Production Assistant Resume

Production assistants (PAs) have to handle a wide range of tasks and responsibilities every day, making this career a great fit if you enjoy variety and perform well under pressure.

Whether you’ve never worked a production assistant job before or are an experienced PA, we’ll show you how to improve your production assistant resume to increase your chances of getting hired.

1. Choose the best production assistant resume format

It’s important to choose the best resume format when applying for a position as a production assistant because each resume format presents your skills differently.

While the chronological resume format lists your work history in reverse order starting with the most recent job first, the functional resume format focuses on your skills and experience rather than on your work history.

To help you decide the best resume format for you, look at your work history and the type of job you’re applying for. If you have a lot of experience in production assistant roles, then a chronological resume may be the best choice. If you don’t have much experience or if you’re looking for a new type of position, then a functional or hybrid resume may be a better option.

Stand out by adding an additional section to your resume

To stand out in this competitive field, choosing the right resume format could help you correctly highlight an additional resume section like a certifications section, a language skills section, or even an additional skills section.

Depending on the resume format you choose, these sections could be the main factors that differentiate you from other candidates by placing them at the top of your resume, for example. On the other hand, they could play a more supportive role to strengthen more job-relevant skills and work experience by being placed toward the end of your resume.

2. Emphasize soft skills

Unlike many professions where your degree matters a lot, applying for a job as a production assistant is all about emphasizing the skills you bring to the position. And not just production assistant-specific skills, but also your soft skills.

Soft skills include everything from interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and time management skills to performing well under pressure. Emphasizing soft skills that illustrate your ability to handle several tasks at once makes a stronger case for someone to hire you.

In addition to listing soft skills in your skill section, you should also expand on them elsewhere like in your resume work experience section.

3. Include strong production assistant action verbs

Action verbs help make your resume stronger because they frame you as a proactive, results-driven candidate, emphasize your talents, and highlight your accomplishments. When detailing your experience, avoid passive, general descriptions.

Here are two examples, one using passive language and the other illustrating the use of action verbs in the work experience of your PA resume:

Strong production assistant action verbs

• Supported a team of 30+ directors, producers, set designers, and stylists to locate props and talents for commercial shoots

No action verbs

• Support for the production team to locate props and talents for commercial shoots

• Support for the production team to locate props and talents for commercial shoots
• Supported a team of 30+ directors, producers, set designers, and stylists to locate props and talents for commercial shoots

Instead, use strong, active words that draw attention to your achievements and make you stand out. Action words to consider for a production assistant resume include:

• Direct
• Facilitate
• Oversee
• Coordinate
• Manage
• Undertake
• Handle
• Orchestrate
• Enable
• Execute

These words make your resume stand out and leave a positive impression on hiring managers because they directly draw attention to accomplishments on your resume.

4. Direct your production assistant resume to the job posting

While you should always tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for, this is especially important when applying for production assistant jobs because the tasks you’ll be responsible for can vary widely depending on the posting.

If the job post mentions any particular skills, areas of expertise, or past experience, work that information into your PA resume. Carefully check the job posting to determine if you should include any particular resume keywords or phrases that demonstrate your experience in the field.

You should also only include relevant work experience on your production assistant resume. However, if you don’t have any, describe responsibilities from past jobs that showcase skills that can transfer to being a production assistant, also known as transferable skills. For instance, if you worked a retail job, you can mention how you worked well under pressure and juggled multiple tasks at once.