Thank you for visiting Robyn Coburn Résumé Review. In the coming weeks I’ll be adding more information about writing résumés, customizing cover letters and creating beautiful portfolios for your job searching in the entertainment business.
I want to make something very, very clear from the outset. This is a niche business. I’m not giving advice to every job seeker, or for every industry. That advice does exist elsewhere. (But their Film Production Template is way overkill for a production worker, in my opinion.)
What I do is different. I offer industry specific advice to a particular small group – that is to say entry level job seekers, and people hoping to craft a long term production career in film or theater. By production I mean anyone who isn’t an actor,or an agent.
{What if you are an actor? Well I can give you some general advice based on what I have seen over time – and if I can I’ll interview a casting agent to get some better feedback for you here – but the instructions of your good agent should always trump anything I say to you. Here’s a nice actor résumé summary. (Hey, I knew this stuff – OK now I feel better.)}
There are a couple of other sites with film production templates, including ones aimed at current film students. When I look at those I see many common errors repeated! I also see some bad advice – the kind of advice that led me astray when I first came to work in the film business in Los Angeles 20 years ago.
A production worker should not be using a Producer’s résumé as their model. That’s like a new hospital orderly modelling their résumé on the CV of the Chief of Surgery. It won’t fool anyone to puff up your credits or skills with flashy language or by trying to make your résumé too long.
The vast majority of the theater résumé information on line is directed at actors. Maybe they assume that people only work on the technical side as a stopgap while they are biding their time until their next audition. Some people are, but I can help them with their techie résumé as well as help people who really do want to work in technical theater, stage management, sets, lighting, wardrobe, props and sound – yes I have done it all.
In later blog posts I will talk about writing Bio’s and One Pagers. Don’t try to make your résumé do the job of your Bio!
Who will benefit from reading here, buying my upcoming e-book, or joining me as a client?
Here’s a quick quiz for you. I enjoy filling out forms. It’s fun. This is short and easy.
Please follow me on Facebook for lots of links to networking and educational events for film, TV and theater folk. You can ask me questions there or by using the contact form below. This is a comment free blog because spammers drive me nuts – but I do want to hear from you!