Writing a Jewelry Design Resume

If you’re an aspiring jewelry designer looking to start a new career, it’s important for you to explore some key resume-building skills before you start applying. Getting started, we asked our jewelry design mentors to develop a brief list of skills they consider absolutely essential to include on a competitive resume in today’s market. For those of you who are enrolled in our jewelry design course, we’ve also included some direction to the section of the curriculum you can head back to for a full lesson. Here’s what we came up with:

1. Trend Identification- This is something we cover throughout the entire course, but for the best refresher you should check out unit 4. A successful jewelry designer must be able to effectively identify upcoming trends in order to maintain and develop seasonal collections that corroborate with market popularity.
2. Cost Negotiation- As we cover in Unit 2, this process begins with the budgeting and logging of development costs. From creating a spreadsheet to developing a fair pricing system for your finished work, this is obviously one of the most essential business skills you’ll need if you want to effectively monetize your creative process.
3. Packaging- This is something we cover in Unit 4 and something that’s essential to business of all kinds. When it comes to the sale of any product- whether it be a new line of lipsticks, a sports drink or a collection of seasonal jewelry, packaging is a chiefly important element of brand presence that you will be expected to have some familiarity with if you want to join the industry as a professional.
4. Portfolio Development- This is likely the most important aspect of your application as a designer. Sharing a portfolio of your completed work is the most effective way to show potential employers your creative vision and style. For our students, you’ll complete the course having already developed your growing portfolio of work that has been evaluated by our mentors and designers. For others, it’s crucial that you put together some finished pieces before you head to your interview.
5. Experience Sourcing Materials- In Lesson 1.4 of our course: Buying Tools and Supplies, we explore all the different places in which you can buy jewelry making supplies. You’ll learn to list the different types of bead and tool suppliers as well as the best methods for purchasing jewelry supplies both online and at retail stores. As an effective member of any design team, this is an essential skill you’ll need to develop.

Want to learn more? The New York Institute of Art and Design offers an online jewelry design course that can teach you how to create and sell your own unique line of jewelry. Request your free course catalog today!