Composing a Resume

The salient points to remember when putting together your Resume are clarity, brevity and honesty.

As with covering letters, the Resume should be well presented in a clear layout.

You do not need to title your Resume "Resume" or "CV" as it's apparent what it is - better just to put your name at the top.

Keep the resume length to one or two pages - any more tends to switch the reader off rather than show the wealth of experience you have. If you do need to cut back the credits, omit the oldest and least prestigious.

The Resume should start with your basic details including your contact number(s) and address. Whether you put your date of birth is a moot point as some people think it not relevant, whereas others think it should be included as a simple yardstick.

After your contact details should come your credits and training. Again, some people prefer to put training first, others credits - it's up to you. As long as each section is clearly laid out and the Resume isn't too long it shouldn't matter unduly.

It is the norm to list your most recent work first. Don't exaggerate your role and certainly don't claim experience you've never had. Inaccurate information will be found out at some point and will have a negative impact on your career.

If you have a number of credits across different genres you might want to list them under different sections (e.g. film, theatre, television, radio, corporate, commercials...).

Your training should include the institution, the course and the dates you attended and, if relevant, any awards or distinctions you received.

It's not obligatory to include referees, though if you have a particulary prestigious referee (e.g. a respected actor, tutor or industry professional) it may help to include them.

Check the spelling and accuracy of all the information and don't forget to keep your Resume updated!

Don't forget that you can attach a copy of your Resume to your Stage Jobs Pro profile by clicking on 'my profile' in the blue tool bar then clicking on 'files'.