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Resume Tips for a Creative Pre-Production Job

Career

Lucas Drennan

Lucas Drennan

·6 min read

Struggling with your resume? Don’t worry, we got you covered! Pre-production jobs can get pretty competitive, so your resume must make an impactful first impression. In today’s competitive job market, a solid resume is essential to getting your foot in the door for an interview... especially if you don't have industry experience. However, writing a good resume is not easy regardless. You should treat your resume as a business document that needs professionally designed and formatted.

Some creative jobs that are entry level in the entertainment industry include:

  • Casting assistant
  • Research assistant
  • Production assistant
  • Video editor
  • Script assistant
  • Copy editor

If you have an idea of what you want to ultimately do, you'll need to set up your resume to comminicate as such. So, how do you stand out from the rest? Follow this handy-dandy cheatsheet we've put together:

    List Pre-Production Knowledge.
    Showcase what you know! Whether it's software tools that support commercials, music videos, short films, and feature films, your knowledge of pre-production should connect with relevant work experiences. Relevant tools could include:
    • Pro-tools
    • Google Drive
    • iMovie
    • Slack

    When listing your work experiences, add bullet points that highlight your work achievements and duties. For example - did you have a casting assistant internship while in college? Add it to your work history to show you have a basic understanding of how a busy casting office operates.

    Add creativity.
    If you're applying to a creative job, spice up your resume with color and images. Use online companies such as Canva.com to create a beautiful resume in a short amount of time.

    Define your skills and Abilities.
    On your resume, show the employers how resourceful you could be. This is the area to show what you can bring to the company. Are you skilled with scriptwriting, editing software, or Google Drive? Be sure to elaborate on your skillsets. For example, don’t just put down “video editing software,” use “skilled in creating and editing videos using Adobe products such as Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop.” Keep in mind that all the skills you list must be accurate. When you’re called into an interview, you might be asked to demonstrate your proficiency in video editing.

    Ditch The Tagline.
    When taking a wholistic view at your resume, ask yourself - "does my tagline really make a difference?".

    Don't Include Your Address.
    A big mistake newbies make when creating their resume is adding their home address. Unless it's noted otherwise in the application or job posting, take this part out. It's OK to add "New York, NY" or "Burbank, CA", but your exact address is never needed.

    Include Your Professional Social Media.
    Add your LinkedIn, StaffMeUp.com, or CastingDepot.com account to show that you're active in the professional community.

    Highlight Personality.
    This section will help differentiate you from other candidates. Listing the different languages you speak, certificates, interests, and hobbies are a great way to help humanize you in your resume! Do you have any relevant certificates that can boost your creditability? Listing certificates can show how dedicated you are to learn more about the pre-production industry. Just be mindful of the extra information you add to your resume, as you want it to build on to your work experiences.

Although these tips are a bit obvious, they are important to follow so you can get a step closer to an interview for the pre-production job you want. With these tips to help guide your resume, you are on the right track to sending your application to your future employer.