Adobe Illustrator skills to look for in candidates
Adobe Illustrator has quite a steep learning curve, and even beginner designers will usually have six to 12 months’ experience working with the program. Candidates can have different levels of skill in Adobe Illustrator, so you will have to figure out how much expertise you need for the open role in your organization.
With that in mind, Adobe Illustrator designers can be divided into three levels of experience levels: entry-level, advanced, and proficient.
Entry-level designers usually know how to use:
• Selection tools
• Pen tools
• Shape tools
• The basics of the Properties panel
• Fills and strokes
• File-creation features
• Simple layers
Advanced designers typically understand how to use:
• Advanced drawing tools, such as the Curvature, Shaper, and Blob Brush tools
• The Libraries panel, swatches, and gradients
• Advanced stroke settings, such as caps and corners
Proficient designers normally grasp how to use:
• Mesh and slice tools
• 3D tools and clipping masks
• Envelope warping and print tiling
• The Magic Wand tool and all of its properties
• How to recruit the right candidate
If you’re recruiting a designer, you may need them to have more than just technical skills in Adobe Illustrator. It’s important to hire for culture add and look for candidates whose personal values align with those of your organization. On top of this, they should have the following soft skills:
• Communication skills: The right candidate should know how to communicate internally and externally. Internally, they should know how to communicate with their peers, colleagues, and managers by using active listening and ensuring that their message gets through. Externally, they need to be able to communicate with various stakeholders via their design work, emails, and presentations.
• Creativity: The work of a designer is inherently creative. They have to effectively communicate the essence of the brand or their message by creating images, illustrations, and graphics. That’s why the right candidate needs to have creative abilities.
• Teamwork: A designer usually works on projects with several colleagues, so they need to be team players if they want to succeed in the role.
• Presentation skills: Designers should know how to communicate their ideas and images using presentations. This will enable them to influence others in the workplace and properly present their work.