Writing Résumés
General Principles
Main Parts:
Name and contact information
Objective
Education
Experience
Other information
Layout and Format
Visual arts uses: important that the document be formatted well.
Choose font (at least 10 point) that is easy to read and professional-looking: Arial, Times, Helvetica, Optima, or Palatino most often used - consider others for professional appearance (not script or fancy fonts).
Format
Format document so that it looks crisp and balanced.
Paper and web site résumés have the most flexibility in formatting - can control the appearance completely.
Résumés that will be sent by email attachment need to be designed more simply (unless you use an Adobe Acrobat file). Use only universal fonts and keep formatting simple, especially for cross-platform use.
Scannable Résumés
Some employers now require a scannable résumé.
These are scanned for keywords and phrases, so must be prepared in simple way.
Standard fonts only, 11 to 14 point.
Maximum of 65 characters per line.
No bullets, graphics, shading, or lines.
No bold, italics, or underlining.
Left justify all text.
Use all caps for headings.
Print on 8 1/2 x 11, white paper in high quality laser or inkjet.
Scanners search for text recognized in that area -- so use standard industry terms and key phrases for education and experience, so the scanner records hits where appropriate.
If more than one page long, put name at top of each page and don’t staple pages together.
Education Section
List education and training in a way that conveys preparation for the specific job you are applying for.
Diplomas, degrees, and courses of study are typically included.
Also include special training, certificates, if relevant to the job requirements.
Honors, Awards, Grants
List all recognitions of merit you have received - prizes, scholarships, fellowships, invited presentations, and so forth.
Grants might go here, or might be in a separate section, if they are substantial.
Experience
List jobs in reverse chronological order, with most recent first.
Emphasize connections with the position for which you are applying.
Avoid gaps in activities - that creates questions about where you were during that time.
Exhibitions and Collections
List the exhibitions in which your work had been displayed (title, exhibition space, city and state).
As exhibition record becomes extensive, divide it into solo shows, group shows, juried exhibitions, invited exhibitions, and so forth.
Also list the collections in which your work is included -- private, corporate, public (with permission of owner, if a private collection).
Other Items
Commissions should be listed, if they give insight into the nature and scope of work you have done.
Also include additional information that will help to let the employer know who you are:
Activities and interests
Community service activities
Professional memberships (especially if you have held office in an organization)
Volunteer experience (with offices held in organizations)
Functional Résumés
Some advocate a functional résumé that organizes the document by skills and abilities rather than education and experience.
May be OK - but from an employer’s viewpoint, the lack of clear connection with education and employment experiences may be a disadvantage. Demonstrate how and where the skill was acquired or used, if you decide to do a functional résumé.
Tips for Résumés
Be concise. Use outline format - not narratives.
Show results and accomplishments.
Use active verbs that give idea of agency in your activities:
E.g. “assisted in the production of a web site? Or "Designed a sophisticated interactive web site using Dreamweaver and Flash and increased traffic 150% over 2 month period."
Résumés must fit the job you are applying for. Most professionals have several résumés, used for different purposes. Tailor them to the situation each time.
Proof, edit, and produce in excellent quality - it must be perfect!
Some things to Avoid . . .
Don’t over-design. Create good professional impression and resist the impulse to be too cute or overly fancy.
Avoid passive language - use power verbs.
Don’t exaggerate or pad.
Include relevant non-work experience.
Don’t include photos, marital status, salary requirements, or references.
Help with Résumés
College Art Association has a detailed page on artists’ résumés.
Artist Trust web site has an excellent discussion of artists' résumés.