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Are you a graphic design student looking for an internship to gain practical experience? Do you find yourself struggling to bulk up or even simply put together your resume? Building a standout and well-thought-out graphic design resume is crucial to landing the internship of your dreams. It’s essential to highlight your skills, experience, and achievements to prove your candidacy. You also want to ensure that your resume is visually appealing as this is a great way to showcase your design skills and capabilities. But you don’t want to go overboard, so be sure to find the balance between aesthetics and readability.

Regardless of whether you’re updating your resume or starting from scratch, there are key resume tips – both new and old – that can help your document stand out. Below, we share 5 helpful recommendations to help you bulk up your resume to help you land your dream graphic design internship.

Show off your design skills 

Make sure to include a section in your resume that showcases your design skills. Your design work could be a determining factor in whether you move on to the interview phase, so make sure to highlight it by either linking your portfolio or including examples on supplemental pages of your resume. Keep in mind that quality is better than quantity, so ensure that you showcase only the most relevant and impressive pieces of work.

Employers like to see variety, so including work such as logo designs, flyers, branding kits, and more will showcase your wide range of skills. This will provide potential employers with a comprehensive understanding of your design style.

As mentioned, online portfolios are a great way to make your work easily accessible to employers. If you are unsure of where to start, check out this FORMAT article, which shares how to build an online portfolio in under 30 minutes. Having a well-designed portfolio can set you apart from other designers.

Highlight your qualifications 

If you’re currently pursuing a degree in graphic design or a related field, you should, of course, make sure to highlight this on your resume. But to go a step beyond this, you should list any relevant coursework or design-related projects you’ve completed. Listing out the software you are familiar with can also elevate your resume. For example, software like Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Figma are regularly used by graphic designers. If you’ve won any awards or received any recognition for your work, be sure to mention that as well.

Additionally, enrolling in certification programs can provide you with an opportunity to learn new design techniques and skills. This can also help you stay current when it comes to industry trends. Most importantly, it can increase your employability. Employers are often looking for designers with specialized skills, and certifications can help you gain those skills and stand out from other candidates.

Not sure where to start when it comes to certification courses? We suggest checking out UDemy as they offer a multitude of design courses and certifications.

Tailor your work experience 

Even if you’ve only done freelance work or worked on personal projects, including this information in your resume will elevate your candidacy. This shows potential employers that you have experience and are passionate about design. Though you may not have held a design internship in the past, you can tailor your work experience to include skills that may be helpful in a design internship.

An article published by Zety noted that you can pick up valuable skills in plenty of settings, not just through employment. Highlighting relevant skills from previous opportunities, no matter the type of opportunity can make your resume stand out and increase your chances of being considered for an internship.

It’s common to become discouraged if you don’t have a ton of work experience. Taking the time to ensure that your resume accurately reflects your experience and who you are as a designer can increase your chances of securing an interview. If you’re struggling to obtain work experience, try offering to help out a nonprofit or a volunteer organization.

Emphasize your soft skills 

Graphic design is a collaborative field, so it’s important to highlight your soft skills as well. When working on design projects, you will often collaborate with other team members, present your work to clients, and manage your time effectively.

Emphasizing your soft skills in your resume can help potential employers see that you possess the qualities necessary to be successful in a team-oriented environment. Include skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management. By showcasing these skills, you demonstrate that you are not only technically proficient but also have skills that can aid in your success in a professional setting. These soft skills are just as important as technical design skills.

Show your versatility 

Graphic designers often work on a variety of projects. Make sure to include examples of how you’ve worked on different types of design projects, such as logos, web design, or print materials. This shows potential employers that you’re versatile and can adapt to different design needs. This also suggests that you’re open to learning new things and taking on new challenges. By highlighting your versatility and flexibility in your resume, you can set yourself apart from other candidates.

During college, it’s important to try different things in terms of internships and projects. Though this may be intimidating, college is the perfect time to explore your strengths and interests within the field of graphic design, and even guide your career path after graduation.

There are many ways to improve your graphic design internship resume and stand out from the competition. By showcasing your design skills, education, relevant work experience, soft skills, and versatility, you can impress potential employers and increase your chances of landing your dream internship.

This summer, we’ll be hiring a graphic design intern here at Liquified Creative. If you’re looking to take your creative career to the next level, check out our job listings or shoot us an email at careers@liquifiedcreative.com [but before you submit your resume, ensure it reflects the tips above!]