Boogey man: I think you should always send a PDF. For some reason, people print stuff. I think every interview I’ve been to, the person had at least one printed copy of my resume, even though I’ve only sent applications via email.
The only caveat: make sure it still looks good B&W!
I certainly agree that some attachment is necessary. To print, or forward to other people, it just makes it that much better than having to click.
also I know many of the larger HR dept. at corporate like to scan resumes for keywords, or so I’ve heard. As such a PDf or word is pretty much the only way to go. (though I hate word).
R
I’m with you RK on hating word. Tank it almost sounds like you are saying send a teaser. Is this what you meant? Or were you meaning to add tasteful graphic illustrations to complement a page of your CV? Also when you send your resume/CV as a PDF do you add restrictions to itl, e.g. no editing?
Personal opinion again, but avoid teasers! Add tasteful images to compliment your CV.
Imagine if you were an employer and you put an add out for a designer and all you got was a teaser - you’d be annoyed that the person who sent the teaser was wasting your time - teasers don’t tell employers everything they need to know, so then they have to wait for the rest of the CV to turn up (or even worse, go to the trouble of requesting it), by which point they’ve forgotten who you are or lost the teaser - put images and words together, saves time on both sides.
That’s if there is a job you’re applying for, if there isn’t a job and you’re just making a speculative approach, then a teaser is another waste of time, because if they were going to make a position available, they’d need to see a CV. So its quicker and easier to send them as one document i.e. a CV with a few images included. Then if they want to see more before inviting you to interview, they can ask to see a mini portfolio (this applies to both applying for positions and making a speculative approach). You can mention you have one prepared in your covering letter/email, that way if they request it, you know you have a good chance of being invited for interview and also it gives you a good chance to ring them and ask them what they’d like to see, opening up a conversation and allowing you to get your personality across and speak to a few members of the team before going to interview.
Simon Four Fingers… If you send your CV as a PDF as far as I’m aware it is fairly restricted (they can only look at it, not edit it), but even if you sent it as a word doc, what employer has time to fiddle with your CV and change stuff and why would they want to? They just want to find the right person for the job.
When sending a CV or portfolio do we need to send them as 300DPI or 72 DPI?
I do 120dpi. It’s good enough to print on your average office printer, and the files doesn’t get too big. 300dpi is overkill, and 72dpi tend to make everything pretty pixelated. Of course text anyhow should all be vector if you do it correctly in Illustrator or InDesign which helps…
R
awesome, I have been searching for an answer to that question for years… as far as portfolio goes, what is standard size 11x17? 11x14? 8.5x11? at 120DPI as well?
you can design it anyway you like, but pretty much guaranteed it will be printed on 8.5x11…
R
A great resource for on resumes/CV’s and folios is the rita sue siegel Get a A design Job Book - its a free PDF download.
http://www.ritasue.com/downloads/Get_a_Design_Job_2008.pdf
personally I think go for a clean, well laid out look. Choose your font carefully and a small logo/graphic if thats your style. As long as it doesn’t look like you can only use word it should be right. The folio is for showing your wicked design skills.
Raph Goldsworthy
Founder
http://designdroplets.com
I review hundreds of resumes and make hiring decisions for industrial designers. My advice:
Make the resume super-clean with all relevent information in a logical and easy to understand layout. no amateur graphic decorations. Make sure you phone number email address and url of your on-line portfolio if you have one are easy to find. Explain exactly what your role was on each project, and list your strenths. Do not lie.
I’ve copied and pasted my resume into more than one online form and I always suspect if they ask for a certain experience, like MS Word, they might have a program that scans resumes for it…
have to share this too - once I saw a designer send a crimson red resume with white type, so it wouldn’t get ignored. It looked terrible but completely over the top. 5 years later he’s a designer at Ford
Well said Coyote Duster.
Make the resume super-clean with all relevant information in a logical and easy to understand layout. no amateur graphic decorations. Make sure you phone number email address and url of your on-line portfolio if you have one are easy to find. Explain exactly what your role was on each project, and list your strengths. Do not lie.
I just keep mine totally clean, though a logo cluster aint too bad at all, looking at RK´s resume.
I’m currently working on my CV but am afraid it is a bit wordy?
Do I include both Design Experience as well as Regular Work Experience? (Restaurants, Airport…etc)
Here’s mine.
I don’t list skills. I think that should be for the prospective employer to decide.
Just screen grabs for now. I’ve included a “contents” spread from my folio as well as an “intro” spread from my folio to show the resume in context. Please mind the black lines on the edges of the resume screen grab.
D.
very clean, love the style.
Do you find that short and simple is enough?
Should I have a CV and a Resume?
Resume would be one page
(Education, Experience, Awards and skills?)
CV would be much more extensive (Education,Experience,Skills,Exhibitions,Awards,Activities…etc?)
Thanks for the compliment KERSH.
I believe in short and simple. I guess that is representative of my style in general. This goes for products, graphics, etc. As for the resume stuff, I think the short and simple is nice because a prospective employer can scan in 30 seconds and know exactly where I’ve been. If they want to know more, they will call/email.
I’ve never understood the difference between cv and resume. I think I have to go back through this post. I think Richard uses CV but someone like him has been in the business for quite some time. I find it would be almost impossible to take up much more space than I already have.
I do include a cover letter with all my mailers. It is written in the same format (with big bold statement up top) as the resume. I think this helps add a bit of a personal touch/express how my experiences have affected me as a designer/why I think these experiences would make us a good fit.
D.
Just to clarify, CV/resume, same thing. In Europe/England we say curriculum vitae, across the pond you say resume. I’m pretty sure that’s all there is to it it.
David,
very unique and interesting approach.
your resume+CV are nearly just an exercise on graphic design with information included rather than simple information exchange, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. it does provide the information quickly.
I’ve got to say its going to likely be one of those love it or hate it ideas
some employers may toss it right away… but then again, those are likely the employers you don’t want anyway.
it would certainly attract the attention of a design direction who is sifting though generic word document resumes.
