How to Create a Resume for a Comedian

A lot of people associate a resume as a tool needed to get a 9-to-5 style job. In fact, creative types often need a resume as well and this is especially true of comedians. Comedians often pursue multiple lines of work at once, from voice acting to standard acting to stand-up gigs. To get a gig, it is crucial to have a resume to show off your experience. Learn how to create a comedian's resume.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Paper
• Word processing software
• Background in comedy

Instructions

1. Write your full name, address, phone number, email address and Web site (if you have one) at the very top of your resume. Be sure to center it and double check to make sure all information is accurate.

2. List all your experience in a separate document. Be sure to include training, which includes voice coaching, acting and improv classes; all venues you have performed at; all groups you have been associated with, improv or sketch; any competitions you have placed in; any festivals you have performed at and any on-camera or stage experience that is pertinent to your pursuits as a comedian.

3. Categorize everything you listed based on whether it is training (voice coaching, acting, improv, music, etc.), group (sketch or improv), a stage gig (stand-up, sketch or improv, including festivals), television/radio work (on-camera or voice over work) and awards (festival winner, competition winner or named by a publication).

4. Return to your resume. In bold, write "Stage Experience." List all the contents, in chronological order, of the stage gig category you created. Be sure to list whether it was stand-up, sketch or improv, the year and the venue.

5. Create a second category below "Stage Experience." Call this one "RTF Experience." RTF stands for radio, television and film. In chronological order, list the project you worked on, clarifying whether it was radio, television or film, the year and who directed the project if there was a director.

6. Create another category called "Awards and Accolades." Include any festival, competition or press mentions here. Be sure to include the year, the specific award you won and who handed out the award. So if you made best new comic at the Aspen Comedy Festival in 2008, you would list Best New Comic--Aspen Comedy Festival 2008.

7. Include another category called "Training." Create subcategories for the type of training you have, including musical, acting, voice, etc. In chronological order, within each category, list the class you took, the institution you took it at and the year.

8. Create one final category called "Affiliations." Here you will list any group you have been affiliated with, whether it is a sketch or improv group or a theater company. If you are a member of SAG or the WGA, you may want to consider moving this section higher. Here you will want to list the group, your affiliation with the group and the years you were or have been affiliated with the group.

9. Read over your resume. Check to make sure there are no grammatical or punctuation errors and that all formatting is correct.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't have to include every category in your resume. Use whichever categories you consider to be the most important. If you have great affiliations but not much training, leave training off and focus on affiliations.

• Do not exceed one page for your resume. If you find that you have too much information, you will have to leave some of it out.