Interior Designer Resume
The art of creativity and design is one that truly brightens up this otherwise humdrum world.
It can be quite a challenge to find your creative side and roll with the punches. You may have a knack for colors and patterns or how things fit well with one another like a life-size game of Tetris.
An interior designer is someone who is well-equipped with innate hard skills and is beyond capable of finding beauty in the mundane. Whether you are a fresh, new graduate with a bachelor’s degree in interior design or a senior interior designer with tons of design projects already under the belt, recruiters, commercial clients, and homeowners are looking for you.
However, in spite of the incredible GPA and extraordinary hard skills, you may have been experiencing some difficulty in attracting new clientele or landing your dream job. You may be struggling to have people take a look at your design concepts and it is probably throwing you off your game, making you question your talents in the beautiful world of interior design.
Well, fret not, for we have analyzed the situation and made some observations that could really help you out. Hence, today, we shall dedicate this time to discussing innovative solutions to spruce up your interior design resume so you can get that interior designer job at the design firm that you have always coveted. By the end, any interior designer resume will demonstrate your potential so you can put your best foot forward to get the attention of the hiring manager.
Let’s get on with it, shall we?
The art of creativity and design is one that truly brightens up this otherwise humdrum world.
It can be quite a challenge to find your creative side and roll with the punches. You may have a knack for colors and patterns or how things fit well with one another like a life-size game of Tetris.
An interior designer is someone who is well-equipped with innate hard skills and is beyond capable of finding beauty in the mundane. Whether you are a fresh, new graduate with a bachelor’s degree in interior design or a senior interior designer with tons of design projects already under the belt, recruiters, commercial clients, and homeowners are looking for you.
However, in spite of the incredible GPA and extraordinary hard skills, you may have been experiencing some difficulty in attracting new clientele or landing your dream job. You may be struggling to have people take a look at your design concepts and it is probably throwing you off your game, making you question your talents in the beautiful world of interior design.
Well, fret not, for we have analyzed the situation and made some observations that could really help you out. Hence, today, we shall dedicate this time to discussing innovative solutions to spruce up your interior design resume so you can get that interior designer job at the design firm that you have always coveted. By the end, any interior designer resume will demonstrate your potential so you can put your best foot forward to get the attention of the hiring manager.
Let’s get on with it, shall we?
8 Best Tips To Create An Interior Designer Resume:
1. The mistakes most interior designers make with their professional resume
Before we move on to what you should put on your perfect resume in order to attract recruiters from popular design firms, let us take a look at the mistakes that might be ruining your first impression.
To begin with, resume writing has one and only one intent. It is to make sure that you convey your skills and capabilities, achievements, and career objectives to the hiring manager. While most professions require long descriptions of technical skills, an interior designer’s resume objective should be to demonstrate their creative talents. Therefore, implement visual aid rather than lengthy sentences for your skills section.
The resume format should never be dull and subdued. Remember, you are an artist, a creator. Display your sense of color and space planning in the resume format to subliminally convey your talents.
Not all job profiles call for enlisting how many years you have served in irrelevant fields. Interior design firms and recruiters are looking for people who are insanely talented with design concepts or great leaders in project management.
Don’t overload your interior design resume with too many project details or pictures. Consider making a video CV if you have a lot of work to share that you are really proud of.
Lastly, don’t create a generalized resume to send out to all hiring managers. People in New York have different styles and tastes than people from Missouri. It’s always best to analyze the market that the design firm caters to, and create relevant interior design resume samples for them.
So now that you know the common mistakes that usually have your interior designer resume discarded, let us talk about the things you should add to your perfect resume during your job search.
What your interior design resume should reflect and hold to impress recruiters and commercial clients.
Now, in order to create a perfect resume that immediately shoots your profile to the top of the hiring manager’s list, you need to pay attention to five important factors.
Before we move on to what you should put on your perfect resume in order to attract recruiters from popular design firms, let us take a look at the mistakes that might be ruining your first impression.
To begin with, resume writing has one and only one intent. It is to make sure that you convey your skills and capabilities, achievements, and career objectives to the hiring manager. While most professions require long descriptions of technical skills, an interior designer’s resume objective should be to demonstrate their creative talents. Therefore, implement visual aid rather than lengthy sentences for your skills section.
The resume format should never be dull and subdued. Remember, you are an artist, a creator. Display your sense of color and space planning in the resume format to subliminally convey your talents.
Not all job profiles call for enlisting how many years you have served in irrelevant fields. Interior design firms and recruiters are looking for people who are insanely talented with design concepts or great leaders in project management.
Don’t overload your interior design resume with too many project details or pictures. Consider making a video CV if you have a lot of work to share that you are really proud of.
Lastly, don’t create a generalized resume to send out to all hiring managers. People in New York have different styles and tastes than people from Missouri. It’s always best to analyze the market that the design firm caters to, and create relevant interior design resume samples for them.
So now that you know the common mistakes that usually have your interior designer resume discarded, let us talk about the things you should add to your perfect resume during your job search.
What your interior design resume should reflect and hold to impress recruiters and commercial clients.
Now, in order to create a perfect resume that immediately shoots your profile to the top of the hiring manager’s list, you need to pay attention to five important factors.
2. Presentation
Remember what we said about selecting the right resume format with color scheme and space planning? Let’s revisit that for a second.
As an artist whose easel is a room or even an entire house, it is important to apply your hard skills in space planning to its optimum use. When designing your resume templates or choosing one from a variety of options presented by Resume Builder, Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. make sure to select appropriate color schemes, font styles, and sizes.
If you are unsure about what a professional resume should look like, feel free to browse interior designer resume samples. Although resume samples submitted by employees at Microsoft, Apple, etc. may not be up your alley as the job descriptions call for different protocols. Nevertheless, you can always derive ideas from LinkedIn profiles, interior design resume examples, and established showrooms.
Also, try to add a little panache to your resume writing. Microsoft Excel may not be your best choice for creating an interior design resume. However, if you are pressed for time, you can always choose to create a free resume on Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, resume Builder, or Adobe creative suite. If you do wish to invest a little in designing a thoroughly professional resume, then you can choose the creative premium accounts on any of these applications.
Put a little thought into where your resume objective goes as it highlights your goals. Use bullet points to keep the design clean and efficient. Add a couple of design concepts in optimal places, and choose a color scheme and font that ties the whole thing together neatly.
Remember what we said about selecting the right resume format with color scheme and space planning? Let’s revisit that for a second.
As an artist whose easel is a room or even an entire house, it is important to apply your hard skills in space planning to its optimum use. When designing your resume templates or choosing one from a variety of options presented by Resume Builder, Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. make sure to select appropriate color schemes, font styles, and sizes.
If you are unsure about what a professional resume should look like, feel free to browse interior designer resume samples. Although resume samples submitted by employees at Microsoft, Apple, etc. may not be up your alley as the job descriptions call for different protocols. Nevertheless, you can always derive ideas from LinkedIn profiles, interior design resume examples, and established showrooms.
Also, try to add a little panache to your resume writing. Microsoft Excel may not be your best choice for creating an interior design resume. However, if you are pressed for time, you can always choose to create a free resume on Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, resume Builder, or Adobe creative suite. If you do wish to invest a little in designing a thoroughly professional resume, then you can choose the creative premium accounts on any of these applications.
Put a little thought into where your resume objective goes as it highlights your goals. Use bullet points to keep the design clean and efficient. Add a couple of design concepts in optimal places, and choose a color scheme and font that ties the whole thing together neatly.
3. Demonstrating a balance in the skills section
Much like any profession, an interior designer must possess certain soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills.
The soft skills come in handy when you need to understand your clients’ expectations and share your design ideas with them. Therefore, your recruiter will need to know that you have good communication skills, listening skills, problem-solving, etc.
The hard skills are ideally focused on your job description such as space planning, budgeting for all the needs of your clients and raw materials, and most importantly, the ability to conceptualize and execute the design project as planned.
Technical skills can be a bit tricky but as an interior designer, you must learn to use at least one of the design apps. Foyr Neo has the best features and is extremely user-friendly, so that would be your safest bet. Besides Foyr Neo, you can also opt to learn Revit, Sketchup, AutoCAD, etc.
Now, in order to impress and convince the hiring manager, ensure to add the skills you absolutely possess in the skills section. If you bluff, make sure to learn the skill before the interview.
Much like any profession, an interior designer must possess certain soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills.
The soft skills come in handy when you need to understand your clients’ expectations and share your design ideas with them. Therefore, your recruiter will need to know that you have good communication skills, listening skills, problem-solving, etc.
The hard skills are ideally focused on your job description such as space planning, budgeting for all the needs of your clients and raw materials, and most importantly, the ability to conceptualize and execute the design project as planned.
Technical skills can be a bit tricky but as an interior designer, you must learn to use at least one of the design apps. Foyr Neo has the best features and is extremely user-friendly, so that would be your safest bet. Besides Foyr Neo, you can also opt to learn Revit, Sketchup, AutoCAD, etc.
Now, in order to impress and convince the hiring manager, ensure to add the skills you absolutely possess in the skills section. If you bluff, make sure to learn the skill before the interview.
4. Attractive design concepts and design projects
It is a good idea to refer to existing resume examples for interior design. You can recreate a resume template that impresses you or bifurcate several to combine them into an innovative design template that suits your specific design concepts.
Use backgrounds that complement your design projects. Install some miniature mood boards to demonstrate your caliber of playing with colors and home décor. Use patterns and textures in your interior design resume for subliminal effects to convey your creativity.
Keep in mind, the goal is to show your recruiters what you can do with small spaces as well as for larger projects, without going overboard. Keep it clean and simple, not to mention, appealing.
It is a good idea to refer to existing resume examples for interior design. You can recreate a resume template that impresses you or bifurcate several to combine them into an innovative design template that suits your specific design concepts.
Use backgrounds that complement your design projects. Install some miniature mood boards to demonstrate your caliber of playing with colors and home décor. Use patterns and textures in your interior design resume for subliminal effects to convey your creativity.
Keep in mind, the goal is to show your recruiters what you can do with small spaces as well as for larger projects, without going overboard. Keep it clean and simple, not to mention, appealing.
5. Your education section and experience section
Although interior design is an art that comes from the heart, you still need credentials to prove that you know what you are doing. Your NCIDQ certification and a bachelor’s degree to prove your interior design qualification inadvertently opens several doors for you. Make sure to include them in your resume.
Also, your work experience in handling project management is a huge bonus on your resume. If you are a fresher, don’t worry about it. Use some design concepts to draw the attention of recruiters. If you have finished an internship then add the details to inform them of your experience.
If, on the other hand, you are an established interior designer working at a company or maybe you freelanced for a while, then your years of experience should show clearly on your resume. Don’t make it boastful, rather keep it to the point with subtle indications such as including the pictures and 3D video models on your video resume.
Although interior design is an art that comes from the heart, you still need credentials to prove that you know what you are doing. Your NCIDQ certification and a bachelor’s degree to prove your interior design qualification inadvertently opens several doors for you. Make sure to include them in your resume.
Also, your work experience in handling project management is a huge bonus on your resume. If you are a fresher, don’t worry about it. Use some design concepts to draw the attention of recruiters. If you have finished an internship then add the details to inform them of your experience.
If, on the other hand, you are an established interior designer working at a company or maybe you freelanced for a while, then your years of experience should show clearly on your resume. Don’t make it boastful, rather keep it to the point with subtle indications such as including the pictures and 3D video models on your video resume.
Refer to some interior designer resume examples to find the right balance for you. After all, the idea is to ensure that the hiring manager knows that you are capable of handling the tasks they throw at you.
Once you create the perfect resume for your chosen design firm, you need to focus your attention on the cover letter. A good cover letter has the following components:
6. A short resume summary
When you write your cover letter, the first thing you must pay attention to is your resume summary. This is a non-promoting way to let the recruiters know what you can do and how well you can do it.
Include substantial information about your work experience, your GPA, your accreditation, achievements, and your strengths and weaknesses. All of this should be summarized in a single paragraph if possible or break it down into sectionals with bullet points. Although you must ensure that the resume summary does not take up all the space. They can get all the information from your resume anyway, so keep it brief.
Once you create the perfect resume for your chosen design firm, you need to focus your attention on the cover letter. A good cover letter has the following components:
6. A short resume summary
When you write your cover letter, the first thing you must pay attention to is your resume summary. This is a non-promoting way to let the recruiters know what you can do and how well you can do it.
Include substantial information about your work experience, your GPA, your accreditation, achievements, and your strengths and weaknesses. All of this should be summarized in a single paragraph if possible or break it down into sectionals with bullet points. Although you must ensure that the resume summary does not take up all the space. They can get all the information from your resume anyway, so keep it brief.
7. An understanding of the company and the job description
Hiring managers and recruiters are inclined to know that you have studied the company profile and the job description that was posted in the job search. Therefore, it is pivotal that you demonstrate that knowledge in passing.
Talk about the company accomplishments that impressed you and motivated you to apply there. This way, they are sure that you are aware of the finesse and standards of the company. Take some time to read their company policies too. If something seems important, include how you follow that policy in everyday life. This aligns your personal interests with the company.
Moving on to the job description, be clear on what they expect. Some design firms may provide specialized services such as designing on a budget or blending art deco with DIY projects. Make sure to understand the exact requirement of their candidates before you apply.
Once you know what they are looking for, express in your cover letter how the job description perfectly aligns with your hard skills and caliber. Go on to further demonstrate what kind of design projects you can develop to maintain their expected standards while providing excellent service.
Reference a few completed projects by the company to let them know that you have thoroughly researched and understood their criteria.
Hiring managers and recruiters are inclined to know that you have studied the company profile and the job description that was posted in the job search. Therefore, it is pivotal that you demonstrate that knowledge in passing.
Talk about the company accomplishments that impressed you and motivated you to apply there. This way, they are sure that you are aware of the finesse and standards of the company. Take some time to read their company policies too. If something seems important, include how you follow that policy in everyday life. This aligns your personal interests with the company.
Moving on to the job description, be clear on what they expect. Some design firms may provide specialized services such as designing on a budget or blending art deco with DIY projects. Make sure to understand the exact requirement of their candidates before you apply.
Once you know what they are looking for, express in your cover letter how the job description perfectly aligns with your hard skills and caliber. Go on to further demonstrate what kind of design projects you can develop to maintain their expected standards while providing excellent service.
Reference a few completed projects by the company to let them know that you have thoroughly researched and understood their criteria.
8. Clear and relevant points why you are the best fit for the interior design job
Finally, your cover letter must clearly express why you are the best fit for the design firm.
As we have already mentioned, study up on the company, the projects they have undertaken, and their expectations. Now, take some time to draft in no small words that you are, in fact, the best possible candidate.
Express how well you understand the company standards, convey some personal goals to align your interests with the design firm, and share how you can help the company reach new heights.
It is also important to convey that you will remain loyal to the interests of the company and they will benefit from hiring you. In order to beat out other candidates, your cover letter must reflect how well you fit in with the design firm and their expectations. You need to show them that you can create high-end design concepts as per their client requirements while budgeting your design projects perfectly with time management.
Finally, your cover letter must clearly express why you are the best fit for the design firm.
As we have already mentioned, study up on the company, the projects they have undertaken, and their expectations. Now, take some time to draft in no small words that you are, in fact, the best possible candidate.
Express how well you understand the company standards, convey some personal goals to align your interests with the design firm, and share how you can help the company reach new heights.
It is also important to convey that you will remain loyal to the interests of the company and they will benefit from hiring you. In order to beat out other candidates, your cover letter must reflect how well you fit in with the design firm and their expectations. You need to show them that you can create high-end design concepts as per their client requirements while budgeting your design projects perfectly with time management.
Conclusion
Approaching your regarded design firm to apply for your dream job can be quite unnerving. However, if you can represent your skills in the best possible light with substantial proof of your capabilities, then it really is just a conversation.
Soft skills are not just for the job role. Use your innate talents to identify the needs of the design firm and communicate your efficiency to the recruiter. It doesn’t matter if you are applying for an entry-level position or a senior advisor and designer. What truly matters is how confident you are about your design skills, how efficiently you can fulfill the requirements of the clientele while paying attention to budgeting, and how well you can translate your design ideas into a visual aid to amaze your clients and acquire the design project.
If you are at a loss with your technical skills, and how to best convert your design ideas on a virtual 3D model, we suggest using the Foyr Neo software. This cloud-based application is extremely user-friendly and provides multiple templates, Moodboards, ff&e, and space planning ideas to choose from. You can easily round up several relevant design concepts to impress the hiring manager, commercial clients, or homeowners with your ideas.
The best part is, Foyr Neo allows you to create 3D renderings of your design plans that you can easily share along with your interior designer resume and cover letter.
We hope you find these tips useful to create a stunning professional resume to impress the design firms of your choice. Don’t forget to add your creative ingenious to the resume template using the Foyr Neo app. Let them know what you are capable of achieving.
Wish you the best of luck!!
Approaching your regarded design firm to apply for your dream job can be quite unnerving. However, if you can represent your skills in the best possible light with substantial proof of your capabilities, then it really is just a conversation.
Soft skills are not just for the job role. Use your innate talents to identify the needs of the design firm and communicate your efficiency to the recruiter. It doesn’t matter if you are applying for an entry-level position or a senior advisor and designer. What truly matters is how confident you are about your design skills, how efficiently you can fulfill the requirements of the clientele while paying attention to budgeting, and how well you can translate your design ideas into a visual aid to amaze your clients and acquire the design project.
If you are at a loss with your technical skills, and how to best convert your design ideas on a virtual 3D model, we suggest using the Foyr Neo software. This cloud-based application is extremely user-friendly and provides multiple templates, Moodboards, ff&e, and space planning ideas to choose from. You can easily round up several relevant design concepts to impress the hiring manager, commercial clients, or homeowners with your ideas.
The best part is, Foyr Neo allows you to create 3D renderings of your design plans that you can easily share along with your interior designer resume and cover letter.
We hope you find these tips useful to create a stunning professional resume to impress the design firms of your choice. Don’t forget to add your creative ingenious to the resume template using the Foyr Neo app. Let them know what you are capable of achieving.
Wish you the best of luck!!
