Read on to find out what to put on a resume when applying to motion graphics design positions.
Motion Graphics Designer Resume Guide & Tips
Contact Information
It’s important to list all the ways a potential employer can contact you: phone number, email (even an email dedicated to your job search), portfolio website(s), and LinkedIn profile link. For security reasons, do not list your physical mailing address.
Profile or Overview
The first section of a resume is a two- or three-sentence professional summary and should include career highlights, what kind of role you are looking to fill, and your relevant abilities. Consider this the same content and tone as your elevator pitch or LinkedIn headline. For personal branding consistency, you may want to use the same text.
Metrics and Visibility
If possible, use objective statistics to highlight your accomplishments and results: “Increased click-through rate by 200%.” This reframes your experience to a more professional level.
Employment History
This is the heart of your resume. Beyond the organization, your title, and the dates you worked there, briefly describe what makes you stand out from the competition: did you work for a master of the universe? Did you work on a once-in-a-generation project? Describe your contribution to that organization. Use verbs, not adjectives, to convey an active voice: use “managed,” not “go-to person.” Do not list job experience older than ten years ago. Also, list your pro bono or internship experience.
Tools & Skills
List only the tools and skills you know inside and out. Some organizations may ask you to take a test during the interview process. Also mention what operating systems you work on (Mac, Windows, both).
Education, Awards, and Passion Projects
Employers want to see what tools you have mastered, where you learned your craft, who you studied under, and if you are a lifelong learner. Also list your awards, honors, and related extracurricular activities (you organized a design-related Meetup, a YouTube tutorial channel, or are a vendor on Adobe Stock or TurboSquid).
Proofread!
Read your resume from beginning to end several times in one sitting. Run spellcheck and Grammarly. Ask friends and colleagues to read it and comment. Make sure personal names (schoolteachers), tools (some of these can get tricky!), and organization names are spelled correctly.
3 Motion Graphics Designer Resume Tips
Tip #1: Keep it simple
Recruiters and interviewers have to sort through dozens or even hundreds of resumes while working to fill a role. They literally have seconds to decide whether to move forward with a candidate or not. You can make their life easier by having your layout clearly labeled with relevant information, being concise and to the point, and making the design easy to scan. Regarding length, if you are beginning your career journey in the work world, keep it to one page. If you are more seasoned, you may want to expand to two pages, which is the maximum for any resume. Also, remember that some people reading your resume are not designers, so be sure to keep the details high tone and relatable.
Tip #2: Use Keywords
Most searches are sorted using automation. Algorithms parse resume text to find candidates with the proper credentials and experience for the role. A great tip is to review multiple job posts for roles you are interested in, find keywords that these posts have in common, and sprinkle them throughout your resume text.
You may want to have more than one resume customized for each of your desired career paths: one for corporate animation and one for VFX. Do this with your reels too.
Your resume needs to read naturally and should reflect your authentic abilities.
Tip #3: Be Realistic
There are many tools and plugins on the market, and they all have unique capabilities, complex interfaces, and require time and effort to master. You should only list tools on your resume that you know well, not just those that you have tinkered with on occasion. Here is a good litmus test you can use if you’re unsure whether to list a particular tool: If someone at work asked you to complete a project using that tool, would you be able to do it with professional quality in a reasonable amount of time? Of course you can continue to learn new tools when working on personal projects, but only list tools on your resume if you’re a pro.
The same goes for experience. Most work is done by teams, so it’s crucial that you’re clear about defining your unique role on the team: did you initiate the creative strategy, or were you the production designer? Did you develop the design idea, or did you create the 3D model, materials, and lighting?
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