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Top 10 Tips: Cover Letters and Resumes For Filmmakers
From DV Magazine Digital Edition
Top 10 Tips: Cover Letters and Resumes For Filmmakers
July 7, 2009
Editor's Note: With each column, Jon will examine one of his "Top 10 Subjects They Should be Teaching in Film School," as outlined here.
This month, I'm going to take on #3: Writing Effective Cover Letters and Resumes. I'm jumping ahead to this because I recently finished reading hundreds of cover letters and resumes while hiring some summer interns for various projects. And this subject rose to the top of the pack due to the abysmal quality of letter and resume writing abilities among today’s college students and recent graduates.
Top 10 Tips For Writing Resumes & Cover Letters
1. Research the company and the position
NO FORM LETTERS. Form letters go straight to the secondary bin and I only open those resumes if I haven’t found anyone else to fill the position (and I have yet to do so).
2. Reference in your cover letter why this position is right for you!
Why do you want this position? To me this is critical. It shows that you understand the position and project and have thought about it. You are motivated to work for me — and not just anyone.
This will also help you keep your letter SPECIFIC. Everyone applying for a film job loves film and wants a career in film, etc., etc. Talking about what you like about my company and how the job specifically relates to your interests will prevent you from writing a lot of BS that I don’t care about. By its very nature, being specific will improve your writing (which puts you ahead of 95% of those you are in competition with).
I fault the online submission process for this. Most of the online job boards allow you to send out a stock cover letter and resume. IN NO CASE should you choose this option. Each job you CARE ABOUT should be handled on an individual basis in your cover letter.
3. Cover letters should be short and to the point
I recommend the following two-part sequence:
First Paragraph: What position you are applying for and why you want this specific position and why you want to work for this specific company. What are your passion and goals?
Second Paragraph: How your skills/experience qualify you for this specific job. This is where you reference your resume.
4. Have different resumes for different positions
I hate getting resumes listing tons of gaffer and boom-op jobs on short films from someone seeking an office position. As a filmmaker, you wear many hats. Not all those hats need to be displayed in your resume — nor should they. You should have at least two, if not three, resumes: One for production work, one for office work, and perhaps one that's more specialized, such one for postproduction work. The reasons are obvious: If an employer is hiring someone for an office position (a common entry-level position in all aspects of producing and developmet), the fact that you have served as a production crew member on 10 student films is not of significant interest. But that summer job you had at a pharmaceutical company where you were the assistant to the vice-president and handled heavy phone call volume? Now that's interesting. For an office resume, condense the set experience into a few summary lines.
5. The resume and cover letter should look good at a glance
Resumes are a first indication of your organizational skills. Your layout should be well-thought-out. The type should not be too small. Highlights should pop off the page. Use different fonts and styles to differentiate different sections and levels of detail. Look at effective examples online. Have one of your references or advisors look it over for you. Sloppy cover letters and resumes indicate a sloppy worker.
6. Keep It SHORT
A cover letter should be NO MORE THAN A PAGE. A resume no more than 1 or 1.5 pages and most. I doubt that many people in college or just out of college have enough relevant experience for more than a page. If you do, you're including too many insignificant jobs or writing too much.
7. Lose the career objective that has infected most resumes
It is usually so unspecific as to make you seem banal. This should be part of your cover letter.
8. Put a little personality into both your cover letter and resume
Don’t put it everywhere in the resume — just one section at the end. I find it most effective in “Other Interests/Skills” if you don’t put in things that everyone does — and, yes, you all like "film." It's far more interesting if you include that you're also a professional breakdancer, or a D.J., have climbed Everest, collect folk art, or anything else that suggests you are well-rounded and not only film-oriented. That will bring a smile to my face and cause me to be curious about you.
9. Be enthusiastic in the interview
Interviews are mainly about whether the employer wants to be around you every day. So if you're a downer, don’t seem like a go-getter, have an attitude, or just sit quietly with nothing to say, please don’t go to the interview. In this business, people like other people with energy, passion and enthusiasm. This does not mean you should bounce of the walls and be a freak. But you want to convey to the company that you want to be their go-to girl or guy and that you will handle every task with a smile — no matter how unpleasant, and even if you are working for free.
10. Follow up
If you really want a job, call the company a day or two after the interview to check in. Two or three days is better unless they indicated that they are filling the position right away. From teaching internship classes, I found that most of my students got their top job because they were the only ones who took the time and showed the initiative to actually call back.
Jon Reiss is filmmaker and consultant living in Los Angeles. His most recent project was the feature-length graffiti-art documentary Bomb It. He may be reached at reiss.jon@gmail.com He will also be a speaker at the upcoming Digital Video Expo (September 22-23).
Top 10 Tips: Cover Letters and Resumes For Filmmakers
July 7, 2009
Editor's Note: With each column, Jon will examine one of his "Top 10 Subjects They Should be Teaching in Film School," as outlined here.
This month, I'm going to take on #3: Writing Effective Cover Letters and Resumes. I'm jumping ahead to this because I recently finished reading hundreds of cover letters and resumes while hiring some summer interns for various projects. And this subject rose to the top of the pack due to the abysmal quality of letter and resume writing abilities among today’s college students and recent graduates.
Top 10 Tips For Writing Resumes & Cover Letters
1. Research the company and the position
NO FORM LETTERS. Form letters go straight to the secondary bin and I only open those resumes if I haven’t found anyone else to fill the position (and I have yet to do so).
2. Reference in your cover letter why this position is right for you!
Why do you want this position? To me this is critical. It shows that you understand the position and project and have thought about it. You are motivated to work for me — and not just anyone.
This will also help you keep your letter SPECIFIC. Everyone applying for a film job loves film and wants a career in film, etc., etc. Talking about what you like about my company and how the job specifically relates to your interests will prevent you from writing a lot of BS that I don’t care about. By its very nature, being specific will improve your writing (which puts you ahead of 95% of those you are in competition with).
I fault the online submission process for this. Most of the online job boards allow you to send out a stock cover letter and resume. IN NO CASE should you choose this option. Each job you CARE ABOUT should be handled on an individual basis in your cover letter.
3. Cover letters should be short and to the point
I recommend the following two-part sequence:
First Paragraph: What position you are applying for and why you want this specific position and why you want to work for this specific company. What are your passion and goals?
Second Paragraph: How your skills/experience qualify you for this specific job. This is where you reference your resume.
4. Have different resumes for different positions
I hate getting resumes listing tons of gaffer and boom-op jobs on short films from someone seeking an office position. As a filmmaker, you wear many hats. Not all those hats need to be displayed in your resume — nor should they. You should have at least two, if not three, resumes: One for production work, one for office work, and perhaps one that's more specialized, such one for postproduction work. The reasons are obvious: If an employer is hiring someone for an office position (a common entry-level position in all aspects of producing and developmet), the fact that you have served as a production crew member on 10 student films is not of significant interest. But that summer job you had at a pharmaceutical company where you were the assistant to the vice-president and handled heavy phone call volume? Now that's interesting. For an office resume, condense the set experience into a few summary lines.
5. The resume and cover letter should look good at a glance
Resumes are a first indication of your organizational skills. Your layout should be well-thought-out. The type should not be too small. Highlights should pop off the page. Use different fonts and styles to differentiate different sections and levels of detail. Look at effective examples online. Have one of your references or advisors look it over for you. Sloppy cover letters and resumes indicate a sloppy worker.
6. Keep It SHORT
A cover letter should be NO MORE THAN A PAGE. A resume no more than 1 or 1.5 pages and most. I doubt that many people in college or just out of college have enough relevant experience for more than a page. If you do, you're including too many insignificant jobs or writing too much.
7. Lose the career objective that has infected most resumes
It is usually so unspecific as to make you seem banal. This should be part of your cover letter.
8. Put a little personality into both your cover letter and resume
Don’t put it everywhere in the resume — just one section at the end. I find it most effective in “Other Interests/Skills” if you don’t put in things that everyone does — and, yes, you all like "film." It's far more interesting if you include that you're also a professional breakdancer, or a D.J., have climbed Everest, collect folk art, or anything else that suggests you are well-rounded and not only film-oriented. That will bring a smile to my face and cause me to be curious about you.
9. Be enthusiastic in the interview
Interviews are mainly about whether the employer wants to be around you every day. So if you're a downer, don’t seem like a go-getter, have an attitude, or just sit quietly with nothing to say, please don’t go to the interview. In this business, people like other people with energy, passion and enthusiasm. This does not mean you should bounce of the walls and be a freak. But you want to convey to the company that you want to be their go-to girl or guy and that you will handle every task with a smile — no matter how unpleasant, and even if you are working for free.
10. Follow up
If you really want a job, call the company a day or two after the interview to check in. Two or three days is better unless they indicated that they are filling the position right away. From teaching internship classes, I found that most of my students got their top job because they were the only ones who took the time and showed the initiative to actually call back.
Jon Reiss is filmmaker and consultant living in Los Angeles. His most recent project was the feature-length graffiti-art documentary Bomb It. He may be reached at reiss.jon@gmail.com He will also be a speaker at the upcoming Digital Video Expo (September 22-23).
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