How to Make Your Film Industry Resume Stand Out

Looking for film resume tips? Having trouble standing out against the crowd? No need to worry, we will teach you how to make your film industry resume stand out.

By: Sophia Lin

How do you create a resume that dazzles at first glance? Research has shown that a recruiter will typically spend only 7 seconds reading a resume. It’s a not-so-fun fact that will make many prospective employees’ blood run cold. But don’t fear! Passing the so-called “7-second test” with your resume is simply a matter of learning key dos and don’ts.

We’ve tailored this list of film resume tips specifically for film, TV, and media careers. Whether you’re in the midst of film school, freshly graduated, or an experienced professional in the field, these crucial ways to make your resume stand out won’t go unnoticed when you’re looking to secure your next job.

Read on to find out how to create a stellar film industry resume!

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1. Mix Creative and Technical Skills in Your Resume

Interdisciplinary and multifaceted are buzzwords for a good reason. In today’s ever-growing and interconnected industry, a well-rounded set of skills is a major asset. With that in mind, having a solid balance of both creative and technical skills in your resume will get you far.

For instance, a varied range of creative skills can look like having experience as a 2D and 3D animator as well as a visual effects artist. Important technical skills (including experience with industry software) can include script analysis, editing, cast and crew management, and location scouting.

2. Use Third-Party Recognition to Make Your Resume Credible

Simply put, this means make a note of any time a third-party has recognized your achievement. From an educational perspective, this can mean a great film school that you graduated from, and with it, perhaps a high GPA or honours. Once you’re in the industry, this can mean film festival awards, fellowships, professional organizations, and grants.

These hard-earned tokens of recognition show a recruiter that previous individuals or organizations have already attested to your strength and talent in your field — assuring them that you are indeed the right pick for the job!

3. Use Strong Film Action Verbs

Make sure to use action verbs in your film industry resume. It might be cliche advice at this point but it certainly does ring true! Strong action verbs, especially used in active voice, emphasize your skill set and highlight your proactivity.

Below are some tried-and-true compelling action verbs to use for those in film:

Direct, Lead, Operate
Develop, Coordinate, Manage
Produce, Coproduce, Shoot
Scout, Cast, Edit

4. Keep Your Film Industry Resume Short and Sweet

This isn’t to say keep your entire resume short. What we mean is keep your writing succinct. Get to the point fast and make it clear and convincing. A resume with long sentences and meandering explanations will be overwhelming and difficult to read, while a resume that is too short won’t contain enough information to convince recruiters.

An excellent strategy is to include a short film resume objective or summary right at the top. This is where you hit on your key skills and competencies, your focus, and your career goals. Make sure to tailor this to every job you apply for to give the recruiter the most relevant and important information right off the bat.

5. Use Aesthetics to Make Your Resume Pop

When it comes down to it, the look and feel of a resume is one last factor that you can use to create memorability — this is a point that recruiters at the media company NBCUniversal have even seconded.

Even more so for those in the more visual-based sides of film, a beautifully formatted film industry resume with one-of-a-kind graphic design will make you stand out from the masses. Beyond that, it shows effort, professionalism, and your willingness to go beyond — all of which are instrumental assets that are more than likely to win your recruiter over.