10 Resume Commandments (and a few suggestions)

Follow these and up your chances to have your resume stand out from the pile

Photo by João Ferrão on Unsplash

While I am not Moses, I have lead about 1,000 young people to the creative promised land of Hollywood and know first hand that a stellar resume is key to getting that cool internship at Warner Bros. or that first job working as a P.A. on a Mindy Kaling set. If you want to have a resume that stands out from the pile please consider these “10 Resume Commandments (and a few minor suggestions.)” These tips might not apply for jobs in tech, government, healthcare or other more traditional jobs, but they will certainly boost your chances to get hired in the entertainment industry.

1. THOU SHALL NOT GO OVER A PAGE.

Anything over one page will almost always be deleted. Sure, a few people slip through the cracks and get interviews with a two-pager, but the gold standard is one page. Violations of this rule happen all the time; I’ve seen resumes that have two lines on the second page (which demonstrates that you can’t properly edit), or the second page is completely blank (demonstrating you are not detail-oriented). I’ve even seen a resume for an assistant position that was eight pages long. It’s no surprise, she didn’t get the job she was applying for (but she did get me as a private coach and together we rearranged all 34 jobs into one page- yes it can be done! If you want to know how, ask me in the comments.)

2. THOU SHALL INCLUDE STANDARD INFORMATION.

You can find a variety of great resume templates online. Different professions have different requirements, but the essential information for all resumes in entertainment boils down to 4 categories: Contact info, education, work experience, and skills/interests.

3. THOU SHALL CREATE A RESUME FROM A TEMPLATE AND SUBMIT IN PDF.

You must send your resume in a format that can’t be edited and is compatible on every devise. The industry standard is PDF. I recommend creating it in Word from a template. Using Pages, a Google doc, or Canva is a no-no. While it may look pretty, it is difficult to update does not present you in the most professional way.

4. THOU SHALL NOT USE COLORED TEXT OR COLORED PAPER.

Reese Witherspoon as ”Elle Woods” in Legally Blonde may have gotten into Harvard by putting her resume on pink paper (and submitting a video in a bikini), but most employers truly don’t want that. Have copies of your resume printed out on professional white or ivory paper.

Always put your text in black. Avoid colors like orange, pink, and yellow, as they don’t print well, nor do they make you look serious. Remember, it’s a resume, not an art project.

Speaking of color, let’s talk about the color white. You want to have plenty of white space in your document, so please use 10, 11 or 12 pt font, and use bolding, underlining, and italicizing strategically. Keep it balanced and uniform.

5. THOU SHALL NOT LIE.

Seems obvious, but if you don’t know a particular program, don’t list it on your skills. You’ll be found out very quickly, and word spreads very fast in this town.

6. THOU SHALL USE DATES.

If you don’t have dates of when you worked at various jobs or when you graduated, it looks dubious. For internships, it’s completely acceptable to say “Summer 2017” or “Fall 2016” when describing your semester abroad. Speaking of dates, just put down your graduation or expected graduation date. Nobody needs to know how long it took you to get your diploma.

7. THOU SHALL NOT INCLUDE YOUR GPA.

Unless you have a 3.9/4.0 or if the particular job you are applying for requires it, you really don’t need to include your GPA. Just knowing that you graduated is sufficient. Other fields like accounting, law, and medicine require a minimum GPA, but in entertainment, your hustle will matter more than your grades will matter.

8. THOU SHALL ALWAYS USE AT LEAST ONE “FEATHER.”

What do I mean by a “feather?” Imagine a scale. Now imagine a resume with a qualified candidate on each side. Both went to good schools, have similar work experience, and the necessary skills for the position. What will tip the balance in favor of one of these candidates? A feather! A feather is something that makes you interesting or unique and serves as conversation starter for you to reveal your personality. Because we want to work in entertainment, having a personality is key. Plus, as they say, “birds of a feather, fly together” and there is no better way to find your flock than to put it in your resume. I’ve seen feathers like:

“Language: Bilingual. Fluent in English and Sarcasm.” This person had work experience at The Ellen Show, Late Night with James Corden, Funny or Die, and Broadway Video. Clearly he works in comedy, so something like this would stand out in the right way, but would be terrible on a resume applying to work for the FBI, a financial institution or an insurance company.

“Skills: Knows the words to every Nicki Minaj song ever written.” This person was applying to work at TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, E! News, etc. Having a pop culture reference like that would absolutely get the attention of the hiring manager at any of those places. Again, this only works in entertainment

“Travel: Visited 22 countries including: Singapore, Malta, Colombia, Zimbabwe, and Hong Kong.” This is particularly important if you want to work in production on a show like “Survivor” or any show that requires travel or experience with other cultures..

9. THOU SHALL NOT SUBMIT OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS HOURS

It might not be a big deal if you are applying via a portal, but if you are emailing a human, be respectful of working hours. Remember, you aren’t in college any more, where you can just text, email, or call people at any hour; this is the working world, and it’s time to adapt to the rule of the employed jungle. This rule might not apply if you know the person already or were refered by a friend.

10. THOU SHALL USE ONLY ONE NAME

If your birth certificate, driver’s license and passport say “Elizabeth Ann Jones,” but everyone knows you as “Lizzie,” what name should you use on a professional resume? The truth is, it doesn’t matter what name you prefer; what matters that you are consistent. So pick a name (any name) and make sure you use only that one name across all digital platform, your resume, voicemail greeting and your email address. You want to be easy to find and easy to contact.

A FEW SUGGESTIONS:

Do not include a picture on your resume. Unless you are an actor or real estate agent, nobody needs to see a picture of you on a resume.

Avoid having multiple versions of a resume. There is only one you, so only have one resume that describes all of who you are and all the skills you can bring to a position (not just ones that pertain to entertainment.) Changing your resume for each job you apply to is a waste of energy and leaving off service jobs like working at Starbucks and/or retail is a mistake. Entertainment people are looking for entry-level candidates who have customer service experience and are used to stressful environments with demanding customers no matter the industry. Working as a barista, janitor, or part-time sales associate is highly valued for entry-level Hollywood positions

Leave off “they/them” pronouns. While controversial, if you want to get hired, avoid plural pronouns on your resume. Every company says they are an “equal opportunity employer” and we all know that it’s illegal to discriminate. Even so, a recruiter might overlook an application with “they/them” as that pronoun choice might be viewed as “self focused,” rather than “company focused.” I don’t want to argue if this is right or wrong, but rather highlight the potential downside of including it. All of that changes, however, if “they/them” pronouns are extremely important to you or is a requirement for the role to which you are applying. In that case, you MUST include it as it will be easier for companies who align with your values to find you.