Resumes for the Entertainment Industry

by Lynne Rhys, JD, ResumeEdge.com Editor, CPRW

You sing, you dance, you act, and you’re great behind the camera too. But can you write a good resume? Let’s face it: jobs in your industry are extraordinarily difficult to land, and a good entertainment resume looks very different from one, say, for an accountant. Luckily, there are ways to pump up your resume that can help you stand out when you’re going for that big break.

One important key to a great show biz resume doesn’t have a thing to do with writing. It’s all about record-keeping. You’ll need three lists. First, keep track of every gig you have, even if it’s not in your usual field and even if you didn’t get paid. You may end up with a wild set of credits as a production assistant, writer, director, best boy grip, singer, dancer, set designer, and animal wrangler, but that’s all right – it shows versatility! Get yourself a spiral notebook and keep track of each production, with a description of the production type, director, theater or production company, dates, and your job or role.

Second, keep track of any awards won by you or by the projects you did. You may have played a bit part in a bad movie, but its selection for a film festival looks good on a resume!

Third, keep a list of classes and seminars you’ve taken, because there will probably be some you’ll want to include. For example, master classes can add credibility.

Of course, you probably won’t include everything in these lists on your resume – nobody really cares that you played Martha Washington in your elementary school play. And of course, how you organize your credits will depend on your job goals. But with a full list of credits, an expert can create a resume that really struts your stuff!

Lynne Rhys-Jones is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who specializes in legal, entertainment, and management resumes. A freelance writer and musician, she holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard School, a Master of Science in Information Studies from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy from the University of New Mexico. Request Lynne for your ResumeEdge.com product by keying in her last name only, no caps (rhys) in the 'request your editor' field of the ResumeEdge.com online form. http://www.resumeedge.com/