Gallery assistant CV example

How to add contact details to your gallery assistant CV

The very first step to clinching an interview is highlighting your most up-to-date contact details at the top of your CV. Otherwise, the hiring manager won’t be able to notify you about the next steps. Our top tip? Improve readability by using a slightly larger and bolder font. Remember to include:

• Full name – first name and surname only
• Location – this helps employers anticipate travel times
• Phone number – the best one to reach you on
• Email address – keep it professional

Example of contact section for a gallery assistant CV

Start your gallery assistant CV with a personal statement

People who work in galleries aren’t in it for the money – instead, they’re driven by passion. That’s why you’ll need a strong personal statement if you want to be taken into consideration for a gallery assistant role.

In two to three sentences, give a concise explanation of your motivations and write about what your skills and art knowledge can bring to the gallery. If you need some inspiration, our personal statement examples could be the muse that ignites your creative spark. Alternatively, use the formula below.

Sentence one introduces who you are, including years of experience and career focus, such as modern art. Sentence two explains what you can achieve backed up by tangible results. For instance, you might have “assisted on a social media campaign that boosted ticket sales by 23%”. Finally, sentences three and four reiterate your specialisms – perhaps you’re a computer whizz or a talented videographer. Basically, emphasise anything that makes you unique!

Here are a few other rules for a persuasive personal statement:

• Write in the third person to sound more professional
• Keep it concise – around 100 words is ideal
• Only spotlight your highest achievements
• Use positive adjectives like “dedicated” and “detail-oriented”
• Include keywords from the job description – this will help applicant tracking system (ATS) software to fast-track your CV

Example of personal statement for a gallery assistant CV

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How to present your work history on a gallery assistant CV

Perhaps the most important part of any CV, the work experience section offers employers a fascinating insight into your professional capabilities. It’s a brilliant opportunity to show off your strengths, achievements, and personality. Plus, you can score some extra brownie points by citing the company’s USPs.

As a rule, start from your most current role and work your way back. We suggest listing between three to six responsibilities for each, being mindful to always draw parallels to the position you’re applying for. For example, you might highlight previous sales experience if you’ll be working in the gallery shop. Run through:

• Job title
• Company name
• Company location
• Employment start and end dates
• List of responsibilities
• Achievements, awards, and promotions

Like the personal statement, use statistics to cement your expertise (numbers are more reassuring than words). Let’s say you “led tours around the gallery and facilitated large visitor groups” – can you expand on this? You might have “led 150 tours” or “facilitated large visitor groups of over 50 people”. The more specific you can be, the more knowledgeable and confident you’ll sound!

With specificity in mind, avoid generalisations like “answering emails” and “photocopying”. Instead, discuss unique responsibilities that showcase your technical and transferable skills (more on this later). Additionally, cover as many different duties as possible to prove you can hit the ground running. If you’ve mentioned “reordering office supplies” underneath one job, talk about “resolving complaints” in another.

Lastly, elevate the tone by using plenty of positive adjectives and rousing action verbs. Positive adjectives might include “energetic”, “motivated”, and “hardworking”. Action verbs are good alternatives to “responsible for”. Some of our favourites for gallery assistants are “created”, “proposed”, and “supported”.

Example of work experience for a gallery assistant CV

Top skills for your gallery assistant CV

The CV skills section provides a snapshot of your most valuable personality traits and technical abilities. It’s handy when recruiters are short on time and want to process applications quickly (on average, they’ll spend around six seconds on each CV). Plus, this collection of scannable keywords helps ATS software determine whether you’re a suitable candidate. We suggest noting up to 12 skills in total, split equally between hard skills and soft skills.

What’s the difference? Hard skills are job-specific and learnt through formal channels like universities, colleges, and training programmes. Examples include “pricing artwork”, “using point of sale (POS) systems”, and “leading gallery tours”. In contrast, soft skills reveal more of your character – think “communicative”, “driven”, and “enthusiastic”.

While some candidates make the mistake of only focusing on technical knowledge, both are crucial to success. Employers often prioritise personality over practical skills because the latter can be taught, whereas the former is often intrinsic.

While gallery assistant job descriptions will vary, there are some skills that are universal for the gallery assistant jobs. Check out the lists below for more ideas:

Outlining education on a gallery assistant CV

Education section of your CV can make all the difference if the competition is tight and you’re up against equally experienced and skilled candidates. Each qualification proves you have the fundamental knowledge to meet expectations. Plus, employers love candidates who commit to professional development, whether through supplementary training or university degrees.

There are a few rules to remember about this section. Firstly, only highlight your newest and most relevant qualifications. For example, you don’t need to list individual GCSEs if you’ve completed an undergraduate degree. Next, don’t include bad grades or incomplete courses – you’re not obligated to give this information unless asked. Lastly, you might like to note university modules if applicable to the role you’re applying for, such as Creative Advertising and Art Direction.

What does it take to become a gallery assistant? While you don’t necessarily need any qualifications, a degree in a related subject definitely helps, such as “Fine Art” or Curating Contemporary Art”. However, most employers will bypass this for bundles of enthusiasm and knowledge about the industry.

Here are some formatting ideas to get you started:

• Name of school, college, university, or other awarding body
• Study start and end dates
• Subject title
• Qualification level – e.g. GCSE or Diploma
• Qualification result – not essential but desirable

Example of education for a gallery assistant CV