By: Matthew Meyers

Designing a professional resume photograph 

We’ve all been there –  a new job, internship or otherwise exciting opportunity arises and a comprehensive resume is required. It can be a daunting task to think through the methods of effectively communicating this information.

Needless to say, we may even become self-conscious or frustrated because our own accolades don’t seem to live up to or fit within the traditional resume format. But with some simple skills in the Adobe suite, a bland or incomplete resume can become a thing of the past.

Certainly, in some industries, a standard, typed resume is expected, but in a creative field such as branding or graphic design, you have a chance to not only write about your skills on a resume, but demonstrate them.

One awesome addition to a resume can be a professional photograph of yourself. Before reading the first word, your potential employers will have a face for the name at the top of the page. This is one way to make your resume stand out and foster a more personal review of your materials.

Step 1: Photograph Background

Open a blank document in Adobe Illustrator and select the Pie Chart tool under the Graph menu. This is what we will use to construct the circular background of our photo.

A data input box will appear on the workspace. Copy the following information into your chart, and press the checkmark to create your graph.

The graph that appears will be in grayscale only, and this can look pretty drab. To add pop to your picture, use the Group Selection tool, clicking each section of the pie chart and selecting your desired color from either the color selection box or the Eyedropper tool. Try to select colors from the same family to make your design professional and visually cohesive.

The result will be a multicolored pie chart with varying shades of a single color.

Step 2: Photograph Cut-Out

Now, it’s time to hop over to Photoshop to cut out your photograph into a perfect circle to be placed inside the pie chart. This will create a bordered “profile picture” appearance to your headshot.

Open your photograph and turn your locked background layer into a normal layer.

Using the Elliptical Marquee Tool, drag a circular selection encompassing your full head, face, and the top of your neck. 

Under the Select tab, click Inverse to move your selection from everything inside of the marquee to everything outside of it instead. 

Once inverted, press delete. Your circular image will remain. Save this image as a .PNG image, and we’ll move back to Illustrator for the final step.

Step 3: Final Photograph Placement

Once you’re back in Illustrator, simply insert your circular photograph and center it over your Pie Chart. The result is a visually pleasing, professional, and creative profile picture to add some flare to your resume!