JobHero has a treasure trove of entertainment resume examples for job seekers looking to advance their careers in entertainment, or for those just getting started in this field. Use our professionally designed resume examples to get inspired and create a resume that helps you stand out in show business.

Our most-requested resume in entertainment is for actors. In this example you can see the right information to include and how to best frame your acting experience in the best light to secure the job you want.

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Job Outlook for Entertainment

Although there’s never a guarantee of wealth and fame in the entertainment industry, the job prospects are looking good. Employment in the entertainment and sports occupations is expected to increase 5% by 2028 according to the U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics.

Make it easier to land one of these positions by submitting a resume that sets you apart from the competition. Incorporate some of our entertainment resume writing tips below to help make your document extraordinary.

3 Tips for Writing Entertainment Resumes

Choose the right format for your entertainment resume

A resume format refers to the way that the information is arranged on the page. There are three main format types: chronological, functional and hybrid.

Choose the format best for you based on how much experience you have for the entertainment job that you’re applying for.

If you’re a candidate with more than five years’ experience, you should use a chronological format. If you have little to no experience, use a function resume format. And, if you are somewhere in the middle with between two and five years working as an entertainer, you should use a hybrid format.

A chronological format works better for more experienced candidates as it puts the emphasis of your resume on work experience. It’s also the format most hiring managers prefer because they can better gauge what you’re capable of by seeing what you’ve achieved in similar past roles.

A functional format should be used if you want to apply to an entertainer role but you have little to no experience — maybe you’re just out of school or transferring from a different industry — because it takes the focus off work experience and puts it on your skills and education.

This way your resume highlights the things you’re good at and what you can achieve, rather than your lack of experience.

Just as it sounds like, a hybrid format is a combination of a chronological and functional format. While it puts more emphasis on your skills than a chronological format, it also gives more space to describe your work history than a functional resume.

Choose a format before you start writing as it will give you clearer insight into how long you should make each section.

Promote your entertainment skills

Overall, roles in the entertainment industry require specific skill sets based on job title. The courage that makes a good stunt person isn’t necessary for cinematographers, for instance, but there are some common skills that are desirable across the entertainment industry.

It’s best practice to include some of these sought-after skills in your resume as they apply to you.

Common sought-after skills for entertainers include:

  • Teamwork
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Attention to detail
  • Planning
  • Commitment
  • Stamina
  • Up-to-date
  • Screen presence
  • Persuasiveness
  • Knowledge of industry trends
  • Stage presence
  • Filming
  • Audience engagement
  • Creative vision
  • Editing
  • Follows instructions
  • Problem-solving
  • Meeting deadlines
  • Screenwriting
  • Playwriting
  • AV effects
  • Light engineering
  • Sound engineering
  • Shot location
  • Production
  • Project fundraising
  • Audience participation
  • Crowd pleasing
  • Commercial production
  • Filmmaking
  • Crew management
  • Editing coordination

Sprinkle some of these skills into your resume where they’re applicable to your entertainment experience and specialty.

Also, pay close attention to the language used in the job posting or ad, and try to reflect back some of the phrasing the employer uses — the keywords and language used in the job posting are your best indicators of what an employer wants.

Use a template to make sure your resume dazzles

A resume template is a tool that you can use to shave some time off writing your resume and to make sure that it looks outstanding.

A template is just a preformatted document that was created by a professional designer so that you don’t have to worry about columns, borders, fonts or margins. It’s like a resume example you can fill in with your own information.

JobHero has loads of resume templates that you can use to create your own resume in just a few quick minutes.

What’s more, JobHero features a customized resume builder that allows you to choose from a selection of templates in addition to giving you step-by-step guidance on what to include in each resume section. Furthermore, it even auto-suggests phrases about your work history that are tailored to the job title you are applying for.

A resume builder is the easiest and fastest way to create a resume. It’s like having an expert look over your shoulder to guide you step-by-step as you write your resume.

Entertainment Resume FAQ

What should I put on my resume for entertainment?

For most jobs in entertainment, the focus of your resume should be on your work experience and skills. Advanced education is not expected for most entertainment roles. You’ll also need to include the resume basics like your contact information and a professional summary or objective.

Many actors or performers have resumes that feature a headshot to help directors assess their fit for roles.

The central focus of your resume should be your work experience because you’re more likely to get hired if you’ve worked on similar productions or events.

However, it’s also important to keep in mind that with entertainment it’s not just what’s on your resume that’s important. A lot of jobs might need to see additional material like photos, a portfolio, a demonstration or a sample film reel depending on your entertainment speciality.

This is just as important, if not moreso, than your resume. A resume gives an outline of work that you’ve done, but anyone who hires an entertainer also wants to feel confident that the work you do is good.

After all, anyone can say they’re entertainers, but that doesn’t make them entertaining.

So make sure whatever sample of your work that you include contains the best content you’ve been a part of.

How do I list education on an entertainment resume?

In an entertainment resume, an education section probably shouldn’t be the focus of your resume, so you should probably keep it towards the bottom of your document underneath the skills section.

For your education section the following is essential to include: The name of the school that you attended, its city and state location, the years you attended, and, if applicable, the degree(s) you obtained. Typically, if you’ve graduated from college, you don’t need to list your high school education.

In the case of recent college graduates who studied discipline under the entertainment umbrella, but don’t have actual work experience yet, it’s acceptable to include a high GPA, mention any notable instructors you worked with or list any specific coursework that you took that may be related to your craft.

What kind of work experience should I put on an entertainment resume?

If you can, you should try to keep all the work experience you include in a resume focused on entertainment jobs you’ve held.

Even if you didn’t get paid for an entertainment gig, it’s still better to list it than fill up your resume with non-entertainment-related jobs.

If you’re lacking relevant entertainment work experience to include on your resume, consider creating your own project and document it to give yourself experience. Build your own portfolio that way. After all, every film director starts somewhere, and for many it’s student and amateur — unpaid — films.

And, if you have very little acting experience, you could choose to list a non-entertainment role as it could vouch for your background, work ethic or general reliability.

How do I write a professional summary for an entertainment resume?

A professional summary is an engaging two-to-three sentence sales pitch about yourself that lives at the top of your resume.

The fact that you’re in the entertainment industry means that your summary statement should tell a particularly dazzling story about yourself.

So focus on using very active language that gives a brief account of what you’ve accomplished. Mention notable productions you’ve been a part of, work you’re proud of, crowds you’ve drawn, awards you’ve won or skills that make you unique.

JobHero has an in-depth guide on professional summaries and objective statements that will give you all the tools you need to make sure that your resume is outstanding.