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THEATRE TOPICS
ARTSLYNX
DEPARTMENTS
THEATRE
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Thoughts on Resumes...
C. 2001 R. Finkelstein
RULES OF THE ROAD . . .
Know your objectives, and know your
audience! Join the trend in producing resumes on demand. A resume
formatted for one specialization may be horribly ineffective when
used for attracting attention in another specialization.
To be effective, a resume will need to convey information in
an efficient, concise, and effective manner. Work towards these
qualities. A list of shows per se is useless. Who knows, the
show you list may have come from your grammar school days!
Be sure to include your address and phone number. An added
plus is inclusion of an e-mail address and website location.
There are different thoughts on resume length. Some feel that
a resume should be kept to a page in lengths. Others prefer a
more thorough work. Choose your own strategy on length with
reasoned care.
These days, the standard is for professionally typeset or
printing on a quality desktop publishing system. Your resume
will definitely stand out (in a negative fashion) if it is not
representative of rather high quality printing. Hand written
resumes are no longer tolerated.
Padding a resume can frequently be spotted and can backfire
severely. Don't lie. Even a little white ones can backfire.
List names if they will illuminate the nature of their work.
Giving the name of the director of a show you have designed is
only useful if the reader is familiar with that director's work
or would be likely to contact that director.
It may be helpful to include some descriptive material to put
your show listings in the proper positive context. Consider
placing such auxiliary information, though on a separate sheet.
- Did the show tour?
- Did it receive particular notoriety?
- Was someone important involved?
- Was it presented under unusual circumstances?
- Did it solve unusual problems?
- Was it a union production?
- Was it a premiere?.....
- Consider making a modular resume, so that different sections
can be added or subtracted to suit your particular audience.
- Use of proper theatre terminology is vital! Talking about
"play practice" will instantly place you in the
company of high school students.....bad ones at that! Needless
to say proper spelling and grammar is vital!
- Get "cute" at your own risk! The person
reading your resume will NOT be hiring a puppy!!!!!
Philosophizing can backfire. The reader may not share your
philosophies. Do not do something as stupid as listing your star
sign!
- A short section listing "allied skills and training"
or unusual, useful, or interesting interests and hobbies can be
useful. Continually strive to increase your repertoire of
skills. Needless to say, the best such lists tend towards
pertinence. Chances are your prospective employer does not care
that you love sun bathing, or watching the clouds roll by!
ORGANIZATION POSSIBILITIES
- Chronological (usually from most recent)
- Listing by specialty
- Alphabetical listing
- Listing by venue
- Listing by importance
- Columnar form
- Paragraph form
REFERENCES
Including a listing of folks that may be contacted for a
confidential evaluation of your work can be quite useful.
Continually cultivate your pool of references.
The most useful references will be those folks....
- Who have established reputations in the field
- Who are articulate and have experience writing and reading
reference letters.
- Who are known to the widest possible audience
- Who have a reputation of only supporting quality work.
- Who know your work well.
- Who have worked with you or have supervised your work.
- Variety of references is to your advantage.
Separate from your list of references that your prospective
employer can contact, try to maintain a body of reference letters
that you can supply yourself.
HOW TO LEARN MORE
USITT Materials
Workshops
Review by practicing professionals
Learning about the work of those who have "made it" in
your field.
Working in an environment that brings you into contact with
practicing artists.
Conventions and conferences.
Reading other people's resumes - lots and lots of them. Get on a
"search committee"! Go for an internship with a company
that fields lots of resumes! Look at your friends'!
FINALLY
Keep your resumes continually maintained and up to date.
Keep copies at the ready! Sometimes jobs become available at the
spur of the moment, available to those with their credentials at the
ready that is! Keep your resume and portfolio close at hand
always....even on vacation. Who knows who you will meet!
Keep records of your achievements. It is so difficult to figure out
chronologies of shows years after the fact!
Save reviews, letters, testimonials, awards, religiously!
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