I am often asked by aspiring professional dancers how to create a great resume. Obviously, building the experience to create a truly great resume takes many years and a fantastic amount of work. However, creating just a resume using Word or Pages is very simple when you lie.
To make a great resume, you first need to know what a resume includes when it is built on the exploits of people who have actually accomplished great things. For example, let us take a look at several resumes by eminent classical musicians.
Example 1: “Itzhak Perlman has performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe.” This line is perfect for a resume, because it is basically saying that every major orchestra in the world wants Itzhak Perlman to play with them, and potential employers eat that up.
Example 2: “Lang Lang has played sold out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world.” Similar to example 1, this example is great for a resume because it is basically saying that every major city in the world wants Lang Lang to come and play a concert. Potential employers eat that up.
Example 3: “Joshua Bell has played with every major orchestra and every major concert hall in the world.” Similar to examples 1 and 2, this example is great for a resume because it is basically saying that everyone in the world wants to hear Joshua Bell play, and potential employers eat that up.
Example 4: “Yo Yo Ma is the most famous Cellist in the history of classical music. Men want to be him, and women want to be with him.” If you have reached a level at which every single person on Earth has heard of you, this is the example to use.
When you start your resume, it will not be anywhere near as impressive as these examples. Do not worry! All your resume needs is a little embellishment. This means highlighting the things that are unique to you and sound impressive, even if they are meaningless.
For example:
“(Your Name) has danced at every single barre spot in every single studio at (Your Ballet School).”
“(Your Name) has danced with every single boy/girl in partnering class.”
Be sure to avoid using any of the following examples, which may seem impressive but come off desperate:
“(Your Name) makes it a point to get to class on time each day.”
“(Your Name) is dedicated to learning every combination.”
“(Your Name) does his/her best each and very class.”
Including these on your resume is something like impressing a date with your ability to wash and dress yourself. After a certain amount of experience, certain things are just expected.
Have a specific resume question? Ask it!
