Does your entertainment industry resume list too many ridiculous skills?

You know that saying “less is more?” It’s certainly true for the skills section of your resume. Many resumes list every possible “skill” a person might possess -- time management, works well with others, types 85 wpm, good memory, a self-starter. This discounts some of the more significant skills you have by essentially saying, “My resume was too short, so I needed to take up space!”

​Your skills section is not a direct response to the “Required Skills” section of a job posting. Instead, it’s a place for you to be clear about concrete skills, like what computer programs you know and what languages you speak. The bullets describing your previous job duties are there to prove your experience with organization, leadership, teamwork, etc. It’s easy to say that you have excellent time management skills, but who’s going to believe you without clear examples? And for things like “thick skin” or “a people person” -- that’ll be clear when they meet you face to face.

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--Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan