INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallery Director positions are at a 11% growth rate, which is faster than average. With that said, there are currently 98,500 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 10,800 to 109,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Gallery Director jobs was $97,270 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $54,530, and the highest 10% more than $199,250.
Our conclusion? The Gallery Director job market is wide open for candidates.
Top gallery director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to craft the perfect Gallery Director resume experience section
Perfecting the experience section: Gallery 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 Gallery Director resumes and gathered some examples of what the ideal experience section looks like. Check them out below!
- As director, I am responsible for overseeing the day to day administrative tasks of the Gallery, developing exhibition programming, implementing dynamic marketing strategies, and managing the Gallery's business and financial affairs.
- I have developed programming suited to local interests but spanning international relevance; some key areas of exhibition management have included adapting exhibitions to work around pandemic-related obstacles, liaising unusual cross-media artists and pioneering their work in the gallery setting, mentoring and supporting early-practise artists (in particular artists of colour), and designing innovative and contemporary gallery experiences that remain approachable and accessible to people from diverse walks of life.
- I have also applied my passion for photography and videography in this role, producing exhibition documentation and coordinating art direction.
- As director, I am responsible for overseeing the day to day administrative tasks of the Gallery, developing exhibition programming, implementing dynamic marketing strategies, and managing the Gallery's business and financial affairs.
- I have developed programming suited to local interests but spanning international relevance; some key areas of exhibition management have included adapting exhibitions to work around pandemic-related obstacles, liaising unusual cross-media artists and pioneering their work in the gallery setting, mentoring and supporting early-practise artists (in particular artists of colour), and designing innovative and contemporary gallery experiences that remain approachable and accessible to people from diverse walks of life.
- I have also applied my passion for photography and videography in this role, producing exhibition documentation and coordinating art direction, as well as occasionally curating projects within the gallery.
- Delivered leadership in establishing deep client relationships and delivering high levels of service to clients.
- Consistently added to strong sales portfolio with works sold ranging from $2,500 - $150,000.
- Project Managed rotating schedule of exhibitions from inception through execution. Led exhibition design, remained within budget.
- Planned and executed all aspects of participation in art fairs, including but not limited to curating, booth design, insurance, shipping.
- Director of publications, coordinating all printed gallery materials including exhibition catalogues ranging from 16-page catalogues to two 96-page hardcover books.
- Vetted and implemented updated inventory management software, tracking millions of dollars worth of artwork. Integrated program with company's invoicing and accounting systems.
- Hired, trained, supervised Assistant Director and interns.
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Gallery Director resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action verbs for your gallery director resume
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Impressing recruiters with a top gallery director resume skills section
Checklist for an impressive Gallery 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 Gallery Director resume.
Top skills for your gallery director resume
Basic Finance
Public Speaking
Technology Solutions
Writing
Hand-crafts and Repairing
Self confidence
Creativity
Humor
Innovation
Storytelling
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Gallery director resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your gallery 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 Gallery 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 gallery director resume
Checklist: The perfect Gallery 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
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
Recommended reads:
An impressive education section: Gallery director resume
Gallery 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 gallery director resume
Digital Nomads. Your Artist Bio & Sell Your Art in Galleries
Write a great artist bio so that you can sell art in art galleries & museum shops + Over 700 galleries & museums
Professional Director Series: Fundamentals for Directors
Fundamentals that a Director must know.
Conflict Resolution for Executives and Board Directors
You'll learn diagnosis and resolution techniques for tense, sensitive conflicts with your board directors/exec committee
The Ziegler Academy: Art Management & Exhibition Design
A complete guide to Art Gallery Management and Exhibition Design
Overview of Informatica Data Director (IDD)
Informatica Data Direction Application configuration & usage , Integration with Informatica Master Data Management (MDM)
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Gallery Director. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
The right format for your gallery director resume
When it comes to formatting your Gallery 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 Gallery Director resume stand out
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
More sections worth adding to your gallery director resume
If the industry, company, and position you’re applying for allow for that, you could include other sections in your Gallery 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 gallery 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 gallery 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.
