Here are some key items to think about when crafting a resume;

  • Make sure it is one page long and no longer and there should be no typos. Your resume should be sent as a PDF, not a Word document or a raster file format such as a PNG or a JPEG.
  • Be sure you have your portfolio link and email contact info at the top of the page below your name. There is no need to list your full street address. You can list your phone number and you should also have your LinkedIn page too or another social media site with professional work showcased on it. Don’t use your Facebook page. Your portfolio link and LinkedIn page should be hyperlinked in the PDF of your resume.
  • You are still a college student so put your Education first–unless you have a significant amount of Related Work Experience. Your Degree is a BFA in Communication Design and you should be sure to identify New York City College of Technology as part of CUNY
  • You resume should showcase your typography and design skills–it should be legible and attractive. Use your design skills to organize the page so the viewer can quickly absorb the information. Most hiring managers look at a resume for less than a minute.
  • It is not standard practice to put one’s photo on a resume in our field. See this article in LinkedIn News about this topic.
  • Make sure you organize your work experience clearly. The easiest way to do this chronologically by your current job first.
  • If you don’t have graphic design experience, list your employment spots outside of our field. If you work at a restaurant, that is customer service and you learn a great deal about communicating effectively with consumers. If you do have design experience, highlight it by having a “Related Experience” heading or listing it first.
  • Make sure you list any awards or academic honors
  • Employers like to see that you have been involved on your campus. So, join a COMD club or Student government and put it on your resume. 
  • Being Networking now and it is good to join an organization that fits your career goals whether that is the Society of Illustrators or the AIGA. They all have student memberships. 
  • Do highlight your Language skills, preferably  in a separate category from your Software Skills
  • Every student has different skill sets and interests–in your resume, you want to grab someone’s eye and distinguish yourself from other applicants. If you have unique hobbies or interests, put them on there. If you volunteer in the community, put it on there. You never know when the hiring manager is also interested in Ultimate Frisbee,  birdwatching or is a member of NYPIRG too. If you have illustration skills,  find some way to showcase those skills right on the resume.
  • If you are from a New York City High School that is large, put it on there as there are many alumni who attended that school also.

Portfolio Advice from TitMouse Animation

This video is geared for those interested in animation but it has good tips for all students in it:

  1. “Create an Awesome Portfolio” at https://www.canva.com/learn/portfolio/
  2. https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/04/how-to-land-a-first-rate-graphic-design-internship

Illustration Portfolios of COMD alums

Illustration Portfolio of a CityTech Alumni now working at Facebook

http://kimsalt.com

Illustration Portfolio of another CityTech Alumni working as an illustrator in NYC:

http://www.rawartists.org/liliyaskubish