Carnegie Mellon

Resumes: A Guide for School of Art Students

I. Conventional Resume Format

II. Resume Tips

II. Resume Samples

IV. Exhibition Resume Format and Sample

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I. CONVENTIONAL RESUME FORMAT

Contact Information

Name, address (home and campus/local if applicable), telephone number (include area code), email address, home page (if applicable)

Job Objective

Describe briefly and clearly the type of work you are seeking and the skills you are offering.

Education

Complete name of institution:

     Carnegie Mellon University, School of Art

Degree awarded or to be awarded (degrees may be written out or abbreviated)

Field of study

Relevant courses

Refer to any special training in addition to formal education

Name and briefly describe thesis topic, if applicable

Year of graduation or expected graduation

Also include Study Abroad

Experience

Name and describe paid and unpaid employment; include internships, summer jobs, field study, and/or project work.

(Project work can also be listed under “Education” or under a separate section such as, “Academic Experience,” “Project Work.”)

Traditional resume formats begin with present/last position and record information in reverse chronological order. However, your most important and relevant experiences should ideally appear first. If you have had nonrelevant work experience after a more relevant experience, try creating more specific categories such as “ Teaching Experience, Animation Experience, Other Experience”, and list experiences accordingly. Usually, listing experiences in these types of categories will naturally result in a reverse chronological order within each category. Include the following:

Employer Name Job Title/Position

City, State/Location Dates of Employment/Experience

Skills

Refer to any distinct skills specific to your field including:  welding, woodworking, screenprinting, etc.

List computer skills and foreign language proficiencies.

Honors

Special Awards, Dean’s List, Scholarships, Honor Societies

Achievements

Shows, Exhibits, Publications (can also be listed in a separate section), SURG Grants with titles

Activities

Campus/Community Activities, Leadership and Volunteer Positions (can also be listed under “Experience” if relevant to objective), Hobbies/Interests (optional)

References

It is not necessary to state “references are available upon request”, but it is a good idea to mention that items such as portfolio or writing samples will be furnished upon request. 

II. RESUME TIPS

• Keep your resume to one page.
• Use a visual layout that is simple and easy to read. The reader should be able to skim quickly and find what he or she is looking for – or get interested enough to want to know more.
• Good use of white space and effective bolding are your best design tools. If you are trying to show off your design skills, keep it simple and save your flashier stuff for your portfolio. Design should never get in the way of readability.
• The appropriate way to write Carnegie Mellon is “Carnegie Mellon University” without a hyphen. “CMU” is an abbreviation used within the university, but it should not be used when writing resumes, cover letters, and other official documents.
• Run spell check AND have someone proof it.
• Only include high school activities and honors if absolutely necessary.
• Organize each section in reverse chronological order.
• Avoid providing personal information (age, height, weight, marital status, etc.).
• Use a heavy-bond white, or off white paper. Always 8 1/2x11.
• Use action verbs instead of “responsible for” phrases………..

  Accompanied Accelerated Achieved Acquired Administered Analyzed Arranged Assembled Assisted Budgeted Built Clarified commanded Compiled Completed Composed conceived Conducted Constructed Controlled Converted Cooperated Coordinated Created Delegated Demonstrated Designed Developed Devised Discovered Displayed Directed

  Drafted Eliminated Enacted Engineered Enhanced Established Evaluated Exceeded Executed Exhibited Expanded Experienced Facilitated formed Finalized Founded generated Governed Handled Headed Helped hired Implemented Improved Improvised increased Induced Influenced Initiated Inspired

  Installed Instructed Integrated Interpreted Launched Maintained Managed Mastered Negotiated organized Participated Perfected Performed Planned Prepared Presided Produced Proposed Reorganized Revamped Reviewed Scheduled Solved Streamlined Supervised Supported Taught Trained Utilized Wrote

III. RESUME SAMPLE

Resume Example A

Amy James Home Address: 13 Elm Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15228 412.555-1234 School Address: Carnegie Mellon University SMC 1111 P.O. Box 2222 Pittsburgh, PA 15230 412.862.332 Email : aj14@andrew.cmu.edu
Education	Carnegie Mellon University, School of Art, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Major: visual Art Minor: Multimedia Production Graduation Date: May 2003 QPA: 3.83
Experience	Assistant to the Director, June 2002 - Present Carnegie mellon PreCollege Art program, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Designed student handbook and exhibition invitation using Pagemake and Photoshop Managed student enrollment; Perform clerical and administrative tasks Business Manager, September 2001 - Present The Frame, Carnegie Mellon University Managed gallery budget, funding, and reconciliation of university accounting reports for this student-run gallery Childcare Worker, July - August 2000 Orphanages 12 and 13, St. Petersburg, Russia Helped infants through everyday activities; collaborated on art projects with children; self-guided project funded by the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship for Education Abroad Teaching Assistant, June - August 1999 Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, Michigan Instructed high school students in Lithography and Intaglio printmaking; Supervised Oepn Studio model sessions and faculty studios.
Exhibitions	The Frame, Images from St. Petersburg Orphanages, December 2002 UC Gallery, Redefine: A Look Into Cross-Cultural Adoption, March 2001 The Frame, Mission to Mars, October 2000 Ellis Gallery, Merz, March 2000
Honors	Augusta Fisher Porter Junior Art Award, May 2002 Vira I. Heinz Scholarship for Education Abroad, March 2002 Small Undergraduate Research Grant, Spring 2001 Virginia E. Lewis Scholarship. The Pittsburgh Foundation, May 2001 Samuel Rosenberg Sophomore Art Award, May 2001 William C. Libby Freshmen Art Award, May 2000
Activities	Amnesty International, Spring 2003 Academic Year Chartiers Area Boys and Girls Club Art Auction, Contributing Artist, Fall 2001, Fall 2002 Habitat for Humanity, Community Service Trip, Fall 2001 Student Senate, Campus Affairs Committee, Fall 2001

Resume Sample B

Rob Lee
		Education
		Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA 2000 - Present Bachelor of Fine Arts, Expected Graduation Date: May 2004 Cumulative QPA: 3.63/4.0 Honors: Five of six semesters Yonsei University Seoul, Korea June-July 2001 Summer Language Study
		Skills
Current: 888 Picasso Way, Suite 14 Pittsburgh, PA 15200 724/687-3333 rlee@andrew.cmu.edu		Computer (Macintosh & PC): Microsoft Word, Director 8, Hypercard2.4.1, Alice99 Adobe PhotoShop 5.5, Premiere 5.1, After Effects 4.1 Art: Multimedia, Drawing, Painting (oil, acrylics) Photography (b&w, color, hand-coloring) Printmaking (intaglio, serigraphy, lithography) Language: Fluent in japanese, Proficient in Korean
		Experience
Permanent: 3-22-6 Nakano Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0001, Japan 88-3-4480-6767		Writing for Multimedia Carnegie Mellon University Fall 2002 Responsible for the interface design and art direction to produce a complete interactive multimedia CD as a collaborative project. Hakuhodo Tokyo, Japan Summer 2002 Interned at Creative Department of advertising agency, planned the TV commercials for Nissan cars and for a Play Station game. Building Virtual Worlds Carnegie Mellon Spring 2001 PhotoShop artist and art director, created the texture for virtual worlds. Collaborated on the design of desktop and immersive(helmet-based) Interactive worlds.
		Activities
		Korean Student Association Carnegie Mellon University Public Relations Officer, Fall 2002. Active member 2000 to Present. Luna Gala Fashion Show Carnegie Mellon University February 2002 Designer, in collaboration with a partner, of a highly recognized annual student-organized fashion show on campus. Volunteer Brew House Gallery Pittsburgh, PA Fall 2001 Artist assistant to Christina Hung, as a Polaroid photographer.
		Honors
		The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, May 2002 SURG Grant. Summer 2001

IV. EXHIBITION RESUME FORMAT

Contact Information

Name, address (home and campus/local if applicable), telephone number (include area code), email address, home page (if applicable).

Education

• Name of institution
• Relevant courses
• Degree awarded or to be awarded (degrees may be written out or abbreviated)
• Refer to any special training in addition to formal education
• Field of study
• Thesis title and brief description of topic, if applicable
• Year of graduation or expected graduation

Exhibition History

• Solo Exhibits
• Collaborative Projects
• Group Exhibits (if the exhibition record is slight, these three can all go under exhibitions, but should distinguish between solo and group shows dates are important, at least the year)

Grants and Awards

(if significant, these could come before exhibitions)

Reviews

Collections (if applicable)

Related Professional Experience

Other Employment History

Travel (optional)

EXHIBITION RESUME SAMPLE

Ben Vavion	3 Gold Way Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412.555-1616 Bensavion@hotmail.com
Education	Carnegie Mellon University Bachelor of Fine Art in Art, Graduated with honors May 1996 Concentration in painting with minor in graphic design Yale University Summer School of Music and Art Awarded Fellowship in painting 1995
Exhibition History
Solo Exhibitions	Brew House Space 101, Pittsburgh, PA 2002 Prospectus One: A Juried Exhibition, selected paintings Penn Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA 2001 series of paintings entitled “noise” Karlsberger Gallery, Columbus, OH 2001 collection of paintings entitled “fifth row” Penn Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA 2001 paintings retained on consignment Ellis Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1996 installation entitled “chair and safety” Ellis Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995 collection of works from Yale Summer School of Music and Art South Foyer, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995 performance entitled “relentless” Ellis Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995 performance entitled “sent away” South Foyer, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995 performance entitled “between the lines” Ellis Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995 installation entitled “corner store” Great Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1994 installation entitled “rent free”
Group Exhibitions	Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1996 Senior Thesis Exhibition, paintings, drawings Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995 Take my picture’, collaboration, performance Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1995, Small Art Show, prints Ellen Battel Stoeckel Estate Gallery, Norfolk, CT 1995 Yale Summer School, Art Division, paintings Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1994 Juried 2-D Exhibition, painting Forbes Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1993, Small Art Show, painting
Bibliography Articles, Reviews, Reproductions	In Pittsburgh Loud Noise. The art of small things, S. Smith 2001, July 4 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Penn Gallery bring variety of art to Lawrenceville, E. Wilson 2001, July 4 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Lawrenceville gives rise to multitude of art venues, K. Shaw 2001, July 15
Presentations Lectures, Panels	Carnegie Mellon University Making A Living, Living Your Dream Conference Invited Panelist, February 20, 21 and 22, 2002 Brew House Space 101 patience (and variations on that theme) Artist’s Lecture, January 12, 2002
Employment History
2001 - 2002 1999 - 2000 1998 - 2000 1998 - 99 1996 - 97 1995 - 96 1994 - 95 1992 - 95	Exhibits Coordinator Pittsburgh Children's Museum, Pittsburgh, PA Administrative Assistant Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, PA Teaching Assistant Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Art Handler / Installer M. Rosenthal Fine Art Services, Pittsburgh, PA Design Consultant / Sales The Written Word, Washington, DC Bindery Assistant Hunt Library, Special Collections, Pittsburgh, PA Public Relations Director Forbes Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA Museum Assistant Moriches Bay Historical Society, Center Moriches, NY
Professional Experience
¨Managed traveling exhibitions for The Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Researched and developed new exhibit areas. ¨Developed visual concept based on thematic identity of ethnic restaurant to design and produce handmade menu. ¨Designed announcements for exhibitions, educational exhibition notes, prospectus, and postcards to membership for Associated Artists of Pittsburgh; designed calendars of weekly events, posters, and informational mailers for Forbes Gallery. ¨Wrote articles in review of exhibitions and events for Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. Edited and complied submissions from exhibitors and outside contributors. Wrote freelance article as descriptive account of professional athletic event. ¨Prepared press kits for exhibitions for print publications, radio and television; created effective PR portfolios. ¨Installed paintings, prints, sculpture and installations, designed layout of one-person and group exhibitions. ¨Constructed environment and setting for installation artwork and theatrical performances.