Author Topic: Listing Multiple Seasons on a Resume  (Read 4834 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

imrnthewicked

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 21
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Professional
Listing Multiple Seasons on a Resume
« on: Feb 26, 2017, 05:50 pm »
Looking for some input on a resume formatting thing... I've been working at the same company for 4 summer seasons now, and the list of shows with this particular company has gotten quite long (3 per season x 4 seasons) and is taking up a big chunk of space.  Is there a better way to list all these seasons that won't take up so much space, but isn't too drastically different from the format of the rest of the resume?  Each different company is currently listed as such: 

Company Name- City
Year     Show Title      Job Title      Director
Year     Show Title      Job Title      Director
Year     Show Title      Job Title      Director

etc.
« Last Edit: Feb 27, 2017, 12:38 am by imrnthewicked »

Mac Calder

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 977
  • Plan for the future, live for the now
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Live Performance Australia / Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance
  • Current Gig: Technical Director
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Listing Multiple Seasons on a Resume
« Reply #1 on: Feb 26, 2017, 10:12 pm »
Company Name - City
YearStart-YearEnd - Company Stage Manager, Summer Season

I have always been against the "big long list of shows" resume, preferring instead to tailor the resume to the job with a few highlights that apply to the position I am applying for.

Before my current role I used to have 30-100 resumes cross my desk a month (or rather in my inbox). Now I don't like to judge a book by its cover, however I would decide whether to read a resume based almost entirely over what it looked like when it opened in Acrobat Reader zoomed to show the full page. Not too long (know what I am interested in and give me that detail, unless there is a horse in the show, I don't care that you were a horse trainer for 6 months prior to college), not too cluttered, well formatted, no redundant headings (a sure sign of padding).

When I saw a big chunk of artistic credits I would read the first 2. If they didn't interest me I might not even continue on - or I might jump to the bottom to read the last one or two and then go straight to the next section - I am sure you can see the problem with listing chronologically here - I saw all the early stuff - hardly most peoples greatest works.

The few I really liked had "Career Highlights" and then attached a full history as a separate document. I never opened the full history - but during interviews I frequently asked them why the shows listed were career highlights; what made them pick those 3 or 4 shows - it helped me (as an interviewer) engage with the applicant. They were not necessarily the biggest shows they had worked on all the time, but rather ones that they felt passionate about. Essentially they took the opportunity to take control of the interview and get me to ask them questions about shows they could be positive about. As an interviewer, I was fine with that.

It provided talking points that helped me identify whether the things that this person picked as a highlight of their career would be present in the position I was potentially going to offer. It also helped me to target what they didn't say - you liked the team, well have you ever worked on a show with a team you didn't like - how did you handle it. The show was really complex and technical and it kept you engaged for the entire 6 month run? Well have you worked on many shows without a strong technical element that was an extended run? How did you fight the tedium to stay engaged? You really enjoy the classics (Sondheim, G&S, ALW, Willie Shakespere)? Well how up to date are you with new Australian works?

I guess the tldr; Employment history does not have to be a giant list of shows and positions. Something like being employed for full seasons should absolutely be represented somewhere but reconsider the long list of shows - or whether it is necessary to be included in the main body of your resume - in fact a regular recurring gig like summer season CSM could be just a highlight of your career (enjoy developing a relationship with a company, integrating with their culture etc etc etc).
« Last Edit: Feb 26, 2017, 10:14 pm by Mac Calder »

MatthewShiner

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 2478
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance Stage Manager; Faculty for UMKC
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Listing Multiple Seasons on a Resume
« Reply #2 on: Mar 10, 2017, 07:02 am »
I think deviating too far off the norm of resume format reads as being unfamiliar with the industry norms, which is a red flag when I am hiring.  Yes, the list of show credits may get long, but eventually in management you may need to get off the one page resume.

If you feel strongly that the market you are in, you can just list highlights

or

2012/2013 Season  Stage Managers (6 shows)   possible directors here.

or


6 years of North Theater Summer Season, highlights include . . .
then list the shows you like
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.

 

riotous