Build a UX/UI Designer Resume that beats ATS filters

Header + portfolio link

Your portfolio link has to be in plain text, right in the header. A recruiter who has to hunt for it moves on to the next resume.

• Job title: UX/UI Designer, UX Designer or UI Designer, based on your focus
• Portfolio link spelled out in full (not hidden behind an icon the ATS can't read)
• Contact details and location in plain text
• LinkedIn and, if relevant, Dribbble or Behance

Summary (3-4 lines)

Your 3-second pitch. The reader should spot your focus, your domain and one result without scrolling the resume.

• Focus: UX, UI, product design or design systems
• Domain: SaaS, e-commerce, mobile, internal tools
• Primary tool and method (Figma, usability testing)
• Headline achievement with numbers: conversion, completion, design system adoption

Skills (organized)

The most heavily scanned section for design ATS. Group it into readable families, not one long list.

• Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD (most proficient first)
• UX: user research, usability testing, wireframes
• UI: design system, prototyping, accessibility (WCAG)
• Methods: Design Thinking, handoff, A/B testing
• No skill bars: "Figma 90%" means nothing to a recruiter.

Experience (concrete projects)

Each role should read like a series of projects with measured results, not a copied job description.

• Format: Title | Company | Domain | Dates
• 3-5 bullets per role, starting with action verbs (Designed, Redesigned, Tested, Prototyped, Shipped)
• Quantify impact: conversion, completion, time on task, components adopted
• Name tools and methods in context, not just in the skills list

Selected projects

A well-told project is worth more than a paragraph of generic responsibilities. This is where the portfolio link earns its place.

• Project + role (UX, UI, product designer) + deliverable
• Describe the user problem you solved, not just the screen
• Tie each project to a measurable result and a portfolio case study
• A direct link to the relevant case study when you can

Education & Certifications (optional)

Education counts, especially early in your career. Call out what matches the target role and works as an immediate fit signal.

• Design education, degree or career switch (bootcamp, degree)
• Certifications (Google UX, Interaction Design Foundation, Nielsen Norman)
• Languages and real proficiency if the role is international

Sending your portfolio as your resume

A two-column portfolio PDF, however beautiful, is not a resume. The ATS extracts almost nothing from it and your application never reaches the recruiter.

No impact numbers

"Created mockups" says nothing. A design lead looks for a measurable result: conversion, completion rate, time on task, components adopted.

Showing the visuals, hiding the process

A resume that only talks about "beautiful screens" reads as a decorative profile. Product recruiters look for the user research, testing and iteration behind the pixels.

Two-column resume with icons

Sidebars, columns and pictograms look like a "portfolio," but ATS systems scramble the column content and produce a resume the machine can't read.

Not showing your focus

UX, UI, product design or design systems: these profiles carry different keywords. A resume that won't commit confuses the ATS and buries your real specialty.