The Performer’s Resume Playbook Series:The Child/Teen Performer Resume
How do you help a child go from playground to spotlight? By crafting a fantastic performer’s resume, of course!
While much of the same information from our acting resume article applies to performers under 18, their resume may look a little different, especially if they are just starting out. Check out our general acting resume post first, then come back here to learn about what additional features you may need. If you’d like to see examples, scroll to the bottom of the page!
What Stays the Same:
Regardless of a performer’s age or experience level, here are the elements still needed in their resume:
It should still be printed to be stapled to an 8”x10” headshot
It should still not include background work, scene work, casting director workshops, or audition workshops/classes
It should still include any role with lines, even if their scene was ultimately cut
It should still be formatted in the same way, with a clear heading, credits in three columns, and a list of hobbies and special skills
Specific Considerations for Young Performers:
Now that we’ve clarified the areas that match an adult’s acting resume, let’s key in on additional elements/considerations for a child or teen’s resume.
Contact Information:
Make sure to include a parent or guardian’s name and contact information in the heading of the resume. You can put it right in with the email address in the heading.
School Play Credits:
School plays are excellent to put on a resume! However, we want to keep your young performer as safe as possible by not making it blatantly obvious where they attend school. It is better to list the name of your school’s theatre instead. Here’s an example: If they go to Turtle Canyon School, you can list it as “Turtle Canyon Theatre.” Or, sometimes the school theatre already has a name so you can use that without directly naming the school.
Training:
This section should focus specifically on acting training. Don’t worry, you can add other skills in the next section! Just like with the adult acting resume, listing training in three columns can help keep things organized: class name/type, teacher’s name, and school or location (once again, strongly recommend not directly listing their school’s name here). If they’re in a drama club at school or actually have a drama course, you can list that here with their teacher’s name and location. For instance, I’d list: Drama Class, Karla Baldwin, Putney, VT or Drama Club, Janet Berman, Kobe, Japan.
Special Skills and Hobbies:
Here is the place to list all of the wonderful skills and hobbies your kiddo has! Kids always seem to have a more exciting list of skills than grown ups, so make sure to fill this up with great information. Here’s the order you can list them:
Performance-related skills first - examples: dance, singing, musical instruments, puppetry, etc. Include any languages they can speak or if they can do accents, impressions, or voices.
Sports they’re good at and if they’re on a special team like a traveling soccer team or a JV or Varsity league.
Non-sport physical activities they like to do - examples: hula hooping, jump rope, cart-wheeling, roller skating, tree climbing, etc.
Hobbies, such as cooking, camping, being a fashionista, fishing, reading, and caring for animals.
School clubs like debate team, model UN, AV Club, etc.
Community-oriented activities that reveal strong character—Boy Scout or Girl Scout, feeding the homeless, mentoring first graders, 4-H, Sunday school.
Lastly, include personality traits and strengths, such as outgoing, team player, smart, takes direction well, fast memorizer, adventurous, good with children, etc.
Education, Awards, and Recognition:
Some articles may say you should include an education section and list their school and list awards and recognitions under that. Personally, I believe safety comes first and keeping locations as vague as possible is best. If they were homeschooled, you might include that, but otherwise no one needs to know what school your child attends. Instead, have an Awards and Recognition section and list any specific academic achievements, such as honor roll, perfect attendance, art awards, math awards, clubs, student government officer, etc.
For younger children, you can list awards like “the sunshine award - for always having a sunny personality”, or the smile award (not to brag, but I got a lot of those back in the day!).
Adding In Some Sparkle:
Of course, no one wants to look at a child’s resume and see something bleak, so it’s only natural to add a few playful touches. Some options are to add a thumbnail headshot (which doesn’t need to match the full-sized headshot, so it’s another opportunity to show a little more personality!), add pops of color, or use fun [but legible!] fonts to spice things up.
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Crafting an acting resume for a child or teen performer is like assembling the pieces of a delightful puzzle—it's fun, it's creative, and it sets the stage for their journey in the spotlight! While many of the fundamentals overlap with adult resumes, there are some a few additional considerations unique to our young stars. Remember, from listing those memorable school play credits to showcasing a colorful array of skills and hobbies, each element adds to the vibrant tapestry of their budding career. We cannot wait to watch as your child's resume shines bright like a star on the rise!
