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[AllenDeneau]

Hey all, I've been searching and searching and I can't seem to come up with an answer to "how to create a pro resume for A/V/L". I've been looking to get onboard with local companies and I have been asked for a resume so I need to create one but what exactly do I need to include?

Does it need to have non-tech work experience and non-tech education?

I've had my own small biz doing events for 15 years. Through the years we've done everything from providing pro audio, lighting, dj, karaoke, entertainment, event design etc... My main events were and are corporate events and Church audio and lighting.

In 2011 we picked up and relocated from the midwest to middle Tennessee and now I am starting over with no team and part of my company, the DJ side, left in Chicago.

So here I am at 42 starting over and would prefer to get onboard with another company and/or freelance BUT I need to build a resume for this profession.

I do have my general resume but it's not tailored to becoming a sound or lighting tech...

Any help?

Anyone near Nashville willing to grab lunch and help me work through creating a great resume?

Thanks.

[James Feenstra]

my resume lists some of my recent -bigger- clients, a brief summary of my certifications (licenses, training classes, etc) and a brief history of my work in the industry

nothing super fancy, and obviously a condensed list of the gigs I've done. I have a few different versions, depending on the gig I'm applying for since I do sound, lights, and special effects. Obviously someone looking for a LD doesn't care if I'm certified on VDosc arrays and Yamaha consoles.

for any sort of visual related jobs I also have a demo reel (video and stills) of stuff that I've done.

[AllenDeneau]

Thanks James, I had forgotten to return to this thread.

The most difficult thing I'm needing to overcome is lacking in some areas that I need experience in since I owned my own company and had nitch markets for me and my company. here in Nashville seems everyone wants someone who's a wizard on a PM5D, unfortunately I never had a need for a board like that or a client who had a need for it so I haven't had any real world experience on it. I've been to YCATS and Audioversity and took sessions on it and feel very confident that within an hour or so I'd be pretty comfortable with the board...

I never anticipated our move from home and always figured I'd be there doing my thing and never really took many pics or vids for demo purposes I did a ton of corporate, midday sessions, work and medium sized city events.

I've ben trying to get hired on, even part time or on call, with some of the companies here in Nashville but thay've got the pick of the litter and I am needing more experience in various areas...

I actually received a cross look when I was interviewing when I was asked if i know the order to tie in a distro and I said no. I explained that I hired in that service along with the distro as I typically had enough on my plate... Or, with the city events, they had power waiting, i just had to tell them how much I needed...

So enough whining on my part, what kinds of training or certification have you received and has it helped you on your resume? I'm getting training where I can, when it's available but I'm always open to suggestions..

Thanks.

[AllenDeneau]

It's been a while but I was hoping to resurrect this thread for some more help. I've tweeked my resume but I still don't think it's what I need..

Anyone willing to help?

[Samuel Rees]

I'm about to be diving in resume first as well. Would be very interested to see what you guys want to see on one!

[Luther Bell]

When I revamped my resume last year I searched the net for other A/V related resumes and looked for condensed phrases and keywords that anyone hiring in the industry would know.  While doing that, I got to see a lot of different layouts for resumes.  Just remember, a resume doesn't get you the job, a resume gets the interview, and that's where you can bring your iPad with pics and videos of shows.  I know it's not possible in all environments, but if there's a client that you really want to work for, but they want to know that you know your stuff, offer to work a show for free and then they can make their decision.  But when it comes to a resume, keep it short but keep it informative.

[AllenDeneau]

When I revamped my resume last year I searched the net for other A/V related resumes and looked for condensed phrases and keywords that anyone hiring in the industry would know.  While doing that, I got to see a lot of different layouts for resumes.  Just remember, a resume doesn't get you the job, a resume gets the interview, and that's where you can bring your iPad with pics and videos of shows.  I know it's not possible in all environments, but if there's a client that you really want to work for, but they want to know that you know your stuff, offer to work a show for free and then they can make their decision.  But when it comes to a resume, keep it short but keep it informative.

Thanks Luther, great advice. I have searched the net and here for resume ideas and all have been informative. I'm venturing into working for a company vs myself in over 15 years so that's what I'm trying to determine, what's good info and what's too much etc...

Sadly, I never expected to relocate so I didn't keep up on pics and names as I should. I had a sweet deal back home.. My company was set with a great corporate client list including the city events planner so I didn't have to "sell" as these contacts kept me very busy with work and were easy too... My work ranged from mixing 4 mics during 8 hour training meetings to working with bands on festival stages and everything in between. I don't have rock concert experience but I do have skills and knowledge and would love to bring thsoe to work for someone and that's where i need help. I have a less than normal field of work experience and I'm in a new place with virtually no contacts so I'm also relying on a well designed resume to assist me when I am making contacts...

Hope that makes sense.

[Brad Weber]

Allen, what kind of companies and what roles are you looking at?  I see a lot of resumes that seem to take a shotgun approach that could be applicable to any of a number of roles but don't show any focus on any one aspect or role.  While it's great to show having a well rounded background, somebody that's trying to show they have directly relevant experience and qualifications should be able to present a more focused resume.  In general, I like to see something that is not just "here is who I am" but more "here is how I can help you".

If you are doing production lighting design, event staging, etc. then representative project pictures may be useful while for a technical design position professional certifications and training, CAD and other relevant software experience, etc. may be more important to identify.

[Mark McFarlane]

... While it's great to show having a well rounded background, somebody that's trying to show they have directly relevant experience and qualifications should be able to present a more focused resume.  In general, I like to see something that is not just "here is who I am" but more "here is how I can help you".

A few more suggestions: Create a custom resume for each potential employer. Yes, it is a lot of work but what's a few days of effort to land a good job that you will keep for a decade. 

Learn as much as you can about what the hiring company needs in advance, and then demonstrate that you have both the skills and the experience to fulfill those needs.  Demonstrate how you solve the companies needs in the first inch or two of your resume.

Try to find out what their historical problems have been in hiring, is it skills, employee turnaround, lack of professional interaction with high level clients?

If you lack experience its hard to demonstrate skills, here training and certifications become more important, at the bottom of your resume.

The only purpose of a resume is to get a phone call.  If there are lots of candidates, you need to sell yourself in the first 10 seconds of reading time so put the stuff relevant for that particular job at the top.

Bang on doors, meet current employees at events, learn as much as you can about the company before you send a resume.

Chronological job history typically is low priority, and especially if you've had 'too many' jobs, that is simply scary. "Old school" resume formats suck.

Consider adding some references at the bottom of the resume, and some brief quotations if possible, that are relevant to the job you are applying for.  Interview your references in advance so you know what they will say if they are called. Tell each reference about each job you are applying for, and the company and what position you are going after so they can also stress those skills and experiences.  You can send them a 'call sheet' about your job applications and what is important to each company.

Be nice, don't bad mouth a previous employer, or customer,...

Hiring is an investment by the company, show them why they will get a good return.

All typical sales strategies...

Edited Note: My normal day job is not in this industry, but I have reviewed maybe a thousand resumes over my career and hired a bunch of people.  In some industries who you know is more important that what you write. If this is the case, meet people.

[Josh Hana]

I have 2 separate pages I would send out. The first is a general resume (but always customized) with job titles and responsibilities. Since it's a technical job, I didn't bother using half the resume to list systems/boards I've worked with. Instead, I had a separate page with systems, boards, controllers, software, DAW, ect ect