Interior Designer
Resume Example

Who does not want to be an interior designer? It is a dream job for most people. But it is somewhat difficult to achieve even though many people are qualified. But after reading this interior design resume guide, you will understand that it is not that difficult to get an interior design job if you are really qualified.

How to write an interior designer resume

First let’s see what are the resume sections that need to be included to make your resume an impactful one.

• Resume header
• Profile summary
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills

Additionally, you can use optional sections dedicated for Certifications and Awards to make your resume further stand out. You just need one page to fit all this information in order to create an excellent resume at the end.

Now let’s learn how to make a great interior design resume in a few simple steps.

01. Include your contact information on resume header

If you apply for an opening at an architectural firm and the recruiters are satisfied with you, they will definitely look at your resume’s header to get the contact details of you.

What information should be on an interior design resume header?

• Full name (first and last)
• Job title
• Phone
• Email
• Location
• LinkedIn URL
• Portfolio link

In some job advertisements, the same job can be also called Interior Decorator. When applying the job title to your resume, try to use the name mentioned in the job ad. That makes your resume more relevant to the job you are applying for.

The phone number and the email address are some very important details on your resume. These two should be very accurate because the recruiter uses these details to get in touch with you in the future.

It’s not necessary to mention your full address with streets and other details. Just mention the city and state. The hiring managers just need to know whether you are close to the office or not.

LinkedIn is a great professional network that you should use. If you haven’t a profile, sign up to LinkedIn right now. Adding your LinkedIn profile to your resume header will enable hiring managers to know more insights about you.

A superb interior design portfolio demonstrates to the hiring managers why the specific candidate should be hired by their company. An interior design portfolio exhibits the personality and planning abilities of an interior designer. A portfolio contains more images than words and focuses on demonstrating an individual’s style and creativity.

Therefore adding a portfolio link in your interior designer resume is a great trick to grab the recruiter’s attention.

02. Write a creative resume summary for interior designer job

In a resume summary you should summarize and showcase some of the best career achievements you have made in your interior design career and you are most proud of.

In addition, you can add the following information to your profile:

• Your passion towards interior designing and the area of focus.
• Technologies and tools you are most skilled at.
• Awards and recognitions for your design work.
• Mention the years of experience you have to demonstrate your expertise.

The following interior designer resume summary sample has been created by adding the information above.

But what if you have little or no experience with interior design projects?

Then you should go with a resume objective.

Do you know how a resume objective differs from a resume summary? In a resume objective statement you should prioritize your skills and explain how you can become a top candidate for the relevant organization since you have not enough experience to show. You can describe your school design projects and publications for popular magazines.

Do you have any volunteering experience or freelancing interior designing experience? Feel free to specify them in a word or two.

Here’s an example of an effective interior design resume objective statement:

Let’s move on to the interior designer resume work experience section.

03. Showcase your valuable interior design experience

The work experience section is one of the most important sections in your interior designer resume. If you want to get a good job in the architecture industry, your previous experience will be a great help. So when describing your work experience, don’t forget to highlight your project management and technical skills and turn it into an impressive resume.

If the details are properly entered, this section is sufficient for the recruiter to measure your skills and abilities.

Here you need to write the name of your previous company/organization, location, employment dates, the job title you held, and achievements you’ve made under that job title.

One of the mistakes that many interior designer applicants make when creating their resume work history section is to list the duties and responsibilities assigned to them in their previous positions. This is really something you should not do as a competitive interior designer candidate. Instead, all you have to do is list the achievements you have made in each position.

Here are some more tips to write your killer resume work experience section:

• Don’t mention your experience 15 years ago. Just mention the latest and the most relevant.
• List your experience in a reverse-chronological order (most recent experience first)
• Avoid inserting more than 5 achievement bullet points under one job.
• Always start your achievements with strong resume action verbs.
• Quantify your interior designing accomplishments whenever possible.

List of interior designer resume action verbs

• Delivered
• Trained
• Managed
• Oversaw
• Ensured
• Designed
• Decorated
• Created
• Exceeded
• Reviewed
• Planned
• Monitored
• Organized
• Coordinated
• Mentored
• Built
• Rendered
• Refurbished
• Remodelled

Here’s a great work experience example for an interior designer resume:

For someone with tons of experience, it is not really a big deal to have a better work experience section than the sample given above. But what if you do not have much experience or you are a recent college graduate? The following tips are for you.

• List volunteering and freelancing projects you did for free for nonprofit organizations, friends and family, or small businesses.
• Describe what helped you design your portfolio.
• If you have no relevant experience, describe your experience which can highlight your project management or administrative skills.
• Briefly present your experience in handling interior designing software.
• Mention your paid/unpaid internship experiences.

04. List your relevant education qualifications as an interior designer

If you have a lot of interior design related experience, the education section will not be a crucial job winning factor. But if you are an entry level applicant, the education section of your resume will play a major role in your job hunt.

Usually to become an interior designer you are required to have a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Interior Design or any other related degree.

When you list your education qualifications keep in mind to specify the following details.

• Name of the degree program
• Name and the location of the institute
• GPA (Only if it is above 3.0)
• Related coursework
• Extra curricular activities and achievements at the college

See the below sample resume education section and get inspired to write yours:

If you have a masters qualification or a special qualification in design, be sure to mention them too. They will be boosters to make your resume a winning one.

05. Showcase your interior designing hard and soft skills

Every architect firms and interior designing companies try to recruit skilled people when hiring employees to their organizations. So it’s very important to convince the hiring manager that you are a candidate with the specific skills requirement.

The most important thing is whether you are armed with relevant skills. Therefore, no matter which position you are applying for, such as a commercial or residential interior architect, check the skills required by the applicants in the job advertisement. If you really have those skills, give them more space in your interior designer resume skills section.

Most in-demand interior design resume skills

Soft Skills

• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail
• Teamwork / collaboration
• Time management
• Creativity
• Organization
• Negotiation
• Problem solving
• Artistic eye

Hard Skills

• Autodesk Revit
• AutoCAD
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• 2D / 3D drawings
• Sketching
• Vendor management
• Project management
• Design drafting
• Sketchup
• ADA standards
• Technical drawing
• Space planning
• Live Home 3D
• Real estate
• Property safety codes
• Structural design

Do not include all these skills in your resume. Read the job ad carefully and include only the skills required and a few other related skills to give a shine to your resume.

06. Consider inserting a few certifications

As a designer, you have to differentiate yourself from the other job seekers in the job competition. What is your uniqueness or the competitive edge?

This is why you need to be certified in your job field. Having an industry recognized certification for your name is undoubtedly an added advantage for you to get hired as an interior designer of a top architect firm.

Most in-demand certifications for an interior designer resume:

• Certified Interior Designer (CIDQ)
• National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ)
• Certified Interior Decorator (CID)
• Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer (NKBA)
• Residential Interior Design Qualification Certification (DSA)
• Certified Real Estate Inspector (ASHI)
• Certified Planning Engineer (AAPM)
• LEED AP Building Design + Construction (GBCI)

Few last tips for a winning interior designer resume

01. Use keywords!

Before getting started to write your resume, you should carefully read the job advertisement and highlight the important keywords if there are any.

They could be qualifications or required skills. Just highlight them! They are very important to be in your interior design resume. That will undoubtedly help you to get past the ATS scan. Applicant tracking systems are basically looking for keywords in resumes.

And remember that you should tailor your resume with keywords for each and every job you are applying for. A single resume will not fit all jobs even with the same job title.

02. Don’t make your interior design resume super fancy.

Maintain a minimal and easy-to-read resume design. If the recruiter feels your resume is too much, they will most likely go on to the next resume on the big resume pile.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. You can do the following to make your resume look more modern and clean.

• Use a clean resume template.
• Use one of the recommended resume fonts.
• Don’t use more than two colors on a resume.
• Make good use of white space.

Finally our advice for all the interior designer job seekers is that your resume should be simple as well as professional. Your resume design should not outshine your qualifications, skills, and experiences.

That’s the end of our interior designer resume guide.

We hope you now have the ability and knowledge to write a great resume. If you still have problems with resume writing, we invite you to read our complete resume guide.

Or are you ready to create your interior designer resume right now?

Interior Designer Resume Sample (Text Version)