Photojournalist Resume Example

This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a photojournalist resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Continue reading for useful resume tips from Jobseeker's career experts on how to create a resume for creative roles.

Main sections of a photojournalist resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a photojournalist resume being no different.

While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:

Resume Header

Your photojournalist resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Summary

Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in photojournalist roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for photojournalist roles.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

A great resume summary should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for photojournalist roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description and provide evidence to support them. It should also introduce your personality and unique qualities to the reader, to help them start to form an opinion about you as a candidate. See below for some great examples of what to include in your photojournalist resume summary.

Conversely, an ineffective resume summary would include generic, unspecific information on your skills and experience, while failing to provide any useful information on what makes you a unique and interesting candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your photojournalist resume summary.

Work Experience

In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your photojournalist skills. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.

For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.

A successful resume work experience section will always showcase skills and experience relevant to the job description, and how you put each to good use in your previous roles. Offering quantifiable evidence in a photojournalist resume proves you're a strong candidate for the job, such as client feedback, project outcomes, KPIs or financial results. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.

Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Personal Portfolio or Work Samples

Showcasing your photojournalist work samples in a portfolio or personal website can be a great way to prove your worth to employers. If you have examples of your work online, include a URL here.

Although portfolios are most relevant for creative roles, you could provide examples of any previous work. Add a simple link in your resume header, or add separate examples of your work in a portfolio section. Conversely, you might work in a non-creative sector but still have work published online that's worth showcasing. Include links to that work in this section.

Education

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to photojournalist roles.

If you're applying for photojournalist positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Arts in Photojournalism will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your DSLR camera operation or image editing software.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.

Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.

Hard and Soft Skills

The skills section of a photojournalist resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include DSLR camera operation, time management skills or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, include any skills that match those listed in the job description. Focus particularly on technical skills required for photojournalist jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as a photojournalist.

Showcasing hard skills on your photojournalist resume

Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for photojournalist jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in a photojournalist resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.

The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a photojournalist resume below.

Showcasing your best soft skills

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.

The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a photojournalist resume.

Relevant Certifications and Licenses

In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as a photojournalist. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as a photojournalist.

See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for a photojournalist resume:

Optional Information

There are several additional sections you could add to a photojournalist resume, to improve your chances of success. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.

Hobbies and Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a photojournalist. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.

Volunteer Work

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for photojournalist roles. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.

References

It's not typical to include references in a photojournalist resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.

Best action words for your photojournalist resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.

If you need help creating a resume that impresses HR managers, take a look at Jobseeker's professional resume templates. You can also access beautiful cover letter templates that help your application stand out.

Example of a photojournalist resume

The photojournalist resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:

Guide to making your resume ATS-friendly

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When writing your photojournalist resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:

• Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
• Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
• Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.

Key takeaways for your photojournalist resume

If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.

Using the professional resume templates and resources of Jobseeker can help you create a great-looking resume that stands out from other applicants. Sign up today and follow the simple steps to get started. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.

Sources:

(1) Careers for creative people, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/creative-careers.htm

(2) Occupational Outlook Handbook, Craft and Fine Arts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm