A Better Way for a Resume for Arts and Crafts

CraftytotheCore is a paper creative person who loves sharing their ideas and crafty tips.

Learn how to craft a resume for crafters!

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Resume Writing for Crafters

At i fourth dimension, I had the opportunity to evaluate and interview potential candidates for a position at a company I worked for.

The company would put an advertising in the paper asking for resumes of interested parties to employ for a specific chore. Information technology amazed me how many people applied for the job that didn't have the essential experience or education to piece of work in the field. I also noticed how sloppy some of the resumes were that would arrive in plainly envelopes, handwritten, without any class.

Today, applying for a job is even more intense. However, many people don't realize that talents and skills can be highlighted on a resume for maximizing employment potential.

Everything we exercise can benefit us when looking for a job. Our background speaks to who nosotros are and our accomplishments.

It's important to magnify our abilities when applying for a job.

In this article, nosotros are going to explore creative means to embellish a resume for someone who has been out of work and supplementing their income with craft sales.

1. How Many Years Take You Been a Crafter?

The first ingredient before starting a resume is to determine how many years y'all have been crafting.

Think back to the outset newspaper snowflake or paper plate art you prepared in school. You were a crafter long before you started earning coin with your talents.

What do you do now? Do you knit, crochet, prophylactic postage stamp, scrapbook, make greeting cards, sew, create quilts? How is your craft defined? Are you a crafter-of-all-trades? Or, do you specialize in one craft?

Think dorsum to when you started your specialty. If yous practice non have a specialty, think back to when you put crafting ahead of whatsoever other hobby.

For example, I accept been a crafter equally far back as I can remember. As a young daughter, I would cut up the Lord's day paper advertisements from the local grocery stores and create grocery shop backdrops for Barbie dolls out of the food ads. Only my specialty came years after. After taking ane class on rubber stamping, I started making and selling greeting cards on the side for fun. In my case, safety stamping is probably my specialty.

What's yours? Think dorsum to the fourth dimension y'all started. What age were you? Do you remember annihilation specific about the consequence? Did yous take a class or study a tutorial online?

This will give you a good indication of how many years you have been a crafter!

Apply that to your resume. Here are some samples:

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• 15 years of professional knitting experience
• Over 10 years of knitting and selling babe blankets
• 20 years of crafting for local charities and selling handmade work at individual auctions
• Over 5 years of making blankets for children in the cancer ward at the infirmary

The examples above demonstrate even if you never sold your work or fabricated a profit from it, you can use your experience on a resume.

2. What Have Yous Created?

Start a listing of all of the items you have created over the years.

Practice yous knit? What do you knit? Sweaters, scarves, blankets—specializing in adult or children, etc.

Do you sew? What practise you stitch? Clothing, dresses, unique handbags, specializing in children, etc.

Do you create your own designs and produce them? Have you lot designed habiliment or greeting cards and created them to sell? Have you sold your piece of work?

These are all of import questions to ask yourself. It all builds upward your resume and your confidence as well.

For example, my grandmother was a homemaker. But yr after year, she designed and created many unique and original goodies to be sold at annual craft fairs. Ane year she designed Cabbage Patch doll dress. She even constitute a vendor who specialized in plastic covers for doll clothes. She ordered those and hung the doll clothes around a craft tent. She made a lot of money at that ane arts and crafts fair. She used her imagination, skill, and expertise to create something that stood out from the rest of the crowd. Some other year she fabricated wooden plaques with animal designs and took them to sell at a country fair.

Ask yourself, what have yous created over the years in your arts and crafts? Even if you didn't sell anything, merely gave it all away, you lot still created something unique.

iii. Who or What Accept You lot Designed For?

Think back to everything you've created over the years.

Why did you create those particular items? Is it a hobby for you? Did y'all have someone in mind to create them for? Were you asked to create them?

For example, i time I created a gift pocketbook trimmed in fur, rubber-stamped with reddish dresses. It was quite pretty. Just to meet if in that location was any interest, I put information technology up for auction online. Inside days, I was contacted past a mode designer in New York. They loved it. In fact, they wanted 500 of them for a way show. They were going to utilise them every bit parting gifts for all of the guests. I couldn't brand that many considering I had small children at the time. That would take been an crawly feel had I been able to accommodate that request. Nevertheless, I take created invitations on a massive scale for parties besides as cheers notes for weddings. In addition, I designed message boards for a local school and a nursing abode.

The examples above demonstrate people and places I have designed things for. Have yous ever been invited to make your craft on a large scale? Even if you weren't able to do it, it'southward of import in building upwards your portfolio.

4. What Is Your Experience?

This is important considering if you accept made a career out of crafting, this will highlight many areas of your expertise including marketing yourself and managing your work load.

For example, in that location are many people who sell their handmade items online. ETSY, eBay, Artfire, and Ruby Lane all accept many talented artists and crafters selling their creations daily.

• Take yous sold online?
• Do y'all have an online shop forepart?
• Do you have assistance with your handmade crafts?
• Do yous ship your items to customers?
• Practice you have help packing and aircraft the items?
• Practice you keep track of your sales?
• Exercise you purchase your supplies from vendors?

All of these answers lead to feel yous can list on your resume.

Selling online means you have experience in marketing, sales, customer service, etc.

Having a storefront means you have a business concern. If you lot have help, you lot have employees.

If y'all transport your items, you take experience in shipping and receiving.

If you keep track of your own sales, you lot have experience in bookkeeping.

If you buy supplies from vendors, it ways you have purchasing experience and established relationships with other vendors.

All of this information is key to promoting yourself on a resume.

Believe me, when I was reviewing resumes at my corporate job, many people didn't take half of this feel which was required for the chore they were applying for.

Experience as a Crafter
Designing
Freelancing
Sales experience
Customer Service
Packing and Shipping
Purchasing
Accounting and Bookkeeping
Ordering Supplies
Marketing
Managing a business
Filing Taxes

References

Continue track of your selling efforts.

If you have accounts online, such equally Etsy or eBay, print out a re-create of your storefront.

Start a portfolio of your work.

I keep a three-band binder with canvass protectors in information technology. Every time I make a greeting menu, I proceed a copy in my binder. If I make a scrapbook page, I photograph it and print the photograph for my folder.

All of this information adds upward to show off your talents and skills!

Keep expert records. Continue a ledger of all of the arts and crafts fairs you lot attend. Mark down the date, items, and how much sold. Same thing for online stores. This volition evidence how successful y'all were with your crafts. It proves diligence and commitment which employers seek in hiring the right candidate.

As well, make a listing of whatever references that will be willing to vouch for you lot if necessary. Such every bit someone who you lot created designs for online. Did you accept repeat customers that just dear your work and speak highly of you lot? Do you have customers who have ordered your crafts that could write a professional letter of the alphabet of reference?

All of this information together with the skills you demonstrate will add a lot of potential to your resume.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business concern, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Holly Strauss on November 29, 2017:

This is very helpful and encouraging. I accept recently settled in London from California. My hubby is an animator we met working on a finish motility children'southward boob tube show. I fabricated puppets and props and he brings them to life. I've had several jobs in my lifetime and at 54 I've never had to have a CV. I've seen a task description for a company here in London crafting that sounds like a great fit. But I'one thousand paralyzed to apply every bit I do not have a CV or clue on how to best present all my diverse skills and experiences. Your commodity has given me a identify or way to showtime cheers. Now the tough bit.... to take action

Covington Professional Resume Services LLC from Philadelphia, PA on June 03, 2015:

Very practiced article. Online resumes have been utilized for artists and developers for quite sometime and accept been increasing in popularity due to piece of cake to use and manage web hosting options. I.e. (Wix.com) I believe an online resume for a "crafter" would serve a two fold purpose. (A.) Information technology tin can be a place to highlight their talents and products. (B) It could also exist utilized as a store front end for profit or donations. This idea would STRICTLY be a supplement to a "conventional" resume optimized for applicant tracking systems (ATS) of class.

Emily from GA on January 08, 2015:

Hi! This is a very interesting article! I'm an artistic person, but I have e'er steered abroad from doing anything career-wise regarding it, because I've felt that nobody always wants to give a chance on someone who takes art seriously rather than other popular attributes.

Only I am going to requite this a try, because you've put in adept helpful tips :) so thank you lot!

Donna Herron from USA on May 28, 2014:

I don't have a crafting resume, but there are times that I probably need one. Thanks for laying out the important data to include and how to think of one's crafting career. I think calculation in real world business experience is a neat thought! Thanks for getting me thinking about this. Voted up and pinned :)

CraftytotheCore (author) on April 14, 2014:

Hi RTalloni! Cheers so much for your comment.

RTalloni on Apr 12, 2014:

Such a nice presentation of this important topic--thanks!

CraftytotheCore (author) on Nov 26, 2013:

Howdy Suzanne! Cheers so much for stopping by and commenting. I truly appreciate it!

Suzanne Day from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on November 24, 2013:

Very useful, I have never created a crafter resume every bit I didn't know how! Thanks for all the helpful points and professional person sounding sentences I can use, should I determine to do a handicrafts resume in the time to come.

CraftytotheCore (author) on November 19, 2013:

Hullo Teaches12345, thanks then much for your comments.

Dianna Mendez on November eighteen, 2013:

This volition certainly help crafters put their best foot frontwards.

CraftytotheCore (writer) on November 18, 2013:

Thank you and then much midget38! I truly appreciate your input here.

Michelle Liew from Singapore on November 18, 2013:

Expert tips for building a resume of whatsoever sort! Shared!

CraftytotheCore (author) on November xvi, 2013:

Thank you and then much for your kind and wonderful comments Eiddwen.

Eiddwen from Wales on November xvi, 2013:

What a wonderful read and thanks for sharing this gem. Voted up and saving for futurity reference too. Enjoy your weekend.

Eddy.

CraftytotheCore (author) on Nov 14, 2013:

Cheers and then much EP for your wonderful comments!

Elizabeth Parker from Las Vegas, NV on November 14, 2013:

Fabulous advice- I never even thought of this before, but what a keen way to create a resume. Smashing item!

CraftytotheCore (writer) on November xiv, 2013:

Thanks and so much for commenting here Wiccan. I know in that location are a lot of crafters who don't even consider their talents when applying for a regular chore. I accept a friend that makes beautiful cards. She started selling them just to people she knew at work. I told her to start selling them online. She went on FB with them, and now has her ain online store. It takes a lot of confidence to footstep out and build a business model as a crafter, then I think information technology shows potential.

Mackenzie Sage Wright on November xiv, 2013:

What a actually excellent topic! I know it can exist and so intimidating writing a resume when you've been working from home doing artistic projects. It's then important to have a professional resume that highlights your experience without making it sound unprofessional. Well done.

CraftytotheCore (writer) on Nov fourteen, 2013:

Howdy DDE! Cheers and then much for your kind comments my friend.

CraftytotheCore (author) on Nov 14, 2013:

Hullo Alicia! Thanks so much for your input here. A lot of people think they need to conform to a certain way of resume. The truth is everyone is unique and abilities are different from i person to the next. I hope anyone reading this will find that they too can find within themselves some unique potential to a dream chore they seek. :D

CraftytotheCore (writer) on Nov fourteen, 2013:

How-do-you-do Wetnose! Thank you lot so much for commenting my friend. That thank yous card was part of a huge wedding order. I wasn't at the shower, just I was told, when the bride-to-be opened the box, all the guests clapped. They were made to match the wedding colors. They were the thanks cards for the helpmate to ship out after.

Information technology's those stories that bring this Hub to life. That people can observe talent within themselves that they never knew fabricated a difference to anyone else.

CraftytotheCore (writer) on November xiv, 2013:

Cheers and so much SMD! It's so overnice to run across you. I appreciate your lovely comments very much.

CraftytotheCore (writer) on November 14, 2013:

Hi Sha! Thank you so much for your kind comments. I've had a pretty tough week. Lots of things going on. At times I simply desire to bury my head in a sleeping bag and wake up next spring.

So, thank you lot for your lovely comments. It's the friendships on here that I have to await forward to that keep me writing.

CraftytotheCore (author) on November 14, 2013:

Howdy Kidscrafts! I think that's the OCD in me that I've never been diagnosed with! In fact, if I do publish a Hub and so think near it long enough after, I lay awake at night thinking most what I forgot to add to my Hub! LOL

At that place are so many crafters with brilliant talents. Withal, I haven't met many who give themselves plenty credit. For example, I rubber postage something. The postage stamp is what creates the image. Merely you lot wouldn't believe the people that think I've made something impossible. LOL

As well, there are many crafts that I oasis't figured out how to practice. I can't actually sew article of clothing at all. Tried that, but it turned out actually bad. So, everyone is unique in the way that not anybody can practise everything. Highlighting our attributes is of import.

I think you would be an awesome IKEA decorator! How fun is that!

CraftytotheCore (author) on November fourteen, 2013:

Thank you so much Faith! Your comments are ever and so kind and appreciated!

CraftytotheCore (author) on November xiv, 2013:

Hi Flourish! Thank you so much for commenting here. It ever amazes me how much talent is out at that place and people don't give themselves enough credit for it.

CraftytotheCore (author) on Nov 14, 2013:

Hi Emerge! Yes, I meet even on HP where a lot of crafters under-rate their talents. For example, I tried knitting. I ended up in tears. I can't knit! But people who tin have amazing ability in my stance. The possibilities are endless from making clothing, blankets, and all sorts of really awesome items. There is definitely a place to highlight those skills on a resume!

CraftytotheCore (author) on November xiv, 2013:

Baton, thanks then much for taking the time to comment hither. I truly appreciate your input my friend.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on November 14, 2013:

How to Create a Resume for Crafters! A brilliantly thought of hub e'er a artistic idea from you and all so perfectly approached voted upward and useful.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on November 13, 2013:

This is a useful hub that contains great ideas for a crafter. The hub is also useful for other people, too, because your suggestions will encourage them to think creatively about what feel they have that will help them become their desired job!

wetnosedogs from Alabama on November 13, 2013:

Awesome hub on creating a resume for crafts. And I love the "Thank you" you crafted.

Sally Hayes on November thirteen, 2013:

What a dandy thought for a hub! I'll bet that many people who craft would have never idea about adding this type of piece of work to their resume. Being a dedicated crafter shows you have an power to say focussed on a project, have good organizational skills and yous have a creative mindset. Those are all skills that almost employers await for in job candidates. Voted up!

Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on November 13, 2013:

Crafty, you sure are creative and smart likewise! Your wheels keep on turning and never end. You're astonishing!

kidscrafts from Ottawa, Canada on November 13, 2013:

Nifty tips, Crafty! I like the way your write and you think considering I have the feeling you ever cover the whole subject and you never miss whatever corner. It's e'er interesting! And as Bill said, you can utilize your advices to whatsoever type of resume!

I would never have thought of creating a resume about my experience in crafting (probably considering of my pedagogy and also condescending attitude of some people when they ask me what kind of work I do). And when I think more well-nigh it, it could exist definitely be a "plus" for some jobs. At 1 point, I idea of applying for a job at IKEA in decoration. That would take been a good selling point!

Cheers for sharing all your suggestions!

Have a nice twenty-four hour period!

Faith Reaper from southern United states of america on November 13, 2013:

Wow Crafty, how creative of you! What a great topic for a hub ... never would have thought of a resume for a crafter, and information technology is a perfect idea.

Very clever. Upwards and more and sharing!

Blessings, Faith Reaper

FlourishAnyway from USA on November 12, 2013:

This is a creative way to sell your talents on a resume, as people who craft don't always keep runway of everything they've washed and don't tend to think of their skills in this way. Hopefully you'll prompt crafters to call back of their talents as potentially job-marketable

Sally Gulbrandsen from Norfolk on November 12, 2013:

I take been crafting in some shape or form since I was a immature kid. It is sometimes good to be reminded of one'south talents - specially if applying for a position. Many of u.s.a. nether-rate our skills. I found this really useful, and so thank you very much for for sharing this.

Sally

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on November 12, 2013:

I know zero about crafting but I know something about applying for jobs, and your suggestions here certainly tin utilise to any job i is looking for. Great tips Brandi!

CraftytotheCore (author) on November 12, 2013:

How-do-you-do Jackie! That's an amazing story. Give thanks you so much for sharing your knowledge most that here. I hadn't heard of that before.

Jackie Lynnley from the beautiful south on Nov 12, 2013:

This is great and I certain would have never thought if it but people do make money with crafts. Did you hear of the Etsy adult female? She thought her stuff was good plenty to make money with them and then somehow she sold herself to them and became a part of them and and then subsequently went out on her own to brand millions and then...one never knows when this may come on existent handy! Upward and sharing.

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Source: https://toughnickel.com/finding-job/How-to-Create-a-Resume-for-Crafters

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