Creative Director Resume: Free Sample to Download & Top Tips

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As a Creative Director, you’re likely used to inspiring creativity in your team and ensuring they produce the best advertisements they can. But does your motivation extend to maximising your resume? Our resume templates and expert advice for advertising professionals can help!

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ResumeGiants » Examples » Creative Director Resume

If you want to prepare the perfect creative director resume in just a few steps, you’ve come to the right place!

You’ll need a resume that’s just as original, thorough, and nuanced as the job itself. 

This guide explains:

• What creative directors do; their job responsibilities, required skills, and more
• How to format and structure your resume to find work as a creative director
• What to include in each section to make your resume stand out from the rest
• How to understand and use examples of art/creative director resumes
• The typical skills, activities, experience, and education needed to become a successful creative director 
• What you can do to make your resume one-of-a-kind

Feel free to use this creative director sample resume as a guide for your own. It combines all of the points we’ll discuss later on into one example.

Resume Example

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[Susan Hart]

[Creative Director]

[145 Center Street, Ithaca, NY, 50492 | 543-392-0252 | susanbhart@gmail.com]

Summary

Professional creative director with 10+ years of experience managing creative teams and developing digital branding packages that support user experience. Well-versed in synthesizing, creating, and refining new ideas to give clients a competitive advantage online

Experience

Creative Director

Blue Bird Brand Management | Ithaca, NY

2019 – Present

• Lead team of 12 creative strategists who creative digital media branding and promotional packages for six regular Fortune 500 clients; Oversee advertising budget of $1.2M and generate $5.6M in sales.
• Conduct market research and analysis to identify trends and practice for successful projects.
• Collaborate with client-facing account managers and internal marketing teams to develop timely campaigns and promote them across various digital and print platforms.

Freelance Creative Director

Self-employed | Ithaca, NY

2016 – 2019

• Brainstormed, planned, and developed unique creative projects for e-commerce startups and personal finance brands.
• Created and edited short-form video campaigns for social media marketing; increased Instagram engagement by 15% in 6 months for cryptocurrency company.
• Turned high-level marketing concepts into successful media campaigns across digital and print platforms for local pet sitting business.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Design & Media Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS

2013 – 2016

• Honors: graduated cum laude with a 3.7 GPA.
• Senior thesis: The role of interactive advertisements, social media posts, and videos in promoting brand awareness.

Skills

• Graphic design, sales, business design, project management, branding, creativity, problem-solving, communication, leadership
• Technical: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, HTML, UX Design, Asana, Slack, WordPress, Lightroom

Hobbies and Interests

Volunteer Experiences

Brainstormed and developed creative solutions to support local women’s shelter; Launched weekly art program available to local residents for free.

Your resume for creative director positions should be as innovative and unique as the material you create. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you decide on a creative director resume format:

• Create a resume heading that includes your name, title, and contact information. 

• Group the information on your resume into different sections and be consistent with your formatting. 

• Choose an appropriate format style for organizing your resume’s content
  • Reverse chronological format uses multiple sections to demonstrate your skills and lists the points in each section with the most recent at the top. It puts a lot of focus on your most recent and relevant experiences, which is great if you’re bringing a lot of those to the table
  •  A skill-based format focuses on your abilities and achievements, demonstrating that you’re qualified for the job.

• Use a clean, modest design (font, colors, spacing, etc.) that’s easy to read and understand
  • Unique resumes are great, but don’t overdo it. Organize your info with enough white space so your information is easily scannable and digested

• Keep it simple
  • Wordy sentences clogged with complex language are hard to decipher. Most employers give each resume just a minute or two of time before moving on to the next, so write your achievements as plainly and as clearly as possible.

• Consider how to incorporate other materials 
  • Supplement your “graphic designer” claims with a portfolio link of your previous work or a website.

Creating the right resume layout can get tedious, and creative professionals must address optic when designing their resume. To make this process simple, use a creative director resume template.

Resume templates like ours allow you to focus on the content of your resume and leave the design aspects to someone else!

If your resume is the story of your career, it needs an eye-catching and intriguing hook to reel in your audience quickly—as any good story does!

The more successfully you can hook a potential employer with your resume, the more likely they will read through the whole thing.

A resume objective or a resume summary can help you do this, but they’re best suited for different situations.

• If you have experience in the field, opt for a resume summary. Craft a few short sentences that outline your achievements, skills, and what you have to offer.
• A resume objective is your best bet if you’re new to the industry. Here, you’ll focus on your transferable skills and what you hope to do with them.

🌟Featured Content: Creative directors and art directors sometimes perform the same job tasks, but in many cases, they’re distinctly different positions. Be sure to pay attention to the language of the posting you’re applying for to avoid any confusion.

Creative Director: Resume Summary Example

The following examples illustrate how specific language and examples can help form a complete and effective summary statement.

How to Write an Entry-Level Creative Director Resume Objective

When you can’t rely on experience as a creative director, a resume objective is your best friend.

Resume objectives should summarize who you are, but mostly your skills. State how you’ll use these skills to support a team and accomplishment goals.

Remember, every resume is different, so don’t compare yourself to others. For example, a freelance creative director’s resume won’t—and shouldn’t— look like a senior creative director’s resume, and that’s okay.

Entry-Level Creative Director Resume Objectives

Take a look at the following examples of resume objectives and decide which gives a better picture of the applicant’s skills and experience (even if not as a creative director).

One of your biggest jobs when writing your resume is proving the value of your experiences (jobs).

To do that, you must tailor your experience section and job descriptions to each position you apply for. Make sure the way you describe your experience aligns well with the goals and responsibilities of your new job.

• Include the company name, your job title, and the years worked for each job experience listing.
• Use power verbs to describe your experience.
• Provide specific examples of achievements.

Creative Director Resume Examples: Experience

Take a look at how you should and shouldn’t structure your experience section to cover all your bases.

Entry-Level Creative Director Resume: Experience Section

If you have unrelated experience, you can still include it in your resume.

Specific examples of your achievements with quantifiable results can demonstrate your skills, no matter the industry.

Don’t let your education fade into the background; the best creative director resumes utilize even distant experiences as examples of educational prowess.

Liven up your education section by incorporating major achievements, activities, and acquired skills.

Creative Director Resume Education Section

When creating your resume for an art director or creative director, make sure your education connects to your job responsibilities.

You can also add any certifications or professional associations here, as well.

Below are some examples of key creative director skills that you may want to include in your resume.

Soft skills are not job-specific, but you should mix both hard and soft skills into this section.

Want to create the best creative director resume possible?

Go the extra mile by adding extra sections to your resume. These other sections should add value to your resume and help personalize it.

Creative Director Resume: Sample “Other” Sections

Make sure each section you choose adds something to your resume. If it acts as a distraction, it’s not adding.

Publications

If your creative work was featured in publications, add the titles to your resume.

Awards

Have you received an award for your hard work, academic achievement, or something else? Add it.

Volunteer Experiences

Related volunteer experiences can prove your collaboration, passion, and time management abilities.

Now that we’ve discussed creative director skills, resume tips, and how to write resume sections that stand out from the rest, you’re well-equipped to write one that crushes the competition.

Let’s recap the major points we covered:

• The best creative director resume includes a resume summary or objective, proper formatting, and a breakdown of your educational and professional experiences.
• Write your resume specifics before your introduction.
• Use concise, strong language to make your bullet points pop.
• Focus on the skills and qualifications best suited to the job you’re applying for. Tailor your resume to every position you’re considering for the best results.
• Including other sections can help you fill in any gaps and further distinguish yourself from other applicants.

If you’re still struggling with how to write a resume that gets you the jobs you want, look no further than our creative director resume examples, free online templates, and easy-to-use resume builder.