INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Artistic Director positions are at a 24% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 131,000 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 31,600 to 162,600 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Artistic Director jobs was $76,400 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $36,070, and the highest 10% more than $184,660.
Our conclusion? The Artistic Director job market is wide open for candidates.
Top artistic director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to craft the perfect artistic director resume experience section
Perfecting the experience section: Artistic director resume checklist:
- Be careful with bullet points: use no more than 4-6 per position;
- Mention only positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for;
- List your experience in chronological or reverse-chronological order;
- Highlight your results by using numbers – e.g. percentage increase/decrease in an important metric that’s followed by - your hard work;
- Use action words whenever possible… but more on that below.
Need examples? We looked through thousands of Artistic Director resumes and gathered some examples of what the ideal experience section looks like. Check them out below!
- i worked with joker production for a long time before being an artistic director in coaching kids and adults in theater and circus, i did 3 pieces of circus theater with them, also I've been training in a lots of agrees that develops me very well in body perform, i learned how to do marketing and it gave me a lot of self confidence.
- artor in a piece of theater named by ' nature guard '
- a performer of circus
- i maid a workshop of theater puppets for kids
- Built the foundations for the Performing Arts department through vision, strategy and governance.
- Developed the department's organizational chart, job descriptions and salary structure; while recruiting national and international staff.
- Selected and negotiated national and international shows (classical and contemporary music, dance, theatre) for the Center’s venues, increasing program quality and attendance.
- Created and directed a docu-drama and a dance show; with sold out performances to 35,000 attendees.
- Oversaw a three-year community outreach program co-developed with the National Youth Theatre of the UK to build capacity and develop a local theatre industry.
- Set up and negotiated an exchange program with the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing.
- Wrote competitive and sole source contracts along with cost estimates for theatre productions, received shows and events.
- Conceive, choreograph and stage both repertory and new works inspired by non-dancers and dancers in the community where I live, now Brooklyn
- Over 17 years, produced 6 full-length contemporary ballets and more than 100 repertory/new works, reaching 500,000 audience members and earning 5 awards from the National Endowment for the Arts
- Lead weekly company classes in modern dance, ballet and dances of the African diaspora
- Audition, hire, educate and manage 15+ dancers and 10+ guest artists
- Collaborate with music, visual, fashion and performing artists who represent the voice and contemporary concerns of the local community
- Built the organization into a respected cultural center with awards from Florida's Alliance for Arts Education and Division of Cultural Affairs
- Directed all aspects of artistic and education operations: conservatory-level curriculum development; implementation and conception; design & execution of 400+ dance/Arts events
- Innovated dance curriculum for the 21st Century, facilitating the development of college-age students/graduates into professional artists
- Planned and directed the organization's annual performance season
- Partnered with lead educators to develop, refine and implement a responsive, inclusion-based pedagogy for dance education
- Trained, managed, evaluated a staff of 95 educators, artists and volunteers
- Responsible for the conception, design, and on-brand execution of all visual print and digital materials for the fashion brand.
- Overseeing all aspects of the artistic production of the brand, such as assessing and selecting the aspects that will be shown, recruiting performers, setting production schedules as well managing budgets.
- Pushing the global fashion industry forward, through design innovation and new business models involving but not limited too.(The Mission, SWOT Analysis, Marketing/Advertising Plan, Operations, Financial Planning, and implementation.
- Provided direction and instruction to 200+ cast members.
- Advertisement and quality direction which increased patron attendance for 8 consecutive years.
- Realized artistic direction from concept to completion(Shop Management, Design Execution).
- Designed print materials for advertisement and promotion of company (brochures, billboards, flyers, street signs, newspaper/magazine ads).
- Consult and collaborate with production team to realize client vision.
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Artistic Director, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your artistic director resume
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Impressing recruiters with a top artistic director resume skills section
Checklist for an impressive Artistic Director resume skills section:
- List both hard and technical skills that are important for the role;
- Check what the job description says and add some keywords based on that;
- Focus only on relevant skills;
- Try not to list things such as “communication”; rather, highlight your soft skills in other sections of your Artistic Director resume.
Top skills for your artistic director resume
Basic Finance
Public Speaking
Technology Solutions
Writing
Hand-crafts and Repairing
Self confidence
Creativity
Humor
Innovation
Storytelling
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
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Artistic director resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your artistic director resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Artistic Director resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Crafting a strong summary for your artistic director resume
Checklist: The perfect Artistic Director resume summary section
- Add a couple of keywords from the job description;
- Mention some of your most valuable skills and characteristics;
- Highlight your top achievements (and add numbers!);
- Use no more than 3-5 sentences to guarantee readability and keep - the hiring manager interested.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
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An impressive education section: artistic director resume
Artistic Director Resume: Education Section Checklist
- Highlight your highest education degree;
- Include the degree subject, year of graduation, and institution name;
- Mention some of the awards you’ve received during your studies;
- List your certifications (incl. the body that’s issued them);
- Entry-level positions: Give preference to courses that are relevant to the position.
Top certifications for your artistic director resume
Hollywood Film School: Filmmaking & TV Directing Masterclass
Learn How to Be a Working Hollywood Director, Take Your Filmmaking, Film School & Video Production to the Next Level.
Early Renaissance Painting in Italy
A Turning Point in Two-Dimensional Space
Stress management for business owners, directors & managers
Reduce & manage stress at work & in business & build stress resilience, with 50+ practical stress management strategies
The Assistant Director in filmmaking - Basic level
Basic requirements for the job of an AD in a movie project across Scripting,Pre-production,Production & Post-Production
Becoming Creative
An Artistic Guide to Creativity
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
The right format for your artistic director resume
When it comes to formatting your Artistic Director resume, there are certain things you need to keep in mind. These include your level of expertise, your total years of experience, and the position and company you’re applying for, to name a few.
You can choose between three basic resume formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The reverse-chronological format is just that – all your experience listed in a reverse-chronological way. It’s great for experienced professionals who have been in the industry for many years and have no career gaps.
The functional skills-based resume, on the other hand, focuses on skills, education, and personality traits, rather than experience. This makes it great for graduates, people with less experience, or bigger career gaps. The idea is to show you’re the perfect match without putting too much emphasis on your lack of relevant experience.
If none of these sound suitable, go for a hybrid (or combination) resume. It’s a mix of experience, skills, and personality traits. It’s also considered modern and innovative because of its non-traditional structure and sections. Here, you can add details about what your typical day looks like or what your life philosophy is. In short, the hybrid resume format shows who you are, both as a professional and as an individual.
More tips on perfecting your resume style and layout:
- Choose a traditional 12p font;
- Make sure your resume margins are no bigger than an inch;
- Go for a one-page template. If you have broad experience and can’t fit your resume on one page, choose a two-page resume template
- Save your resume as PDF to avoid formatting issues and unauthorized editing.
Read this: Ways to make your Artistic Director resume stand out
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Artistic Director resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
More sections worth adding to your artistic director resume
If the industry, company, and position you’re applying for allow for that, you could include other sections in your Artistic Director resume. By doing this, you’ll show the recruiter that you’re a real human and not a robot.
Here are some ideas:
The right kind of creativity for your artistic director resume
Several years ago, everyone preferred keeping a safe distance from creative resumes. Today, adding creativity to your CV is considered cool, innovative, and one of the best ways to stand out.
You can add a creative section that describes your typical day or even go for a colorful creative template. No matter what you choose, make sure to keep the position, company, and industry in mind. Otherwise, you risk looking silly.
What makes a great artistic director resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
