Resume Writing Tips for Faculty & Graphic Designer

Introduction

Whether you're a university faculty member aiming for tenure or a graphic designer seeking a creative role at a top agency, your resume needs to clearly communicate your value and qualifications. Faculty resumes must balance academic rigor with teaching and research skills, while graphic designers need to demonstrate both artistic flair and technical proficiency. This blog will provide detailed tips to help both professionals craft resumes that get noticed.

1. Resume Summary

The resume summary is your elevator pitch—concise yet compelling. It should encapsulate your core strengths, experience, and career goals. For faculty, focus on your academic achievements, research interests, and teaching excellence. For graphic designers, emphasize your creative skills, design expertise, and client results.

Example: “Dynamic Assistant Professor with 7+ years of experience in modern literature, awarded three research grants, and praised for innovative course design fostering student engagement.”

2. Key Skills

Including a dedicated key skills section helps both ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scans and human reviewers quickly assess if you fit the role. Use industry-specific jargon, and tailor skills to each application.

• Curriculum Development
• Research Methodologies
• Academic Publishing
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• Typography & Layout Design
• Instructional Design
• Project Management
• Brand Identity Development
• Data Analysis (SPSS, R)
• User Experience (UX) Design

3. Achievements vs. Responsibilities

Rather than listing mundane responsibilities, highlight your measurable achievements. Use action verbs and quantify results whenever possible. For faculty, this might be grants secured or courses revamped. For graphic designers, project success rates or awards won are compelling.

Example: “Secured $150K in research funding resulting in a published paper cited by 50+ peers within one year.”

4. Tailor to Job

Customize your resume for every application by analyzing the job description. Use keywords from the listing and mirror the language used. This not only helps ATS algorithms but shows recruiters that you’ve done your homework and understand their needs.

5. Tools

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• LaTeX (Academic Writing)
• SPSS & R (Statistical Analysis)
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Sketch
• Figma
• InVision
• CMS Platforms (WordPress, Moodle)

6. Metrics

• Increased student satisfaction ratings by 15% through redesigned curriculum.
• Delivered 30+ presentations at international conferences.
• Reduced project turnaround time by 20% in design workflows.
• Managed budgets exceeding $100K for academic grants.
• Boosted client brand engagement by 40% through targeted redesigns.

7. Education

• Ph.D. in English Literature, Columbia University, 2017
• MFA in Graphic Design, Rhode Island School of Design, 2016

8. Format

• Use clean, professional fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica.
• Maintain a consistent structure with clear headers and bullet points for easy scanning.

9. Concise

Keep bullet points crisp and focused. Ideally, each point should be one to two lines long. Avoid jargon or fluff that doesn’t add value. Emphasize clarity and impact.

10. Bonus

• Include hyperlinks to your professional portfolio, Google Scholar profile, or LinkedIn.
• For graphic designers, embed a QR code linking to an online portfolio for hiring managers to access easily.

Examples

• Faculty achievement bullet: “Published 5 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, contributing to a 25% increase in departmental research impact.”
• Graphic designer bullet: “Led branding project for a startup resulting in a 50% increase in customer acquisition within 6 months.”

Conclusion

Whether you are a faculty member or a graphic designer, your resume must clearly showcase your impact, leadership, and analytical skills. Demonstrating quantifiable achievements, aligning your skills with the role, and maintaining a clean, readable format improves both ATS compatibility and recruiter appeal. With these tips, you can create a powerful resume that not only highlights your expertise but also tells your professional story effectively—bringing you one step closer to your career goals.