Tips for Visual and Fine Arts
Resumes
Inventory
Keep an inventory of your experience and
training. Include exhibitions, community
outreach, group projects, workshops, volunteer
activities, etc. Also, keep a running list of
workshops, seminars, and master classes.
(Do not include high school unless you are a
freshman or attended a well-known, highly-
respected program.) Update your inventory
regularly.
When it is time to create a resume, refer to your
ongoing inventory, and select the specific
information that best relates to the position.
Resume Formatting
Opinions abound on what an artist’s resume
should “look like”. One school of thought
suggests that a resume should include pictures,
logos, and other graphic elements. This
approach can be effective but may not be the
best choice in all circumstances. For example,
when applying for grants, residencies,
commissions, exhibitions, galleries, museums
and arts centers, the College of Art Association
suggests submitting a simple and straightforward
resume. In its “Artist Resume Recommended
Conventions,” it says:
Easy to read fonts and type sizes (never
below 10 point) help facilitate reading. Use
white space well and do not submit your
resume on colored paper. Do not use
headshots, images or colored fonts. A
beautifully prepared resume will not get
you an exhibition opportunity if your art or
its documentation is weak, but a poorly
designed resume could cost you such an
opportunity.
[An in-depth description of CAA Standards and
Guidelines for artist resumes is found at:
https://www.collegeart.org/standards-and-
guidelines/guidelines/resume]
Bullet Points versus Text Blocks
Bullet points are recommended for resumes because
they arrange information so that the eye can scan
and read quickly and they help the reader keep track
of her location on the page. This is especially
important because employers typically scan a
resume for only 8-10 seconds to determine if the
applicant is of interest.
Some people prefer to place their information in
blocks of text rather than bullet points. While blocks
of text may be visually appealing, the blocks of text
disrupt eye flow, and make it difficult to keep track of
progress on the page. Hurried readers may skip
important information or miss the details you want
them to know.
ATS-Friendly Resumes
• Most online resumes are prescreened by
Applicant Tracking Systems, computer software
that seeks key words and experiences that are
indicated in the posting. Although the software is
evolving, many systems reject resumes with
graphics or graphic embellishments. (If the
system does not reject a resume with graphics, it
will ignore the graphics, so do not embed critical
information in the graphics.) Until all systems
have been updated, keep these details in mind:
• Do not use templates. Many are incompatible with
ATS software.
• Tables will be converted into one line of text.
• Do not use headers or footers.
• Do not use live hyperlinks.
• Do not use columns.
• Tables will be converted into one column of text.
• Use traditional section headings.
• Use key words and phrases.
• Sans serif fonts are best (Arial, Verdana, Calibri,
Tahoma).
• Use consistent formatting.
• Save as a .doc or .docx document; some systems
are not able to read a PDF saved as an image.
There are many thoughts, theories, and research on
what makes a “good resume. Ultimately you are the
designer, editor, and critic and you choose how you
want to write and style your document. Regardless
of the format, what makes a resume “good” is that
the content clearly demonstrates that you have
the skills, background and experience that relate
to a specific position.
