Avoid These Costly Videographer Resume Mistakes
Turn your creative portfolio into a hiring magnet with proven fixes.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
- Hiring managers can’t view your work instantly
- ATS may flag the resume as incomplete
- Reduces credibility as a visual storyteller
- Add a clickable URL to your online portfolio or demo reel
- Place it next to your name and contact info
- Use a short, memorable link (e.g., vimeo.com/YourName)
John Doe john.doe@email.com (555) 123‑4567 Los Angeles, CA
John Doe | videographer john.doe@email.com | (555) 123‑4567 | Los Angeles, CA Portfolio: vimeo.com/JohnDoe
- Focus shifts from storytelling ability to gear ownership
- ATS may treat long lists as irrelevant keywords
- Recruiters skim for results, not specs
- Replace raw equipment lists with skill‑based bullets (e.g., "Proficient with RED Komodo and DJI Ronin"),
- Highlight how you used the gear to achieve results
- Keep the list under 5 items
Equipment: RED Epic‑W, Sony A7S III, Canon C300, DJI Mavic 2 Pro, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, GoPro HERO9, Sennheiser MKH 416, Rode NTG5, etc.
Key Technical Skills: • RED Epic‑W & Sony A7S III – captured high‑resolution footage for commercial campaigns • DJI Ronin & Mavic 2 Pro – executed smooth aerial and stabilized shots • Sennheiser & Rode – recorded pristine on‑set audio
- Doesn’t convey your niche or value proposition
- ATS often ignores the objective section
- Recruiters lose interest within seconds
- Swap the objective for a concise Professional Summary
- Mention years of experience, specialties, and measurable impact
- Keep it under 3 sentences
Objective: To obtain a position as a videographer where I can utilize my skills and grow professionally.
Professional Summary: 5+ years crafting cinematic brand stories for tech startups and lifestyle brands. Expert in end‑to‑end production, delivering videos that increase engagement by up to 45%. Seeking to bring visual storytelling expertise to a forward‑thinking agency.
- Hiring managers can’t gauge impact
- ATS may miss performance‑related keywords
- Resume looks like a duties list rather than a success record
- Add numbers, percentages, or audience metrics to each project bullet
- Show how your video drove views, conversions, or awards
- Keep metrics relevant to the role
- Produced promotional videos for client X. - Managed a small crew for event Y.
- Produced a 30‑second promo for Client X that generated 120K YouTube views and a 22% increase in website traffic. - Led a 4‑person crew for Event Y, delivering 3‑minute highlight reel within 48 hours, praised by the client for rapid turnaround.
- ATS cannot read embedded images or columns
- Important text may be omitted during parsing
- Resume may be rejected before a human sees it
- Use a single‑column, text‑based layout Keep fonts standard (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman) Avoid tables, text boxes, and background images
[Resume with side‑bar graphic, icons for each section, and a background watermark]
[Clean, single‑column PDF with bold headings and plain text]
- Include a clickable portfolio URL in the header
- Replace equipment lists with skill‑based bullets
- Write a results‑focused professional summary
- Quantify every project achievement
- Use ATS‑friendly fonts and single‑column layout
- Save as searchable PDF
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
- Tailor keywords to the specific job posting
- Add portfolio hyperlink
- Convert gear list to skill bullets
- Insert measurable results
- Standardize headings for ATS
