Tattoo Artist Resume Example
If you're hoping to start a career as a tattoo artist, you'll need experience in operating tattoo machines and following health regulations. For a successful tattoo artist application, you'll want to submit a professional resume that showcases your relevant skills. In this article, we'll showcase resume tips and examples that can help you create a professional tattoo artist resume that catches the eye of hiring managers.
After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a tattoo artist resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Read on to find out how to show your creative side in a professional resume, with key tips from Jobseeker's career experts that will help you ink the perfect first impression.
What to include in a tattoo artist resume
The key sections to include in a tattoo artist resume are similar to those for any role or profession.
While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:
Header and Personal Information
In your tattoo artist resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Keep your header clear and concise, with only the most necessary information included. Opt for a stylish, professional design that creates a strong first impression.
Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.
Nicholas Bailey
nicholas.bailey@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
10 Downing Street, London, CA
linkedin․com/in/nicholas–bailey123
Resume Objective
In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for tattoo artist roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for tattoo artist roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description.
Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.
A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for tattoo artist roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. See below for some great examples of what to include in your tattoo artist resume summary.
Experienced Tattoo Artist with a strong background as a Body Art Specialist, skilled in creating custom designs and ensuring client satisfaction. Proficient in various tattooing techniques, hygiene practices, and up-to-date with industry trends. Dedicated to delivering high-quality body art in a safe and professional environment
Tattoo artist with experience in body art and making designs for clients. Familiar with different techniques and keeping things clean. Knows about current trends in the field. Focused on providing good artwork in a safe place
Alternatively, a poor resume summary would include bland, generic information that does little to prove your suitability for the role, while failing to provide any useful insights on you as a person or as a candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your tattoo artist resume summary.
Employment History
Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a tattoo artist position. Add each previous employment in reverse-chronological order. This means starting from your current or most recent role and working back in time from there. Include your job title, the company name, the location of the job and your dates of employment.
Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to tattoo artist roles.
A successful resume work experience section will always showcase skills and experience relevant to the job description, and how you put each to good use in your previous roles. Offering quantifiable evidence in a tattoo artist resume proves you're a strong candidate for the job, such as client feedback, project outcomes, KPIs or financial results. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.
Body Art Specialist, January 2022 - Present
InkAlchemy Studios, New Orleans
- Designed and executed over 500 custom tattoos, maintaining a 95% client satisfaction rate
- Featured in "Tattoo Artist Magazine" for innovative body art techniques and designs
- Trained and mentored 20 apprentice tattoo artists, fostering professional growth and skill development
Body Art Specialist, January 2022 - Present
InkAlchemy Studios, New Orleans
- Created various tattoo designs, ensuring client happiness and positive feedback
- Recognized in industry publications for artistic skills and creativity
- Guided new artists, helping them improve their techniques and confidence
In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.
Personal Portfolio or Work Samples
If you have a website, portfolio or other examples of your work available to share, it's important to include them in your tattoo artist resume.
Including a portfolio with evidence of your previous work is most effective for creative roles. You could add a link to a standalone website or portfolio in your resume header, or create a separate section with links to published work. Conversely, you might work in a non-creative sector but still have work published online that's worth showcasing. Include links to that work in this section.
Education
Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to tattoo artist roles.
Working as a tattoo artist doesn't usually require a degree. Even though a degree-level education isn't a necessity, it's still important to highlight your key educational achievements, including a Bloodborne Pathogens Certification or other courses or training that showcases your line work proficiency or color theory knowledge.
For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.
Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art, 2017 - 2020
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Skills
In your skills section, list any skills you've acquired or developed that are relevant to tattoo artist positions. Consider adding machine maintenance skills, attention to detail or any other necessary skills for the job. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a tattoo artist.
Showcasing hard skills on your tattoo artist resume
In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key tattoo artist duties and responsibilities. If possible, add four or five hard skills that reflect the requirements of the job description. These will boost your chances of success in your applications.
For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for a tattoo artist resume are listed below.
- Line work proficiency
- Color theory knowledge
- Machine maintenance skills
Adding soft skills to your tattoo artist resume
Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a tattoo artist position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a tattoo artist resume.
- Attention to detail
- Client communication skills
- Time management proficiency
Expert Tip:
Craft your creative resume to highlight innovative projects, such as developing interactive art installations or pioneering new techniques in your field. (1) Include a link to a portfolio that not only showcases your work but also provides insight into your creative process and technical expertise. (2)
Certifications and Training
In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as a tattoo artist. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and proessional certifications required for tattoo artist roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.
Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a tattoo artist resume:
- Bloodborne Pathogens Certification, 2022
- First Aid Certification, 2022
- CPR Certification, 2022
Optional Sections
There are several additional sections you could add to a tattoo artist resume, to improve your chances of success. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world tattoo artist experience. If you're thinking about adding hobbies and interests, just make sure they add something unique to your application, and showcase your personality and interests in unique and interesting ways.
Volunteer Experience
Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for tattoo artist roles beyond your main employment history. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.
References
Standard tattoo artist resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.
References are available upon request.
Best action words for your tattoo artist resume
Using strong action verbs in your work experience bullet points can make a stronger impression on employers and show the value you added to your previous roles. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.
- Design
- Create
- Illustrate
- Consult
- Collaborate
- Sanitize
- Prepare
- Tattoo
- Customize
- Advise
If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.
Example of a tattoo artist resume
The tattoo artist resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:
10 Downing Street, London, CA
•
nicholas.bailey@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/nicholas–bailey123
Experienced Tattoo Artist with a background as a Body Art Specialist, skilled in designing and executing custom tattoos. Proficient in various styles, including traditional, realism, and abstract. Strong attention to detail, excellent client communication, and a commitment to maintaining high hygiene standards. Passionate about creating meaningful and high-quality body art.
Body Art Specialist
2020
-2022
Ink & Essence Body Art Studio (Tulsa)
- Expertly executed over 1,000 custom tattoo designs with a 98% client satisfaction rate
- Developed a unique, award-winning tattoo style featured in industry magazines and showcased at international conventions
- Trained and mentored 20 apprentices, many of whom have gone on to establish successful careers in body art
Line work proficiency
Color theory knowledge
Machine maintenance skills
Attention to detail
Client communication skills
Time management proficiency
Bloodborne Pathogens Certification
First Aid Certification
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Quick tips for a tattoo artist resume
- Tailor your resume to make it as relevant as possible to the role you're applying for. Consult the job description and adapt your resume to reflect the required skills and experience.
- Create a positive impression with a well-written resume summary or objective that highlights your key strengths for tattoo artist roles.
- Reference your key qualifications and educational achievements, including grades if these help you stand out from other candidates.
- Keep your tattoo artist resume concise, with a target length of one page for less experienced candidates, and two pages for senior positions.
- List your relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent job.
- Don't use passive language - change phrases like 'the project was delivered' to sentences using strong active verbs.
- Don't lie or exaggerate on your tattoo artist resume, as this can create false expectations in employers and harm you in the future.
- Don't use an email address with offensive, funny or casual connotations. Instead, create a professional email address based on your name.
- Don't add hobbies and outside interests unless they help you prove a skill required for the role.
- Don't use old contact information and always review your resume header to make sure it contains the latest information.
Making an ATS-friendly resume
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. There are several things you can do when writing your tattoo artist resume, to give yourself the strongest chance of ranking highly in the ATS stage and progressing through the recruitment process.
Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:
- Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
- Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
- Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
- Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
- Make sure your resume is as concise as possible, so ATS applications can easily scan and identify the required details.
If you need help creating a professional resume, take a look at our expert career articles and variety of resume examples created by careers experts.
Frequently Asked Questions for a tattoo artist resume
It's generally not advisable to add a personal photo to your resume. Resume photos can help to create a visually appealing document, but they can also introduce selection biases, whether intentional or not.
The only time it's advisable to add a personal photo to your resume is when you're likely to be making public appearances, and presentation is important. This could be for acting or modelling, meeting clients, presenting or public speaking engagements.
Accompanying your resume for tattoo artist applications, you'll want to produce a cover letter that similarly leaves a positive impression on hiring managers.
Firstly, think about whether you want to write a full, formal cover letter or whether a brief email to introduce yourself and draw attention to your resume will suffice.
If you decide you want to write a traditional cover letter, follow the standard letter-writing conventions around layout and structure. In the main body of the letter, write an opening paragraph to introduce yourself and explain why you're applying for the tattoo artist role. Your second paragraph is typically where you highlight your key relevant skills and achievements. Finally, close by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and leave a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to make contact with you.
Jobseeker's tried and tested cover letter templates were created by experts to help you make a strong impression with your applications. Follow the simple steps to create a winning cover letter today.
Writing a tattoo artist resume with no experience needn't be a daunting task. There are still plenty of ways to impress hiring managers with your resume. Use a skills-based resume format to highlight your relevant skills and education. This is more suitable for junior or entry-level roles where you might not have much work experience to showcase. Make the most of additional sections such as hobbies and interests, volunteer work, certifications and internships. These can help you showcase skills that you've developed outside traditional work settings.
Selecting a font for your resume helps to set the tone for your document, and is one of the most important design decisions you'll have to make. Pick a font from a serif or sans serif font family that has a clear, readable form and makes your document look as professional as possible. Set the font size between 10 and 12 to maximize readability. For a creative job application, a sans serif resume font is probably the most suitable. This modern, dynamic style is easy to read and fits with industry design norms. As such, sans serif fonts are probably the most suitable for a tattoo artist resume.
The best format for your resume depends on two key factors. Firstly, the amount of relevant work experience you have. Secondly, the type of role and its level of seniority. For entry-level roles, or situations where you're changing to a new career, a functional resume is often the best option. This places your skills and education above your work experience. On the other hand, if you're experienced in your industry or applying for senior positions, a traditional, reverse chronological resume format is usually best. This places most emphasis on your work experience.
Key takeaways for your tattoo artist resume
Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.
Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Whether you're a junior or senior candidate, a professional cover letter can help to grab the attention of the employer. Jobseeker's cover letter examples were created by careers experts to provide useful tips and ideas for your cover letter.
Sources:
(1) Careers for creative people, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/creative-careers.htm
(2) Occupational Outlook Handbook, Craft and Fine Arts, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm
