills |
2. What are keywords, and how should they be incorporated?
Hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) will be checking your resume for important words and phrases that match what they expect for the job (e.g., “proficient with Keynote” or “familiarity with packaging and brand communications” or “3D and 2D imaging”). Use these keywords in your resume. Make sure that keywords are scattered throughout the resume to create an even tone, and avoid overstuffing. Scanning the company’s website is also a good way to get a hold of relevant keywords.
3. Which resume format should be used for the position of a creative director?
A chronological format is the ideal choice for a senior-level position like creative director, as it allows you to present an extensive work experience section, while still leaving room to list your most important skills and education credentials.
To learn more about popular resume formats, visit our resume format page.
4. How should you craft your resume if you are looking to take the next step forward in your career?
Show you’re ready for additional responsibilities by focusing on further developing your creative and managerial abilities, and featuring them in your resume:
- Continue taking on roles that highlight your leadership qualities.
- Take on new projects in diverse fields to widen your horizons and scope of expertise.
- Increase collaboration with different departments, showing your flexibility and effectiveness at completing successful initiatives.
- Continue training and developing talent, showcasing your managerial abilities.
- Learn and adapt new skills and techniques to keep up with new design, marketing and technological trends to give you an edge over competitors.
5. What is ATS and why is it important?
Application tracking systems (ATS) are software that recruiters are now using to filter through resumes, choosing the best candidates based on the resume content. To pass an ATS scan, use a straightforward layout (strange resume fonts or resume designs can confuse ATS), and make sure you pull keywords from the job description that describe the job’s important requirements (e.g., 3D imaging, proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite), and address those keywords in your resume’s skills, work experience and summary sections.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO add soft skills. It’s easy to laundry list your technical qualifications, but a director role also requires a heavy dose of intangible strengths, such as team leadership, managerial skills, creativity, adaptability and excellent communication skills. Consider grouping these skills into their own subcategory (e.g., “Soft Skills”), and also show how you’ve deployed them in previous jobs (e.g., pointing out a collaboration you had with another department that led to a successful result).
- DO aim for a short and crisp resume. Recruiters take less than 10 seconds on average to skim through a resume — creating an overly long resume can result in important information getting lost in the shuffle. Aim for a single-page resume, zeroing-in on accomplishments and achievements while eliminating all details which aren’t related to the position you are applying for. One simple rule of thumb is to limit your work history section to the past 10 years.
- DO customize your resume for each job. Being a creative director for a commercial production company is different than being a creative director for mobile apps and services. Tailor each resume you submit for the job, updating your skills, abilities and lists of work experiences to best fit the position. For example, focus on knowledge about textiles and fashion trends for the position of an art director at a fashion magazine, and emphasize your proficiency with computer languages like C++ and graphic designing software for a position at a software company.
- DON’T submit your resume without proofing it. Review your resume to identify grammatical and spelling errors, and make sure all the important details and information, such as keywords, accomplishments and skills, are present. If you can, have a trusted, reliable person familiar with the responsibilities of the position read it — sometimes a second pair of eyes will catch mistakes you might miss.
- DON’T use first-person pronouns. True, your resume is all about you, but both you and hiring managers already know this. Refrain from using first-person pronouns and presenting your skills and accomplishments in detail-packed phrases, rather than complete sentences using “I” and “my.” For example: Write “Dynamic creative director with 8 years of hands-on experience in team management and content creation for 98 clients” instead of “I have managed a content and graphics team and communicated with clients.”
- DON’T forget to add relevant certifications. Show that you’re up to date in an ever-changing technological world by including important certifications and courses you’ve completed, such as web design, JavaScript, CSS, C++, or virtual imaging. You should also include any training you have that shows you’ve focused on leadership and management skills, such as credentials in project management.
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Creative Director Resume
Summary
Focus on your work experience and the roles that you’ve played in managing creative teams, while noting a top achievement or award you’ve received. For example, “Seasoned creative director with over 10 years’ experience managing teams to produce D&AD award-winning design projects.”
Skills
Feature a blend of technical and intangible skills for this job. Soft skills like creativity, team management skills, superior verbal and written communication, client collaboration and sound decision-making are all important for a creative director role, as are knowledge of imaging tools other technical skills, such as expertise in design best practices, HTML/CSS and Adobe Creative Suite proficiency.
Work History
Instead of overstuffing this section by listing every responsibility you’ve ever had, focus on major achievements. Quantify your accomplishments. For example, write “Managed a team of 14 graphic designers and copywriters and created over 1,500+ visuals and infographics” instead of “managed a team of graphic designers and copywriters.” Emphasize successful projects that highlight your creativity and leadership skills.
Education
A bachelor’s degree in creative fields like media, film, graphic design, marketing, advertisement or music serves as the minimum qualification criteria for this position of a creative designer. Adding relevant training you’ve completed or are in the process of completing, like JavaScript certification, can further enhance this section.
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Creative Director Resume 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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