What are the best ways to tailor your resume for a theater position?

Considering your abilities and experiences in theater/festivals I would give four recommendations: 1. Please, highlight the experiences in your C.V. that match best with the position you are applying for. Add 2-3 sentences to the position in your C.V. to explain, that your experience matches exactly and that you know about the kind of work in theaters, the risks and values. 2. Describe the benefit the theater will get while employing you, including a success story. Add a recommendation from the resp. employer and put a little notice about the recommendation in brackets. 3. Highlight your abilities in each position in your C.V., incl. your work as a volunteer, that are matching the competences asked for. 4. But stay always humble.

Being able to highlight relevant skills for the job is one of the most definite ways to land you your dream job. This includes both technical skills, such as stage management or lighting design, and soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

Keep it simple by avoiding jargon. Proof read your resume and avoid ambiguity. Use concise, appropriate words, correct grammar and punctuations and active voice.

Express your personality with your language, your style and the tone. Personality in my eyes means not to put the creative style and design of the resume in the center. Follow always the old rule: form follows function. Considering this, I always would prefer to see a C.V. that is brillant in it's content. The layout should be professional, and pure, and it should follow the content and the idea of the next and/or future position, you want to apply for/ you see in the future of your own personal path.

To tailor your resume for a theater position, focus on relevant experience and skills. Begin with a strong summary highlighting your passion for theater and your unique attributes. Emphasize theater-related roles, such as acting, directing, stage management, or technical skills. Use specific examples of successful productions, including character names, theaters, and dates. Highlight any formal training or education related to theater. Showcase soft skills like teamwork, creativity, and adaptability. Use industry-specific keywords and action verbs. Include a section for relevant achievements, such as awards or notable performances. Lastly, proofread meticulously to ensure accuracy and professionalism.

You cannot win one single position by tailoring your C.V. It is the content of your own career that matters. Think of a scale, on the one side is the company/ production with all the requirements it is looking for, on the other side is everything you have to offer. Find as many matches and express them in your C.V. on the relevant knot points of your career. But always think of that: What the production is looking for is always a maximum version of what is possible. Be always proud of what you have to offer and put these elements of your career you are proud of in your C.V. and your motivation letter. The producers want to be convinced by your motivation, by your knowledge and your experiences.