Interesting about the "Avoid multipel versions" advice. This may hold true for entry level positions (and I know that's what you focus on) though I will say I've recently worked with a resume coach, and she said the exact opposite - that I should always be customizing per job, and removing not just jobs but every single bullet point that doesn't pertain to the particular skillsets they're looking for.
The very next day I had a hiring person from a company I'd applied to the previous week reach out letting me know that they weren't going to fill the position posted after all, but she also wanted to offer me some advice (I love it when people take the time to do this!) She said my resume was very interesting, but that I need to cull it and focus on the story it was telling for that particular company, essentially the exact same advice!
For what it's worth, the resume coach was not knowledgable about the entertainment industry, per se, but the company who gave me the same advice was entertainment-adjacent.
thank you for such a thoughtful comment (and for reading and liking all of my posts- it means a lot!). I should probably expand on this more in another article, but I think the same is true for resumes for more senior executives in entertainment too. The truth is, a resume tells a story (will go into details in another article) and this purpose of a resume is just to get your in the door to interview. It's not a full life sketch, but a trailer of what you can do. I have a friend who works in the VA and has a 3 page resume with every certification and detailed description of everything she has ever done. Same is true with a friend at a high level in tech- 3 page resume! My mind would go nuts with all of those words, but that is commonplace in government work and other industries. Entertainment has its own rule book and usually, less is more. The most desirable jobs are won via relationships (or an agent) and just being employed at a reputable company for a period of time tells a story better than a long resume can.
Interesting about the "Avoid multipel versions" advice. This may hold true for entry level positions (and I know that's what you focus on) though I will say I've recently worked with a resume coach, and she said the exact opposite - that I should always be customizing per job, and removing not just jobs but every single bullet point that doesn't pertain to the particular skillsets they're looking for.
The very next day I had a hiring person from a company I'd applied to the previous week reach out letting me know that they weren't going to fill the position posted after all, but she also wanted to offer me some advice (I love it when people take the time to do this!) She said my resume was very interesting, but that I need to cull it and focus on the story it was telling for that particular company, essentially the exact same advice!
For what it's worth, the resume coach was not knowledgable about the entertainment industry, per se, but the company who gave me the same advice was entertainment-adjacent.
thank you for such a thoughtful comment (and for reading and liking all of my posts- it means a lot!). I should probably expand on this more in another article, but I think the same is true for resumes for more senior executives in entertainment too. The truth is, a resume tells a story (will go into details in another article) and this purpose of a resume is just to get your in the door to interview. It's not a full life sketch, but a trailer of what you can do. I have a friend who works in the VA and has a 3 page resume with every certification and detailed description of everything she has ever done. Same is true with a friend at a high level in tech- 3 page resume! My mind would go nuts with all of those words, but that is commonplace in government work and other industries. Entertainment has its own rule book and usually, less is more. The most desirable jobs are won via relationships (or an agent) and just being employed at a reputable company for a period of time tells a story better than a long resume can.