A designer's CV: one page, no gimmicks
Your portfolio shows the craft. The CV only has to make the facts easy to find: roles, dates, tools, location, link.
Designers often feel that their CV has to be a design piece in itself. It does not. The portfolio shows what you can do; the CV is a reference sheet that a recruiter, a hiring manager and sometimes an applicant tracking system will scan for facts. Make those facts easy to find.
What belongs on it
- Your name, the role you are looking for, the city you live in, and whether you can relocate or work remotely.
- A link to your portfolio, written out in full, plus an email address.
- Your experience, newest first: company, title, dates, and two or three lines on what you did and what changed because of it.
- Education and relevant courses, briefly.
- Tools and skills you would be happy to be tested on.
- Languages, with an honest level.
Keep it to one page
Unless you have many years of senior experience, one page is enough. Older or less relevant roles can be shortened to a single line. If something does not help you get the job you are applying for, leave it out.
Typography over decoration
Use one or two typefaces, a clear hierarchy and plenty of white space. Skip skill bars and pie charts: "Figma 90%" says nothing that a reader can check. Avoid icons that replace words and text set in images, because applicant tracking systems may not read them.
Write for the role
Adjust the order and the wording for each application. If the job is about brand systems, lead with your brand work and use the words from the posting where they are true for you. A short line at the top that says what you are looking for helps a busy reader place you immediately.
Photo, age, details
In the US and the UK, a photo and personal details such as age or marital status are not expected on a CV. In German-speaking countries a photo is still common but optional. If you are unsure, leave it out: nobody will reject a good portfolio because the CV has no photo.
Send it as a PDF
Export a text-based PDF (not an image), keep it under 2 MB, and name the file with your name and the word CV. Check that the links work in the PDF before you send it.