What skills should a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film put on a resume?

O*NET rates Active Listening, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Dreamweaver, and Adobe Illustrator. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film work?

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Camera Operator, Cameraman, Television News Photographer, and Videographer. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 61% reported their level of education as "Associate's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film resume example

A resume for a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film needs to show the work itself: operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions. Day to day that means work like this: compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors; operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Camera Operator
Cameraman
Television News Photographer
Videographer
Master Control Operator
MCO
News Videographer
Production Technician
Studio Camera Operator
AAM Operator
AAM Pilot
AAM Technician
ENG Camera Operator
RPA Camera Operator
RPA Controller
RPA Operator
RPA Pilot
RPA Technician

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition.
Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.

21 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

Adobe Acrobat
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Creative Cloud software
Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Premiere Pro
Apple Final Cut Pro
Apple Final Cut Studio
Avid Technology audio visual editing software
DaVinci Resolve
Email software
Google Drive

22 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Audio equalizers
Automatic film processors
Batteries
Cable compression crimp tools
Circumaural headphones
Digital light meters
Digital multimeters
Directors' viewfinders
Distortion analyzers
DJI Go 4
DJI Pilot
DroneDeploy

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

Adobe After Effects
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Illustrator

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Active Listening
02Coordination
03Judgment and Decision Making
04Reading Comprehension
05Speaking
06Critical Thinking
07Monitoring
08Social Perceptiveness
09Time Management
10Complex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

English Language
Computers and Electronics
Communications and Media
Telecommunications

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

61%Associate's Degree
18%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
15%Some College Courses

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Medium Preparation Needed”. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Common questions

What does a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film do?: Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions. Day to day that includes work like compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors and Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
What skills should a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film put on a resume?: O*NET rates Active Listening, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Dreamweaver, and Adobe Illustrator. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film work?: O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Camera Operator, Cameraman, Television News Photographer, and Videographer. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 61% reported their level of education as "Associate's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.