7 tips for creating a great UX resume (or CV)

Twenty years ago, my first career path after college was as a technical recruiter, but that was a short-lived detour that quickly transitioned into web and software design. During the last half of my career, I’ve been privileged to work as the UX leader for a lot of really amazing practitioners, many of whom I personally hired.

In short: I’ve seen a lot of resumes. I’ve written a lot of resumes, too.

Based on that experience, I’d like to share my top tips for creating a great UX resume. In this article, I’ll focus on designer resumes, but the recommendations are also relevant for lots of other roles.

Tip #1: Treat your resume like a design project

When we start design projects, we usually have a series of questions that we ask ourselves. Things like:

• What’s the problem I’m trying to solve?
• Who is my target audience? (You normally call them your users.)
• How will I know that my design is successful?

Your resume is really just another design project, so start by asking yourself these same questions — and push yourself to come up with real answers.

What’s the problem I’m trying to solve?

If your answer to this question is “I want to find a new job,” then that’s not quite right, is it? Because you don’t just want any job. You want a specific type of job, doing work that aligns with your specific skills and interests — and maybe you even have one (or a few) specific companies in mind.

Take a moment to consider the types of jobs that really appeal to you. Do you prefer consumer or enterprise design? Websites, mobile apps, or software? Large companies or small start ups? Only you know what inspires you to do your best work.

Who is my target audience?

Next, really think about your target audience. Who are you trying to sell? (Yes, your resume is a sales tool for you.)

Your audience includes recruiters, who are likely scanning your resume very quickly to determine whether your specific background aligns with the limited set of roles they’re trying to fill. Make that easy for them to do!

Your audience also includes the people you’ll be working with — both peers and leaders. They’ll dig more deeply into your resume, looking for a more nuanced view of your skills, interests, experience, and value. Make it easy for them, too!

HR Generalists and Compensation will often use your resume for insight to whether your values align with their company and at what level they might hire you. Offer information that paints a clear picture of where you are in your career and the type of company you’ll succeed with.

How will I know my design is successful?

Your success criteria is something like, “X% of companies I’m interested in contact me to schedule an interview.” But how can you predict success before you send your resume out to a bunch of companies and see what response you get?

Test it! Send it to a small sample of peers and leaders you trust, and ask them targeted questions like:

• What types of positions do you think my resume qualifies me for?
• At what level would you hire someone with this resume?
• What questions do you have about me, now that you’ve read my resume?

Just like with usability testing, if you ask vague questions, you’re going to get vague answers. Be specific, and use the feedback to make refinements.

Tip #2: Ideate on your message

If you followed the recommendations in Tip #1, then you’ve narrowed down the type of job you’re targeting. Now, go through a brainstorming exercise where you generate key phrases about your interests, experience, and the accomplishments that make you the proudest. Use sticky notes, Mural, or some other technique you normally enjoy to get ideas flowing.

Now, you’ve got the start to your resume’s content.

Tip #3: Content really, really matters

Content always matters when creating a great design. Your resume is no different. Good thing that as a designer, you have experience creating content that’s:

• Highly targeted
• Clear and concise
• Written in active voice
• Free of typos and grammatical errors

Now that we’ve covered the basics: Be specific about the types of companies you’ve worked for and what they do. I spend a lot of time Googling companies while reviewing resumes. Unless you work for a company like Google or Microsoft, assume you need to educate your reader.

Content hierarchy is really important, too. What’s the most important information your target audience will want to know? Put that first. For example, as a new college grad, your educational credentials are highly relevant and may be worth putting at the top of your resume. If you have some experience, though, your alma mater becomes far less important. Prioritize accordingly.

Tip #4: Aesthetics are important

As a designer, your resume really should be beautiful. After all, it’s probably the first impression your potential employer will have of your design skills. (This is less true for non-designers and possibly detrimental in some professions that prefer a boilerplate black/white resume.)

Just like you would for a design project, create a small visual language.

• Pick one or two easy-to-read, modern fonts for headers, body copy, and other content elements. Remember to send your resume as a PDF to preserve your design choices.
• Choose a small palette of complementary colors — one of which should be a subdued gray or black for body copy.
• Select (or create, if you’re an awesome illustrator) a small set of icons that you can use sparingly to make your resume more scannable.
• Design a layout that clearly reflects your content hierarchy and draws the eye to important information.

See, it’s easy — just another small design project!

Many designer candidates use out-of-the-box templates for their resumes. If you go this route, I have two pieces of advice:

1. Use it as a guide, and then make it your own. Customize it to reflect your personal style.
2. Pick something that’s interesting. My recruiter tells me there is one template that he sees about 15 times a week. When he linked me to an example, I recognized it, too.

Tip #5: Keep it brief

Two pages. Max. That’s it. (Nobody wants to read a 5-page resume.)

You’ve got 20 years of professional experience? Me, too. That means I have to deprioritize experience that’s outdated or less relevant. If I feel like there is reason to include it, I offer only a brief, one- or two-bullet summary of the role.

Also, within each of your job descriptions, minimize content about table-stakes daily activities like wireframing or A/B testing. In fact, consider moving that information to its own “Skills” or “Expertise” section that applies to all of your roles. Focus, instead, on the goals of the position, the problems you solved, and the value you brought.

Tip #6: Update it, as needed

You’ve got new experience since the last time you created a resume? Add it!

Also, think deeply about the specific job you’re applying for, and look closely at its requirements. Then, craft a unique version of your resume that highlights that precise experience. It’s extra effort that’s worth it for the job of your dreams.

I really can’t emphasize this tip enough. The easier it is for a reader to see your relevant experience, the more likely it is that he or she will contact you.

Tip #7: Don’t get discouraged

Even if you have the world’s most perfect resume, not every company you apply with will contact you. The reasons why are honestly endless.

Maybe you applied just as they decided to make the offer to another candidate. Maybe the headcount was unexpectedly cut. Maybe they’re just looking for some very specific thing that you couldn’t have possibly known.

That’s OK! Don’t take it personally.

If you’ve sent your resume to a fair number of companies and no one replies, then it’s time to consider whether your resume is crafted to send the message you intend. Otherwise, remember you’re awesome, and the right thing will come along.

Special thanks to my UX Recruiter, Rupert Douglas (@RupertCDouglas), for your thoughts and sanity checks on this article.