Shelley's Guide to Technical Theatre Resumes

This document was originally published as a three-part article for USITT’s Sightlines in the fall of 2006. This version has been slightly re-edited.

The summer’s almost over! For many, this time of year is the time to think about class loads and winter break. For students in technical theatre, however, the end of summer is a reflective time to think about writing or updating resumes for next year’s winter and summer jobs. Actually, updating a resume should be a constant, year-round habit. Student or professional, the resume request can be made at the drop of a hat. No matter the circumstance, the fall is the perfect time to blow the dust off the resume and have it ready for any inquiries.

Most technical theatre resumes use a presentational format classified as a chronological resume. It lists different position categories, sorted by the most recent first. Another class of resume is a functional position resume. It provides a short description about different jobs or situations, rather than positions on individual shows. The second format is not typically used by younger members of the profession so it won’t be discussed here.

Over the years, conventions have developed specific to technical theatre resumes. The following are notes, rules, observations, and recommendations regarding the purpose or construction of a resume. Though they’re not absolutes, they’re guidelines worth considering.

Notes:

The point of a resume is to get work. As such, it’s the primary document to show potential employers experience, knowledge, and what sets the applicant apart from the other 20 applicants.
Not only is the resume representative of an individual’s work, it also provides clues for the potential employer, listing someone who has overseen the applicant's work. Supervisory names can be just as important as the jobs or shows.
The resume is the primary document that represents the job seeker. It may be the introductory document sent ahead prior to a physical interview, the primary referral document during the interview, or the reference document after the interview has concluded.
Employers typically screen resumes in a time span between 2.5 and 20 seconds. A resume needs to clearly show strengths, goals, and contacts at a glance. The objective of the resume layout is to be simple, clean, and clear, so it can be easily read.

Rules:

Cover letter: If a resume is being mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to an unfamiliar person, it is common courtesy to provide a cover letter. For that matter, it’s common practice for some kind of note to accompany any resume, regardless of the familiarity between the sender and recipient.
One page or two? While an argument can be made that more than one page allows the writer to provide more description, professional recruiters respond that important information can be buried and it encourages ”fluff.” When they see two pages, they won’t read it. Listen to the pros. Consolidate, cut, or take whatever means to abide by this rule. If more than one page is needed to sell the candidate, it may instead show the candidate doesn’t know how to sell himself. From a practical standpoint, when the two-page resume is faxed and one page is lost, so is the job. If two pages are absolutely required, then have it on front and back. Eliminate the staple, and make certain the paper is thick enough that text can’t bleed through.
One resume per specialty: If the candidate is a designer and a technician, then create two resumes listing the same information; one for design, one for tech. The design resume can mention the tech experience in the ”related skills” category, while the tech resume can mention that a ”related skill” includes design work. That said;
Don’t duplicate two roles from the same show: A single line of text, displaying a show and responsibility from one discipline, should not appear a second time in the same resume. Sure, you got the ”opportunity” to be both the Lighting Designer and the Production Electrician on that show (Believe me — we have all been there,) but if this version of your resume includes both LD and PE credits, you’ll need to decide which role you want to claim you performed on that show.
If you list both titles, even in different areas of the resume, it will be noticed. And it’s generally perceived as ”small time”. Yes, I know you worked your tail off in both responsibilites, and yes, you did a great job. But sadly, that doesn’t matter. The unwritten law is, you can only list the show once. Multiple listing of responsibility from the same production come off as ”I just graduated, need a job, will do anything.” You have to decide which role makes you look stronger in that version of the resume, and insert that single listing. Save the other role for the other incarnation of the resume.
Proofread carefully: Check the spelling of all names, organizations, locations, and products. Misspellings on a resume make the reader reconsider the applicant’s skills, rather than reading the resume. If that person can’t edit or double-check their spelling, does the hiring person really want the candidate working for him or her? If you need to, have someone else edit your resume for spelling. And if need be, the same for grammar.
Double-check accuracy for all contact info: Make sure e-mails, addresses, and phone numbers are correct. Resumes should provide information about the candidate. Resume readers don’t want to waste their time gathering the information. A wrong phone number for a reference could send that resume into the trash.
Don’t lie: Don’t take credit for a job not done. Assistants or associates should state that fact. If there was a listed designer who slept through rehearsals and the candidate lit the show, it’s still not kosher for the candidate to list himself as the lighting designer. This is a very small business, and people either know who has done what, or know other people that were involved with that production. A culprit will be found out.
Don’t duplicate a resume on highly colored or patterned paper: It looks bad after being faxed. Patterned backgrounds can also mean something completely different than what the applicant may have in mind. I once received a resume printed onto textured paper that had the appearance of crumpled up paper. Though the applicant might have used it to imply resiliency, I took one glance, interpreted it as lack of self-esteem, and re-crumpled it into the circular file.

Resume Layout & Presentation

Vertical Sort Order:

The English eye reads top to bottom, and left to right. So the most important information is listed at the top and to the left hand side of the page. A vertical sort order of categories, in order of priority, typically reads: header, jobs, computer skills, related skills, education, and references (if included). Here are thoughts regarding each of these categories:

Header:

Name appears at the top of the page. The name should be the most important (largest or bold) text on the page. That way, when several resumes are spread out adjacent to each other, that one is readily identifiable.
Title (best strength or what this resume is selling the applicant as) should be adjacent or under the name.
Contact Info. Always check that contact information is accurate but exclude the snail mail address. In these cautious days, it’s now recommended to restrict ”contact information” solely to e-mail address and a contact phone number. As an interviewer, I won’t snail mail you anything until I interview you. It’s one less opportunity to leave your address on a document that just anyone can see.
Items to exclude in a header: height, weight, age, date or place of birth, marital status, sex, ethnicity/race, health, or Social Security number.

Jobs:

Group the jobs by position, starting with the chosen responsibility. For example, if a resume title is scenic designer, then the first position list includes the shows when the candidate designed the scenery. The second category is then the collection of shows when the candidate acted as the associate or the assistant scenic designer. The third would then be scenic artist, and the fourth would be properties.
In each group, list jobs in reverse chronological order (most recent first.)
Typically, each job is listed as a single horizontal row. Since the English eye reads left to right, the most important information is on the left. Most often it’s the show’s name, some of which (hopefully) the reader will recognize. A typical horizontal sort order, in order of importance, is as follows:
- Show name
- Immediate supervisor
- Producing organization or venue name
- Venue location; city and state
- Year the show was produced (month not required)

Job List Layout

These rows of information should be tabulated creating columns that make it easier to read. Typically each column has a heading (for identification) and is aligned to the left. Establishing these visual columns allow for easy vertical comparison between rows.

This Young Technician’s resume is a mess, and doesn’t have real focus. The contact information is tiny, the vertical sort isn’t showing jobs at the top, dates include months (who cares?), and the work experience isn't sorted by position or put into columns to include contact names.

The re-write of the same resume shows the Young Technician’s focus is sound design. It also provides clear contact info, sorts the jobs in reverse chronological order, and priorities the associated job positions. it also includes the names of directors and supervisors, as potential contacts and references.

Job Supervisors

Although every category for each job is important, the ”supervisor” column eventually attracts the most attention. In this little business, it’s not just what you know but whom you know. Every job requires working with other people. And, like it or not, those people will have some bearing on future employment.
For example, when I scan a resume, I initially check position titles, shows, and venues. If I’m interested, though, I scan the resume a second time looking for a name I recognize who might provide an opinion about the candidate and his work. Listing each job’s supervisor is an opportunity to provide another name that might be used as a common contact.

It’s important that these names are immediate supervisors, who worked with and oversaw the candidate’s performance over the course of the production. A designer should list the name of the director or producer. A crew head should list the name of the designer or the production manager. A technician can list the crew head. Using this formula, an electrician who rarely interacted with the lighting designer shouldn’t list the lighting designer.

Finally, consider an alternate name if relations with the supervisor weren’t good. And, if it was a really bad experience, consider not listing that job at all.

Computer Skills

Lately, it seems, young resume writers have decided that their computer skills are no longer worth mentioning. Not only are these skills an indication of knowledge and experience, their inclusion is often critical to be considered for many positions. Brief examples of computer skills and applications to consider:

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
CAD and database applications: AutoCAD, VectorWorks, LightWright
Visualization programs: WYSIWYG, ESP Vision
Digital editing programs: Final Cut Pro, iMovie
Offline editors: ETC, High End, Strand, or A.C.T
Theatrical-adopted applications: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Publisher, Quark, Outlook, Calendar Creator
Console experience: ETC, Strand, High End, or GrandMA.

Related Skills

Additional skills that might single a candidate out and make him/her more employable may include the ability to read music, musical training and/or playing specific instruments; dance training; languages; model making; mask making; first aid; house management; or specialty certifications (CDL, CPR, scuba, welding, etc.). Don't mention skills not wanted as part of the job. Why describe great prop-making skills if the candidate doesn’t want to make props?

Don't include irrelevant hobbies or other filler. Some advocate that hobbies can be interview conversation starters or that they make the candidate seem well-rounded, but I’ve rarely found that to be the case. Consider the hobby’s relevance before including it.

Associations and Affiliations

Additional groups you’ve qualified to belong to, or associations that might bring up other contact names in an interview.

If you’re an IATSE apprentice, definitely include this, along with the name of a supervisor or mentor. If you’'ve only worked overhire calls, it’s still a professional credit. Be prepared to explain what you did on the calls.

Organizations: USITT, SETC — these are all organizations that include any number of older professionals, i.e., other old people that interviewers might know.

User groups for computer applications, such as Vectorworks or AutoCAD.

Obviously, prominently list any technical certifications, like ETCP. Even working towards that goal is worth a mention. But by all means, don’t bluff what you don’t know.

Education

Like the position groups, education is listed in reverse chronological order. Again, the information is provided in the order of importance to the reader:

Name of degree in name of major
Name of university
City/state of university
Graduation year

If there’s room, include a line underneath with peripheral information such as minor and GPA.

References

More than any other aspect of a resume, everyone who’s been an interviewer has an opinion about whether resumes should include references or not.

Many advocate that references should not be listed on a resume. ”References belong in a later stage of the job search.” ”There may be different references for different job applications.” In that scenario, keep references on a separate sheet and provide them only when they are specifically requested. Others argue that a lack of references on a resume loses time, and in turn can lose a job. When an interviewer wants reference information, he or she wants it NOW. If references aren’t included, time is wasted for a phone call to ask for them. Another phone call is then needed by the applicant to notify the potential references, or check their contact information, or whatever. And by the time the applicant gets back to the interviewer with the reference information, the other applicant [who included the references in the first place] has been hired.
When references are provided, choose wisely. Smart applicants don’t select someone who will expound on their popularity. Good references are people who have overseen the applicant’s work and can honestly critique it. Ideally, the best references are folks who have seen work accomplished in a difficult situation where the challenge was successfully met with aplomb.
When references are provided, it’s only necessary to list the name, title, venue, phone number, and e-mail. Save the vertical space. If documents need to be snail mailed, an introductory phone call will first be made.
Make sure the reference’s name is spelled correctly. Double check the contact information (phone, fax, e-mail) for each reference. Otherwise the potential employer will grow weary trying to speak to a reference after being forwarded to the third number.
When choosing a reference, it’s common courtesy to request permission from the person being listed as a reference to use their name. Who knows? They may choose to decline for that title or job application.
When the reference-equipped resume is sent out to specific job applications, alert reference-folk they may be contacted by these potential employers. If possible, provide a list of potential employers, contact names, positions, and dates so that reference-folk are prepared. If nothing else, at least notify the reference, so that they’re not completely caught off guard when someone calls out of the blue, and asks about you.
Realize that the phrase ”References available upon request” is presumed. Applicants who can’t quickly provide any references indicate that they have no business looking for a job. That final line often serves the purpose of signaling: ”This is the end of the resume.” If trying to conserve space, though, leave it off.

Once the resume has been written and re-written and re-written, the presentation and delivery of a technical theatre resume should also be considered.

Email Rules

Don’t include your resume in the body of an e-mail. All formatting is lost, and it looks amateurish.
When attaching a resume to an e-mail, convert it to a PDF file. That way it can’t easily be changed. As important, the ”look” of the special font, which may be unique to the candidate’s hard drive, will be included.
Title the document with your name, not just ”resume.PDF.” On the average, I receive five e-mailed resumes a week. When they’re all titled ”resume.PDF,” I then have to open them, read each name, and re-title them.
Get an e-mail address that looks and sounds professional, like your name, not something like FluffyBunny@cutsiepooh.org.

Final Resume Observations

Sometimes it seems like resume writing and updating never ends. Update one, create a new one, and so on. Resume-writing in itself is a skill that is developed and refined over an entire career. Remember, too, that the resume is not only a representational tool; it's secondary purpose is to be a conversation starter. When it’s appropriate, talk to potential employers and ask them to critique the resume. This tactic may reveal other methods and opinions about resumes that may be more suited to you. In addition, speaking to potential employers in this more relaxed atmosphere may be just as beneficial as a formal interview.

At the beginning of a career, there’s never enough text to fill the page. There will always be the temptation to include everything possible in order to visually fill the space on the page. Don’t give in to this inclination. Just present the information in a clear, concise layout. The fact that the resume isn’t filled with unnecessary bulk may help it stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Finally, though it’s frustrating to constantly rewrite a resume while looking for jobs, keep in mind that no one is irreplaceable. We all have to rewrite our resume and keep them current because, eventually, we all need them again.