You sparkle with creativity and are ready to show it off with your next commission or full-time position designing jewelry. Your portfolio shows off your work; now you need a gem of a jewelry designer resume to go along with it.
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You’ve come to the right place! With our online resources for job seekers, you will be well on your way to your next amazing job or project. You might start by browsing our collection of more than 350 occupation-specific resume examples, with a writing guide for each one.
Or keep reading this guide, designed specifically for jewelry designers and supported by a jewelry designer resume example that you can modify. It offers tips to help you:
- Approach resume creation in the context of what jewelry designers do
- Break the resume writing task into manageable steps aligned with the framework of parts
- Choose the best format for your jewelry designer resume
- Optimize the impact of each resume section: header, profile, employment history, education and skills
- Let your artistic ability shine through your resume format and style
What do jewelry designers do?
Obviously, jewelry designers create original design concepts for pieces of jewelry. They go on to manage the prototype and model-making process.
Some jewelry designers work for manufacturing firms, where multiple copies of the same pieces are produced, while others design unique pieces of custom jewelry for individual clients. In the latter instance, they collaborate closely with clients at different project stages.
The use of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) has come to play an integral role in making product design easier and automating some steps. Being able to view a design on the computer and see the effect of changing different aspects provides assurance of a satisfactory result before any stones are cut or any other costly steps are taken.
For more ideas and inspiration, take a look at these writing guides and resume examples for other artistic occupations.
- Photographer resume example
- Visual artist resume example
- Graphic designer resume example
- Fashion designer resume example
- Tattoo artist resume sample
- Costume designer resume example
- Wedding photographer resume example
- Landscape designer resume example
- Illustrator resume example
- Floral designer resume sample
- Freelancer resume example
Little or no change in employment growth for jewelry workers overall is expected from 2020 to 2030. Although job vacancies will still need to be filled when employees retire or change occupations, increasing imports of jewelry and rising productivity due to automation are having a limiting impact on market demand and employment.
How to write a jewelry designer resume
Your approach to creating an effective jewelry designer resume should always be geared to the specific position you are seeking. Before coming back to that later on, let’s look at what all resumes have in common, across all occupations — the framework of parts. Your jewelry designer resume should include these components, all fitting on a single page:
Choosing the best resume format for jewelry designers
The resume format you choose depends on your background and desired career path as a jewelry designer. No matter what format makes the most sense, your goal is to convince your next employer or new clients to choose you.
If you are self-employed, your preference may be to describe the types of commissioned pieces you have completed or the clients who have purchased lines of your jewelry. A functional resume format enables you to do so.
But If you have worked mostly for someone else in a design, retail or manufacturing environment — in other words, as an employee — the employment history section of your resume should list those positions in reverse chronological order. This is the most commonly used resume format, and generally preferred by hiring managers.
A hybrid (combination) resume format offers even more versatility by including both chronological and functional elements.
Resume header
An attractive header design will help ensure your jewelry designer resume gets more than a passing glance, and for all the right reasons. Distinctively different, in a tastefully creative way, is likely the first impression you want to make on employers or clients before they even read a word of your resume. That’s the obvious esthetic reason for putting enough thought and effort into an eye-pleasing header. Ideally, it should be replicated on your cover letter, so your two job application documents look like a matching pair.
The practical purpose of a header is to draw the reader’s eyes to the most easily noticed and remembered information on the page: your name, occupation, contact information and possibly a link to your portfolio of work samples. And the surrounding white space makes everything else look more inviting to read.
As an artist, you may choose to include a photo of yourself as part of your resume header. Consider that decision carefully.
Jewelry designer resume profile example
For an artist, this section can be a bit different from that of a business profile (also known as the summary or personal statement). You can offer a descriptive synopsis of your work, your style, and how you approach designing jewelry. Whether you are creating fine jewelry and working with gemstones or whimsical pieces for funky boutiques, your profile should give recruiters, hiring managers or potential clients a sense of who you are — after all, art is personal.
If you do decide on an artist statement approach for these three to five sentences, keep the focus on your jewelry design style and types of individual pieces. If you have a specialty, such as commissioned engagement rings, describe how you work with a client to ensure they are satisfied and to have the piece reflect their personality. This will also let recruiters know that you have excellent communication skills!
On the other hand, your artist statement may be featured in your portfolio of work samples. In that case, your resume summary can be more like a traditional business profile. It should highlight your biggest accomplishments or your favorite pieces. You can also tell prospective employers what environment you flourish in and a little about your process.
Here are some types / examples of questions you may consider answering in your resume profile:
- Do you work with CAD software?
- Have you collaborated with a creative director?
- Are you up on market trends?
- What materials do you prefer to use in your jewelry pieces?
Your profile or artist statement should offer insights into your professional personality, your style, and your achievements.
Below is a jewelry designer resume sample summary you can customize.
Passionate Jewelry Designer with 12+ years of experience related to design, manufacturing, and sales. Conscientious about delivering superior design service to clients, with a flair for innovative and striking styles. Dedicated to creating timeless pieces that clients enjoy wearing as much as I enjoy creating them.
Employment history sample
The employment history section of your jewelry designer resume should show your growth as a professional. That means it should be more than merely a bullet-point listing of job duties and responsibilities. Instead, your work experience should be framed as a series of accomplishments, reflecting different abilities.
Whether you adopt the chronological or functional resume format, as discussed earlier, in either case, you should be emphasizing your ability to use a variety of materials to create accessories for the ears, neck, hands, fingers, feet and toes. Use strong descriptive words and action verbs to show your creativity, technical skills, and talent when it comes to the design process. Be sure to highlight your imagination and fashion awareness, both of which play a role in creating pleasing pieces.
Each job or project description should build on the skills reflected in earlier positions. Try not to repeat projects, achievements and depictions of skills. Remember, space is at a premium and you want to highlight as many different accomplishments and attributes as you can. There's no need to list all your work experiences, especially if you have many.
Below is a jewelry designer employment history resume sample you can modify.
New York Co- Jewelry Designer at Sarah Trellis Jewelry
Jun 2014 - Present
- Serve as co-jewelry designer to lead designer, Sarah Trellis, who has credited my contributions to four award-winning pieces and 12 featured in leading trade magazines.
- Aim to provide optimal customer service at all stages, by listening intently to what clients need and want, and being receptive to their feedback.
- Consult with clients before beginning work on their hand-crafted products, and then throughout the design process to achieve the desired elements: karat and color of their chosen metal, diamonds or colored stones, sizing, and everything else in between.
New York Jewelry Sales Associate at Sarah Trellis Jewelry
May 2011 - May 2014
- Acted as the first point of contact with studio visitors, greeting them with a helpful and friendly attitude.
- Guided visitors and customers as they viewed the display cases, and showed them pieces that interested them.
- Ensured that clients were fitted before completing a sale or order.
- Handled all financial transactions and maintained and organized receipts and records.
New York Administrative Assistant at Kelly's Fine Jewels
Oct 2009 - Apr 2011
- Served as an enthusiastic assistant to designer, Kelly Hope.
- Aided Ms. Hope in answering calls, creating and organizing schedules, and maintaining client portfolios.
- Maintained shop inventory and worked to keep a clean and organized environment, conducive to a pleasant customer experience.
Jewelry designer resume education example
There are many paths to becoming a jewelry designer. You may have a bachelor of arts degree, or completed other formal training. Perhaps you learned on the job or through an apprenticeship. No matter which route you took, recruiters or prospective clients will want to know where you learned the foundations of your craft. Thisinformation belongs in your resume's education section.
List all your college degrees here, as well as relevant diploma or certificate programs you’ve completed. These should appear and certifications here in reverse chronological order from highest to lowest level. Omit your high school information if you have a college degree. Any honors or distinctions should be noted here as well.
A jewelry designers’ resume may also include certifications and awards you have earned for your work. You may create a separate section for the latter, or list them here, depending on how much space you have.
Below is the education section from a jewelry designer resume you can adapt to your job application.
Hunter College, Bachelor of Business Adminisration, New York
Aug 2005 - May 2009
Gemological Institute of America, Jewelry Design Certificate
Dec 2009
CV skills example
This CV section makes it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to scan for the skills that employers seek. But, more than that, it also reveals the skills you believe are important to do your job. Jewelry designing requires precision, creativity, an understanding of customers, and computer software skills such as Rhino and Adobe Illustrator. Be as specific as you can when listing which software and technical skills you are proficient in.
There are a few things you should know as you begin to put together your list:
- Soft skills, or interpersonal and organizational skills, are highly valued by employers
- Applicant tracking systems (ATS) will be scanning your resume for keywords and ranking your resume using algorithms. So match the skills here with those on the job listing, for the best chance of avoiding ATS rejection.
- Keep this list to a maximum of 10 skills (preferably, fewer)
- Choose skills that distinguish you from other candidates.
Check out a jewelry designer CV sample for the skills section below.
- Superior Design Skills
- In-Depth Knowledge of Gemology
- Interpersonal Communication Skills
- Project Management Skills
Resume layout, design and formatting
We know you understand general design concepts, but resumes are a unique beast in this regard, as they are designed for a very specific purpose and a minimum of “eye time”. Your resume design should reflect your style and creativity, but there are some guidelines to ensure the document stays legible and professional.
Remember the bottom line is recruiters and hiring managers scan dozens of resumes. They won’t spend more than a few seconds on any of them, especially if they can’t easily find important information such as the identifying details in the header, section titles or work work experience headings.
We definitely recommend using a field-tested resume template such as those in Resume.io's collection. Perhaps choose one from our creative or modern design categories. Together with our dedicated online resume builder, a template will help ensure all formatting is correct. You can also link directly to your portfolio from Resume.io! Make sure your links are prominently displayed when you design your resume.
Key takeaways for a jewelry designer resume
- Limited employment growth in the jewelry industry will make job competition tighter. The need for an outstanding jewelry designer resume will become more essential than ever.
- Whether you are applying for an employee position or client projects, your resume should be tailored specifically to what the job requires.
- Pay close attention to the posted job ad to determine what should be emphasized in your resume, also being mindful of keywords to avoid ATS rejection.
- A ready-made resume template — just like the one used for our adaptable jewelry designer resume example featured here — eliminates the hassle that comes with layout, design and formatting details, without sacrificing your creativity.
With your talent on display, you are ready to design the next facet of your career. Go ahead and get that dream job!
