Resume example · For job seekers
Illustrator Resume Example
An illustrator resume example that works with your portfolio, with summaries for each level, skills and software to list, client bullets and layout tips.
The short answer
A strong Illustrator resume opens with a short summary, groups the skills employers will test, and backs each role with bullets that show what changed because of your work. Below is a full example, summary wording for graduate, career changer, freelance or mid level and senior or lead candidates, and how to get through applicant tracking systems.
- Let your portfolio carry the visuals; keep the resume clean and readable so the information is easy to find.
- A subtle accent colour or small mark is fine; avoid full illustrated backgrounds that make text hard to read or parse.
- Link each notable client or project to the piece in your portfolio where you can.
For an illustrator, the portfolio does most of the persuading, but the resume decides whether someone clicks through to it. It needs to show the kind of work you do (editorial, publishing, games, packaging, animation), who you have done it for, the tools you use and how reliably you deliver to a brief. This guide includes a full illustrator resume example, summary wording for each stage, bullets you can adapt, and how to keep a visual resume readable by applicant tracking systems.
Example Illustrator resume
Maya Lindqvist
Illustrator, Editorial and Publishing
Glasgow, UKmaya.lindqvist@example.comexample.com/maya-portfolio
Summary
Freelance illustrator with six years of editorial, publishing and packaging commissions. Bold, textured style; clear communication with art directors; print-ready files on time.
Skills
- Software
- Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign
- Media
- Gouache, Ink, Screen printing
- Specialisms
- Editorial, Picture books, Packaging
Experience
Freelance Illustrator · Self-employed, Glasgow
2020 – present
- Picture book for Fourth Coffee Press: character design through to print-ready spreads.
- Monthly editorial illustrations for a business magazine, delivered within each print deadline.
- Packaging illustrations for a range of six teas, fitted to dielines with the client’s designer.
- Manage quotes, invoices and licensing terms for all commissions.
Junior Designer and Illustrator · Contoso Creative, Edinburgh
2018 – 2020
- Created spot illustrations and social graphics for client campaigns.
- Built a reusable illustration library for the studio’s largest client.
Education
BA (Hons) Illustration · Contoso School of Art
2015 – 2018
Exhibitions and awards
- Group show, city illustration festival (illustrative).
- Shortlisted, regional picture book prize (illustrative).
Summary examples
Three or four lines at the top of the page. Pick the one closest to your situation and rewrite it with your own tools and work.
Graduate
Career changer
Freelance or mid level
Senior or lead
Skills to list
Hard skills
Soft skills
List only what you could be tested on. Soft skills carry more weight shown in a bullet than named in a list.
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Experience bullet points
Commissions and clients
- Illustrated a 32-page picture book for an independent publisher, from character sketches to final print files.
- Created monthly editorial illustrations for a business magazine, turning around each piece within the weekly print deadline.
- Designed packaging illustrations for a range of six teas, working with the client’s designer to fit dielines and print constraints.
Studio and in-house work
- Developed the illustration style guide used across a product’s website, app and campaigns.
- Produced character concepts and key art for two mobile games, iterating with the art director through several rounds.
- Built a library of reusable spot illustrations that the marketing team could adapt without new commissions.
Business and process
- Introduced a simple brief and sign-off template for freelance clients, which reduced late changes after final artwork.
- Managed quotes, invoices and licensing terms for freelance commissions.
What to include
Header
Name, city, email and a prominent portfolio link. Add Instagram or Behance only if it shows professional work. UK careers advice is to leave off date of birth, marital status and nationality.
Summary
Two or three lines describing your style, the sectors you work in and the media you use.
Selected clients or experience
Employers and notable clients with the type of work you did for each. Freelancers can group commissions under one “Freelance illustrator” heading.
Skills and software
Software and media in short groups. Match the advert’s tools where you use them.
Education, awards and exhibitions
Degree or course, plus competitions, exhibitions and publications that back up your work.
Formatting
- Let your portfolio carry the visuals; keep the resume clean and readable so the information is easy to find.
- A subtle accent colour or small mark is fine; avoid full illustrated backgrounds that make text hard to read or parse.
- Link each notable client or project to the piece in your portfolio where you can.
- Keep it to one page.
- Export as a text-based PDF, not an image of your resume.
Getting past applicant tracking systems
- 1Make sure the text is selectable in your PDF; an image-only resume cannot be read by tracking software.
- 2Name software exactly, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Procreate.
- 3Use standard headings like Experience, Skills and Education even if your layout is creative.
- 4Avoid skill bars and icons in place of words.
- 5Put your portfolio URL in plain text as well as any linked button.
Common mistakes
- A broken, private or out-of-date portfolio link.
- A heavily designed resume that cannot be read by software or quickly by a person.
- Listing every tool you have opened instead of those you use professionally.
- Not saying what kind of illustration you do, so the reader cannot see a fit.
- Leaving out freelance work because it was not a salaried job.
Common questions
Do illustrators need a resume if they have a portfolio?
Yes for most studio, in-house and agency roles. The resume gives the context (clients, roles, dates, tools) that a portfolio alone does not, and it is often what applicant tracking systems read first.
Should an illustrator resume be creative?
A light personal touch is fine, but readability matters more. Keep text selectable, use standard headings and let the portfolio show your style.
How do I list freelance work?
Use one “Freelance illustrator” entry with dates and bullets for your most relevant clients or projects. Name clients only if you are allowed to.
CV or resume for illustration jobs?
Use the word in the advert. In the UK it is usually a CV, and official careers advice is to leave off date of birth, marital status and nationality.
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