How to Make Your Circus Resume as Delicious as You Are!
First impressions are important, and more often than not, we don’t make them in person. We all know the application drill: submit your resume, headshot, and cover letter, and make sure your website, online profiles, and various virtual versions of yourself are up to date. Sometimes looking good “on paper” is just as, if not more, important than nailing every move at an audition. These digital windows into your abilities, experiences, and goals as a performer need to be just as charismatic as you are. Below is advice from Rowan Heydon-White, Head of Circus for Circa, and Jenn Haltman, a freelance casting director in NYC, about how to make your resume the best it can be. What I gleaned from their expertise is that a good resume is like a good meal: a well-balanced entree of professional experience and education paired with a carefully curated, complementary, and saucy list of special skills. You have the option of adding a garnish in the form of a personal statement, and, yes, presentation always matters! While part of crafting a resume is fairly obvious – for example, include your contact information – crafting how that information is presented is key to catching a casting director’s eye.
Content
The food pyramid of a performance resume usually consists of the following (in no particular order): your name and contact information, training/education, employment/experience, and special skills. Performers often have a buffet of information that could fall into each of these categories, making it necessary to pick and choose what is relevant. Too much writing distracts the eye and important information can get lost. “Avoid writing down everything you’ve ever done. Make it easy for the person reading it,” Heydon-White advises. Her suggestion is to keep your resume to one page. Heydon-White also stresses that your resume should include where or who you have trained with and, specifically for circus artists, “be sure to list your main disciplines.” Both Heydon-White and Haltman mention the importance of tailoring your resume to the job you’re applying for. Heydon-White says, “I would recommend curating your work history. Research the company you are applying for, and put down the experience relevant to them.” Nowadays, it’s possible to embed or list links to websites, reels, or other media in your resume. Haltman says that clear links to exactly what you want to share with a casting director are best. Don’t leave them hunting for relevant material on Instagram or YouTube. “If I have to do a lot of research, it’s probably going to fall through the cracks,” Haltman says.
Photos
A good photo can be the perfect appetizer. “What catches my eyes is a good photo either of a skill or of an applicant’s face,” says Heydon-White. A headshot should look like you. Surely, haircuts, hair color, and facial hair will change from time to time (and if these changes are permanent, you should consider getting new pictures taken), but most of all, a casting director should be able to identify you in a crowd based on your headshot. And while there might be the photographer in your area that is known for working with performers, Haltman cautions that “I want to recognize the picture for you and not who the photographer is.” Striking images stick with people, and casting directors are no different. Haltman recalled a photo in which a redheaded performer wore a blue shirt against an orange background. The bold colors have stuck with her over time.
Style and Personal Connections
While you want your headshot and resume to stand out, too much flourish can be distracting. Haltman recommends using a neutral font. “Ultimately, you’re applying for a job, so you want to come across as professional.” Listing the names of directors you have worked with is important. That gives casting directors, as Haltman says, a touchpoint to bounce off of. These references give her an understanding of what style of training or work you have been a part of. Says Heydon-White, “Wherever possible, make one of your references someone your potential employer will know, so it’s easy for them to call them up and have a chat.” Haltman also mentions that this extends to venues you’ve performed at. If she knows someone at the location, she might be inclined to reach out for a reference.Â
Scrumptious You and Your Special Skills
All of these ingredients are meant to prove your expertise, but a successful resume also lets your personality shine through. There are a few places to do this:Â
- Formating: while keeping your resume easy to read, specific to the job, and uncluttered, colors and layout can give a window into your personality or style. You might consider keeping these visual choices in line with any other personal branding you’ve developed for your website, reel, or other media.Â
- Professional Statement: Some people choose to include a few well-crafted sentences at the top of their resume. This can be comprised of personality attributes, core values, or what you are seeking for your next career steps. This statement can be particularly powerful if you are shifting the focus of your career or feel that you’re a great fit for a position even if you don’t have robust employment or experience to back it up.
- Special Skills: This is a list of additional skills you have. It can range from the languages you speak, to your ability to ride on horseback or burp on command. If you are auditioning for a non-circus- based role, here is where your niche circus skills might go. This section of your resume is also malleable and can be like a scrumptious, surprise filling. It is where, Haltman says, you can “infuse your personality.” She recalls, “I read one [resume] this week – very accomplished, man – he had a special skill: Can eat 56 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in one sitting. Now, does that apply to anything? Probably not, but it does give insight as to him as a human being.” Haltman noted that this performer’s numerous accolades backed up the humorous addition. Spicing up your resume with the curious or humorous is most certainly a way to catch a director’s eye, but she also recommended to “be judicious about how much you want to include” in order to keep the resume in line with the goal of communicating your professional experience.
While there is standard content that casting directors and employers will look for in a resume and there are traditional layouts and formats, Haltman also says, “There isn’t a hard and fast rule for any of it.” So while it’s important to stick to the basic recipe of an informative, curated, and clear resume, don’t be shy about adding a dash of humor or a sprinkle of color to bring out just the right flavors to make your resume as delicious as you are!
Rowan Heydon-White is a creator, performer, trainer and leader with over 15 years experience in the circus sector. She has toured to over 23 countries and performed for more than half a million audience members while working as a collaborator and acrobat with companies such as Circus Oz, Legs on the Wall, and Circa. Heydon-White ran her own company, won international awards, received academic scholarships, studied physical theatre, circus and holds a post-graduate degree in organizational culture and creativity research. As a Circa Ensemble member she delivered 922 performances, across 16 productions, including the world premiere seasons of En Masse, Beyond, Aura,and Landscape with Monsters. Jenn Haltman (she/her) is a freelance theatre, film, and new media casting director. She is currently casting for Portland Stage, in Maine. Other regional theatres include Hartford Stage, Gloucester Stage, Virginia Stage Company and Sharon Playhouse. Films include "Boy Meets Girl" (dir. Eric Schaeffer), the award-winning short "Behind the Wall" (dir. Bat-Sheva Guez), and the 2017 Sundance selection “Madeline’s Madeline” (Josephine Decker). As Co-Producing Artistic Director of Between Two Boroughs Productions, Jenn has cast and directed Cannibal Galaxy: a love story, Summertime and The Understudy and most recently Trich. Previously, Jenn was the Casting Associate at New York Theatre Workshop (shows include Peter and the Starcatcher, Little Foxes, Aftermath) and worked with Page 73 Productions, Pig Iron Theatre Company, and Soho Rep. She is a proud graduate of Muhlenberg College.
Related Content:Â 7 Simple Steps on How to Find a Circus Job & Make the Most of Your Profile on CircusTalk
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