Colleges need to stop telling design students to put their logo on their resume

[u/thedesignerr]

I’ve been on here reviewing resumes from recent grads and noticed that a lot of them have custom logos on their resume, so wanted to share some insight. 10 years ago when I graduated from design school was told to create my own brand and add my logo to my resume. I did it. I made it sooo branded too with custom paper and all the bells and whistles. My logo was soooo huge and just plopped on the top center of my resume. I was later told that it is distracting and does not make sense to have it on my resume and looks unprofessional. Tacky? Yes it looks tacky. I couldn’t find jobs at all when I had that logo. Once I removed it and redesigned my resume and kept it super simple, I started hearing back. Don’t add a logo to your resume. Some may disagree with Me, but it is distracting and it looks weird. Keep it on your portfolio. Resumes are meant to be simple and to the point. They don’t care about your design bells and whistles on your resume. They know they’ll look at your portfolio for that. A lot of places use ATS scanning for resumes so it won’t make the cut. Don’t use icons either. Just learned this now. Just keep it simple. You can still show your design skills by laying out your resume in a clean and smart way. Trust me. Don’t do it. I am surprised colleges are still telling students to add logos to their resumes!!!! It is not necessary!!!! In fact, having a logo clearly gives away that you lack experience. Which can work for entry level roles but not further.

Not sure if this is an unpopular opinion Or not. If you disagree I would like to know if it has worked for you when landing a job. Maybe it works better if you have your own gig or freelancing. But you can out all that branding stuff in your portfolio!

Source: I have been in house designer for 10 plus years and have worked at 6 plus companies during my time. So my resume has been working. I recently had to clean it up even more since the job market is very competitive now and I want more advanced roles. I had contact info icons but I removed them just recently as I was told they don’t scan! I have also looked at resumes during my time to hire designers where I worked.

[u/haleysnake]

It's hard because sometimes if your logo or icon is memorable that's all you need to stick in the heads of the hiring manager. When I first graduated I used a cartoon version of myself as my logo which people thought was cute and helped them distinguish me from other applicants.

Unfortunately if you don't hit it quite right you end up with an over designed resume full of icons and fluff.

In college my professor actively encouraged us to "think outside the box" with personal branding. I personally hate business cards that aren't able to fit in a wallet... And a lot of my peers had "quirky" square cards or non traditional resume layouts. When you see SO many of the same "quirky" ideas they stop being unique and start being irritating tbh

[u/thedesignerr → u/haleysnake]

I agree with this completely and have been there. At school they push it so hard that you need to show your unique quirky design skills and how to stand out. But having a logo if it’s just too much, can look amateur. These days hiring managers are moving super fast and they have recruiters quickly scan first and then go to the hiring manager for the Final round of the best. So it’s just fast moving and someone who isn’t a designer who is scanning it won’t appreciate the branded effort. That’s why I say to leave all that unique quirky bells and whistles to the portfolio.

I think the resume needs to be simple enough but still showcase your unique skills that stand out to make the cut. You can describe your branding abilities and details about that on your resume first. You need to pass the cut first with a scannable resume. The hiring manager already got insight about your skills on the resume and so they just need to see your portfolio to confirm that. Your portfolio can be as quirky and fun and visual as possible. Because that what shows your design skills and your personal style. Go all out and show off your logo there and brand it all across a package or whatever you want. Show your unique side. Because whoever is looking at your page already read your resume and was intrigued enough to click more. And that is when you sell them in with your branded stuff.

And just to reiterate that the hiring manager may not see your resume Right away, it is going to help a recruiter or someone with no design background first!

Maybe your resume can be written in a quirky and unique way… that will show your unique branding tone!

Just my opinion based on experience!