The United States music industry is the largest in the world given the roughly 20 billion dollars that it brings in on an annual basis. With all of the money that’s flowing through music, you’d think that there would be a ton of jobs available for music lovers like you… There isn’t.
Just a few thousand people hold down jobs in the music sector and each of those positions was fiercely competitive to land. Despite that, armed with the right resume and the will to succeed, you can make a run at your dreams.
Below, we share music industry resume tips that will help you stand out among thousands of applicants.
1. Craft Your Cover Letter
No matter what music industry job you’re looking for, you’re going to want to craft a solid cover letter to include with your resume. A cover letter is your opportunity to let an employer know personally why you’re the person for their job.
Keep your cover letter capped at about two to three paragraphs as most people won’t have the time to read anything longer than that.
2. List Your Contact/Location Information
With your cover letter out of the way, it’s time to move onto crafting your actual music industry resume. The first thing that you’ll want to include on your resume is basic information that pertains to you.
This information should include your full name, phone number and current address. If you apply for a job with an address that’s far away from your prospective place of employment, write “willing to relocate” next to your address.
3. Disclose Your Education
Below your contact information, share with employers where you attained your industry-relevant education.
Most people will list out where they got their degree (if applicable) or will note relevant teachers that they’ve trained with outside of a collegiate environment. For example, if you’re applying for a label management position and took a private class with Jay-Z, you’d want to note that.
4. Write Out Your Work History
A lot of people mess up their music industry resume in their work history section because they list too much information, most of which is irrelevant to employers.
Keep your work history capped at four to five relevant positions and under each position, list three key duties that you performed in that job regularly.
5. Share References
At the bottom of your resume, list out three references, their phone numbers, and their email addresses. Also, be sure to note each of your reference’s job titles.
The bigger name references you have, the more attention-grabbing your resume will be. Just be sure that each of your references are prepared to recommend you.
6. Always Keep Your Resume to One Page
Many of the biggest companies in entertainment have an unspoken policy of throwing out resumes that are longer than one page. Consequently, you’ll want to be concise when crafting your resume.
If you need help, use single-page resume templates for guidance or check these additional templates here.
With Our Tips, Your Music Industry Resume Will Pop
You’d be shocked by how many people send out multi-paged resumes that are filled with typos and irrelevant information. By following the music industry resume tips that we’ve shared with you, you’ll immediately land your name in the top 10% of candidates which will skyrocket your chances of getting hired.
Best of luck landing the job of your dreams and feel free to check out more of the content on our site if you’re curious to learn about what’s happening in music!