How to Write an Impressive Art Resume

A polished resume is one of the best tools an artist can have when it comes time to find a job within the industry. Not only is it one of the most critical components of an application packet, but it is also one of the first things a hiring manager sees from a prospective applicant—and first impressions count.

Like artists themselves, art resumes come in all shapes and sizes. With that said, there are some common conventions that can go a long way to making a resume look polished and professional.

1. Know the Basics

As a good rule of thumb, an artist's resume should never be an artistic resume. The goal of resume should not be to overwhelm the hiring manager with creativity—that is what the portfolio is for. Rather, winning resumes should be one to four pages long, typed in an easy-to-read font, and printed on quality, white or off-white paper. Like more traditional resume styles, the artist's resume should be organized by headings—either bolded, underlined, or italicized—that outline particular activities and accomplishments. The specifics of these activities and accomplishments, however, will depend on the specific artistic industry to which one is applying.

2. Include Essential Information

Similar to more standard employment resumes, the artist's resume should be both professional and accurate, including contact information, employment and educational history, experience and skills.

In addition, artists have the option to include information about their specific talents, abilities, and professional endeavors. These could include grants and awards received, exhibitions, commissions, gallery collections, and publications, including any pieces of the artist's work or research that have appeared in books, magazines, newspapers, or catalogs.

Beyond this, it is important to note that a resume should be complete and should include all universities attended, even if the degree obtained was not in the field of art.

3. Keep It Simple

Hiring managers may receive dozens of applications each week, if not more, which is why it is important that a quality resume be simple, to the point, and easy on the eyes. Fancy fonts and artistic flourishes have no place on a resume, and actually decrease an applicant's chances of having his or her resume read.

The best artist resumes are short and uncomplicated, since an applicant's skills and degrees should speak for themselves.

4. Focus on accomplishments

Every artist has accomplishments to be proud of—even those who are just starting out or recently graduated from school. It is critical when making a resume to focus on those, rather than including exaggerated information.

For example, many artists chose not to list degrees obtained that are not related to the field of art. This is often thought to be a mistake, since having a wide array of interests is typically seen by employers as a strength rather than a weakness.

Other accomplishments worth listing include studying abroad, second languages, scholarly papers written, and past awards—even if the award seems insignificant or was given by a college instructor.

5. Get a Second Opinion

Just because a resume looks finished, does not mean it is. As with all resumes, an artist should give his or her document to a friend for another look.

A university's career planning or counseling office is another great place ask for a second opinion, as the counselors there generally have a great deal of experience and helpful advice.

Because resumes are often the first thing a prospective employer sees, applicants would be well advised to spend the time making a resume they are proud of. Presenting a professional, comprehensive, and—above all else—accurate resume is one of the best things an art applicant can do to improve his or her chances of landing an interview and eventually securing a job in the art industry.

Article Resources:

College Art Association
New York Foundation for the Arts
Maine Arts Commission
Gallery Direct