I got a question regarding my last response on putting together a professional resume and I wanted to clear something up.
My advice was given for a very general resume. If you are going out for a specific job, you may have to arrange and rethink your resume to suit that job’s needs.
For example, if you’re an actor trying to get a job as a secretary at a non-entertainment industry company in Hollywood, don’t tell them you’re an actor! Actors are notorious for missing work and calling in sick when they have an audition or a job and many companies will not hire you if they know you’re an actor.
If you’re a filmmaker trying to get a job on a desk as someone’s assistant, then your filmmaking experience will usually be an asset. In Hollywood, working on a desk is a stepping stone, a way many get their foot in the door with aspirations to one day enjoy a career as a successful writer, director, producer, agent or studio executive.
If you don’t want to separate out your experience on a functional resume, you can put FILMOGRAPHY and list your writer-director-producer credits underneath. Use bullet points to highlight important milestones or achievements.
The bottom line is, in order to market and sell yourself effectively through your resume, you have to focus on the job you’re applying for, what they’re looking for, and how your background and experience can meet their requirements. Don’t expect to use one general resume to apply for all jobs. Resumes should be tailor-made for each position you’re applying to.
I could spend hours talking about resumes but I hope this gives you the broad strokes in a nutshell. If you have any additional questions on resumes, feel free to reply to this email and ask away.
To your success,
TANYA KERSEY
Hollywood Career Strategist
