By the end of this lesson you can
- Write a design CV that is clear and scannable.
- Present experience in terms of impact.
- Keep professional profiles consistent with your portfolio.
The idea
Your CV and online profiles often come before your portfolio. They need to make someone want to click the link.
CV basics
- One or two pages, simple layout, readable fonts.
- Header: name, role, location, email and portfolio link.
- Summary: two or three lines on what you do and what you are looking for.
- Experience: role, organisation, dates and two to four bullet points each.
- Skills and tools: concise, relevant lists.
- Education and training.
Impact bullets
Write bullets as action plus result: "Redesigned the claims form, reducing abandonment from 38% to 21%." Avoid lists of duties ("Responsible for wireframes").
Applicant tracking systems
Many employers use software to scan CVs. Keep layouts simple (avoid text inside images and complex columns) and include key words from the job description where they are true.
Profiles
Keep professional networking profiles consistent with your CV: the same role title, summary and portfolio link.
Career changers
Highlight transferable skills such as research, facilitation, writing or problem solving, with examples.
Why it matters in real projects
A clear CV gets your portfolio opened. Impact-focused bullets show you think about outcomes, which is what design teams want. Consistent profiles make you easier to find and remember, and simple formatting avoids being filtered out by automated systems.
A realistic example
Before: "UX Designer, Acme Ltd. Responsible for wireframes, prototypes and user testing."
After: "UX Designer, Acme Ltd (2023 to 2025). Led research and design for a new onboarding flow, increasing activation from 31% to 46%. Ran fortnightly usability tests and introduced a shared research repository used by four teams."
Step by step
Set up the header
Name, role, location, email and portfolio link.
Write a summary
Two or three lines on who you are and what you want.
Rewrite bullets
Turn duties into action plus result.
Tailor
Match true key words from the job description.
Simplify layout
Avoid complex columns and text in images.
Align profiles
Update your online profiles to match.
Common mistakes
Mistake Listing duties.
Instead Write action plus result bullets.
Mistake Over-designed layouts.
Instead Keep it simple and machine-readable.
Mistake No portfolio link.
Instead Put it in the header.
Check your understanding
Choose an answer, then check it. There is an explanation either way.
Practice exercise
Exercise · about 1 h
Rewrite your CV
Rewrite your CV for a design role.
Steps
- Update the header and summary.
- Rewrite every bullet as action plus result.
- Tailor it to one job description.
- Update one online profile to match.
Deliverable
A rewritten CV and updated profile.
Self-assessment
Tick each item when it is true of your exercise. Be honest; this is for you.
4 items
Summary
- Your CV should make people open your portfolio.
- Write impact bullets.
- Keep layouts simple for scanning.
- Keep profiles consistent.
Further reading
Third-party sources, chosen for reliability. They open in a new tab.
- UX portfolios (opens in a new tab)Interaction Design Foundation
- National Careers Service: CV sections (opens in a new tab)National Careers Service
Your notes
Marking complete updates your course and roadmap progress.