How to Make Your Performing Arts Resume Stand Out

OK, so you are in high school or maybe you’ve just graduated. You are auditioning for summer shows or performances in your community or maybe you just want a short-term job. The first thing a potential employer is going to ask you for is a resume.  The dreaded resume!!! The question is what do you put on a resume when you’ve had no experience?? Ahhhhh, but you DO have experience! You have loads of experience that you probably are not aware of. 

So, what is a resume really? It’s a way for you to introduce yourself to someone. It’s a one page that summarizes your personality, skills, and accomplishments.  You’ve got those! As an artist, you have tons of qualities that employers are looking for!  Employers who are hiring young people understand that the resume will not have a lot of actual work experience. What they will be looking for are traits like:

• Confidence

• Resilience

• Communication skills

• Adaptability

• Curiosity

• Teamwork

Ok, so let’s break this down now.  

Confidence

Confidence: Being able to get up on stage and perform shows enormous courage and self-esteem. Confidence shows up in that you are willing to perform in front of people. You might be scared, but you are going to do it anyway! Did you know that most people rate fear of public speaking as their biggest fear? As an artist, you are doing this from a young age. Piece of cake!

Resilience

Resilience: I'm going to assume that you are practicing your art form every day or multiple days a week.  You are willing to struggle, work hard, fall down emotionally or physically, pick yourself up and repeat. You do this because you love singing, dancing, acting or playing an instrument. You are resilient and nothing is going to stop you!

Communication

Communication: As an artist, communication is your middle name! You understand the importance of communicating through your art form but you’re also learning the skill of communicating with your arts teacher and friends. Things like asking for help, listening to critique, expressing yourself. This goes way beyond your texting ability!

Adaptability

Adaptability:  Ummmmm, who is more adaptable than an artist? You want me to dance outside and not on a stage? Sure! You want me to improvise as an actor or instrumentalist? No problem! You want me to sing something I’ve just learned? I can do that! Artists are always up for the challenge and find a way to make things work. Employers want to know they can ask you to pivot and switch at a moment’s notice. The show must go on, right? This is an amazing quality!

Curiosity

Curiosity: Did you know that this is one of the most important qualities employers look for when hiring? When studying your art, are you interested in the history of the piece? Do you want to ask questions regarding what the composer, writer, choreographer had in mind? When given a correction, do you ask your teacher for help? These are all important qualities because they show you are willing to dig deep into gaining clarity and understanding of a project.

Teamwork

Teamwork: Yassssssss, so important! As they say, teamwork makes the dream work! Employees want to know that you are not afraid to work with others, be collaborative, listen to ideas that are not your own, respect other’s thoughts, etc. This is where you really shine! Rehearsing and performing in school shows and recitals make you a pro at this quality.  You are awesome at working with others and allowing for a collaborative experience.

So now, I want you to think about all of your experiences at school. Think about the shows you’ve been involved in, the volunteer groups you’ve joined, the community service work you’ve started or helped out with.  It all counts and should be documented on your resume.

Begin with a short paragraph at the top of your resume outlining your strengths! I can think of many! You are dedicated (think of your long hours of study), committed (you focus in on the task at hand of learning new material, choreography, music, etc.), possess strong time management skills (able to juggle both school work and art study) and have wonderful attention to detail (think about your ability to memorize and hone in on the details of your work.) What else makes you shine?

Now, go forth and let everyone know what fabulous you are!

Learn more from the author, Jeri Gaile, at The Music Center's Spotlight!