Author Topic: Prior non-theatre experience on resume  (Read 6244 times)

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PurrKitten

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Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« on: Sep 14, 2008, 03:12 pm »
I would appreciate some input on whether or not to include my prior non-theatre experience on my resume.  And if to include it, how to show it.  For the past year, I've been working as an SM, ASM, light & sound board operator, and sound designer in local community theater.  I've enrolled in a local college to get formal education in what I'm now calling my third career because I'm loving what I do.

Before this past year, I spent nearly 10 years in the accounting/finance field (I'm a CPA).  Then I re-tooled myself and spent the next 18 years in the software engineering field from which I basically just walked away from last year.  This experience has given me some great background for SM work:  organization, leadership, project management, tenacity, etc.  The skills I acquired in these careers really do carry forward to the SM role.

So the question is:  do I put a small section on the resume regarding this experience?  I want to somehow say that I have a great deal of management and leadership experience, but I don't know quite how to do it.  Plus, my college degree is in business, not fine arts.  How does this look to those of you looking at a resume?

Thanks in advance to those of you who reply.   :)

ljh007

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Re: Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« Reply #1 on: Sep 14, 2008, 05:32 pm »
What an awesome background you have!
Welcome to SMNetwork, and the world of stage management!

Depending on the SM gigs you're applying for right now, I'd recommend either direction:
1) If you're applying for small, low-paying shows, you might be at theatres that emphasize community, teamwork, and group support. They are probably (gross generalization here!) used to working with young, beginner SMs. So you might just as well leave your other experience off your resume here. If you're interested in going for extra credit work in theatre, you should ask the theatre management about volunteering to do their books occasionally or consult about their financial management or technology strategy. Most small theatres are dying for help like this, but don't have many friends to ask.

2) If you're applying for larger theatres, they might need SMs who can lead a larger, more experienced team through complex shows. So your maturity, leadership, and overall smarts might be highlighted when you include your past lives on your resume.

It's your call, either way. What I would sincerely recommend is that you note your experience and all the great qualities you listed in your original post: "organization, leadership, project management, tenacity," in your cover letter. You're exactly right; your work and life experience have primed you to be a great stage manager in so many ways. How you frame it on your resume is just different ways of presenting the same great package.

KMC

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Re: Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« Reply #2 on: Sep 14, 2008, 06:52 pm »
Having just left a job where I looked at plenty of resumes, I'd say including the information on your resume will help you.  It will actually fill in some holes for any potential employer.  If you didn't have this on your resume in some way, they'd see a resume with one year of theatre experience and a business degree from nearly 30 years ago.  If I was looking at you for a potential job I'd say "Well theatre experience from 2007-2008(ish), and a business degree 30 years ago.  What has been going on the past 29 years?"  Including this info in your resume will fill in that hole, and as you mentioned - there are skills that certainly carry over, so put it on there either way!  And as LJH mentioned, use the cover letter to help your potential employer understand what specifically carries over to the theatre.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

ScooterSM

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Re: Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« Reply #3 on: Sep 14, 2008, 07:22 pm »
This experience will be a big benefit to you in theatre!  One way to share it is to do a skills based resume, instead of the more traditional show based resume.  As a hirer, if  I have someone who applies who doesn't have as much theatre experience I look for what life skills they have that might make them a good SM.  This is more similar to a "corporate" resume, but will give your future employers an idea of what you can do, not just what you have done.  (It also works for SM's looking for work in the outside world).

Instead of setting your resume up showing this way (or some variation):
Position                     Show              Theatre             Director
Stage Manager           X Show            Y Theatre          Z Director

Try setting it up to show what skills you used at each position, starting with theatre experience and working your way back.  Use active verbs (organize, lead, manage, coordinate, etc) that describe your responsibilities and any kind of specific projects you may have worked on.

For example, after you have listed your theatre jobs, you might list for your software engineer position something like this:

Software Engineer, XYZ Software, 1990 - 2008
Managed team of 15 engineers who developed software product for large client.  Served as liason between client and programming team.  Coordinated deadlines and ensured team was able to meet them.  Lead quality control committee.  Organized data using ABC computer program to create consistent and accurate paperwork for all goverment filing.

You have to sell yourself, but with as much experience as you have, you will be able to identify what those skills are that translate from your other jobs to SM'ing.  Project manager and stage manager are only a small step away from each other, and maturity and a diverse background are a benefit in both.

Follow this section with your education, special skills, (particularly anything that might be helpful in theatre, including computer software you can use) and your references.

As LJH and KMC have mentioned, use your cover letter to help employers understand how your skills transfer, and how your diverse background makes you a better SM than someone without it.

Best of luck!!
“I've never been paid a lot, but the theatre has kept me, and for that I shall be eternally grateful.” Tony Church

SMrose

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Re: Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« Reply #4 on: Sep 15, 2008, 09:34 am »
I always include my "additional experience" or "related experience" on my resume.  In stage management---every bit of life and other job experience helps!

PurrKitten

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Re: Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« Reply #5 on: Sep 16, 2008, 08:06 pm »
Thanks every one for your input.  That gives me some really great direction with my resume.  I appreciate it.  I'll keep you posted.

Just one comment on a couple of the posts:  When I hit that magic age of 40, I stopped putting the year that I graduated from college on my resume, so that "hole" of what was I doing for some odd number of years since I graduated won't be apparent.  I've done this to keep anyone from figuring my age.  I like to keep them guessing.  I've seen a lot of posts in here about "ageism", although most of the discussion was about young folks.  But it certainly goes both ways.  My age is my business.  It's what I can accomplish on the job that is important.  And I've always been able to best convince folks of my abilities once I get in the door for an interview, so I don't want "age" to stand in my way.

Has anyone experience "ageism" in stage managment for being "too old"?

ljh007

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Re: Prior non-theatre experience on resume
« Reply #6 on: Sep 19, 2008, 09:07 am »
Has anyone experience "ageism" in stage managment for being "too old"?

There's a great discussion on this from the SMNetwork Employment Forum here: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,2111.0.html.

 

riotous