What If I'm Just Starting Out?

There's a "Catch-22" in putting together a resume for a new performer. Most auditions require a headshot and resume. But if you're brand new to performing, how can you provide a resume that lists your professional experience when, for all intents and purposes, you don't have any?

Here are some resume tips for total newcomers:

• Build a Resume by Building Your Experience. Start at the beginning. Do community theatre. Initially work in venues in which a vast amount of experience is not as important. And do as much as you possibly can, not only for the sake of having something to put on your resume but also for the purpose of gaining valuable real-world experience.
  
• Include Classroom Roles. If you have no other experience, include roles that you've worked on in your acting classes. Just be sure to designate them as such.
  
• Include High School and College Performances. If you played Eulaly Shinn in the senior musical production of "The Music Man," include it. If you played Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman," include it. (Just remember, though, that you're not likely to be hired at age 20 to play Willy Loman in a professional production.)
  
• If All Else Fails ... You can use a biographical paragraph or two on a resume, if you have no other experience. Include some of your interests and goals. And be sure to include anything that might be related to performing, for example, that you were captain of your debating team, that you sang in your church's gospel choir.

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