How to Improve Your Resume

How to highlight creative skills on your resume

Showcasing your creative skills effectively on your resume requires more than simply listing them—it’s about illustrating how these abilities contribute to concrete achievements and make you a standout candidate. Here’s a guide to emphasizing creativity on your resume.

Tailor your creative skills for the job description

Take a close look at the job description to identify specific creative skills and keywords the employer is seeking.

Look for phrases like “innovative thinking,” “creative problem-solving,” or “content creation.” Then, incorporate these keywords naturally into your resume. For instance, if the job emphasizes “creative marketing strategies,” ensure that phrases like “developed innovative marketing campaigns” appear in your experience section.

Use specific examples of accomplishments

Use numbers and specific outcomes to illustrate the impact of your creative skills. Quantifiable results provide concrete evidence of your abilities and make your accomplishments more impressive. Describe the context of your achievements to give employers a clear understanding of your role and the creative processes you employed.

For example:

  • Designed a new branding strategy that led to a 40% increase in brand recognition within six months
  • Implemented a creative social media campaign that boosted engagement rates by 30% and expanded the follower base by 15%

Highlight a variety of projects to demonstrate the breadth of your creativity. This could include different types of media, industries, or problem-solving scenarios.

Choose action words

Start each bullet point with strong action verbs that express creativity and initiative. Words like “innovated,” “designed,” “conceptualized,” “developed,” “crafted,” and “engineered” emphasize your active role in creative endeavors. Steer clear of passive phrases like “responsible for” or “involved in.” Instead, use active language to clearly showcase your contributions and signal a proactive approach.

Here are examples of a passive statement and an active one:

  • Passive: Responsible for campaign ideas
  • Active: Conceptualized and executed a multimedia campaign that increased sales by 20%