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If you’re finishing up uni or planning to apply for internships or your first full-time gig, then having a strong resume and a portfolio can make a big difference. The good news: you don’t have to be a design expert to put together something clean and professional. You can build both a resume and portfolio that look good and show your skills using Adobe Express.
Why choose Adobe Express?
Adobe Express gives you access to hundreds of ready-made templates for resumes and portfolios, which you can customise easily. You can drag and drop icons, images, change fonts, and adjust colours so your materials reflect you. And it works online, so no heavy software installation required.
Did we mention it’s free to access if you’re a Curtin student?
Step 1 – Build your resume
Start by picking a template that fits the kind of work you’re going after. On Adobe Express you’ll find “student resume” or “professional resume” templates already set up. Populate it with your name, contact info and a short summary of what you bring to the table. Then list your education, any relevant work (or volunteer) experience, skills, and any projects you’ve done. Keep it to one page if possible as recruiters often skim.
With Express you can also customise colours and layout so your resume stands out visually but remains clean. When you’re happy, download it as a PDF or share digitally.
Step 2 – Create your portfolio
If you’ve done assignments, group projects, internships or side-hustle work, a portfolio is your chance to show what you actually did. Adobe Express has templates for an online portfolio or a portfolio PDF. Choose the pieces that best represent you.
For each piece include a short description: what it was, what role you had, what you produced or learned. In the design tool you can upload images (screenshots of work, designs, code samples, etc), and arrange them so they look intentional. Then share via a link or export as a document.
Step 3 – Make sure everything is consistent
One of the simplest things to do that makes a big difference: match the style of your resume and portfolio. Use the same font family, colour palette, and general layout feel. That way when someone opens your files they immediately get a sense you are organised and thoughtful. With Adobe Express you can reuse styles easily across documents. Also check that your contact info is the same across everything (especially your email and LinkedIn profile if you have one).
Step 4 – Tailor it
Every job or internship is slightly different. Before you send your resume or portfolio out, tweak it for the role. If the job emphasises “teamwork and communication”, make sure your portfolio shows a project where you worked with others and talk about your communication role. If it’s a creative role, highlight design or visual work. Adobe Express makes it easy to duplicate your base version and adjust without starting again from scratch.
Step 5 – Review and share
Once you have both documents ready, ask someone you trust (a friend, tutor, career service) to look over them. They can spot typos, confusing layout issues or things you’ve missed. After feedback, finalise your files and share. For your resume you might upload it to a job portal or attach to an email. For your portfolio you can send the link or include it in your email signature (i.e: “View my work: [link]”).
Creating a resume and portfolio may feel like a big task, but tools like Adobe Express make it much simpler. With some time invested you’ll end up with materials that show who you are, not just what you’ve done. It’s a great way to transition from uni student to professional candidate.
When your documents reflect you clearly, you increase your chance of being noticed. Give yourself the time now. It’s worth it.
