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Written by Jaron Lewis
Writing a resume that earns the respect of your peers and superiors in the music industry can be a difficult task. Checkout our expert tips on creating the perfect music business resume that will leave a lasting impression on your future employer.
A music resume is still a resume, and you should treat it as such. There isn’t anything special that should be included, except for your expertise and exposure to the industry.
What have you done in the music industry as of late? Just list internships or volunteer experiences that you’ve done over the past five years. If you’re just starting out, it’s better to have multiple volunteer experiences than internships.
Internships show that you can stick to working, even when it gets difficult and the glamour dies down. Volunteering is great as it allows you to try new things and network with other people. This part of your resume demonstrates your life experience within the industry.
This is an important part if you want to be a songwriter or anything involving creating something. Show potential employers you know how make successful things. If you want to go into marketing, show that you can cultivate a fanbase. This is where you boast social media fan bases or projects you’ve done with friends.
Although you don’t need formal education for plenty of jobs in the music industry, boasting formal teaching shows that you’re bringing specialized knowledge to the table. Depending on what you want to be, a college degree is unavoidable and no matter how many non-collegiate classes you’ve taken, not having a degree will destroy your chances at getting a callback.
Most resumes are viewed on a computer screen. Gone are the days of mailing in your resume or submitting it in person. Because of this, don’t be afraid to be creative. The hiring manager will view hundreds of resumes, including yours; make it stand out.
Your resume should never be more than one page. There is no exception to this rule. When it comes into the hands of the hiring manager, you’ll have a short amount of time to hold their interest long enough to see how awesome you are.
If you have lots of experience, personal projects or education and accolades, effectively use the page. This means columns. Keep all the data short and sweet and organize them in a non-uniform grid. You can find examples of this online, but the goal is to highlight certain aspects of your resume while letting them find any important information quickly.
Along with column spaces, optimize the structure of the page. Draw this on paper first. You want to divide all the information into bite sized chunks that gets across the gist of your experience, education, etc., Make sure there’s enough white space so the resume doesn’t overwhelm them. Avoid a resume that looks like a block of text.
All of this depends on the type of job you want to get. If you’re going for a traditional role such as an administrator, go for a more conservative look. This means, don’t go crazy with the colors and fonts.
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