Singer Resume Example

The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your singer applications. You'll find valuable tips on writing a resume that best showcases your unique skills and achievements. There is also extensive guidance on how to structure your resume to match the job description, and to reflect your experience levels to impress HR specialists and employers. Read on to find out how to show your creative side in a professional resume, with key tips from Jobseeker's career experts.

Main sections of a singer resume

It's essential to include a few core sections in your singer resume, while there are also a few optional sections you can make use of to strengthen your application.

How you choose to present your resume is up to you. There are plenty of options for a professional resume layout and format, but every application should include the following:

Resume Header

A singer resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.

Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.

Resume Summary

In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for singer roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, use this section to emphasize your career objectives and explain how and why this role is a suitable step for you at this stage of your career.

A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for singer roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. See below for some great examples of how to approach your singer resume.

On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.

Work Experience

Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as a singer. Add each previous employment in reverse-chronological order. This means starting from your current or most recent role and working back in time from there. Include your job title, the company name, the location of the job 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.

The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. Review some strong examples of resume work experience sections in the graphic below.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. A poor resume work experience section would typically use vague descriptions of activities in previous jobs, while focusing too much on responsibilities rather than achievements. Failing to focus on the skills and experience that match the job description is likely to harm your chances of success.

Personal Portfolio or Work Samples

If you have a website, portfolio or other examples of your work available to share, it's important to include them in your singer resume.

Portfolios and work examples are most useful for roles in creative sectors, such as graphic design and web development. You could either include a link to your portfolio or website in your resume header, or add a separate section towards the end of your resume with links to published work. Conversely, for non-creative careers, it's still worth adding examples of your best work to this section, if you have them available online.

Education

In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to singer roles.

You don't tend to need a degree for singer roles, but you'll still need to list any relevant qualifications, or your relevant educational achievements. If you have Vocal Performance Certification, add this here, along with any other education that shows your audio software proficiency or vocal health maintenance.

Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.

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 singer resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include microphone technique mastery, effective time management 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 singer jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as a singer.

How to list hard skills on your singer resume

For your hard skills list, include any technical abilities or specific industry knowledge that's essential to working as a singer. These could be skills gained through work experience or qualifications. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key singer duties and responsibilities. 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.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective singer resume hard skills list looks like.

How to list soft skills on your singer resume

Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. In fact, as technology develops, soft skills are growing in importance for recruiters and employers, so be sure to add several of these to your resume. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a singer resume.

Certifications and Training

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to singer jobs. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as a singer. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for singer roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.

Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a singer resume:

Optional Information

If you need to provide further evidence of your suitability for the job, optional sections can be useful for a singer resume. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.

Personal Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Your hobbies and interests are useful for a singer resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. 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.

Voluntary Work

If you're lacking relevant singer work experience, volunteer work can help to show you still have the relevant skills. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

Standard singer resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.

Best words to use in a singer resume

Using strong action words to make your resume resonate with the employer. Choose from the list of words below to increase the impact of your work experience section.

Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Example resume for singer applications

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your singer resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

How to make an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to manage their hiring process. They can handle some of the more time-consuming and resource-intensive jobs, such as initial screening of resumes. Employers often receive hundreds of applications per vacancy, and ATS software can quickly and accurately scan and rank resumes based on their likely suitability for any role. When writing your singer 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.

Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:

• Use a traditional resume layout, such as a reverse-chronological or functional format. This will mean your resume includes all the necessary sections, in the expected order.
• Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Adopt a clean, unfussy design that gives your content enough white space to breathe. Use professional, readable fonts and subtle use of color and other design elements.
• Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your singer resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.

Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. A stylish, professional cover letter can make all the difference to your job prospects. See Jobseeker's cover letter examples, written by careers experts, to help you craft an eye-catching application.

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