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Voice actor skills for your resume and career
Updated January 8, 2025
1 min read
Quoted experts
Aaron Todd Douglas,
Tim Threlfall
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical voice actor skills. We ranked the top skills for voice actors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.4% of voice actor resumes contained public speaking as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a voice actor needs to be successful in the workplace.
11 voice actor skills for your resume and career
1. Public Speaking
Public Speaking or oration, as it is sometimes known, is the act of any one person speaking live in front of an audience. Although in the past the audience was only a physical one, nowadays oration might be done on an online video call, at a digital conference, at an online class, or elsewhere. The art of public speaking is very old, drawing its first established roots from Ancient Greece and likely from before, too. It is an important skill and asset in many industries.
Here's how voice actors use public speaking:
- Required good memorization skills, public speaking, team work, theatricality, people skills, creativity and collaboration.
- Utilize acting and public speaking skills onstage and on-camera to present client message with authority and authenticity.
2. Radio Commercials
Here's how voice actors use radio commercials:
- Completed radio commercials for Southwest Airlines and various S.C. Education Institutes
- Produced and appeared in various independent films, national tv commercials and voice over/radio commercials.
3. Comedy
Here's how voice actors use comedy:
- BET Television, Funny Bone Comedy Clubs, Motown Tours, Nashville Concert Tours, Theatrical Productions, and Musicals.
- Self-started as an actor and performer in various comedy, drama and horror films and television shows.
4. Audio Books
Here's how voice actors use audio books:
- Created professional studio recordings of magazines, audio books, pamphlets, and other documents for the LDS church
- Voice over and audio production work for film, radio, and audio books.
5. Television Commercials
Here's how voice actors use television commercials:
- Performed in television commercials and provided voice for radio advertisements Promoted product or service, delivered a message about difficult services
- Modeled for various advertisements including promotions, television commercials and catalogs throughout Wisconsin.
6. ESL
Here's how voice actors use esl:
- Focus: reading scripts for ESL education materials
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Here's how voice actors use tv commercials:
- Voice 123 New York, NY Self Employed Internet-Based auditioning for radio and TV Commercials.
- Voice and produce various spots, tags, sweepers and TV commercials
8. Promotional Materials
Promotional material is any document or article - written, printed, graphic, electronic, audio, or video presentation, distributed or made available in whole or in part on behalf of a product, cause, idea, person, or business for promotion, advertisement, announcement or direction. Promotional materials are used to make a business stand out from its competitors and to engage the target audience.
Here's how voice actors use promotional materials:
- Voiced and narrated commercials, promotional materials, training and other communication tools.
9. Audacity
Here's how voice actors use audacity:
- Experience working with microphones, and audio editing/recording software Audacity to edit self-recorded audio.
- Edit and clean up audio in Audacity and Sony Vegas 10.
10. Documentaries
Here's how voice actors use documentaries:
- Memorize and deliver copy to accompany documentaries about various State Historic Sites.
- Provided voice-over service for all video documentaries.
11. Phone System
Here's how voice actors use phone system:
- Voice of phone systems, including IVR.
- Provide recordings for corporate phone systems, corporate presentations, podcasts, and audiobook narration.
What skills help Voice Actors find jobs?
Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.
What skills stand out on voice actor resumes?
Aaron Todd Douglas
Director, University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program, University of Minnesota
The skills that stand out most are collaboration, problem-solving, concentration, and communication. Not only do our people develop the ability to collaborate with technical specialists (such as sound and lighting designers and technicians) as well as their own counterparts, but they can construct and deliver compelling narratives that communicate volumes quickly and efficiently. They are task-oriented and dogged in their pursuit of conscientious solutions that serve the collective good. They possess analysis and research skills with the necessary focus and follow-through to implement plans of action. Time management and people management skills are also critical in a theatrical production and the classroom.
With the confines of the pandemic and the rise of virtual communication and production, audio and visual technical skills complement most practitioners' skill sets. While it isn't necessarily a requisite, a working familiarity with technology is crucial. Nearly all Universities work with some Learning Management System such as Canvas or Blackboard. Instructors and students should also be versed in the basics like Office Suite, Pages, Adobe, etc., to create and edit scripts and other documents.
The attributes that distinguish the most successful Theatre Instructor applicants include a range of applicable professional experience, an advanced degree, and previous teaching experience. The standouts are personable, knowledgeable, and can identify with students from various backgrounds. A demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning and continued professional development is always a plus
With the confines of the pandemic and the rise of virtual communication and production, audio and visual technical skills complement most practitioners' skill sets. While it isn't necessarily a requisite, a working familiarity with technology is crucial. Nearly all Universities work with some Learning Management System such as Canvas or Blackboard. Instructors and students should also be versed in the basics like Office Suite, Pages, Adobe, etc., to create and edit scripts and other documents.
The attributes that distinguish the most successful Theatre Instructor applicants include a range of applicable professional experience, an advanced degree, and previous teaching experience. The standouts are personable, knowledgeable, and can identify with students from various backgrounds. A demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning and continued professional development is always a plus
What voice actor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tim Threlfall
Head of MDT, Professor, Brigham Young University
Right now, I am guessing that television/film work will return faster and stronger than live theatre. Just go to Netflix or Amazon Prime and see the myriad television shows that are being produced. You can hardly even count them! Every network needs content, and the demand for actors is going to be strong, especially as they make up for lost time during the pandemic when not a lot of shows were in production.
For TV/film work, look to New York as much as LA. Look to Atlanta and Chicago and Vancouver BC. The film and television industry is everywhere right now. Many of our alum have agents in three to five different areas of the country.
For TV/film work, look to New York as much as LA. Look to Atlanta and Chicago and Vancouver BC. The film and television industry is everywhere right now. Many of our alum have agents in three to five different areas of the country.
What type of skills will young voice actors need?
Jamie Cheatham
Head of Acting, Marquette University
The skillset of theatre artists entering the workforce shortly will not change too much. A solid foundation in the craft of theatre, whether in performance, design, or tech, remains rooted in our art form. While theatre does evolve, good theatre education comes with it. Since this spring, the real difference will be that much of the current work that is continuing in theatre has shifted to online formats. Auditions have often involved video submissions. These will likely become much more of an industry-standard, along with video callbacks and interviews. As classes continue to move online, so too do these online skills. So, the Covid-19 shut-down result has led, quite naturally, to the new set of skills that graduates will need. In particular, performers will have to pay a bit more attention to their home video production values, including adequate lighting, composition, and adjusting the scale of their work to the medium.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about voice actorList of voice actor skills to add to your resume
The most important skills for a voice actor resume and required skills for a voice actor to have include:
- Public Speaking
- Radio Commercials
- Comedy
- Audio Books
- Television Commercials
- ESL
- TV Commercials
- Promotional Materials
- Audacity
- Documentaries
- Phone System
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025