Creating A Resume 101

Opera

Your resume is a critical part of your promotional package. It should be an effective tool with which you communicate your experience quickly and efficiently to an auditioner. Performance resumes have a standard format in which basic information is placed at the top, and all experience and training is put into categories.

Your opera resume should include:

Your name, fach and contact information
Operas, roles, company and dates
Oratorio works, specifics, Organization, dates
Young Artist Programs
Education/Training

Optional information:

Special Skills
Height, Weight
Roles learned (as opposed to performed)

Here are some standard guidelines:

Your resume should fit on one page and your head shot should be stapled back to back with it.
Your head shot should include your contact information. Contact information should be printed in the white area at the bottom of the photograph. Color 8x10s have replaced black and white as the industry standard.
Resist the urge to make your resume "pretty." Simple but clean presentation is best. No funky fonts or crazy colors.
If you were directed by or performed with an important personality, list his/her name underneath the company. For example: Washington National Opera, Placido Domingo Conducting.
A general rule is to work your resume in chronological order (by date performed). Most recent work first. However, certain situations may call for listing experience out of chronological order. You can assess that as you go along. When you have performed multiple roles in the same year, you can make decisions based on other criteria such as:
- Listing smaller roles with high level companies before big roles in small houses.
- When choosing between equivalent companies, you should list works from mainstream repertoire before more obscure pieces.

Other tips:

Never "fib" about your experience, skills or training.
Don't use a resume that is larger that 8 ½ x 11.
Don't use a resume that is more than one page.
Don't staple reviews or clippings to your resume. They just get in the way.
Don't make the type smaller than 10 pt. If you have that much experience, edit it down.

Samples of 2 different resume designs: