Author Topic: Necessary in a resume?  (Read 8830 times)

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SirLadySM

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Necessary in a resume?
« on: Jul 04, 2011, 05:35 pm »
I am sure that many stage managers have other skills besides stage managing like set/light/sound/costume design, directing, stage craft or sewing or even acting, dancing and singing.

I was wondering, is it necessary to put those skills and talents on a resume for a job/grad school or would it be a waste of ink and time and the person hiring you for a stage management job wouldn't care?

MatthewShiner

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #1 on: Jul 04, 2011, 05:39 pm »
Depends on where you are on in your career to be honest.

Starting off in your career, it might be nice to show those other skills to have you stand out for others in the same experience tier as you - how can you stand out.

Later in your career, you are going to be hired for your stage management skills alone, and I think those additional skills are a waste of resume space, and actually a distract. Do you think a Broadway PSM puts that he knows how to sew on his resume? 

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

loebtmc

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #2 on: Jul 04, 2011, 05:53 pm »
Interesting discussion - because I was always taught to keep my SM resume about being an SM, with some add'l skills at the bottom (of course) - but the last few folks I know who got some pretty major interviews, including a Bway tour, listed all kinds of things on their resumes as if it were a regular job list, interspersing theater work with things both unrelated and in other areas of the field: from, say, selling clothes at Banana Republic or elementary school teacher or telemarketing, to writing for various journals, even FOH work like ushering or Box Office.

So frankly, I am not so sure any more that my (eg) museum educator job shd be left off. I mean, if folks with far less experience can get interviews with these jumbled resumes when I can't get in the door, maybe that's the solution?

nick_tochelli

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #3 on: Jul 04, 2011, 10:19 pm »
Not to seem like forever the snark, but it could also be that those people that have the other outside theater things interspersed in their resumes scream to the producer "young hire, can pay them less or the very minimum of a union contract." I might be wrong, but when you consider the business side of it young people religiously will work for less money because they want to build their resume.

I used to have sound design on my resume, but I've since taken it off. I keep the most "pertinent" information in my special skills section (driver's license, the computer programs I am fluent in, foreign language skills, stage combat training, acting improvisation and direction etc). I do also currently have Production Management as a section of my resume because that's what I've spent most of the last year doing, and I didn't want that large of a gap in my experience.

The question I would have in regards to this thread: When do you take off your first Production Stage Management experience? I've been working professionally for 6 years now, and I was told it's always good to show how long you've been doing what you've been doing so I actually go back 8-9 years in experience, but it's all college. When's a good time to cut those credits off the resume?

As a total aside, I'm now trying to find work in both theater and retail because I had a few good retail jobs slip through my fingers. So I'm back in the saddle again and lookin'!  :P
« Last Edit: Jul 04, 2011, 10:28 pm by nick_tochelli »

loebtmc

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #4 on: Jul 05, 2011, 12:34 am »
Nick, I would have assumed the same but only one of those folks was young - and he may be ASM on a Bway tour this fall (he did a phone interview and is quite personable, but he was a TERRIBLE ASM on a tricky show and I cannot in good conscience recommend him because his only focus on my show was on how he was killing time by playing video games and watching DVDs rather than being aware during rehearsal or show (I saw him recently - truly a sweet guy - and he told me how much he had learned and how bad he realized he had been but still, I need evidence to trust him...). The other is in her mid-40s and talks a good line also, but, well, is adequate at best - and I am one of many I know who feel this way. So that's why I am curious abt all those extra things on their resumes that somehow got them interviews. Hmmmm.

BlueRidgeSM

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #5 on: Jul 05, 2011, 09:14 am »
My practice has been to keep two separate resumes - one for my theatre work, which is mainly SMing, and the other one for "real" jobs like my day job, the jobs I held in college, etc.  I do not put SMing on my "real" job resume or vice versa, and I put my college education on both (I also majored in English which is good for "real" jobs in addition to my theatre degree).  A lot of the time I have had prospective "real" employers have issue with all the theatre I do, so I usually just leave it out.  And I don't think a theatre would be interested in most of the day jobs I have had - which like most everyone, includes stints in retail and food service. 

I used to put my one LD credit on my theatre resume, but have been leaving it off as it seems to contribute to the people thinking that stage management = lighting design.  I usually also tailor my resume to the job that I am applying for, so if I am applying to direct a show I would call out coursework I had in college like acting, directing, etc. 

nick_tochelli

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #6 on: Jul 05, 2011, 09:41 am »
Nick, I would have assumed the same but only one of those folks was young - and he may be ASM on a Bway tour this fall (he did a phone interview and is quite personable, but he was a TERRIBLE ASM on a tricky show and I cannot in good conscience recommend him because his only focus on my show was on how he was killing time by playing video games and watching DVDs rather than being aware during rehearsal or show (I saw him recently - truly a sweet guy - and he told me how much he had learned and how bad he realized he had been but still, I need evidence to trust him...). The other is in her mid-40s and talks a good line also, but, well, is adequate at best - and I am one of many I know who feel this way. So that's why I am curious abt all those extra things on their resumes that somehow got them interviews. Hmmmm.

I've suddenly lost my faith in humanity........ :P

I can understand why its done since stage managers need to be so diverse in their skill sets to deal with different situations, but I agree with your final hmmmmm.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #7 on: Jul 05, 2011, 12:41 pm »
You know, there is no right way to put together your resume . . . there are industry standards; if you deviate too far from there, just know that is sending a message, and make sure you know that a message is being sent.

If your resume is light, you may need need to fill in the resume with other experience, theater or not.

Remember, a resume is sort of a two-dimensional representation of yourself, and your resume should reflect your yourself.  Now, that isn't an excuse to make it go wacky and silly.  But, you are the sum of your experience, make sure you are accurately reflecting that experience so you can get the interview.

Remember, the resume is the hook to get the interview, the interview is the hook to get the job.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

loebtmc

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #8 on: Jul 05, 2011, 03:33 pm »
One more odd note:

Interestingly, for both these folks, their resumes are 3-4 pages long. Some of it is detailed job description (the kind any novice headhunter would see through easily) but mostly, it's filler. Again - 1 page, maybe a second for "other skills" but 3-4? or more? Yikes.


gelo141

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #9 on: Jul 05, 2011, 05:09 pm »
Remember, the resume is the hook to get the interview, the interview is the hook to get the job.

Its all about standing out in a crowd, what sets you apart.  In my primary job field, education, there may be 500 to a 1000 job applications, with attached resumes, cover letters, letter of reference, etc.  How do u stand out in that crowd??  Even though i got a job, it remains a mystery to me what I did to be the one choosen.

Well, its also about the employers needs and the employers standards - because they truely aren't looking at the same things that you or i do.  Just like has been discussed in other threads - the stage manaer's brain functions differently than other peoples, well so do human resource managers or whoever does the hiring.  When we ask people in food service, chefs and such (since foods is one of the things that i teach), what skills they want people to have - the answer always amazes us.  Its not knife skills or cookign skills - they are willing to train and teach that- its teamwork, work ethic, problem solving, being on time.

To extend the metaphore that Matthew started, you have to bait the hook with attractive bait, not just the lures that you like otherwise noone will bite.
There is really nothing you must be. & there is nothing you must do. There is really nothing you must have. & there is nothing you must know. There is really nothing you must become. However it helps to understand that fire burns, & when it rains . . .

PSMKay

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #10 on: Jul 05, 2011, 07:40 pm »
It's also worth considering the mindset of who is doing the hiring.  In a smaller company the hiring is generally done by the production team and they're used to seeing production-focused resumes. In a big corporate thing, chances are greater that the decision will be made by HR drones with MBAs in recruiting. While arts management programs may train their graduates in what to expect from an arts resume, your standard business-corporate recruiter will expect something more like the 3-4 page monstrosity mentioned by loebtmc above.

When I was working for a headhunter in a previous life we would do up the resumes for our clients pretty much exactly as loebtmc described - lengthy, extensive and thorough.  You've gotta play to your intended audience.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Necessary in a resume?
« Reply #11 on: Jul 05, 2011, 08:20 pm »
Quote
Its all about standing out in a crowd, what sets you apart.  In my primary job field, education, there may be 500 to a 1000 job applications, with attached resumes, cover letters, letter of reference, etc.  How do u stand out in that crowd??  Even though i got a job, it remains a mystery to me what I did to be the one choosen.

But remember, standing out too much, being to far form the industry norm is a problem.

A four page resume is not normal in our industry.  I feel like I am pushing it for two pages - unless I am applying for an academic job.

Yes, you need to customize your resume for the gig you are applying for.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

 

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