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A senior art director is a highly respected professional in the creative industry. This is largely a leadership role where you will be guiding a team or department as opposed to doing direct design work yourself. Your tasks may include consulting with clients, concept creation, communicating your vision to your team, guiding your team, handling budgets and purchases, etc.
As this is a senior position, a bachelor’s degree in design, or a related field, is expected, as is at least 5-10 years of successful experience as an art director. Here is a strong senior art director resume sample to give you an idea of what recruiters are looking for.
Part of your job will include mentoring members of your team or department. Ensure you highlight any mentorship experience you may have. Not only will it show capability, but it’ll also show that you excelled enough in the profession to be considered a mentor.
Communication is a very big part of your job. Knowing more than one language is therefore bound to give you an edge, especially if the company you are applying to is international. List all languages you know and how proficient you are with each.
We reached out to hiring managers at top companies like Ogilvy, BBDO, and Wieden+Kennedy to understand what they look for in Senior Art Director resumes. Here are their top tips for creating a resume that will help you land your next senior role.
Hiring managers want to see the breadth of your creative work. Include a link to your online portfolio in your resume header.
Avoid just saying you have a portfolio without a link, or worse, not mentioning a portfolio at all:
The summary section of your resume is optional, but it can be a valuable addition for Senior Art Directors. It provides an opportunity to highlight your most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume. However, it's important to avoid using an objective statement, as they are outdated and often fail to provide value to the hiring manager.
When crafting your summary, focus on tailoring it specifically to the Senior Art Director role you are applying for. Emphasize your expertise in leading creative teams, developing brand strategies, and delivering innovative design solutions. By doing so, you can capture the attention of the hiring manager and demonstrate your fit for the position right from the start.
The work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you show hiring managers what you've accomplished in previous roles, and how that translates to the senior art director position you're applying for. To make this section stand out, focus on your most relevant and impressive achievements, and use specific examples and metrics to back them up.
The education section of your resume for a senior art director position should be concise and relevant. It's important to highlight your educational background and any certifications that are directly related to the field of art direction. Here are some tips to help you craft an effective education section:
The skills section of your resume is one of the most important parts, especially for a Senior Art Director role. Hiring managers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will scan this section to quickly assess if you have the right skills for the job. It's crucial to showcase your most relevant and impressive skills in a clear, concise manner.
In this section, we'll cover the key steps to write an effective skills section that will catch the attention of potential employers and help you land your dream Senior Art Director job.
Here are examples of popular skills from Senior Art Director job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Senior Art Director job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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