Remember to keep your formatting the same as other sections
of the resume. Consider bolding or capping the names of
companies or your level or title in order to draw attention to
them. Also, it is standard that experiences be listed in reverse
chronological order (most recent to oldest).
Differentiating Experiences
It may be necessary to group your experiences into different
categories in order to better frame how an employer thinks of
them. If you’ve completed several internships while in school,
for example, you can title the category ‘Internships’. As a rule,
a category should have at least two items in it. So if you’ve had
only one internship, combine it under another experience title.
In general, if you’ve had a variety of experiences, then name the
category ‘Experience’ or ‘Professional Experience’. If your
experiences have been specific to the industry in which you’re
looking for work, then title the category with a name like
‘Design Experience’. This can also confirm for the employer that
they might have the right candidate for the job.
Many artists and designers freelance and wonder how this
should be listed. A separate category can be titled ‘Freelance’
with individual listings of projects and clients. Or, the
freelance work can be integrated into the ‘Experience’
category along with other job listings. In both cases, still note
dates and location, usually the current location you’re
freelancing from. If you’ve completed numerous freelance
projects, you may want to provide an overview description of
your skills and services and then add a selected client list in
order to consolidate your experiences.
You may find that you have other experiences that don’t fit
neatly into one of your categories, but that you know are worth
including. These may be grouped with titles like ‘Relevant’,
‘Other’, and ‘Additional’. If these experiences are focused on an
area of interest, then the category may reflect this with a title
like ‘Photography Experience’. Or, if you’ve devoted your time to
volunteering, then a category may be used such as ‘Volunteer’.
Studio = Experience
Although your studio experiences may be best listed under a
skills category, there are times you may want to note
‘Studios’ as its own category and list the titles of classes
and possibly a brief description of each. This method is
valuable when you have little work experience outside of
school. Another option is to describe studio experiences
separately when they relate to sponsored studios, in which
a company is working with your class.
Film/Animation/Video students may also want to list their
productions as a new category in order to imply experience.
Using a title like ‘Films’, ‘Selected Films’, or ‘Filmography’, list
the name of the production, dates, and running time along with
specific roles you had and a very brief description of the film.
Action Words
All of your experiences should include at least brief
descriptions and it’s important that you begin each description
with an action word. This is a common and expected element of
resumes, and it places your skills in an active context. Avoid
beginnings like ‘Responsibilities included...’ and cut-to-the-
chase with verbs like ‘Created’, ‘Designed’, ‘Assisted’, ‘Managed’,
etc. These action words make you seem like a doer—a person
who can accomplish things on the job. Be careful, though, not to
use the same verbs repeatedly or they will lose their impact.
To find a list of action words that will help you get started,
check out page 28 of this booklet.
As you write your descriptions, emphasize skills and
accomplishments that would be most valued by prospective
employers by placing them early in the description.
Occasionally provide concrete details or projects, and if you’ve
worked with specific clients, integrate a ‘Selected Clients’ list in
the description. One to three sentences are typical for
descriptions but they should vary depending on how important
the experiences were to you.
EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS + HONORS
Icing on the Cake
For a job resume, these categories usually appear lower on the
page and are supportive of the other categories. Depending on
your accomplishments, each of the three can be listed
separately or combined. If you have a couple of awards and
honors that are connected directly to your educational
experiences, you may want to forgo a separate category and
combine them under the ‘Education’ category.
Try to be more succinct in the amount of information you
provide for these categories. Formatting may also be adjusted;
for instance, it may be overkill to bold all exhibits or awards
even though you’ve bolded other information. For awards and
honors, list titles, dates and possibly the sponsoring
organizations or institutions. If there were unique or notable
aspects to the award, such as famous jurors or a highly
competitive selection process, then describe this, too.
Exhibitions
Depending on the job you’re applying for, an exhibition record
may be important to some prospective employers. This is
especially true for fine artists considering positions in arts
administration and with non-profit arts organizations, as
well as artist’s assistant positions.
Although you can submit a separate exhibition resume, it may
be beneficial to expand this category on your job resume.
Doing so can result in a two-page resume, but this length is
acceptable in these circumstances. Please see the ‘Exhibition
Resumes’ section if you need to create a separate document.
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