How to craft a compelling product designer resume
Who else could satisfy our desire for innovation if not product designers?
They are here to offer a solution through conceptualizing their idea of the product, selecting appropriate materials, assessing how well their design is adapted for actual use, and last but not least — meeting clients’ expectations.
The question then arises: “How to write a successful product designer resume that will get one closer to this managerial role?”
1. Personal information to put on your product designer resume
When it comes to personal information on your product designer resume, it's important to strike a balance between providing relevant details and maintaining professionalism.
Include essential information such as your full name, contact information (phone number and email address), and location.
Additionally, consider including a link to your portfolio or personal website, where potential employers can view your design work and projects.
Keep in mind that you should include at least three of your projects, maintaining the number below six. You may want to showcase only your best work, particularly the projects that are similar to what your potential employer has been working on.
Will it require a bit of investigation? Definitely. However, it will inarguably bear fruit.
Avoid oversharing and never include sensitive data. Remember to keep your personal information concise and focused on what's necessary for the hiring manager to contact you and evaluate your qualifications.
Here's an example of personal information to include on a product designer resume
- Full Name: John Smith
- Contact Information:
- Phone: (123) 456-7890
- Email: johnsmith@email.com
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Portfolio: johnsmithportfolio.com
2. Include keywords in your product designer professional summary
Any busy hiring manager may first just skim through your professional summary.
What if they do not find the attributes they have been looking for from the very beginning? Well, your product designer resume might be disregarded even before anyone could dive into your work experience or education sections.
You will certainly be in contact with other designers, engineering team, stakeholders and clients, potentially making sure everybody is heading in the right direction. And so besides the key expressions that appear in the job posting, remember to include your managerial skills.
Product designer professional summary example:
Enthusiastic and creative product designer with over 6 years of UX and UI design experience, skilled at turning the objective of the product into a functional user experience. Seasoned leader and program manager with outstanding communication and problem-solving skills. Able to make firm decisions in favor of the client.
3. Select a winning combination of skills for your product designer resume
As we have already mentioned, your future employer will certainly appreciate your managerial skills (besides creativity). Have you included them in the soft skills section of your product designer resume?
Best soft skills for your product designer resume
- Outstanding communication
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Receptiveness to feedback
As a successful product designer, you certainly master a variety of design tools that can help you land the job you are applying for.
Make sure that you first mention hard skills stated in the job posting you're interested in. These most probably include UX research, UX design and UI design among others.
Let the hiring manager know that your approach to innovation is defined by your deep understanding of the entire product development process.
Best hard skills for your product designer resume
- Design Thinking framework
- UX Research: usability tests, JTBD
- UX Design: storyboards, journey maps
- UI Design: Illustrator, InVision, Figma
- Front-end framework: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Information Architecture knowledge
4. Effectively list education in your product designer resume
When it comes to listing education in your product designer resume, it's essential to highlight your academic qualifications in a clear and concise manner.
Start by mentioning your highest degree or diploma, such as a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Product Design. Include the name of the educational institution, its location, and the year of completion.
Not only can you showcase your knowledge through naming universities and degrees, but you may also want to add an extra piece of information about an area of interest or achievements you have reached. Especially if they are related to the product designer job posting you are responding to.
Product designer resume education section example
University of Europe
MA in Industrial Engineering
2006 – 2011
- Area of interest: Research and Analysis
5. Select relevant extra sections for your product designer resume
Any extra information that would enhance your prospect to land the product designer position you want is useful.
Have you completed a life coaching program? That sounds great, but most certainly, it will not get you the position you are applying for.
Remember to share what's the most relevant to the job. Custom your resume and create additional sections, such as certifications or awards, for you to stand out.
Here's an example of how to properly list an extra section on your resume
Certifications
- EIT Engineer in Training Certification (2016), University of Europe
- NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer (2020), University of Europe
6. Employ a neat product designer resume format
As an expert in the product design field, you will certainly use impeccable form for your resume to stick out.
Review the following checklist to ensure consistency:
- One-inch margins
- Neat, ideally two-column, layout
- Classic font
- Use of white space between individual sections
- Subtle color
- Form does not distract from the content
Remember, a neat and well-structured resume format not only showcases your attention to detail as a product designer but also makes it easier for recruiters to navigate and grasp the information you've provided.
Choose your preferred template and make your resume shine.