Avoid These Resume Pitfalls and Land Your Dream Motion Graphics Role
Identify and correct the mistakes that keep hiring managers from seeing your creative talent.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
- Objective statements are often vague and add little value
- Hiring managers skim resumes and may skip generic sections
- ATS may not match keywords found in a tailored summary
- Replace the objective with a 2âsentence professional summary
- Highlight your motionâgraphics expertise, years of experience, and key tools
- Incorporate 2â3 roleâspecific keywords
Objective: Seeking a challenging position where I can utilize my skills.
Professional Summary: Creative Motion Graphics Designer with 5+ years crafting dynamic visual content for broadcast and digital platforms. Proficient in After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Blender, delivering awardâwinning animations that boost audience engagement.
- Recruiters cannot gauge your actual skill level
- ATS may overlook skills buried in a long list
- The resume looks like a keyword dump
- Create a "Core Skills" section with categories (Design, 3D, Editing)
- Add proficiency levels (Expert, Advanced, Intermediate)
- Tie each skill to a project or achievement in the experience section
Skills: After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Cinema 4D, Blender, Maya, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, etc.
Core Skills: - Motion Design: After Effects (Expert), Premiere Pro (Advanced) - 3D Animation: Cinema 4D (Advanced), Blender (Intermediate) - Visual Effects: Photoshop (Expert), Illustrator (Advanced)
- Clutters the resume and dilutes impact
- Hiring managers lose focus on relevant experience
- ATS may penalize excessive entries with low relevance
- Select 3â5 most relevant projects that align with the target role
- For each, include role, client, dates, and measurable results
- Group older or peripheral work under an "Additional Projects" subsection
Freelance Projects: - Wedding video editing (2021) - Social media graphics for a bakery (2020) - Animated logo for a local gym (2019) - ... (10 more)
Selected Freelance Projects: Motion Graphics Designer â Tech Startup (JanâŻ2022âŻââŻJunâŻ2022) - Designed UI animations for mobile app, increasing user interaction by 22%. - Created explainer video (60âŻsec) that generated 15k views on launch. Motion Graphics Designer â Marketing Agency (MarâŻ2021âŻââŻDecâŻ2021) - Produced 12 promotional videos for product launches, contributing to a 30% sales lift. Additional Projects (see portfolio): wedding video editing, bakery social media graphics, etc.
- ATS may fail to parse employment dates
- Hiring managers may misinterpret timeline gaps
- Inconsistent formatting looks unprofessional
- Adopt a uniform format: "MMMâŻYYYY" (e.g., JanâŻ2020)
- Place dates on the right side of each entry for easy scanning
- Ensure all dates are reverseâchronological
June 2019 â March 2021
JunâŻ2019âŻââŻMarâŻ2021
- Many ATS cannot read embedded media and may reject the file
- File size can become too large, causing upload issues
- Recruiters may view a broken or blank placeholder
- Remove embedded media; instead, add a short, clickable URL to your online portfolio or demo reel
- Host videos on platforms like Vimeo or YouTube and use a clean hyperlink
- Keep the PDF under 2âŻMB
[Embedded video of animated intro]
Portfolio: https://vimeo.com/yourname/animatedâintro
- Use a clear, descriptive headline
- Tailor the professional summary to motionâgraphics roles
- Include key software with proficiency levels
- Show measurable impact in each project description
- Keep dates consistent and reverseâchronological
- Add a link to an online portfolio or demo reel
- Save as a searchable PDF under 2âŻMB
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
- Convert objective to summary
- Add quantified achievements
- Standardize dates
- Insert relevant keywords
- Optimize file for ATS