Painting Minis on a Resume...should it be mentioned?

[beowulfthehunter]

I have been blessed by God enough that I am able to pull in some bucks on my painting skills. Now I am not claiming I am able to go to Aruba everyweek or I can buy my bling, but I am at a point where I can pay my few meager bills(I don\'t live beyond my means) and about half the expenses in the house.
I am now at the point where I will be taking classes for the next year and painting to pay bills and expenses.
What I am trying to ask is should I put on my resume that I am employed painting miniatures. How should a phrase it? ect...

 

[james sequeira]

the money you are getting is paying bills and expenses so i would say professional

 

[frenchkid]

Well I usually just put Painter. But then again that\'s in the hobby section of my resume.
I\'d put freelance painter on the resume and expend if asked in an interview. Some things are better conveyed oraly. This as always worked for me, but like I said it\'s not the most important part of my resume.

 

[Dammekkos2]

Yup, I put it in the end bit under \"Interests\" (painting - I enjoy painting, I have won several minor competitions etc etc). That was on my last CV. They didn\'t enquire further, but I got the job. Also, they probably assumed that I meant canvas painting, which was ok with me. Had they asked I would have told them it was miniatures.

 

[frenchkid]

Yeah that\'s tthe point. Most of the time they just assume canvas and don\'t inquire further But I think that\'s because it\'s under hobby.
If it has been your job for the past years you should be ready to talk about it and make it look serious. I usually speak about concentration, competing with yourself, trying to acheive better results, ect... All the things they like to hear

 

[airhead]

If you are looking to fill a hole in your resume, you may want to list \"self-employed artist\" or similar there. If the position you are applying for is an artistic type postition (architectural illistration, etc.) then I would list it. If you are applying for a telephone technician, I\'d let it go or only lightly touch on it.

In essence, each position requires a slightly modified resume to fit the position being applied for. Showcase the talents and experience you have that meets their needs.

 

[Onis Lair]

Finding work out here in AZ is rather tough so i do use miniature painting to fill the hole in my resume. I refer to myself as a Freelance Painter, after all it is the truth. Nevermind in that year i made maybe $100 buck on miniatures but hey, it filled the gap in my resume, tickled the lady interviewing me and help land me a temp job so hey... it works sometimes.

 

[supervike]

Originally posted by airhead
If you are applying for a telephone technician, I\'d let it go or only lightly touch on it.

Come on! Telephone Technicians need to know alot about color theory....although granted its just to discern one wire from the next....but hey!lol

I\'d go with the \"Self Employed Artist\" as well.

 

[Ebonbuddha]

Don\'t put that on the resume. Playing wargames and such has a big enough stigma that you could not get the job.
I just say painter and leave it at that.

Being professional has nothing to do with getting pad. I use to cut grass when I was a kid. I got paid for it. Iwas not a professional. I was a guy who did the job for money.Professional means doing something (work) at a higher level. When people say act professional, they don\'t mean act like you are getting paid. Act like you are elite. A higher level than others who try the same task.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Ebonbuddha
Don\'t put that on the resume. Playing wargames and such has a big enough stigma that you could not get the job.
I just say painter and leave it at that.
I agree.
As someone who recruits and interviews people the Hobbies and Interest section of the CV or Resume only gets minor attention. If there\'s nothing in there that reflects on the role they are applying for, it\'ll get ignored .
Basically people are looking to pay you for your work, not your hobbies.
If you\'ve used painting to cover an employment gap, detail as suggested that you were a self employed painter.
Don\'t elaborate unless asked.
If asked simply state that you painted miniatures, as you identified a market opportunity, which your skills allowed you to exploit.
Also don\'t volunteer that you are a War-Gamer or D&D player as there is still a huge social stigma, in some people\'s minds, against the hobby. Don\'t forget that the world is full of stiff necked people who haven\'t heard of relaxation.

 

[Torn blue sky]

Yup, EB and DR anre pretty much right ... though i\'m loath to concede the point

If it were me i\'d simply put painter or artist. Personally I put painter on my C.V and filled in the gaps when I got the job.
I think the stigmas a lot more relaxed now actually, when I read a review in a games magazine the other day for Warhammer Online there was a massive article about GW and the tag line: \" Painting miniatures is cool, it\'s just time to accept that!\".
At which point I almost split my head with a smug grin

 

[Rodnik]

Most points have been elaborated on....

However, if you make your money painting miniatures, then you are \"self-employed\", \"own your own business\", etc. Provided, of course, you treat it as such.
Like was alluded to, this was a market opportunity for a skilset you possess that would pay the bills--plain and simple.

The \"self-employed\" moniker potentially means a few things:

self-motivated/self-starter
takes ownership
manages responsibility
delivers
project-oriented
customer-focused

etc.

The fact that you are \"painting miniatures\", is probably not pertinent unless you are applying for a job painting miniatures. However, the business management aspects of this are pertinent to any job.
Place the emphasis here, not the act of painting...
Kev

 

[frenchkid]

@DR: Might just be a difference in job type or a cultural change but I\'v been taught that the hobby part of the CV is one of the most important part of the CV.The thing beeing when we get out on the market we all pretty much have a good diploma froma good school so it\'s the little extras and the personality that set people appart. IS there a different way to view things in the UK ? ( just interested as a futur ex-student even though I still got a couple of years till the CV part becomes important )

 

[Dammekkos2]

As you rightly say FK, the hobby bit is the cherry on the cake. Which would you prefer on its own, the cherry or the cake?

 

[Dragonsreach]

@ Frenchkid: It\'s probably a bit of both.
But I\'ve sat on the reviewing side of a recruitment and having gone through all the Essential criteria and had a handfull of applicants who came close to what was wanted it was aided buy fully reading what was added to the CV.
In the instance I\'m thinking of One applicant listed, something like Scuba diving , Rock climbing , Mountain biking, Hill Walking, Tennis , Football and a host of other sports that he was involved in. Some which were competative. But there was nothing sedentary about his Out of work life, nothing in his interests which indicated that he was a commited worker. It came across that all he wanted was a paycheck to fund his sports.
Now for an employer, That doesn\'t read well. What I\'d be looking for is someone who has a few outside interests, but also has aspects of the interests which reflect on the job they are applying for.

I hope that makes a bit of sense.

 

[Torn blue sky]

...hmm. Besides the fact that some people may be inclined to put chasing cheese and swinging dead fish as potential hobbies in Britain. God bless \'em.

 

[Helga]

Depends on ...

... what sort of job You are applying for...

Orginal gepostet von beowulfthehunter
...What I am trying to ask is should I put on my resume that I am employed painting miniatures. How should a phrase it? ect...

....on common sense:

A) Are You applying for some creative job like in PR or advertising, do by all means put it in Your CV ! It is work credibility, and also do give an address where your minis can be looked up on the web.

B) Are You applying for a more mundane job, say like some public service attendant, do put it in if You would have a gap in Your CV else. This is because if Your working career shows a more than 6 months unexplained gap (=generally accepted explanation is sabbatical time to raise baby or travel in china or else important) you will be out. Having painted miniatures as a freelance (or empoyed) with finanial success is looking much better than having been on the dole watching TV. It shows Your will for success and initiative.
Hint: If asked why You are applying when You could get rich painting little figures say You suffer from social isolation and would rather work in a team.

C) Would be my personal advice, derived from employment market in Germany as well as my own behavior when taking someone on. I would not know how well this is translating to foreign countries.
So here is my two pence: For any vacancy to fill one gets more applications than anybody can possibly read. First is to filter out the obvious no-ways. What one is left with is lots of applicants of most similar abilities, still more than anyone can conveniantly see. So one goes filtering for the \"something specials\". This is where You come in with painting miniatures.
I once invited a person for an interview just for \"likes cooking hunan style\" in the hobbies department.

Redundant advice, chewed and chewed up again but valid like breathing:
- Make Your letter of applicance short (no more than 1/3 page textbloc).
- tell the prospective employer why You apply to HIM (Example: \"I finished school and are looking for a job as a hairdresser now\"= bad; \"I like your haircuts very much because they are special, and I would like to learn to do that too\" = good)


Good Luck

 

[StarFyre]

it depends...

First, concentrate on sections such as:

previous work experience, education, computer skills, other related skills (forgot name of this section on mine) awards (educational/work related, or anything bigger (ie. nobel prize, etc )

However, this all is void if you are applying for an art related job...in that case, painting would go into the relevant skill section.

Now, your situation is still a bit different....as painting WAS your self employed job....it\'s good to place it in the work section...in this case, indicate it, but try and fluff it out a bit, indicating things such as maybe design consulting, analyzing needs (if for a specific purpose as opposed to just collecting), etc that you did to make this financially possible.

Sanjay