Actor Resume Template for MS Word

The most successful candidates use the summary statement at the top of their resume. This is a synopsis of your top skills and attributes that could impress a future employer. Ideally, your summary statement should be related to the information from the job posting.

Your summary statement should be focused on selling yourself to the hiring manager. The standard length for a summary statement is three sentences or details in a bulleted list. Here are some things you should include:

• Your job title and years of experience

• Industry-specific skills

• General skills from the job posting

Like in the actor resume template for Word, your summary statement can help boost your hiring chances. Here are some examples:

Example 1

Talented and hard-working actor with more than 25 years of experience on the stage. History of award nominations and wins in a variety of national productions. Flexible, with a reputation of working well with a team.

Example 2

Skilled actor with 12 years of experience creating characters for movies and television. Experience working with award-winning directors and blockbuster productions. Dependable and focused on the small details that bring a character to life.

Example 3

Notable character actor with a history of memorable roles and performances from the past 15 years on the stage and in television. Experienced stunt worker and stage combat participant. Ability to believably transform into any type of character.

Example 4

Actor:

• Actor with 17 years of movie experience

• Award-winning reputation

• Strong oral communication skills

The second part of your resume is the skills section. You can use this section to give you a greater edge in the hiring pool if you carefully word this part of your resume, like the actor resume template for Word demonstrates. It’s important to make sure hiring managers can easily read through your list of skills, so make it relevant and concise. Stick with listing about six to eight top skills that are most important for the potential job. Here are some additional tips to master this section of your resume:

• Use the job posting to get ideas about what kind of skills the employer is seeking

• Organize your list effectively by putting the top skills first on your list

• Include specific key terms and phrases in your skills list to help your resume stand out

Here are some skills that actors need for success in the film, television and theater industry:

• Experience with national touring productions

• Expertise in more than 15 English dialects

• Stage combat training

• Ability to project voice

• Professionally trained singer and dancer

• Exceptional memorization skills

• Eager collaborator

The real meat of your resume is typically your work history section. In this part of your document, as demonstrated in the actor resume template for Word, you will expand on the details of all relevant history from your acting career. Talent agents and casting directors want to see that you are suitable for the role with your previous experiences. Here are some ways to make this happen:

• Review the job posting or casting notice for details you should include in this section

• Start each previous job history detail with a strong and vivid action verb

• Focus on providing evidence of your top achievements

• Give examples of specific metrics, such as percentages and dollar amounts

Check out some of these details that could work for an actor’s career history:

• Originated more than six roles for a variety of Broadway productions

• Recognized by the Foreign Press Association for best performance by a supporting actor

• Starred in a weekly crime drama series that consistently reached number one in the ratings

• Performed seven shows a week in an off-Broadway play

The last piece of your resume is to describe your education. For experienced actors, it’s important to give an overview of your training in college or beyond, as seen in the actor resume template for Word. Include any degrees you have earned and any professional workshops or affiliations you have completed. Here are some ways to show your readiness for the job in this section:

• Use the reverse chronological method of organizing your details

• Detail your degrees, the schools attended and the completion dates

• Avoid giving too much information, such as GPA, unless you recently graduated

Check out these examples that detail the educational history from an actor’s resume:

Example 1

Certificate in Improvisation – 2004

The Actor’s Studio, New York, New York

Bachelor of Arts in Theater – 2000 – 2004

New York University, New York, New York

Example 2

Master of Fine Arts in Theater – 2004 – 2008

Winner of the Top New Talent Award

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Professional Affiliations – Screen Actor’s Guild of America, Professional Theater Actor’s Association