Crafting an impressive product designer resume is a bit like designing a new product — It requires skill, creativity, and a crystal clear understanding of what your audience wants. 

And just like any great product, your resume needs an effective marketing strategy. It needs to encapsulate your skills, highlight your achievements, and sell your potential in a compelling way.

Aeromobil Design Engineer Resume Example

Hired by:

Hired by: Aeromobil

Product Analyst CV Example

Hired by:

Hired by: TE Connectivity

Senior Design Engineer Resume Sample

See more examples like these

So, without further delays, let's plunge into our handy tips on:

• Formatting your product designer resume
• Including your personal information in a resume
• Crafting an enticing resume summary or objective 
• Highlighting the most desirable product design skills 
• Detailing significant work experience and key design projects 
• Incorporating relevant additional sections in your product designer resume 
• Steering clear of common resume pitfalls
• Understanding the crucial difference between a resume and a cover letter
• Discovering top resources for job-seeking product designers

1. How to properly format your product designer resume

When it comes to your resume format, think of it as the blueprint for your professional narrative. We know the pressure! You're a product designer after all — precision with design choices is your second nature. 

But remember to balance the functional with your flair for aesthetics. This way, you'll surely have a resume that resonates just like your best design projects.

There are three main types to consider: chronological, functional, and combination format.

• Chronological format: Think of this as a time machine for your career. It lists your work history from most recent to oldest. This is grand for showcasing your trajectory in the product design field. Remember, a clear progression warms HR hearts.
• Functional format: Here the focus shifts from your work history to your skills and accomplishments. This format is a good fit for those with a short work history or career gap. Perfect for when you've been freelancing, or reigniting creativity on an extended sabbatical with Tibetan monks. Prioritize these sections: skills, achievements, followed by work experience.
• Combination format: The combination format can be seen as a harmonious blend of the chronological and functional formats, merging the best of both worlds. It provides the opportunity to highlight your rich career progression (a la chronological) while placing significant emphasis on your skills and achievements (nod to the functional). It's for the seasoned professional with a vibrant palette of skills honed over years.

Each format speaks a different language but addresses a common purpose: to help you land that dream product design role. So, like choosing the perfect color palette for your design, decide judiciously!

Try our AI Resume Writer and have your resume ready in minutes!

Our AI Resume Writer can generate a great first draft of your resume in seconds. Simply enter your job title and let artificial intelligence find the right words for your resume.

Try AI Resume Writer

2. How to write an effective resume header

When it comes to personal information in your product designer resume header, 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)
• 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. But it will surely bear fruit.

And last but not least, remember to avoid oversharing and never include sensitive data. The key is to keep your personal details brief and relevant for the hiring manager to contact you.

3. How to craft an engaging resume summary or objective

A resume summary or objective is the curtain raiser for your self-promotion show. It’s where hiring managers get the first taste of your professional flavor. 

As a product designer, your resume summary should be a compact, vibrant showcase of your design competencies, noteworthy achievements, and professional characteristics. It’s usually used by those with substantial experience under their sketching belt.

Explore these contrasting examples to understand how you can effectively write or err in this domain:

Why is this a weak summary? The primary issue is its lack of specificity. It merely states the obvious — years of experience and proficiency in software — without diving into the unique facets of your work career or tangible achievements. It’s as exciting as a colorless wireframe.

Why does it work? This summary isn't just about years and skills. It spotlights a significant accomplishment that gives an instant flavor of what you have achieved and can achieve. This approach paints a more vivid picture, catching the reader's interest like a breath-taking UI.

An objective is your statement of career goals, suited for recent graduates, career changes, or those reentering the workforce. It places more focus on your future aspirations than past achievements. Let’s look at two contrasting examples:

Why is this a weak objective? The problem is its self-focused tone. It reiterates what you want without demonstrating what you can bring to the employer's table. In a job market overcrowded with 'me'-centric applications, a self-absorbed objective like this might get sidelined faster than you can say 'design'.

Why does it work? It spotlights relevant qualifications and clearly communicates your potential contribution to the prospective company. Plus, who can resist an empathetic design approach paired with innovative problem-solving skills?

Your resume summary or objective is a sales pitch for your product design career. Pack it with enough zeal to leave recruiters eager for more.

4. How to showcase your top product design skills 

In the ever-evolving design landscape, selecting the right skills to showcase on your resume is as crucial as selecting the precise prototype for the end product. Here's where deciphering between hard skills and soft skills becomes vital.

Hard skills are your technical abilities: the tools, techniques, and expertise that make you the reliable 'design machine' you are. They're your Photoshop proficiency, your UX design acumen, your understanding of HTML and CSS.

Soft skills, on the other hand, breathe life into your technical prowess. They're your knack for teamwork, your ability to manage deadlines or the way you handle criticism to transform designs. They make you not just a product designer, but a 'people person' too.

Now, in the game of skill selection, relevance is king. Remember to match your skills to the job requirements. Why, you ask? Well, because companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan resumes for specific keywords from the job ad. So, always list those skills first that the job ad is screaming out for.

As a product designer, the right mix of hard and soft skills in your resume is like a perfectly balanced design prototype — both form and function in harmony. Let this harmony transform your resume into the key that unlocks your dream job's door.

5. How to craft a strong work experience and projects section

Your work experience and key projects are your tangible proof, the concrete examples of your capabilities. They validate your skills, offering prospective employers a glimpse into your potential performance on their team.

The standard format here is to list your job roles in reverse chronological order, starting from the most recent. For each role, include the job title, company name, location, and the duration of employment. 

To describe your key responsibilities, achievements, and the projects you undertook, a bulleted list works best. 

Choose strong action verbs and vivid adjectives to start each bullet point. Some examples of effective action verbs include: spearheaded, orchestrated, designed, conceptualized, oversaw, etc. For adjectives, consider words like: innovative, impactful, user-focused, or effective.

Let's compare some real-world examples:

Why is it weak? This example lacks specifics and falls flat in engaging the reader. It uses generic terms like handled and assisted, providing no real insight into the scope or impact of the role.

Why does it work? This version simply showcases your project leadership, impact on user engagement, successful collaborations, and commitment to quality and consistency in design. Clear examples paired with strong action verbs dance a compelling jig that mesmerizes hiring managers.

Remember, your work experience and key projects are your moment to showcase real, significant achievements on your resume. Make them shine!

Find out your resume score!

Our AI Resume checker can scan your resume for issues and give you tips on how you can improve it.

Get my resume score

6. How to list education on your product designer resume

While designs and experiences may paint a vivid picture of your abilities, your educational background is the platform where it all began. It adds weight to your designation as a product designer legitimizes your knowledge and, in some cases, sparks conversations during interviews.

Let's imagine two scenarios: one, a designer with an education background related to the field, and two, a designer who’s ventured into the design industry from an unrelated educational field.

If you hold a degree in design, list it directly. Include any distinguishable achievements or projects completed during this course:

If your academic background is unrelated but you've taken relevant courses or certifications subsequently, you can showcase it this way:

Remember, your education holds value regardless of field. Including diversified educational backgrounds can often showcase adaptability and continuous learning — beautiful traits for a product designer.

7. How to choose relevant extra sections for your resume

The beauty of a resume doesn't just lie in displaying your work experience or educational qualifications. It's also about the extra sections that can posture you as a well-rounded, interesting individual with broader life experiences.

How to choose extra sections? Simple — include aspects that highlight additional skills, experiences, or achievements relevant to the product design domain. 

Here are three examples:

• Volunteering: If you've volunteered, say in a community project or a non-profit organization, and provided substantial inputs in design or creative ventures, that absolutely deserves a highlight.
• Awards or honors: Show off any accolades or recognition you've received in your professional journey. This could even amplify your chances of catching the recruiter's attention.
• Personal projects: Personal projects, freelance work, or even a notable design blog that you run can all speak volumes about your enthusiasm and proactive commitment to the field.

These sections allow you to integrate more elements about you that might not explicitly relate to the job role, but showcase your design mojo, passion, and initiative.

In essence, treat these extra sections as your chance to enhance your professional persona and bring visibility to less conventional skills or experiences that can make a difference.

Staff Accompanist Resume Sample

Flash Designer Resume Sample

Assistant Technical Director Resume Sample

See more examples like these

8. How to boost your product design resume with a cover letter

A product designer resume and cover letter might seem like two sides of the same coin, but they serve subtly different purposes. 

The resume portrays the 'what' — listing your skills, experience, and achievements. The cover letter, however, reveals the 'why' — explaining why you're interested in the role, why you're a good fit, and giving a personal touch to your professional saga.

Unlike a resume, a cover letter allows you to tell your story in a more personalized and expressive manner. It's where you can connect the dots of your career path, clarify significant career moves, or explain any career gaps. 

While a resume is most times mandatory, a cover letter may not always be requested by the hiring company. But here's the secret — always include it. Why? Because it presents an opportunity to stand out. And in a crowd of potential candidates, who doesn't want to shine a bit brighter?

Consider your cover letter as the interactive demo to the product of 'you', while your resume is the product specification sheet. Both walk hand-in-hand, complementing each other in delivering a holistic view of you as a promising product designer.

Check out this comprehensive guide and learn all about nailing a standout cover letter.

9. How to avoid common mistakes on a product designer resume

Every now and then, even the most well-crafted resumes can stumble on common yet overlooked faux pas. Fear not, for we’re about to unfold the usual suspects that might be gatecrashing your otherwise perfect product designer resume party.

• Grammatical errors and typos: Grammar and spell check is the first line of defense against these devilish details. Reading out loud or having someone else review your document can also help catch pesky errors, offering your resume an error-free halo.
• Being too generic: Let's be honest, a generic resume is as appealing as a colorless design mockup. Tailor your resume to the job description. Use specific details, numbers, and achievements to show, not just tell how good you really are.
• Lack of clarity: If your resume feels like a Da Vinci code to decode, you might want to declutter. Streamline information, use bullet points, and sensible headers. Make sure your resume is scannable, with key points easily identifiable.
• Unprofessional email addresses: Your email address is often the first point of contact. Ditch that peppy cutiepie90@ for a more professional sounding email ID. Firstname.lastname@ is a safe bet.
• Lengthy resumes: A resume isn't your novel-length career autobiography. Keep it concise, ideally around 1-2 pages. Recruiters appreciate a document that respects their time while doing justice to your career highlights.
• Unexplained gaps: Unaddressed gaps in career timelines can raise eyebrows. You can note any constructive activities during the gap, such as learning a new design software, freelance projects, or volunteering at an organization. This shows you proactively used the time to upskill or contribute positively, keeping potential red flags at bay.

In the end, remember that your resume, like a product design, improves with iteration and user feedback. Keep refining, avoid these common pitfalls, and before you know it, you'll have a compelling resume at hand.

10. Average salary and job outlook for product designers

When it comes to the fiscal reward for your creativity, as a product designer, you're in pretty good stead. According to recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average yearly salary for a product designer was a comfortable $75,910 as of May 2022. 

So, that's the present. Now, let's glance into the future. The Bureau projects a steady growth in employment opportunities for industrial designers. From 2022 to 2032, they anticipate a 2% growth rate, roughly on par with the average trajectory across all occupations. 

What’s more, the BLS also estimates that there will be around 2,200 job openings for product designers each year, as an average over the coming decade. 

All in all, the product design profession promises a sleek future. Ready to dive into the pool of opportunities? Well, a spruced-up resume is your first step!

11. Top resources for aspiring product designers

In the dynamic world of product design, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve. That's where some of the best resources catered to product designers come in handy. 

To support you in your job hunt and career growth, let's uncover some of these helpful platforms:

• Professional networks: Sites like LinkedIn and Behance provide a great platform to showcase your portfolio, connect with other design professionals, and explore job opportunities.
• Learning platforms: Online learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare offer plenty of tutorials and classes to brush up on both the technical and soft skills.
• Product design blogs and websites: Sources like InVision's blog, Smashing Magazine, UXdesign.cc, and Medium house a wealth of information on the latest trends, best practices, and insightful case studies in the field of product design.
• Job boards: General job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn Jobs are great, but do check out specialized design job boards like Dribbble Jobs, Coroflot, and Behance Joblist.
• Portfolio hosting sites: Showcase your work on platforms like Dribbble, Behance, or build your website using Wix or WordPress to ensure your designs reach potential employers. 
• Podcasts and books: Listen to podcasts such as "Design Better Podcast", "The Rosenfeld Review," or read books like "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug and "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman to keep the design spirit alive.
• Job fairs and events: Don't underestimate the power of networking at industry-specific events, meetups, or career fairs. Events like the Interaction Design Association's (IxDA) local group meetups or AIGA design conferences can offer invaluable opportunities to interact with industry professionals and potential employers.

These tools, platforms, and resources can not only enhance your job search but can also guide you in consistently improving your skills, staying updated with the industry, and connecting with the design community. 

In a profession as dynamic as product design, becoming a lifelong learner is perhaps one of the most crucial job requirements. Thus, don't stop at securing a job — keep growing, keep designing, and more than anything, keep creating.