Audio Engineer Resume: Examples and Tips
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer) records, edits, synchronizes or mixes sounds using audio equipment, working in TV, radio, podcasts, music or field recording, and live events. For this job, you should have a discerning ear, knowledge of editing techniques, and excellent collaboration and customer service skills.
To create a professional resume for an audio engineer role, use our expert resume examples and tips below:
Table of Contents
Featured resume example: audio engineer
Name: JOCELYN RAYNER
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Creative audio engineer with strengths in recording, editing, and mixing. Known for ability to partner with artists, understand requirements, and create high-quality production. Consistently meet deadlines in fast-paced environments.
WORK HISTORY
AUDIO ENGINEER
12/2018 to CURRENT
Company Name, City, State
- Perform high-quality recording, mixing, mastering, sound design and production in professional studios.
- Create and maintain sound libraries and set up ambient sound microphones for crowd and cage.
- Collaborate with producers and performers to determine and achieve desired sound for productions
AUDIO ENGINEER
08/2016 to 11/2018
Company Name, City, State
- Executed field and studio audio at highest level of quality, meeting producer and client expectations
- Handled all field audio mixing for six productions per week.
- Regulated volume level and sound quality during recording sessions
AUDIO ENGINEER INTERN
05/2015 to 09/2015
Company Name, City, State
- Prepared for recording sessions by selecting and setting up microphones.
- Adjusted sound according to variances in temperature and tonal needs.
- Enhanced sound quality and added various sound effects to recordings.
SKILLS
- Audio editing and synthesis
- Mixing sound input
- Recording equipment operation
- Pro Tools expertise
- Troubleshooting
- Time management
- Team collaboration
- Communication
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science | Music Production And Engineering
05/2016, City, State
Top 4 characteristics of a best-in-class audio engineer resume
- Summary In a few sentences, communicate your best skills and qualifications, along with what you’ve excelled at so far during your career. Match this section up as much as you can with skills and requirements mentioned in the description for your potential job. For example, if the job calls for work on television, you could write: “Motivated and accomplished Audio Engineer with eight years of experience in sound editing for TV and live shows.”
- Skills Split this section into categories: technical skills (such as knowledge of specific sound equipment and software, live mixing, sound reinforcement and sound editing) and soft skills (such as interpersonal skills, a customer service orientation, time management, ability to work under pressure and collaboration.
- Work History List your work experiences in reverse-chronological order, with your current or latest job experience first. For each job, provide three to five bullet points outlining your top accomplishments and responsibilities. For example, “Managed audio equipment set-up and testing before shows,” or “Utilized Pro Tools software for sound editing and recording.”
- Education Put forward your highest education credential (e.g., high school diploma or college degree), along with any specialized audio training or certifications (e.g., Certified Audio Engineer, CEA, from the Society of Broadcast Engineers)
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Find the right template for your resume
Make sure your resume looks its best, and presents you as an organized, dependable professional, by using these employer-ready templates:
Accentuate
This simple but striking template uses a subtle color header to feature your name and contact information, while information is spread out over two columns for a clean look.
Impactful
This design stands out from the crowd using strong colors and a two-column approach, leaving plenty of room for details on work experiences and skills.
Standout
“Connecting the dots” from your summary all the way to your education section, this layout presents a sleek look, with color fonts making it easy to find each section.
For more free templates you can use, visit our resume templates section.
Do’s and don’ts for your resume
- DO proofread your resume. Audio engineering requires attention to detail — carry over that trait to the content in your resume. Always reread your documents a few times, and make sure all the “static” like grammatical errors and spelling mistakes are cleaned up. Proofreading is also your chance to make sure the information you’ve provided is correct and fits the job you want. You can also use our Resume Builder and its specialized tools for checking your document.
- DO emphasize soft skills. Soft skills that show how you interact with others, or bring an effective personal approach to work, can set you apart from the competition. Be sure to highlight abilities like collaboration, problem-solving, multitasking, effective communication, a professional mind-set, and a client service orientation. Be sure to show how you’ve used soft skills in your work experiences too. For example: “Coordinated with sound designer, director and artist on audiobook production.”
- DO use action verbs to describe your accomplishments. What sounds better: “Responsible for sound systems for live shows, TV programming and studio recordings,” or “Managed sound systems for live shows, TV programming and studio recordings”? The difference comes down to a verb. Present yourself in the best light by using active, engaged action verbs to describe your achievements, like coordinated, collaborated, mentored, conducted, planned, prepared, developed, implemented, upgraded, produced or supervised.
- DON’T get too lengthy. Just as audio work is often about knowing what to keep, and what to subtract, from the mix, you should focus on relevant information in your resume. Keep your bullet points and phrases short and punchy, and focus on abilities and achievements that truly added value to your previous jobs. Aim for one or two pages for your document.
- DON’T forget to quantify your achievements. Another way to set you apart from others is to provide numbers, metrics and stats that show how much of an impact you’ve made. For example, instead of saying, “Engineered sound for music venues every week,” get specific: “Engineered sound for 250-guest music venue three nights a week.” Or: “Handled setup and tear-down of audio equipment for 150+ live shows.”
- DON’T get too cute with your layout. Using more than two fonts in your resume, or getting fancy with graphical elements, can backfire on you. It’s more important for a potential employer to be able to skim your document without issues, than potentially confuse her with visual “bells and whistles.” Use a streamlined template as the foundation of your resume, and focus on content instead of a special look. This will also make it easier for your document to pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that employers often use to scan resumes.
Audio engineer resume FAQ
- 1. What are some skills that are appropriate for an audio engineer resume?
- 2. How should I format my resume?
- 3. How should I craft my resume to take the next step forward in my career?
- 4. How do I incorporate relevant keywords in my resume?
- 5. What are some examples of training and certifications to put on my resume?
1. What are some skills that are appropriate for an audio engineer resume?
| Technical skills: | Soft skills: |
| Live music mixing | Goal-oriented |
| Proficiency in Pro Tools or other mixing/recording software | Problem-solving |
| Patching | Decision-making |
| Mixing and editing | Effective communication |
| Knowledge of sound equipment | Corroborative skills |
| Troubleshooting | Creative sensibility |
| Field sound expertise | Customer service orientation |
| Proficiency in audio restoration software | Active listener |
| MIDI applications | Ability to meet deadlines |
| Brake systems | Critical thinking |
| DSP | Multitasking |
| Scrum methodology | Time management |
| Digital audio workstation (DAW) expertise | Interpersonal skills |
| Audio signal processing | Detail-oriented |
| Microsoft Office Suite | Teamwork |
| Instrument and voice recording | Professionalism |
| Analog and digital sound editing | Positive attitude |
| Open to feedback | |
| Ability to work under stress | |
| Friendly demeanor | |
| Good analytical skills |
| Technical skills: |
| Live music mixing |
| Proficiency in Pro Tools or other mixing/recording software |
| Patching |
| Mixing and editing |
| Knowledge of sound equipment |
| Troubleshooting |
| Field sound expertise |
| Proficiency in audio restoration software |
| MIDI applications |
| DSP |
| Scrum methodology |
| Digital audio workstation (DAW) expertise |
| Audio signal processing |
| Microsoft Office Suite |
| Instrument and voice recording |
| Analog and digital sound editing |
| Soft skills: |
| Goal-oriented |
| Problem-solving |
| Decision-making |
| Effective communication |
| Corroborative skills |
| Creative sensibility |
| Customer service orientation |
| Active listener |
| Ability to meet deadlines |
| Critical thinking |
| Multitasking |
| Time management |
| Interpersonal skills |
| Detail-oriented |
| Teamwork |
| Professionalism |
| Positive attitude |
| Open to feedback |
| Ability to work under stress |
| Friendly demeanor |
| Good analytical skills |
2. How should I format my resume?
If you’ve got a good amount of experience, go with the chronological format, which highlights your work history and notable credits (e.g., your work on an award-winning album, or for a well-known podcast or live music venue). If you’re relatively new to the media industry, focus on your skills, internships and extracurricular audio projects using a functional format. The combination format presents a mix of key skills and work experiences, and is a good choice if you have a few years of audio engineering under your belt.
3. How should I craft my resume to take the next step forward in my career?
To move ahead, update your resume with the following achievements:
- Advanced degree or certification in sound engineering or related field.
- Highlight your accomplishments in a wide range of settings, such as live concerts, studio environment, or TV programming.
- Continue to gain expertise in software such as Cool Edit or Nuendo, and list valid certifications.
- Examples of projects where you’ve displayed leadership, collaboration and multitasking abilities.
4. How do I incorporate relevant keywords in my resume?
As we mentioned earlier, many employers now use ATS to scan resumes, filtering out worthy candidates based on the right set of skills and experiences. To pass ATS, focus on qualifications and job responsibilities that directly relate to what the job description requires. For example, if Avid Pro Tools is a major requirement, list projects where you’ve produced or mixed recordings using Avid Pro Tools, or list Avid Pro Tools as one of your technical skills. Our article How to Use Keywords Effectively provides more examples and pointers.
5. What are some examples of training and certifications to put on my resume?
As audio engineering expertise is heavily based on hands-on training and certifications, consider creating a separate “Training and Certifications” section, just below your education section, where you can mention qualifications such as:
- Certification in specific software, like Pro Tools
- Certification in specialized areas, such as Advanced Audio Techniques or Post Production for Film and TV
- Completion of a training course in a related area, such as Audio Engineering or Sound System Tuning
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
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