Top Lighting Designer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers & results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Lighting Designer resume experience section
Lighting Designer Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
If you prefer to be led by example, check out some great Lighting Designer resume experience section snippets below!
- Designed and executed innovative lighting designs for over 100 church services and events resulting in increased attendance and positive feedback from attendees.
- Managed and trained a team of 3 lighting technicians resulting in improved efficiency and quality of lighting production.
- Maintained the lighting systems, including changing blown lamps, focusing fixtures, cleaning fixtures, helping facilitate repairs, maintaining console show files, and system documentation.
- Designed and executed lighting designs for over 50 events resulting in positive feedback from clients and attendees.
- Managed a team of 5 lighting technicians resulting in efficient and successful execution of lighting designs.
- Implemented new lighting software and equipment resulting in improved efficiency and quality of lighting production.
- Assisted in the development and implementation of lighting designs for over 20 events.
- Operated lighting equipment during events resulting in successful execution of lighting designs.
- Maintained and organized lighting equipment and supplies resulting in improved efficiency during events.
PRO TIP
Check the Lighting Designer job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action Verbs for your Lighting Designer Resume
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Impressing Recruiters with a Top Lighting Designer Resume Skills Section
Checklist for an impressive Lighting Designer 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 Lighting Designer resume.
Top skills for your lighting designer resume
Knowledge of lighting equipment
Familiarity with DMX control systems
Understanding of lighting design software
Knowledge of electrical systems
Ability to read and interpret blueprints
Color theory
Knowledge of rigging techniques
Experience with programming lighting consoles
Familiarity with various types of lamps
Understanding of light plots
Strong communication skills
Ability to collaborate with other members of a production team
Excellent time management skills
Attention to detail
Ability to work well under pressure
Strong problem-solving skills
Flexibility and adaptability
Good artistic eye
Ability to stay current with industry trends
Patience and dedication to the craft
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Lighting Designer resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Impressive Lighting Designer resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Lighting Designer experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
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Drafting a Job-winning Lighting Designer 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.
After choosing the right format for your Lighting Designer resume, it’s time to perfect the layout and style.
- Go for traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Choose a simple resume font, sized 10-12p;
- Make sure that the length of your resume matches your applicant profile: try to fit in a one-page template; two-page templateare suitable only for candidates with over 10 years of experience.
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid issues around formatting and unauthorized editing.
Looking for more ways to make your application stand out? Read this article!