INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Band 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 Band 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 Band Director job market is wide open for candidates.
Top band director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to Include in Your Band Director Resume Experience Section
Band director resume experience section checklist:
- Use at least 3 and no more than 7 bullet points per position;
- Make your experience sound relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Combine responsibilities, results, and critical situations that you’ve handled well;
- Show that you’re willing to take up on challenges;
- Include numbers in any form you like.
Looking for some real experience section examples? We’ve gathered the best Band Director resume samples to help you. Check them out before building your own resume!
- Started band at school from zero members
- Implemented policies to improve program
- Grew band to 120 members
- Created Booster Club which generated funds for the band
- Participated in numerous local performances
- Initiated leadership Academy for band members
- Annual Band Trip created and fully funded by band
- Directed and managed entire musical programs for the school
- Arranged all traveling and accommodation needs and participated in band competitions
- Adidas Brand Ambassador
- Started band at school from zero members
- Prepared basic rules for proper student participation in band activities
- Grew band to 60 members
- Participated in numerous local performances
- Evaluated and graded students’ class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers
- Selected, trained, supervised, and evaluated assistant band directors
- Responsible for organising the Instrumental Music / Band Program
- Purchasing music, band equipment and instruments
- Conduct Training, Intermediate & Senior Band plus ensembles
- Organise band performances, workshops, tutorials and visiting music performances
- Conducted Junior, Senior and Jazz Bands
- Organised local, state, inter state performances & tours
- Organise Band Camps, sectional rehearsals, private lessons
- Teach students to develop their musical skills, including technique, rhythm, intonation, dynamic control, interpretation, and expression and encourage them to work towards a common goal.
- Designed, planned, and organized several performances each year for the entire orchestra and band.
- Managed budget planning, supplies, instruments, music orders, program schedule, and music program curriculum development.
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Band Director job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your band director resume
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Top band director skills for your resume
Band Director Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Band Director resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top skills for your band director resume
Basic Finance
Public Speaking
Technology Solutions
Writing
Hand-crafts and Repairing
Self confidence
Creativity
Humor
Innovation
Storytelling
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
Band director resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your band 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
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PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Band Director resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Craft a strong band director resume summary
band director resume summary checklist:
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
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Highlight your education, certifications, and courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top Certifications for your Band Director Resume
Learn to Play Percussion: Beginner to Pro made the Easy Way!
Master the art of Percussion! Cover a year's worth of private lessons in just a few hours, at a fraction of the cost.
IELTS Band 7+ Complete Prep Course
Major Keys to Success
Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 2 (Achieve Band 7+ in 7 Hours)
Complete preparation to achieve the band score you need in IELTS Writing Task 2 (Academic and General Training).
IELTS Listening Strategies - From band 6 to Band 8+
Learn To Improve Your Listening Skills For IELTS Exam To Get A Higher Band Score. Strategies & Time Management.
IELTS Reading Academic [MASTERCLASS]: Get Band 7+
The Most Comprehensive Masterclass for Getting Band 7+ on IELTS Reading
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Drafting a Job-winning Band Director Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Band Director resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Band 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.
Other sections worth including in your band director resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
A band director resume that stands out
Recruiters look at tens of resumes every day. That’s why helping them remember yours is crucial for landing an interview.
A creative resume can help you show off both your personality and your expertise at the same time.
Creative sections about passions, favorite books, quotes, and even your daily routine are a great way to make your resume feel like a breath of fresh air.
What’s more, it will also point recruiters to the fact that you’re attentive to detail and can think outside the box of Word-generated black and white resumes.
What makes a great band 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.
