Nerd Pride Radio

I'm getting my resume together for an audition -- I'm on the short list!! -- and I have to pull my resume together again. I don't know how it's been for you folks when working on resumes, but this seems overly complicated. There's no way I can keep it all on 1 page, and then on top of that, the sheer quantity of different kinds of jobs, in different areas (performance, education, composition, classical, non-classical) is boggling my mind.

What's it like when you have to get your resume together?

I've had one job for 20 years. My resume is pretty simple.

Yeah, well, I've had a lot more than that. Most of them simultaneously.

Is the standard in music more of a business resume or more of a curriculum vitae listing all the notable accomplishments and positions held?

I hate updating mine and coincidentally need to do it this weekend, not for any special purpose but to give to people who need one. It sucks, bleagh.

Different fields have different standards. I think, in most fields, it's practically expected that an experienced person will have a two or even three page resume. Two is the norm. But I have disdain for kids right out of college which pad out with crap to 3-4 pages. But I have no idea the norm is in music - you can get points off for not following the norm.

Maybe focus on the highlights instead of a chronological listing? Focus on long running gigs and gigs that required more complexity like famously hard pieces and things like arranging as well as playing. Also leadership roles. Then mention in passing all the other things you've done to show that you've done lots of things and have been constantly working.

Good luck! I doubt I was helpful as it's an alien world to me.

Last time I needed a resume was 4 years ago and was still able to keep it to one page, mainly by making multiple resumes. I had one for applying to web jobs, one for video jobs, one for design jobs, one for regular office grunt jobs. I did similar for my cover letters, which I'd write a dozen paragraphs about each of my skills, and then copy and paste the paragraphs that were apt for that job.

I recently submitted a resume (to someone who had to have it but didn't really want it, and had no intention of reading it) and listed undergrad as Wossamotta University in Frostbite Falls, MN and graduate work at Miskatonic U. Degrees in Ironic Documentation and Apocalypse Prep. It didn't impact my compensation.

I need to get the rear window stickers for these too.

Oh goddess, that's awesome! I hope someone goes back and reads it on some future day and has a good laugh!

Ultimately I grouped things by type, leaving out things that I did in my first few years out of school, and explaining the more non-traditional gigs a little. It turns out I've had a goodly number of those. The orchestra section was boring as all heck. (I'm okay with that!)

I'm working on 2 for myself right now. Both end up giving me panic attacks so I stop again. I have professional resume training ffs. Anxiety is a liar and depression is an asshole.

Impostor syndrome is real and also needs to be eradicated!

Oh goddess, it's so real. It's the worst!