A creative director is hired for judgement: what to make, what to cut and how to lead the people making it. A creative director resume has to show that judgement on the page itself, without hiding the facts. This guide explains when a photo fits, how to fill the Eclipse resume template, and how a resume works alongside your portfolio or reel.
What is the Eclipse creative director resume template?
Eclipse is a resume template for creative directors, art directors and photographers. A strip runs the full height of the first page along its left edge, with your photo printed in two colours from the design's palette. Later pages keep a plain strip of colour, so the design carries through without repeating the photo. Your name stays the first line at the top.
The design fixes the strip's place, size and two-colour finish. You can add, replace or switch off the photo. With the photo off, the strip stays as plain colour.
Should a creative director resume include a photo?
Follow the country and the advert. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy and Poland, a photo is a common part of a CV. In the Netherlands, Sweden and India it is optional. In the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, a resume normally has no photo, even for senior creative roles. There, let your portfolio or reel speak and choose a design without a photo frame.
If the advert asks for a photo, include one. If it asks for an application without one, leave it out.
Which photo works in a two-colour strip?
A strong, simple portrait with clear contrast works best, because the design reduces it to two colours. Fine detail is lost; shape and light remain.
- Choose a photo with one clear light source and a plain background.
- Make sure your face is well separated from the background in brightness.
- Use a tall crop: the strip is narrow and runs the height of the page.
- Keep your face in the upper part of the photo, where the strip shows it.
If you are a photographer, use a portrait of yourself, not a sample of your work. The work belongs in the portfolio.
What goes on a creative director resume?
Eclipse has one column, with numbered section titles. Your contact details and one portfolio or reel link sit under your name, and your skills run as a single line: the disciplines you lead and the tools you still use yourself. Fill in these details first:
- Portfolio or reel: one link, checked to open, with recent work first.
- Disciplines: brand identity, campaigns, editorial, film, photography, digital products.
- Teams: the size and mix of the teams you have led, if you can state them accurately.
- Languages: each with a plain level.
For each role, give your title, the agency, studio or brand, the city and the dates, then the work:
- "Led a team of eight designers and writers on brand and campaign work for retail and hospitality clients."
- "Set the visual direction for a brand relaunch, from identity to store graphics and social content."
- "Shot and directed product and portrait campaigns; managed crews, locations and post-production."
Name brands and campaigns only when the work is public and you held the role you describe. Avoid awards you did not receive personally; say "the team's campaign won" when that is what happened.
Same story. A little more breathing room.
Switch the layout. Watch how spacing and hierarchy change the way this sample reads.
Alex Morgan
Product designerProfile
Product designer focused on making complex workflows easier to understand.
Experience
Product Designer · Example Studio
- Mapped the onboarding journey with the support team.
- Designed and tested a clearer account setup flow.
- Documented reusable components for the engineering team.
Skills
Interaction design · Prototyping · Design systems
Everything is asking for attention.
Closely packed headings and text leave fewer visual signposts. Try the other treatment.
When should you send the plain ATS PDF instead?
Send the plain version when you apply through a job portal or a large company's careers site. Hiring software reads a single column with standard headings most reliably, and the strip and photo give it nothing to read.
In the editor's download menu, choose PDF — ATS Optimized. It holds the same words in one column, with standard headings and no photo. Keep the Eclipse PDF for emails to a founder, executive recruiter or agency, and for printed copies.
Your experience. A fresh canvas.
Try a different look. These are actual Guul template previews, with illustrative sample content.
Let the page edge carry the photo.
One column, with your photo as a two-colour strip down the left edge and numbered section titles. The design fixes the photo frame.
Make this layout yours ↗The builder opens with your selected template.Replace all sample details with your own experience.Explore the resume lookbook →
How do you show leadership and craft on one page?
Lead with the kind of work you direct, then show one or two disciplines you still practise yourself. Choose relevant evidence for your career story helps you pick which projects to keep. Readable typography matters too: a design-led page still needs text a reader can scan.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my photo look different in the strip?
The design prints it in two colours from its palette, so colour and fine detail are simplified. This finish is part of the design and is fixed.
Does the photo appear on every page?
No. The photo appears on the first page. Later pages keep a plain strip in the same place, so the pages match without repeating your photo.
Is Eclipse right for photographers?
Yes. It suits photographers, art directors, creative directors, design leads and film directors.
Should I send a resume or a portfolio first?
Send both when you can. The resume gives roles and dates a reader can check; the portfolio shows the work.
Start your resume in Eclipse and preview every page before you download.