Graphic Designer CV example

A free example, with real achievement bullets and the skills recruiters look for

A designer's CV is a secondary document — the portfolio does most of the talking — but it still needs to prove range, tools, and the kind of work environment you're used to (in-house brand team vs. fast-turnaround agency vs. freelance), since those are genuinely different jobs wearing the same title.

What recruiters look for on a Graphic Designer CV

A clearly linked portfolio, placed prominently — a design CV without one is a significant red flag to most hiring managers.
The specific type of design work (brand identity, UI/UX, packaging, motion) rather than a generic “graphic design” label.
Software and tool fluency by name — Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects — since these vary a lot by specialisation.
Evidence of working within constraints — brand guidelines, client feedback cycles, tight deadlines — not just creative output in isolation.

Example achievement bullets

These are the kind of specific, quantified bullets worth building your own experience section around — adapt the structure (action → scope → result), not the exact wording, to your own background:

Good example bulletLed the visual rebrand for a 40-store retail chain, designing a new identity system adopted across packaging, signage, and digital ahead of a 6-week launch deadline.

Good example bulletDesigned 30+ landing pages for paid campaigns, contributing to a 22% average lift in click-through rate after introducing a consistent visual testing framework.

Key skills to include

Figma
Adobe Creative Suite
Typography
Brand identity
UI/UX fundamentals
Motion / After Effects
Print production
Client presentation
Design systems
Prototyping

Only list skills you can genuinely speak to in an interview — a skills section is a set of claims, not a wishlist.

Which template to use

Creative or Bold templates are the natural fit — this is one field where a CV with real visual character actively helps rather than distracts. FreeShelf renders your details live across all 250 designs, so you can compare several before deciding — there's no need to commit up front.

Free ATS Score checker included: once you've built your Graphic Designer CV in the Studio, run it through the built-in ATS Score tool to check structure and, optionally, compare it against a specific job description — entirely in your browser.

Build your Graphic Designer CV

Start from these examples and fill in your own details across 250 designs — free, no account, no watermark, nothing uploaded.

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