Stage Tech Resume Essentials

Most resumes I see from new techs look like they’re trying to impress someone’s aunt. Too much noise. Not enough signal. No one has time to read your whole backstory when they’ve got cables to coil and trucks to unload.

So I built a format that works. It’s not fancy. It’s not cute. But it’s what’s kept me getting calls for over a decade.

This is the resume that says, “I’m not here to waste your time. I know the room. I know the gear. And I show up when I say I will.” (which is 15 mins before call time to chop it up with coffee, btw)

Here’s the layout. Copy it. Tweak it. Own it.

Header

Put your name big and bold at the top. Then put your phone number, email, and city. Not your full address. Just the city. Are you applying for a job in Santa Monica but you live in Chino Hills? Great! Put “Los Angeles.” We know you’re in San Bernardino but what matters is you’re willing to commute. If you’ve got a LinkedIn or personal site that’s legit, throw it in. If it’s empty or cringe, leave it out.

Summary (3 lines. That’s it.)

This is not your life story. This is two or three sentences that say who you are, what you’ve done, and what kind of work you’re looking for.

Example:

Keep it high-level. You’re not trying to convince. You’re trying to clarify.

Skills

This is where you win. Think of this like a search engine. Whoever’s reading your resume is scanning for match terms.

Break it into three buckets:

• Gear (Yamaha QL/CL, Shure ULXD, Q-SYS, ETC Ion, GrandMA, Dante Controller, Blackmagic ATEM, Ross Carbonite, etc)

• Protocols and Tools (NDI, SMPTE 2110, PTP, ArtNet, sACN, Wireless Workbench)

• Roles (Stagehand, Audio A2, FOH Camera, Shader, Utility, Fiber Tech, V1, V2, LED Tech, etc)

You want them to look at this list and go “Yep. They know the world I live in.”

Recent Work Experience

List the company or show. Then your role. Then the date range. Keep the descriptions short.

Bullet points, not paragraphs.

Example:
Disneyland Resort – Entertainment Stage Technician (2018–2022)

• Designed and programmed technical systems with Dante, Q-SYS, QLab integration

• Responsible and accountable for setup and testing of show systems before park opening. Performed preventative maintence according to CMMS.

• Achieved a 29% reduction in labor required for load-out by implementing an efficient SOP that required seven less forklift trips and one less box truck than originally planned (or idk, some other BS like that)

If you don’t have major gigs yet, that’s fine. Put in local theaters, high schools, churches. Whatever got your hands on gear. We just want do know you’re doing SOMETHING more than just learning from burnt-out techs on YouTube (me in 25 years)

Training and Certifications

Keep this simple. Only list stuff you’ve actually achieved. Don’t list the YouTube videos you watched. List the stuff that took time to earn or prove. (Q-Sys/Dante/SMPTE/ etc)

References (Optional)

Only if they’re strong. If you’ve got a mentor, supervisor, or department head who will vouch for you without hesitation, list them. Otherwise, leave this off.

Education (Optional)

[Degree or Program] — [Institution]
[City, State] • [Month YYYY] to [Month YYYY]

If not relevant, remove this section. Most crew hires are portfolio and referral based anyway

Final Note

Your resume isn’t your career. It’s your foot in the door. The tech lead reading it wants to know one thing: Can I trust this person to show up on time and not suck?

So build a resume that answers that question. Clean, simple, and familiar. Save the artistic layout for your portfolio. Your resume is a tool, not a vibe.

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