Why the need for a Voice Actor’s Resume
It’s been at least two decades since my obsession with writing and constantly improving my resume. Since the advent of creating our own websites, and working for myself, I haven’t needed to craft a beautiful balance of killer experience with current resume trends…not too much white space…lots of white space, etc…
But, alas, voice actors are called to submit a resume when applying to talent agents and rosters, so it’s time to get back in touch with my resume mastery. Turns out, resume writing is very much the same as it ever was. Clean. Clear. Concise.
Format for the Resume
I looked to Voice Over Education and Production facility, Edge Studio, for some tips because, quite frankly, they came up number one in a Google search. Taking their advice, I put the pieces together of what I thought was a somewhat sparse, but highly appropriate resume… Name. Contact info. My Services. Some past clients. Training. etc. After I beautified my resume a bit, I asked an L.A. voice actor friend for feedback. I’d forgotten that she had worked in a talent agent’s office and thus, has an especially critical eye for voice actor resumes because she was privy to what an agent is looking for…not just content-wise, but all those ticky-tacky details.
Pro Tips for Perfecting the Resume
Voice Actor, Elise Napier, has tips for creating a voice actor’s resume that is not only appealing to agents, but may avoid their anger over issues that may take you by surprise… (She worked at a Casting Agency and has an inside scoop!)
- Get them reading your details as soon as possible. I saw people that took half a page with their name and contact and handles, etc. The agents I worked for did not look at the name, until they saw something interesting they liked on the resume. So the name should be small and out of the way.
- Clients first. They care what you have done and if you can bring them money ASAP. If you have a good track record, put the client names first. Then services.
- Are you going to be submitting to agents that only do SAG work? They will most likely ask you your SAG status if you are. You can add that under your phone number, if you feel so inclined.
- Take out the words, “website”, “email”, “phone number”, (as prefaces to each) because it adds extra words. Agents are resourceful people. They know your name followed by .com is your website, name or business with @ sign is your email, and ten non-chronological digits are your phone number.
- Training always seems to go at the bottom. I do not know if that is form now, but almost all of the resumes I looked at were that way. And in the interviews, the agents liked knowing where to look to question about training and clients. Clients at the top, training at the bottom. Again, that might be a preference for actors only, but that was what I saw the most.
- If you are going to include hyperlinks to your social media details, you can do so, but make sure the links work. If not, just keep it clean and don’t add the http://.
Here’s a look at what we came up with in the end for me and a peak at Elise’s strong resume: Natasha Marchewka – Resume and Elise Napier VO Resume 2018
Interesting that there is nothing describing how your voice sounds – did you leave it out for a reason?
That’s a great question! So far I haven’t seen a voice actor’s resume with those details, but of course it makes so much more sense. It’s glaringly missing! And, after perusing a load of Agent sites from the UK, I can see that you all are much better at defining your unique voice sound and making sure that’s a part of your demo/photo impression, no matter how little space you are provided to present your profiles. I need to do some inquiring and revise this! Thank you for mentioning, Tim.
Hi,
This is all well and good, but how about one for newbies with little to no experience?
Thanks!
Hi Dave, Thanks for the question… A voice actor’s resume is really only needed when applying to an agent. Someone who is new, with little or no experience, would not be taken on by an agent… unless there is other acting experience and/or the agent is able to discern that you have exceptional talent and are willing to take you on. Landing an agent, even for experienced talent, is not easy. A new talent should not submit to an agent with no experience. I hope that makes sense. Please do let me know if you have other questions!
OK, then, how do you get experience without an agent?
Sorry for not responding, Dave. It is a big question. Short answer is: You gain experience in voice over through plenty of training and then, when you are ready, looking for work on your own through direct relationships, inquiring to companies online, and through online voice over marketplaces like Voice123.com and bodalgo.com. There is A LOT of work out there that is not provided by an agent. I have rallied all work on my own since 2006 and not with any agent. Hope that helps!
Thank you for posting this! Working on my resume now. Would you recommend listing current agency representation if you already have it?
Great question. If they are non-exclusive, you are looking for more, and you clearly indicate what city or region they are in (obvs), it may be appropriate. You would write that you are looking for more in your email or cover letter… Hope that helps!
Hi,
I would like to ask the same question of Dave Margosian, which I see has not got an answer.:
How do you get experience without an agent?
Thank you.
Thanks for your question. It’s somewhat of a long answer, (which is why I didn’t respond initially) and perhaps I should write a post about it, but the short answer is: You gain experience in voice over through plenty of training and then, when you are ready, looking for work on your own through direct relationships, inquiring to companies online, and through online voice over marketplaces like Voice123.com and bodalgo.com. There is A LOT of work out there that is not provided by an agent. I have rallied all work on my own since 2006 and not with any agent. Hope that helps!