Music Journalist Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Music Journalist resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Music journalism is a field that encompasses everything from writing album reviews to covering breaking news stories about your favorite artists. And while it’s a competitive industry with a lot of moving parts, it’s also one that can be incredibly fun and rewarding.
To get started as a music journalist, you’ll need to build up your resume with relevant experience and a strong portfolio of published work. Here are some tips and an example to help you write a compelling music journalist resume that will get you noticed by hiring managers everywhere.
How to Write a Music Journalist Resume
Here’s how to write a music journalist resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing your bullet points, it can be tempting to simply list your responsibilities and duties. But that’s not going to make a strong impression on recruiters. Instead, you should focus on the results of your work.
For example, rather than saying you “wrote articles for music magazine,” you could say you “wrote 10 articles per month for music magazine, resulting in a 50% increase in web traffic over six-month period.”
The second bullet point paints a much clearer picture of what you did and the impact of your work. And it also provides a quantifiable result—increased web traffic—which is always a good thing!
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a music journalist role, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This system looks for certain terms related to the position, like “music” or “journalism” in order to determine whether your skills and experience are a match for the job. If your resume doesn’t include enough relevant keywords, the ATS might disqualify your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common music journalist keywords as a starting point and add them throughout your resume where it makes sense.
- Music Journalism
- Music
- Journalism
- Writing
- Editing
- Blogging
- Music Production
- Writing Instruments
- Audio Engineering
- AP Stylebook
- Music Production Software
- Sound Engineering
- WordPress
- Copy Editing
- Storytelling
- Press Releases
- Sound
- Music Education
- Public Relations
- Photography
- Music Licensing
- Composing
- Music Industry
- Audio Recording
- Songwriting
- Studio Recording
- Music Arrangement
- Music Theory
- Music Publishing
- Musical Composition
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a music journalist, you need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and systems in order to do your job effectively. This might include music production software, audio editing software, and social media platforms. Additionally, you need to be able to use technology to communicate with other members of the music industry, including artists, producers, and managers.
Some of the programs and systems that music journalists are typically expected to be proficient in include: Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, GarageBand, and Audacity. Additionally, many music journalists use social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to promote their work and connect with their audience.