The Creator's Resume
Take a look at all these skills we have!
I’ve been updating my resume lately and it got me thinking about all the skills we have developed as authors and illustrators. It’s quite the list!
I’ve inserted links to all of our posts on these subjects too in case you want to brush up on any of them before you add them to your CV.
Marketing
This is probably the first one that comes to mind beyond the actual creative work. We are marketeers! We become experts in our product (our books) and learn how to sell them to other people. We can break this activity into lots of sub-categories to really show off our skills.
Social media management
A minimum for most of us is posting on social media about our books. We create videos and images to advertise our events. We share news about our lives. And we keep our audience engaged.
Website creation and management
Even if you didn’t build your own website from scratch you probably keep it up to date yourself. A valuable skill!
Event planning
Planned your launch event? You’re an event planner! This entails lots of skills from advertising the event to public speaking to working with bookstores. Add those skills to your resume right now!
Newsletter creation
Do you have a newsletter? If so, that’s another great skill to shout about. You’re coming up with ideas, building an email list, and writing snappy content.
Branding
And if all of that marketing wasn’t enough, we also define our brand.
Education and Speaking
We’re also teachers and public speakers! If you visit schools, design curriculum, or speak on panels you have some awesome transferable skills. This skill definitely helped me get my job as an educator at my local history museum.
School visits
Not only do you produce slides and other materials but you stand up in front of hundreds of unpredictable kids and keep them entertained and (somewhat) under control! If you can do that you can do anything.
Activity and curriculum guide creator
You turn your books into materials that teachers can use in classrooms? Put it on the resume, right now.
Webinar management
If you take part in World Read Aloud Day or other webinar programs (as so many of us did during covid), you can definitely add your skills as a webinar manager to your skills. Don’t forget to add all the different platforms you know how to use too.
Public speaking
A lot of people profess to be no good at this. But not us! We can answer Q&A without breaking a sweat, manage a crowd, and talk about our favorite subject (our books) without a teleprompter.
And there’s more…
Critiquing
We know how to give and take constructive peer critique. That’s a skill that is useful in many industries.
Teaching adults
Many of us turn our creative skills to teaching others in webinars, classes, and even as MFA instructors. Add it to the list!
Interviews
If you’ve been interviewed on a podcast, or even on TV, you are calm under pressure and can handle live questions! That’s huge!
Community engagement
If you’ve organized a coffee with fellow creatives, congrats you can add community engagement to that bulging list of skills.
Software and apps
Not only do we know how to use various different webinar platforms but we use loads of other apps and programs in our lives: Canva, Google docs, Microsoft Word and so many more.
Bookstore window design!
And finally, in case you missed last week’s post, Vicky can add designing bookstore windows to her resume.
Of course, this post wasn’t an actual attempt to help you update your resume but instead to encourage you to realize just how accomplished you are! We all need that boost sometimes.
What would you add to this list? Any skills you need to brush up on?
I'm amazed by how my skills have increased and grown in expertise since my picture book came out. It's been quite a challenge. But rewarding!
Excellent reminder! I should ask myself for a raise.