Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your unique aesthetic and project management skills can be a daunting challenge for an interior designer. Our guide provides actionable tips and industry-specific insights to help you highlight your design expertise and professional accomplishments, ensuring your CV stands out to potential employers.
- Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
- Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
- Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
- Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.
If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.
How complex should the format of your interior designer CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your interior designer CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
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For certain fields, consider including infographics or visual elements to represent skills or achievements, but ensure they are simple, professional, and enhance rather than clutter the information.
The top sections on a interior designer CV
- Professional Summary to reveal the designer's philosophy.
- Design Skills showcasing software and artistic competencies.
- Portfolio Link to present real-world design examples.
- Work Experience to detail industry relevance and impact.
- Education and Training showing formal qualifications.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your design philosophy and creative process, as this showcases your unique approach and methodology to potential employers or clients seeking an interior designer with a distinct style.
- Include a portfolio link or images of your past projects to demonstrate your aesthetic sense, understanding of space, and ability to translate ideas into tangible designs.
- Detail your proficiency in industry-specific software such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and 3D visualisation tools, as mastery of these applications is essential for modern interior design.
- Emphasise any collaborative projects or team leadership experience to indicate your ability to work effectively with clients, architects, contractors, and other stakeholders in the design process.
- Showcase your knowledge of current trends, materials, furniture, and fixtures, as well as any sustainability practices you integrate into your designs, to highlight your commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility.
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How to present your contact details and job keywords in your interior designer CV header
Located at the top of your interior designer CV, the header presents recruiters with your key personal information, headline, and professional photo. When creating your CV header, include your:
- Contact details - avoid listing your work email or telephone number and, also, email addresses that sound unprofessional (e.g. koolKittyCat$3@gmail.com is definitely a big no);
- Headline - it should be relevant, concise, and specific to the role you're applying for, integrating keywords and action verbs;
- Photo - instead of including a photograph from your family reunion, select one that shows you in a more professional light. It's also good to note that in some countries (e.g. the UK and US), it's best to avoid photos on your CV as they may serve as bias.
What do other industry professionals include in their CV header? Make sure to check out the next bit of your guide to see real-life examples:
Examples of good CV headlines for interior designer:
- Lead Residential Space Planner | Creative Concepts & Sustainability Focus | BA Honours Interior Design | 10+ Yrs Exp.
- Junior Interior Designer | Innovative Retail Environments | CAD & 3D Visualisation Expert | RIBA Certified | 2 Yrs Exp.
- Senior Interior Architect | Commercial & Hospitality | Project Management Pro | MA Interior Design | 15+ Years
- Creative Director | Bespoke Interiors & Brand Spaces | FF&E Specialist | BIID Member | 20 Yrs Experience
- Mid-Level Interior Decorator | Contemporary Home Stylist | Colour Theory Enthusiast | BTEC Diploma | 5 Yrs Exp.
- Conceptual Design Consultant | Office Refurbishment Innovator | Sustainable Solutions | BSc Interior Architecture | 8+ Yrs Exp.
Choosing your opening statement: a interior designer CV summary or objective
At the top one third of your CV, you have the chance to make a more personable impression on recruiters by selecting between:
- Summary - or those three to five sentences that you use to show your greatest achievements. Use the CV summary if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience and wish to highlight your greatest successes;
- Objective - provides you with up to five sentences to state your professional aims and mission in the company you're applying for
CV summaries for a interior designer job:
- Seasoned Interior Designer with over 10 years of experience leveraging strong conceptual skills to transform spaces into bespoke environments. Proven track record in residential design, expert in CAD software with a remarkable flair for modern aesthetics and functionality. Recipient of the Luxe Residential Excellence Award 2021.
- Dedicated and innovative Interior Designer boasting 8 vigorous years in commercial space planning and design. Skilfully blends brand identity with creative visions, proficient in 3D modeling and sustainable design practices. Lead designer for the acclaimed 'GreenTech Office Complex' project.
- Architect turned Interior Designer eager to apply extensive knowledge of space management and eco-friendly design principles to a new career path. Familiar with Revit and SketchUp, looking to employ a synergistic approach to interior spaces. Notable achievement includes Architectural Digest's Innovation Award 2020.
- Experienced Graphic Designer transitioning to Interior Design, bringing a unique blend of brand awareness and spatial creativity to the table. Keen eye for textures and color with a specialization in digital visualization tools. Successful rebranding campaign for a major retail chain as a highlight.
- Aiming to launch a career in Interior Design driven by a passion for creating inviting and functional living spaces. With no formal experience but armed with a degree in Fine Arts and deep appreciation for architecture and decor. Dedicated to learning and excelling in environmental and ergonomic design.
- Pursuing the creative challenge of Interior Design, eager to apply a fresh perspective and a fervent interest in contemporary trends to create innovative spaces. Desiring to develop under a professional mentorship, I hold a strong background in visual arts and commitment to adaptive and detail-oriented design.
The best formula for your interior designer CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Delivered personalised interior designs for over 30 residential projects, reflecting the clients' style and functionality needs while staying within budget and time constraints.
- Collaborated with architects and contractors during renovation projects to ensure design integrity, resulting in a 15% increase in client satisfaction.
- Sourced materials from sustainable suppliers and incorporated energy-efficient solutions, reducing clients' environmental impact and operating costs by an average of 20%.
- Managed the full design process from concept to completion, including mood boards, spatial planning, and 3D renderings, enhancing clients' visualisation and decision-making experience.
- Successfully balanced multiple projects simultaneously, demonstrating excellent time management skills and a commitment to meeting tight deadlines without compromising on design quality.
- Provided expert guidance on colour schemes, fabrics, and furniture selection, leading to repeat business from 40% of clients and a 5-star rating on professional review platforms.
- Developed relationships with vendors to secure exclusive deals on high-quality materials, saving clients on average 15% on furnishings and finishes.
- Conducted thorough consultations to fully understand clients' aspirations and lifestyle, which resulted in highly tailored and functional living spaces that reflected individual personalities.
- Engaged in continuous professional development, including attending trade shows and following interior design trends, ensuring innovative and contemporary design solutions.
- Led a team of junior designers on a high-end residential project, managing budgets upwards of £500,000 and ensuring delivery on time which improved client satisfaction by 30%.
- Spearheaded the green initiative for office spaces, incorporating sustainable practices and materials that reduced the carbon footprint of projects by 15%.
- Pioneered a digital mock-up process that increased client approval rates by 25% through effective visualisation of design concepts.
- Successfully launched a boutique interior design service, securing over 20 unique clients in the first year and increasing annual revenue by 50% year-on-year.
- Designed an award-winning commercial space featured in 'Design Week', bolstering reputation in the design community and attracting three major industry leaders as clients.
- Implemented cost-saving measures in sourcing materials, which led to a reduction in overall project expenses by 20%, allowing for competitive pricing and client savings.
- Collaborated on the design of a 200-room luxury hotel, overseeing the selection of bespoke furnishings that led to the venue being rated as a 5-star establishment.
- Negotiated with suppliers to ensure high-quality materials within budget, ultimately saving the project £100,000 without compromising on design integrity.
- Conducted comprehensive space planning analyses for multiple retail chain redesigns leading to a 10% increase in customer flow and potential sales.
- Played a key role in a design team for a major restaurant revamp, which after completion saw a customer increase of 40% due to the enhanced dining atmosphere.
- Assisted in the material selection process, adopting innovative textiles and finishes which became a standard across future projects for their durability and cost-effectiveness.
- Developed advanced technical drawings and 3D representations that decreased project lead times by streamlining decision-making processes.
- Managed the refurbishment of a historic hotel, respecting architectural heritage while introducing modern amenities, resulting in a National Design Award.
- Led the budgeting and procurement process for interior design projects worth over £2 million annually, consistently delivering under budget with an average saving of 5%.
- Formed strategic partnerships with artisanal vendors, enriching the uniqueness and authenticity of interior solutions offered to high-end clientele.
- Showcased creative prowess in the use of mixed media in commercial spaces, which have been cited as a central feature in increasing foot traffic by 25% in retail environments.
- Curated multiple residential projects featuring avant-garde design elements that became trendsetters in local property markets, enhancing sales by an average of 18%.
- Integrated smart home technologies in over 30 residential projects, significantly improving functionality and user experience, which was highlighted in customer testimonials.
- Oversaw the complete redesign of a corporate headquarters that reflected the brand's ethos and led to a 20% increase in employee productivity.
- Implemented ergonomic workspace solutions for a series of health-conscious businesses, resulting in client reports of reduced employee absenteeism by 12%.
- Facilitated workshops to incorporate employee feedback into workspace designs, which was a first in the firm and improved overall project satisfaction scores by 15%.
- Specialised in high-end, made-to-measure residential designs for a discerning clientele, increasing project contracts by 35% through referrals and repeat business.
- Conducted in-depth market research to inform design strategies that maximised property values by an average of 20%, far exceeding the local market rate.
- Established a comprehensive vendor system that streamlined the sourcing process for rare materials, reducing lead times by 25% and enhancing project efficiency.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your interior designer CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your interior designer CV:
Design Conceptualisation
Spatial Planning
Architectural Drawing
3D Rendering
Material Specification
Project Management
Budgeting and Cost Estimation
Color Theory
Furniture Design
Sustainable Design Practices
Creativity
Communication
Attention to Detail
Problem Solving
Time Management
Adaptability
Teamwork
Negotiation
Client Relations
Visualization
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Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Education and more professional qualifications to include in your interior designer CV
If you want to showcase to recruiters that you're further qualified for the role, ensure you've included your relevant university diplomas. Within your education section:
- Describe your degree with your university name(-s) and start-graduation dates;
- List any awards you've received, if you deem they would be impressive or are relevant to the industry;
- Include your projects and publications, if you need to further showcase how you've used your technical know-how;
- Avoid listing your A-level marks, as your potential employers care to learn more about your university background.
Apart from your higher education, ensure that you've curated your relevant certificates or courses by listing the:
- name of the certificate or course;
- name of the institution within which you received your training;
- the date(-s) when you obtained your accreditation.
In the next section, discover some of the most relevant certificates for your interior designer CV:
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Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
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Key takeaways
Write your professional interior designer CV by studying and understanding what the role expectations are. You should next:
- Focus on tailoring your content to answer specific requirements by integrating advert keywords through various CV sections;
- Balance your technical know-how with your personal skills to showcase what the unique value would be of working with you;
- Ensure your CV grammar and spelling (especially of your key information and contact details) is correct;
- Write a CV summary, if your experience is relevant, and an objective, if your career ambitions are more impressive;
- Use active language by including strong, action verbs across your experience, summary/objective, achievements sections.
