Theatre Resumes and Cover Letters: What the Experts Have to Say
Applying for jobs is never easy. You have to format your resume, write a solid cover letter, arrange references, interview, or audition. I’m exhausted just thinking about it! And when you study theatre, it can be really easy to get advice for an acting resume. But what about everyone else?
As a dramaturg, let me tell you, there is not a lot of information out there for formatting dramaturgy resumes. And I’m guessing the same is true for a lot of other career paths in this industry. In order to get some clarity, I reached out to theatre professionals with experience in the world of resumes and cover letters and asked them for their advice. Here’s what they have to say!
First off, let me tell you a little bit about the people I talked to:
Kimberly Faye Greenberg is both a Broadway/TV/Film actress and one of the top 10 performing arts coaches in the world, known as “The Broadway Expert.” She helps onstage and backstage artists navigate the business side of the theatre industry while also encouraging them to embrace their uniqueness.
David Pierce is the Technical Director & Production Manager for the Department of Theatre & Dance at Northern Michigan University. He teaches courses in Stagecraft, Stage Management, Stage Electrics, and Lighting Design.
Sarah White is currently an adjunct professor at Earlham College and also works as a freelance actor and scenic designer. She recently taught a virtual workshop on structuring resumes and cover letters.
Alyssa Austin is a professional actor and runs her own career coaching business.
Becca Grady was most recently the Development Associate at a LORT theatre and prior to this she spent time as an Executive Assistant at another LORT theatre. She is often looked to as a second pair of eyes on resumes and cover letters.
Now let’s get into it!
Resume Dos
Let’s start with the good stuff. What makes a good resume? What are employers looking for? It can be hard to know what works and what doesn’t and there are a lot of directions to go. Here’s what the pros have to say:
Sarah White: “You want to make sure that you are using a one-page standard for theatre resumes. You don’t want to send someone a fourteen-page resume cause they will look at the first page and probably throw it away.”
Kimberly Faye Greenberg: “Strong resumes are clear and concise. People looking at your resume want to be able to see right away that you meet their needs. Also, consider organizing resumes by job title instead of by places you worked. That allows those considering you to see if your experience matches their needs right away.”
Alyssa Austin: “Something that makes for a really strong resume is framing - and I find people neglect this a lot! What do I mean by framing? Basically using the first 1/3 of your resume to frame your experience and background so it fits within the context of the position that you’re applying for. Having a Summary is a very easy way to do this, as well as listing out key skills and areas of expertise as they relate to the role directly below that.”
Becca Grady: “A strong resume is tailored to the job you are applying for. The resume should focus on the points that make you a strong candidate for that particular position. The less work that the reader has to do to understand what your job entailed, the better. Instead they should want to be intrigued by it enough to want to hear more in an interview.”
Resume Don’ts
Okay so we have some idea of what to do, but what about what not to do? Here are some of the more common mistakes that show up on resumes:
David Pierce: “Avoid large sections of white space. Put the resume or cover letter down and step away from it and see if your eyes are drawn to any large sections of white space on the page. You want to make sure the document is visually balanced.”
Alyssa Austin: “While it’s important to take an extra 3 to 5 minutes to make sure you’re tailoring your resume, the number one mistake I see people make is doing TOO much of this - totally overhauling their resume so it’s basically a copy and paste of the job description. This is really doing yourself a disservice because in making sure you “fit the mold,” you eliminate everything about you that makes you unique and memorable.”
Becca Grady: “Avoid redundancy. That’s something I’ve had to learn over time. When other people read my resume, they would be reading essentially the same thing and it got boring.”
Cover Letters
The dreaded cover letter! I used to be terrified of writing these and to be completely honest, they do still intimidate me now. Hopefully, this advice will make it less frightening and much more doable:
Kimberly Faye Greenberg: “Strong cover letters are also concise. They don’t repeat what’s on the resume. Instead, allow the cover letter to showcase your personality as well as traits and special skills you may have for that specific job. And, don’t be afraid to get ultra-specific so that your cover letter stands out amongst the masses.”
David Pierce: “Do your research on the company you're applying to and find something about that company you can reference in your cover letter. Just a sentence or two. The rest of the cover letter should be poignant yet generic enough that you don't have to rewrite the whole thing every time to apply to a position.”
Sarah White: “It’s useful to either tell them about a connection you have to their program or company or else how you heard of it. This gives them the knowledge that not only have you done some research, but you might already be in their circle of contacts, or you should be.”
Advice and Tips
Feel less intimidated? I hope so! How about we finish off with some advice, tips, and tricks? Use what you’ve learned here to confidently approach the job hunt and you’ll be able to format resumes and cover letters like a pro!
Kimberly Faye Greenberg: “Always keep a master resume in a google document or a word document where you list ALL the jobs you have ever had so that you don’t forget about them in the future when it comes time to reference them. Then, work off the master resume to create a new unique resume for each job opportunity.”
David Pierce: “I always like to look at a resume and cover letter as a package. Headings, fonts, color, title block should all match each other. These are two documents that complement one another and when that idea is depicted in the document design it gives both documents a professional feel.”
Becca Grady: “Have someone, literally anyone, read your materials. If you try to proofread something you’ve written yourself, you’re likely to miss a mistake. Sometimes having someone else read it will help alleviate confusion the employer may encounter when reading your materials. You know what you’re talking about because you wrote it, but is it clear to someone else? Read your materials out loud, too.
Also, PDF EVERYTHING! People have different software and word documents often get messed up when going from one computer to another, particularly the formatting. A PDF will ensure that the formatting you intended stays intact.”
Alyssa Austin: “Don’t be afraid to include what makes you unique! Resist the urge to “conform” your materials and lean into highlighting what you’re proud of, including hobbies, side hustles, community involvement, and more! This will help you stand out - which is ALWAYS the right move.”