Film Resume With No Credits and No Experience
Thank you to everyone who took some time to talk with me on the phone or answered my survey so I can learn where you are feeling stuck or unsure. Something that keeps coming is needing help with your resume. Film is a mysterious industry with no one path, so I understand that it’s tricky to know how to format or what to list on your resume. Literally everyone mentioned they weren’t sure what to put on their resume, so you’re not alone.
Even if you have no credits and no experience, you can still apply to work in film. Don’t underestimate your current skills and experience. I’m guilty of underestimating myself and believing other’s fears based on my career choice. Everyone thought I was chasing a fantasy when I said I wanted to pursue working in the movies. I literally felt like a kid saying I want to travel to the moon one day. It sounds unbelievable. Well, I’ve got great news! It’s a heck of a lot easier working in film than it is traveling to the moon. Like any career choice, there is risk and there’s a ton of opportunity. You need to believe in yourself, know you can have a slice of that movie magic, and start taking steps toward your dream. I’ll show you how to beef up your resume so you can become desirable and hirable. Let’s get into it.
Step #1: Take Inventory
What work experience do have you so far? Do you have a reliable car and computer? Having reliable transportation to and from work and for errands is necessary.
If you want to be an Office PA you will need a reliable computer, know how to make coffee, stock a kitchen, help stock office supplies, professionally answer phones, file paperwork, and have a solid knowledge base for office software.
If you want to work as a Set PA you will, again, need a reliable car (locations can be anywhere), have experience managing people, getting food and drink orders, and standing for long periods of time.
Of course, this is the laundry list version of these skills. When you list your jobs, give context for these skills to illustrate how they are transferable in film. As an example, maybe you have been a personal assistant, “you are great at multitasking and handling personal requests with discretion, efficiency, and accuracy.” Or if you’ve been waiter, you can say something like, “experienced with taking food and beverage orders from multiple people, having a great attitude regardless of circumstances, and physically able to be on my feet throughout the day.” Take time to identify what current skills you have that are aligned with the film industry.
Step #2: Film Groups
If you have relatable work experience, but no film experience, I recommend showing strong interest to work in the film industry. Show active involvement in film groups in your area or that align with your gender, ethnicity, etc. If you’re a female, get involved in Women in Film and TV. Not only will you have a line item on your resume, but you’ll be growing your network, which is something you should always be doing. I recommend listing reputable, known organizations you’re a part of in the top of your resume. “Member of” then list the organizations.
What are some film festivals in your area? Get hired or volunteer as staff. It goes a long way to see someone active in the film community to illustrate they are serious at having career in film.
Step #3: Film Education
What courses or workshops have you taken? This does not need to be a degree or a serious investment of your time or money. There are plenty of webinars, weekend, or evening trainings. Check your local film union, film groups, and film commission websites and social media pages to see what is coming up. Again, showing you’re taking film seriously as a career helps you stand out if you don’t have film experience yet.
OK, for these next steps, I presume you already live in an area where there is film work. I realize this is a BIG leap, but it is a necessary one. Films are just not shot everywhere and if you are serious about having this as a career, you need to go where the work is.
If you need help walking you through a decision to move, be sure to watch my video “Best Places to Live for Working in Film & TV.” If a big move is necessary, please, please, please, have a game plan in place. Have money saved up, already be digitally networking in that area you want to move so you arrive with some connections, and come with a resume that has relatable film skills. If you move with zero experience and zero connections, it will be a longer uphill battle.
I moved to Atlanta in 2010 and had some film credits. It still took me a solid 6 months to get consistent work and safely afford my bills. I remember going to networking events and only drinking water or a cheap beer because that’s literally all I could afford. Then feeling sad in my living room with a lawn chair and tube TV, waiting for the phone to ring from anyone in my current network. I was really starting to wonder if I could forge my way into film. Given there were less opportunities then, but I was not completely green and was very grateful I had money saved to hold me over until work came more consistently. So I get it, moves are hard and scary. Please mitigate your risk by saving money, building a better resume, and digitally networking beforehand.
Step #4: Build Your Resume!
Make sure your resume is clean, easy to read, proofread, and has consistent font style and margins. At the top list your name and desired position. Next list your contact information: phone number, e-mail and where you currently reside by city and state. If you have recently moved, listing where you currently reside is especially important. If you only have experience in North Carolina, but recently moved to Georgia, please specify your recent relocation in the body of your e-mail. As I’m reviewing resumes if I see someone has worked somewhere else and they do not specify that they live where I’m hiring, I’m going to presume they aren’t available.
Next can be Education or Work Experience. This will depend on your age and where you are at in your career timeline. If you just graduated college and have no Work Experience, list Education first. Otherwise, if you have Work Experience, list Education at the bottom.
Let’s start with Work Experience. List your title, company, job description, how long you worked there (by months and years), and where you worked (by city and state). For Education list the institution, degree, graduation year, and location.
Next up is Skills. This is where your specialty trainings can come in. Have you taken a lighting workshop? Are you proficient in office software? Describe in either a list or short paragraph form.
Next up is References. These individuals are ideally instructors, managers, or past bosses. Please ask ahead of time if you can use them as a reference and if it’s OK to list their name, phone, and e-mail. If someone calls a reference, the last thing you want is for them to be caught off guard or maybe they are not comfortable being listed as a reference. Be sure to also list your relationship to them.
Step #5: Name Your Resume!
Please export your resume as a 1-page PDF. If you send it in whatever program it was designed in, you risk the formatting getting off or the receiver not being able to open the file. Name your file like this: “Name_Position_MonthYear.” So “MichelleCaruso_OfficePA_12_2020.” Often the person you are sending your resume to is responsible for hiring other positions, so listing your position and date is helpful as they file it away. I promise there are way too many Word Docs of a file named “Resume” being sent off and put in the trash.
Step #6: Send Your Resume!
OK, take a deep breath. You need to send your resume to someone that can hire you. If you have the skills and experience I’ve just outlined, you are ready to apply to film jobs! I’m serious, don’t talk yourself out of it! If you lack confidence to even be hired, I guarantee you will get eaten alive by the strong personalities and rigors of set life. You have to believe in yourself and have confidence to take on any task. You must be able to yell “rolling” over loud conditions. Or ask physically intimidating crew members to “hold the work” so Directors can rehearse with talent. There’s a lot to get done in a day and tensions can run high.
As someone who hires PAs, I either hire that person because of a professional recommendation from a trusted colleague or the candidate has sent me their resume and impressed me from their e-mail and then interview. When cold e-mailing, do not simply ask for a job. Remember to put the position you’re applying to in the subject of the e-mail. Do some research on who you are contacting and drop a personal connection or compliment their work (in a genuine way). List a sentence or two about your experience level and what position you’re interested in. Thank them for their time and follow up about every three months, even if they never respond. You want to be on people’s radar so when they are hiring (or know someone who is), they will remember you.
You may even consider asking for a quick 15-minute phone call so you can better introduce yourself and pick their brain about the industry and their department. When someone has done this approach with me, I guarantee I remember them. I also get a better sense of where they are at in their career and who they are. Please prepare questions and things you want to share. Consider it a preliminary interview. Also, do NOT be late or forget this appointment, that will immediately burn a bridge.
Do not underestimate the value someone responding to your message, these are busy people who are very hard to reach. Also, don’t be discouraged if no one responds, they may circle back in the future. It’s helpful if you do the leg work of staying in touch.
Follow these steps and will land a job in the film industry. Everyone has a different journey, so please be patient. Timing is also a factor. I have experienced the common resume pitfalls and the annoying “hire me” e-mails. I also know what it’s like to not believe this career is feasible. If you have always wanted to work in the movies, you can! Own that and trust that! It may be an unconventional industry, but once you’re in, you’re in! The great news is, once you establish a reputation for yourself, that’s when they start calling you! Having multiple offers is a great problem to have.
OK, what are you waiting for? Get cracking on that resume!
I built three resume templates, both for union and non-union positions. Download them in the “Resources” tab on my website.
I also recommend watching my video on How to Find Jobs in Film & TV. I go over more resume formatting, interview tips, how to find crew contact information, and how to reach out to the crew who can actually hire you.
Thank you, break a leg, and please let me know if you have any more questions about resumes!
