Write a Professional Résumé for Musicians
A musician résumé is an absolute necessity for every professional musician. Many musicians understand the important role a résumé can play in getting the job that they’ve always wanted but don't know where to start. The following suggestions on what to include in a musician résumé will help get you started in developing your own "perfect pitch".
Contents
Steps
Name and Contact Information
- Start with the basic details. Write down your full name, your music name (if applicable), your address, your cell phone number and your email address. Write each item on a separate line.
- Make sure that your contact information is up-to-date. You don't want to be scratching off wrong data or handwriting in a new phone number; it brands you as disorganized and unprofessional.
Experience
- List your experience in reverse chronology. That is, list the most recent first, down to the oldest performance or recording. It is favored by many employers because it clearly shows your experience history. It has a built-in timeline, which makes your history easy to follow.
- Include everything that is relevant to your musical career. This includes your performance experience; recordings and broadcasts; participation in festivals, tours and competitions; honors and awards; and related experience. Many people make the common mistake of selling themselves short. They prejudge their past experience and its inadequacies, often eliminating good, relevant experience before it ever has a chance to get down on paper. To be sure that you weigh your experiences evenly and avoid significant omissions, you should first brainstorm ideas and experiences thoroughly.
- List the professional organizations, national, regional, and local, to which you belong. If you do not currently belong to any, join some immediately. Membership is interpreted as a sign that you are a serious professional who wants to stay current and involved in your field. Joining a professional organization or two gives you extra credentials for your résumé. If you held a position within the organization or served as a volunteer, note this as well.
Education
- List all the academic degrees you have earned. Degrees should be listed in reverse chronological order beginning with the most recent. Include academic honors to show you excelled in your program.
- List workshops or classes attended and notable artists/teachers you have studied with. You can list these classes along with the dates you attended in order to show your knowledge and skill set. If the class title does not showcase a skill set, you can list your accomplishments with each class.
- If you went to college but didn't graduate. Then include the specific years you attended.
Tips
- Easy-to-read fonts and type sizes help facilitate reading. In general, use white space well and do not use colored paper.
- Use only one page for your résumé.
- Sit down with someone who knows you well to help evaluate and point out the marketable skills you have that are apparent to them but not always to yourself.
Warnings
- Many people make the common mistake of selling themselves short. They prejudge their past experience and its inadequacies, often eliminating good, relevant experience before it ever has a chance to get down on paper. To be sure that you weigh your experiences evenly and avoid significant omissions, first get everything down on paper, and then decide what to keep and what to omit.
References
- https://hbr.org/2014/12/how-to-write-a-resume-that-stands-out – research source
