How to Write a Museum Curator Resume (With Template)

Updated 11 April 2023

Museum curators oversee the procurement and management of artefacts, ensure there's proper documentation for these items and conduct research on their collections. They work in museums or galleries, plan events and maintain records for inventory. Learning how to write a compelling museum curator resume can help you highlight your skills, qualifications and experiences to show you're the right candidate for the role. In this article, we explain how to write a museum curator resume and provide a template and example to guide you.

How to write a museum curator resume

Review the following steps to help you write a compelling museum curator resume:

1. Analyse the job posting

When looking for a museum curator job, analyse the job postings you find and identify the experience, qualifications and skills they mention. Some jobs may have similar requirements, so create a list of the qualities for each position that interests you. This list can also help you adapt your resume for each job posting, so try to match the qualities the hiring companies want as closely as possible to show you're a qualified candidate.

2. Use essential keywords

Some companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through the resumes they receive. They can use this software to filter resumes with specific keywords that indicate the skills and qualities they want in a candidate. These keywords are often the ones from the job posting. It's important to include these words to increase the chances of your resume passing through the ATS scan. Examples of resume keywords for a museum curator include the following:

planning exhibitions
conducting research
managing and preserving collections
networking
negotiating
fundraising
communicating
public lecturing

3. Choose a resume format

Selecting a resume format helps you determine the flow of your resume. The format you use depends on your experience and skills. Consider the following formats:

Chronological resume: Use this format to show your extensive work experience and progress as a museum curator. This layout starts with your contact details, then a professional summary, work experience, education and skills.
Functional resume: Consider this format if you have little experience or have employment gaps and want to emphasise your skills. This style starts with your contact details and professional summary, then lists your skills, work experience and education.
Combination resume: You can use this format to emphasise your skills and experiences equally. It starts with your contact details and professional summary and then features your work experience, skills and education.

4. Create a header

Create a header for your contact information. Write your full name at the top of the document in bold and make its font size larger than the rest of the resume. Underneath your name, add your mobile number and professional email address. Consider adding a link to your social media profile or website in this section to showcase previous exhibitions or galleries you managed.

5. Include a professional summary

Write a professional summary that includes your most significant accomplishments and skills as a museum curator. Hiring managers might use your professional summary to determine if you're a suitable candidate before reading the entire document. Include measurable achievements to quantify them and show hiring managers your potential. Add skills and years of work experience that match those on the job posting. Consider writing this statement last, so you know what essential information to outline.

6. Outline your work experience

List your previous work experiences in reverse order, starting with your most recent role and ending with your earliest one. Using this format can help focus the resume on your current capabilities. List each work experience by mentioning your job title, your dates of employment and the company name. Below this, list your responsibilities in order of importance. Use action verbs, such as executed, planned, organised and launched, to show hiring managers your level of contribution to the job.

List the job duties in bullet format. Use figures and percentages where applicable. For example, if you oversee a team, include the number of people you lead.

7. Add a skills section

Analyse your skills and select the ones that match each job posting so you can customise every application. Feature hard skills, such as gallery or exhibition management and fundraising and soft skills, such as communication, leadership, creativity and time management. Diverse skills show you can handle many aspects of the role.

8. Describe your educational background

List any degrees, diplomas and certifications you have relating to museum curation, such as art or history. List the most recent qualification first. Include the name of the university or polytechnic you attended. If you graduated less than five years ago, you can add your graduation date. For certifications, list the certificate's name, the organisation that awarded it and the date of completion or expiration. If you have multiple certifications, consider creating a separate section for them.

9. Add a section for additional information

You can include extra information unrelated to the other sections to boost your resume. This section can consist of your awards or volunteer work. You can also list personal projects and outline your hobbies and interests. This section helps show hiring managers your personality.

10. Format and proofread your resume

Format and proofread your resume after completing all the sections. Set the margins of the document to one inch, and select an appropriate font, such as Helvetica, Arial, Calibri or Cambria and use font size 11 or 12. These settings make the document easier to read. You can use capitalisation and bold lettering in your headers for emphasis. Use double spacing around your headers to increase the white space so it's easier for hiring managers to find. You can increase the header size to 14 or 16 and use either centre or left alignment depending on your preference.

Once you complete formatting, proofread your resume and look for spelling and grammatical errors. Use a grammar-checking tool to help highlight mistakes you may miss. Recheck your contact information to ensure its accuracy. After this, save your resume in the correct format by following the instructions on the job posting.

Museum curator resume template

Explore the following resume template to help you design yours:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional.]

Experience
[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantifiable result.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantifiable result.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Education
[Degree], [Name of school or university]

Certifications
[Certification name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Example of a museum curator's resume

Examine the following sample resume to inspire you:

Jason Wen, Master of Art in museum studies and curatorial practise
+65 8365 3715 | jasonwen@email.com | Singapore

Professional Summary
Dedicated museum curator with seven years of experience procuring rare artefacts with a 100% satisfaction rate and organising events with 90% attendance. Experienced negotiator and researcher with excellent communication and leadership skills. Possesses a d*eep passion for world history.

Experience
Museum Curator | March 2019–Current
Temasek Museum | Singapore

plan, oversee and implement the restoration and installation of 30+ projects
execute the acquisition, documentation and preservation of specimens
conduct thorough research to identify and categorise collection pieces
coordinate the loaning of objects to other institutions, organisations and museums
direct and supervise lectures, programmes and tours for guests

Associate Museum Curator | June 2017–February 2019
Theng Kuan Museum | Singapore

assisted with the restoration of over 25 projects, including dinosaur fossils
calculated estimate costs for the procurement, transportation and organisation of artefacts
supervised a group of six interns

Education
Master of Arts in museum studies and curatorial practise, Bedok University
Bachelor of Arts in museum education in practise, Katong University

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

How to Write a Museum Curator Resume (With Template)