7-Step Guide To Write A Poet Resume (With Template)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published 27 May 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

A poet creatively uses words to convey emotions and morals. A poet may work in media or education to showcase their work or help others improve their poetry. Learning about a poet's resume allows you to apply for various jobs or education. In this article, we discuss the use of a poet's resume, how to write a poet's resume and share additional tips, templates and samples for your reference.

What is a Poet's resume?

A poet resume is a document that details your professional growth, skills and qualifications as a poet. Recruiters use it to assess your suitability for the role before they shortlist you for an interview. A poet's resume includes their educational qualifications, hard and soft skills, work experience, publications and contact details.

Where is a Poet's resume used?

Here are some situations where a poet may use a resume:

Seeking employment. A poet may apply for a creative or writing position at an advertising agency or radio station. They may apply for roles such as a content writer, jingle writer, lyricist or even a jingle writer.
Publications. When you submit your poems to a publication house or magazine, they may ask for your resume to gauge your qualifications and experiences. It is essential to ensure your resume has a link to your portfolio or past accomplishments.
Education. You may use a resume when applying to a creative writing program. It helps the admissions faculty gauge your capabilities and improves your chances of selection.
Scholarships. When applying for a scholarship, you may submit your resume to showcase your credibility to receive financial aid to improve your skills and learn more about poetry. Universities may use it along with other documents to assess your suitability.

How to write a Poet's resume?

Here are the steps that you may follow to write a poet resume:

1. Select a layout

Choose a layout to structure your resume, depending on the publications, credentials or background that you wish to highlight. It is a guide to building your resume and ensuring you include all the necessary details. Showcasing your experience and education first may require you to choose a chronological format, while prioritising your skills on your resume may require a functional layout. Restrict your resume to a page to highlight the relevant information concisely that sets you apart from the rest.

2. Add your contact details

Add your name and contact number at the top of your resume so that recruiters may contact you if they wish to speak with you about your candidacy for a job. Use a font and size that is easy for others to read. Put your details at the top of the resume to make it easier to locate. You may also include a link to your portfolio or even a QR code that recruiters may scan to view your work samples.

3. Write a professional statement

A professional statement provides a brief introduction about you to the recruiter. They understand your background, experience, expertise and career goals. Use the professional summary to highlight your skills and refer to the job description to ensure it meets the job requirement. The resume summary is between two to three sentences. It includes the job role you are applying for and customised for the organisation.

4. Showcase your experience

Write this section in reverse chronological order. Use present tense for describing your current role and past tense for previous ones. Use action words to help recruiters visualise your work. In three to five bullets, your duties at the firm. Showcase the results your work generated for the company using statistics and accurate data. When you have experience working with multiple companies, include the firms where your job role was a poet. If there are gaps in your career, the recruiter may ask for an explanation.

5. Highlight your skills

Highlight industry-specific skills and soft skills in your resume. Mention them as bullet points to ensure a recruiter may easily skim through them. Study the job description to ensure you include the necessary skills required for the job role. These are keywords that recruiters are looking for in an ideal candidate. Education boards and publishing houses may also look for such details in your resume to understand your qualifications.

slam poetry
strong communication skills
creative thinking
attention to detail
jingle writing
storytelling
organisational skills
time-management skills
content writing

6. Add your education

In the last section of your resume, add your educational background. It includes adding your institution name, degree and year of graduation. You may incorporate relevant details of certifications or licenses to enhance your resume. As a poet, recruiters may look for a bachelor's degree in literature.

7. Add your publications

Dedicate a section to showcase the various books and magazines with your work. It helps enhance your credibility as a poet. You may also include any books published as a collection of your poems.

Tips to remember while writing a resume

Here are some quick tips to remember while writing a copywriter resume:

Make it to the point

Ensure you keep your resume concise and brief. Use relevant keywords depending on your job description, as recruiters may look for these while shortlisting. Restrict the length of the resume to a page.

Proofread

As a poet, your resume reflects your ability to write without errors and communicate effectively. Read through your resume and check for grammatical and spelling errors. One effective way to check your resume is to read it out loud to see if the flow of the sentences is impactful.

Tailor your resume for the job

Whether you are applying to a publication house, educational institute or even a job, edit your resume to suit the role. It showcases your interest in the role and the organisation. Reorder the resume sections or adopt a new layout to suit the requirement.

Get someone to review

Ask a friend, family member or trusted colleague to review your resume. They may provide you with insights and advice to improve your resume. It also helps you reflect if you are communicating the necessary information effectively.

Choose a professional layout

The layout is the first thing a recruiter notices even before they begin reading through your resume. Use a simple format that looks professional and uses neutral colours. Avoid bright and vibrant colour combinations as these may seem too jarring. Use simple fonts that are easy to read. Create a hierarchy in your resume with different font sizes, thicknesses or fonts. Use not more than two fonts in your resume.

Poet resume template

Here's a poet resume template you can use as a guide when writing your own:

[Name]
[Phone number]
[Email address]
[City and state]
[Portfolio link]

Professional statement

[Two to three sentences describing your accomplishments, past duties, expertise and value you may add to the organisation. You may also specify the role you seek in the firm.]

Work experience

[Job title]
[Name of company]
[City, State][Start Date–End Date]

[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]
[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]
[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]
[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]

[Job title]
[Name of company]
[City, State][Start Date–End Date]

[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]
[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]
[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]
[Responsibility or achievement while in the position]

Skills

[Industry-specific skill or soft skill]
[Industry-specific skill or soft skill]
[Industry-specific skill or soft skill]

Education

[Institution Name]
[Degree]
[Month and year of graduation]

Publications

[Publisher, Year, "Title"]
[Publisher, Year, "Title"]

Poet resume example

Here's a poet resume example you can use as a reference when writing your own:

Shiela Pradhan
Mumbai, Maharashtra
+91 9876543210
shiela.pradhan@email.com
shielapradhan.com