What Should My Resume Look Like?

Good morning! I had a dream last night that my resume was loaded with television credits that were put in by my manager as fake credits in order to get me into the casting room. Therefore, I thought I should share what resumes should look like.

In college one of my film professors said to make your resume short and sweet and that if you have over 20 theater/film credits, to only add about six of your best credits on your resume.

I know what you’re thinking, I thought about the same thing. You desire to show the director, the casting office, the producers, etc, that you have had loads of experience and you deserve the role. However, my professor made a good point. He said that if you bombard your resume with too many credits and you are still a no-name, it makes it appear like you are workable, but they’re wondering why you haven’t caught your big break and you’re basically someone who can’t carry the project. My manager made another excellent point: You want to look like you are the next big thing, that if casting hires you, they have “discovered” you, and that you are something new.

I was once asked this question by a casting director “So, how long have you been working in LA?” I said 6 years. Because at the time I had been living in California for six years. Well, I didn’t know that was the wrong answer. My reps informed me that I had only really been successfully working in LA for a year (at that time). I was taken aback because I had actually been working my ass off doing short films, low-budget indies, and theater for six years. But, remember, you want to have a resume with work on it, but you also want to look as though you are a new, great talent that casting wants to discover. It’s a horrible catch 22, just like the fact that you need TV credits to get an agent, and you need an agent to get TV credits…..

So, what should your resume look like?? Below is my resume (it has gone through MANY stages) Finally this is what my resume looks like today. My new agent gave me a template and I filled in my information.

click on the image to enlarge.

resume: using the template from Almond Talent.

If you are not represented, be sure to include all of your contact information such as telephone number and email. If you are represented, include ONLY your representation’s information. If you are auditioning for a student film that you got on your own, you may pencil in your own contact information, or make a separate resume that includes your personal contact info as well.

Some casting offices, or representation will say that they don’t want a commercial list on your theatrical resume. I say it’s up to you, because everybody holds a different opinion, and if you book commercials, you are still working on a professional set and it demonstrates experience. So I add it in.

Some will also say that you do not need your stats. But then some offices want to know your height when placing you next to other actors, and weight (because they can’t tell how your body-type by just looking at your face). Again, I think putting stats on your resume is up to you or your agent. In this case, my agent wanted it.

In the special skills section: do not list things you cannot do. If casting sees that you can do a Russian accent on your resume and they ask you to do it in the room and you can’t, they may write you off. I knew this actress who said she could snowboard and she booked a film where she was required to snowboard, but she couldn’t do it. She was fired immediately. So don’t lie about your special skills. If you are a novice at something, but you think you could work on it if cast, write-in “novice”

I did a casting workshop at ACT NOW and a casting director said that it is alright if you pencil in a new credit. They understand that printing out resumes costs actors money and uses paper. If you book a new credit and you didn’t have time to make a new resume, just pencil in the credit.

Always put in your training. Who you have studied with, etc. because it is very important that you have had some training.

A HELPFUL TIP***  try not to print out a mass amount of resumes, because you could book a bunch of roles in a row and then have to throw all your resumes in the recycle bin because you can’t use them. Always print out a little at a time, and leave about four in your car (attached to headshots of course) just in case you are out and about and you have a call to a last-minute audition. Always bring more than one into the room as well, because casting may ask for more than one (in some cases, they may not ask for one at all.)

Make the resume clean, clear and simple. Don’t over-load it. Also, don’t lie about credits that you can get caught on. It could bite you in the booty. (if you say you were a co-star on a TV show, and then you go into a casting office with the same CD who cast the show you lied about, then they will know they didn’t cast you and that you are lying.) BE WISE.

Hope this helps!

Production still from Tourbillon.