# Thoughts on new resume layout.



## erosing (May 22, 2009)

Just curious about people's thoughts on a new layout for my resume that I'm interested in. It relies more on my website but allows for more information overall in a one page format.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Thanks.


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## Grog12 (Jun 1, 2009)

Honestly I'm not a fan. It lists your designs but doesn't tell us what space the designs were realized in, which gives those of us interested in hiring you less opportunites for finding something to relate to you on. Also how do I know you didn't just design it for some Dolly Dinkle company on a $50 budget? And since you didn't put realized photos on the resume how do I know that if you did do it on a $50 budget if it came out looking llike a $5 budget or a $5000 budget?


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## erosing (Jun 2, 2009)

That is an incredibly good point. My thought was that, If I put the rendered picture on the resume that hopefully the intervierer would view pictures on my website of the final product. Now that you've pointed it out I see that it doesn't really work. Do you think it would be better to show one pair of pictures (ie. the same image rendered and realized)?

While I do understand you're point about not knowing the space, I couldn't fit that information in an easily readable format (without making the text too small to read), and still have the example images on there. The other reason is that some of them were only designed and not built, one theatre cancelled because of a lack of interest, and the other cancelled because of the recession. But I still designed them and want to be able to use them even though they haven't been, or is that just not done?


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## soundlight (Jun 2, 2009)

Well, most people use a portfolio to show pictures -the resume is the text of who you are. A portfolio is different entirely.

Technically, you should put "Expected Date of Graduation: May 2012" because you don't have the degree yet.

I wouldn't list designs that were never realized because, well, they weren't.

I do have to say that I've seen very few theatre tech resumes that weren't packed top to bottom with shows and experience (equipment/skills/etc) - that's what the resume is for, not to showcase specific designs.

Sorry if I sound kind of blunt - I'm just passing on advice that I've gotten from many others on this subject, in general and specific to theatre tech.


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## Grog12 (Jun 8, 2009)

soundlight brings up a couple of good point. Resumes in this day and age are glorified buisness cards, use it to drive traffic to your website. I would be exceptionally leary about putting any show that wasn't realized on a resume...even if I was paid for it. And you do need to change it to Expected date of graduation.

You've got a lot of open space on that page. Play with the layout some, get the spaces on the page and when the show was realized on there as well. References are people who have said they'll say a good word for you. Which is why most people won't call them. When I'm hiring somebody, if I know someone at a theatre they've worked at that's who I'm on the phone too, not the references. Don't be afraid of smaller fonts..my current design resume is in 10pt.

Also feel free to lose your address. Keep a phone number and a respecatble email (no [email protected]) plus a website if you have it. No one is going to send you snail mail until they hire you at which point they'll probably e-mail you the contract.

The only other thing I want you to mull over is having the pictures in general. I dig the idea, I really do. The only thing that gets to me about it is if you e-mail your resume to someone and they print it off on their crappy printer, or you need to print off a quick copy and only have crap white non-photo paper to print with you might end up in a bind.


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## gafftaper (Jun 8, 2009)

Hey guys, I'm trying to organize and move discussion about resumes and portfolios over here in the Education forum. They've often been discussed in off topic but that means less people can see them. Here they can help you and be read by our younger members with no idea how to do a resume or portfolio.


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## Amiers (Jun 9, 2009)

Arez for future purposes you should prolly just take out all personal info that you dont want seen. Us people with Adobe Professional Reader can just hover over ur black boxes and see info. If I were you i'd correct that if its on any other non-trusted sites.


BTW: resume looks slick nice work.


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## erosing (Jun 9, 2009)

Thank you, Amiers, but I am already aware that blackboxing information is not secure, there are a couple ways around it.

Sorry about the placement gaff.


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## gafftaper (Jun 9, 2009)

Arez said:


> Sorry about the placement gaff.



No problem this is something new... the description of the Education forum changed yesterday to include "as well as resumes and preparing for job interviews"


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## thorin81 (Jun 13, 2009)

As a general rule - your resume is meant to sell you as an entity that would benefit a specific organization. So, *NEVER* PUT ANYTHING ON YOUR RESUME THAT WILL NO HELP YOU!! (did I make that clear enough...?) The industry has come to a point that if a theatre HR person cannot see what he wants from 15 seconds of looking at a resume you get round filed - period. Obviously you are selling YOU so make that your biggest focus on the page. There are also some other really small things that have become standards but are unspoken: 

Every entry you put on your resume needs to have 
1) Show Title, 
2) Your Role/responsibility, and 
3) Where the production took place (I have to agree that if your show did not actually get produced you do NOT put it on a resume, even if you got paid for it...)

I tell my students that they need to clump your experience to make it look like you have as much as you can. One or two entries is not enough for a whole section of its own. Special skills are all well and good, but do not overload on them. At this point in time you cannot graduate from college without knowing how to use a computer for basic functions, so stating that you know how to wordprocess and powerpoint is a mute point. I will say it again - ONLY PUT THINGS ON YOUR RESUME THAT WILL HELP YOU! Employers know when you are trying to pad your resume - they really do. 
The last thing I would say is chose a font - ONE FONT - preferably a sans serriff font, and stick to it. I HATE getting resumes that are trying to stand out or look pretty and they end up just hurting my eyes. I know it is a lot to take in and get right the first time you try to get a job, but it really is the only way that theatre folk can get to know you from the very first time that they even see just a piece of paper with you on it. 

Good Luck!


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## icewolf08 (Jun 13, 2009)

Let me add a few things to what Nick said.

thorin81 said:


> Every entry you put on your resume needs to have
> 1) Show Title,
> 2) Your Role/responsibility, and
> 3) Where the production took place (I have to agree that if your show did not actually get produced you do NOT put it on a resume, even if you got paid for it...)


 You should also include:
a) who your supervisor was or who the director of the show was
b) the date(s) of the production

Here is the format that I use on my resume:

• *Position Held* . . . . . . . Producing Company . . . . . . . Supervisor/Director
_Show Title(s) _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dates

Forgive the use of periods, my formatting won't stick.

I also keep a master list of productions that I have worked on since college. I don't send that out with my resume, but have it available on request. I also have my resume available on my website in the same formatting as I have on paper except that I leave out my references.

Speaking of references, you should *always* print full information for your references on your resume. Putting: "References available upon request" is a good way to get passed over. Potential employers don't want to have to go through the trouble of calling you so that they can call your references.


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