Dos and don’t’s when creating your resume

Resume Hints 
by Elias Stimac

If you are an actor, a great headshot will get us noticed. But, a well organized resume will get us the job. Often, promising candidates for movie, TV, or stage roles will lose the bookings because their credits are inaccurate, disorganized, hard-to-read, or just plain sloppy. 

Dos and Don’t’s guidelines when creating your next resume: 

1. Do put your agent’s or manager’s information and logos near the top. 

2. Don’t list your home address or your home phone number. 

3. Do update your credits often, replacing student and amateur assignments with professional ones as you get them. 

4. Don’t include roles outside your age range (an elderly actor should probably drop “Romeo” off the list). 

5. Do consider printing a second photo on the resume that contrasts with your main headshot image. 

6. Don’t write in anything by hand. 

7. Do use a font that is easy to read. 

8. Don’t put film, TV, and theatre credits in the same section. 

9. Do staple the resume to your photos in the corners. 

10. Don’t forget to spell check your resume. 

11. Do list your special skills, even if they seem unrelated (waterskiing, horseback riding, or a juggling expertise may land you the job). 

12. Don’t let the 8 1⁄2” x 11” resume paper hang over the edge of the 8” x 10” photo – cut the margins off so they are the same size. 

It’s your career, learn the cues.