Resume writing tips

MrNightly

Anyone had lots of practice for writing resumes? And cover sheets?

I have never felt particularly "Proficient" at them, and thought someone on here might be able to help with suggestions?

I just so happen to have one handy if anyone wants to take a shot at it

MrNightly

Very good thanks.

Wow... they want $1500 dollars at the least to enroll in their Career Choice Program. Yikes.

But I did pick up the Pathfinder book off of Amazon. $4.65 is tough to beat

And the offer still stands if anyone wants to take a helpful shot at a resume

I-SIG

One thing I would recommend is to not try and format it in any odd manner or use bullets and that stuff. Assume that they might have to open it with Notepad or Wordpad that may not recognze the advanced stuff that word can do.

Try to keep it to one page unless you are the mackdaddy. and your statements to one line apiece, although it isn't possible sometimes.

Use action words to begin each sentence and try not to repeat those. You want to sound like you are a positive change agent. The thesaurus is your friend, but don't get funky.

If you can use some actual numbers to reinforce your action words, like you "saved 5% on labor for yaddah, yaddah..." then do it.

I broke my stuff down into accomplishments and leadership stuff for work and school.

If you have some good experience related directly to the job you are applying for then use the most recent stuff first and work your way back and put your education farther down. If you just graduated, do the opposite and mention specific classes that might be related to the job.

Don't be afraid to play with the page size. I really pushed everything way out and way up and down.

If you can, put your name in a larger font and bold it so they won't miss who you are. Obviously include your addy, e-mail addy and a phone number with your name.

Hopefully these will help you...

Wes

aaharvel

keep it to one page and use lots of action verbs.

Dennis Gardner

aaharvel wrote:

keep it to one page and use lots of action verbs.

like pissed and postal..............:D

F1nut

Dennis Gardner wrote:

like pissed and postal..............:D

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

MrNightly

Dennis Gardner wrote:

like pissed and postal..............:D

I like it! Any other good action verbs?

mazersteven

MrNightly wrote:

Anyone had lots of practice for writing resumes? And cover sheets?

I have never felt particularly "Proficient" at them, and thought someone on here might be able to help with suggestions?

I just so happen to have one handy if anyone wants to take a shot at it

Microsoft Word has a Resume writter in it. It also has a few templates to follow.

steveinaz

Back up accomplishments with facts, numbers, percentages. No rhetoric. Customize the Resume to match the job description as closely as possible. Be concise; **** can be spotted a mile away, as can "filler" content. It's much better to have a short, concise, fact-filled resume than a long-winded resume full of subjective comments. Word everything to exploit problem solving skills, good decision making, logical thinking, competence, and a streamlined/efficient approach.

sucks2beme

What's tough is getting your resume' past the HR goons to the people that need help. It seems most of these guys are so wrapped up with "rules"
that nothing gets done. Many have gone to resume' search software that
matches them to posted jobs. I have sometimes made sure to use key phrases that trigger software matches on these programs. The best way is still to make contacts. My old boss is trying to hire seven people. I've found
3 or 4 perfect matches for him, but he can't get past the goons and their rules for several more weeks. They want to hire in N. Carolina first and Dallas second. Yet all the qualified people are in Dallas, so he must wait!

I-SIG

HR really stands for human RESTRICTIONS department.

Wes

Strong Bad

When formatting, don't use what is called "Font Salads." People try to get too fancy and use a half dozen different fonts with bolding and italicizing and **** like that. Keep it straight up to a single type font.

Too much info with run-on paragraphs will send your resume into the trash. Send them a "Stephen King Novel" length resume and into the hopper it goes. I've seen it happen all too many times and heard people talk about it. I've done it myself sorry to say. The dude ran on for 5 pages with a tiny **** font and it pissed me off. Be straight and to the point!

Good luck!

John

MrNightly

Thanks guys. I'll be tweaking it quite a bit today, and the next few I'm sure. I have had one volunteer to edit.

The above link is very very good.

Also, tailoring it to the industry is a must.. something I haven't done.

Brevity is always the way to go, is what I've been told. I sometimes just like objective opinions to see how I'm doing, ya know? After you stare at it for too long, of course it is PERFECT! I'm still learning.

Anything you'd say for a financial planner/cfp kinda job?

bpadget

Don't trust spell check. Not much worse than having a there when you meant their or wan instead of won.

dorokusai

"I see here under hobbies you've written... Dabutt?"

"Uh, no that would be Da Butt and I also like Tennis."

rskarvan

Never, ever leave the L out of Public Relations Specialist.

michael_w

I'd highly reccomend staying away from any ms word templates or anything like that. They'll know you used a template and it'll look like you're lazy and would rather have a program do the work for you. It might be a really nice template but a creation of your own will give a much better impression (asuming you do it nicely).

Also as Bpadget said, make sure you've checked it over for spelling and correct info. It really sucks to notice an error on it just before you hand it to the person. I've done it before and it wasn't fun. (put 1988 instead of 1998 - things spellcheck won't pickup on)

dylan

I-SIG wrote:

One thing I would recommend is to not try and format it in any odd manner or use bullets and that stuff. Assume that they might have to open it with Notepad or Wordpad that may not recognze the advanced stuff that word can do.

I agree, I've seen web submission pages strip it down to plain text by the time it gets to HR. Not pretty.

MrNightly

Ya, I don't use the templates. Just my own creative design And No, No pubic relations master here.. well, at least it doesn't say so on my resume that's for sure! Some things are not meant for pubic eyes.. er.. blic. Never mind..

Airplay355

When you are done, post your resume on www.regionalhelpwanted.com. I'm not sure which part of Kansas you are in but there are a few local Kansas sites. Start with http://regionalhelpwanted.com/home/57.htm?SN=57& maybe? That's the kansas city website.

Posting your resume is free and all of the companies posting ads on that site will have access to view it. Companies can also purchase resume access without posting an ad.

It's definitely worth it, and could help you find a nice local job. It won't cost you anything, and your resume will be on the top of the list (they are sorted newest to oldest).

Good luck with the resume.

MrNightly

Airplay355 wrote:

When you are done, post your resume on www.regionalhelpwanted.com. I'm not sure which part of Kansas you are in but there are a few local Kansas sites. Start with http://regionalhelpwanted.com/home/57.htm?SN=57& maybe? That's the kansas city website.

Posting your resume is free and all of the companies posting ads on that site will have access to view it. Companies can also purchase resume access without posting an ad.

It's definitely worth it, and could help you find a nice local job. It won't cost you anything, and your resume will be on the top of the list (they are sorted newest to oldest).

Good luck with the resume.

Sweet. Thanks for the tip. I am on Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com. Hadn't thought about submitting one locally. Good idea.

Tour2ma

You have less than 30 seconds to make the intial cull. So write your resume like you had 30 seconds to be impressed by it. Namely:

• Name and contact info up top
• Most recent experience first.
• Emphasize accomplishments, not roles.
• Unless there's a distinctive need to do so, don't go back over three jobs.
• Education info should go at bottom of page one, if it's important enough.
• Don't forget seminars, and other training; it may be more applicable than formal education.
• "Other" info, including less applicable education, should be relagated to a second page, AKA the "I-want-to-know-more-about-this-person" page.
• Use bullet point style.
• Keep each bullet brief... as if it was a headline.... because that's what it is.

If you have military experience, include it prominently... it's in vogue right now. I had to brow beat my bro-in-law into doing this two months ago, and it turned out it was a major reason he landed a great job.

As for the cover letter.... Keep it very brief. Write one paragraph on your job objective (including why you are looking to change jobs), and a second, thanking the reader for taking the time to consider your resume. If you must write a third one on "your skills", go ahead, but don't write anything that keeps reader from turning page to the resume. By this I mean something stupid, and/or too long. Remember the clock is ticking...

As for style...

• Really... use bullet points.
• Judiciously use boldface and underlining to be sure info you want seen pops out.

As indicated in an earlier post, font overkill detracts, but good use is a key. You should be able to pick out your resume's half-dozen, key points from across the room.

I-SIG

Tour2ma wrote:

You have less than 30 seconds to make the intial cull. So write your resume like you had 30 seconds to be impressed by it. Namely:

• Name and contact info up top
• Most recent experience first.
• Emphasize accomplishments, not roles.
• Unless there's a distinctive need to do so, don't go back over three jobs.
• Education info should go at bottom of page one, if it's important enough.
• Don't forget seminars, and other training; it may be more applicable than formal education.
• "Other" info, including less applicable education, should be relagated to a second page, AKA the "I-want-to-know-more-about-this-person" page.
• Use bullet point style.
• Keep each bullet brief... as if it was a headline.... because that's what it is.

If you have military experience, include it prominently... it's in vogue right now. I had to brow beat my bro-in-law into doing this two months ago, and it turned out it was a major reason he landed a great job.

As for the cover letter.... Keep it very brief. Write one paragraph on your job objective (including why you are looking to change jobs), and a second, thanking the reader for taking the time to consider your resume. If you must write a third one on "your skills", go ahead, but don't write anything that keeps reader from turning page to the resume. By this I mean something stupid, and/or too long. Remember the clock is ticking...

As for style...

• Really... use bullet points.
• Judiciously use boldface and underlining to be sure info you want seen pops out.

As indicated in an earlier post, font overkill detracts, but good use is a key. You should be able to pick out your resume's half-dozen, key points from across the room.

I like all that except the part about the bullets. Use an "*" or make an arrow "->" so that it can still be read by Notepad or Wordpad and not get screwed up. If you only have 30 seconds don't screw it up due to formatting that can't be deciphered by a simple text reader/editor.

***DISCLAIMER: I'm working on the KISS principle here/better safe than sorry kind of attitude. I'm not an HR person, just relating what I did with my resume and how the folks at the Georgia Tech Career Center (who get paid to do this stuff) didn't see a need to make any great changes to it when I let them look it over.***

Wes

jdhdiggs

My input: If you have VERY applicable experience to the job, highlight that experience at the expense of other items. If you are not a new graduate, do not but school clubs nor would I suggest adding any professional societies that are not related to the job you are applying.

Keep everything on one page. I will only read a multiple page resume ONLY if it is for a very senior position.

A general rule of thumb that I have heard preached about, one page (up to 3) for every level of degree or 5-10 years of experience required for the job. A job that requires 20 years of industry experience and a PhD will expect and demand much longer and detailed resume than someone asking for 2 yrs and a BS/BA. Even with this, the first page is the only one they are garaunteed to read so make it count.

MrNightly

jdhdiggs wrote:

My input: If you have VERY applicable experience to the job, highlight that experience at the expense of other items. If you are not a new graduate, do not but school clubs nor would I suggest adding any professional societies that are not related to the job you are applying.

Keep everything on one page. I will only read a multiple page resume ONLY if it is for a very senior position.

A general rule of thumb that I have heard preached about, one page (up to 3) for every level of degree or 5-10 years of experience required for the job. A job that requires 20 years of industry experience and a PhD will expect and demand much longer and detailed resume than someone asking for 2 yrs and a BS/BA. Even with this, the first page is the only one they are garaunteed to read so make it count.

Do you send a cover letter? Or do you expect to receive one when you read resumes? What is the qualities you look for in them? I heard 2 paragraphs, with the first briefly saying your goals, and the second thanking them. Do you agree with this?

Demiurge

Here's some sage advice from someone who actually does hiring -- Don't rely on a resume to get you a job. It merely gets your foot in the door. I'm more interested in you than how much time you put into your resume. Of course it shouldn't be sloppy, but don't sweat the intricite details of bullets or no bullets. Make it presentable. Don't take this to mean your resume is meaningless, but people are kidding themselves if they think their resume is going to sell them -- that's your job. Even if your resume isn't chok full of stuff and you fall short in some areas you can do wonders in the interview itself. Focus on that. Most people don't like an act either, so be real.

You might know all of this already, and if that's the case -- good luck with your job search!

jdhdiggs

Gotta agree with Demi, interviews can make or break you. Practice can help.

As for cover letters, they help. Two paragraphs, that's crap IMHO. To me,the first should be an introduction to yourself and why you should be considered, the second paragraph would explain some detailed and unique experiences that match what they are looking for and why you should be hired. A third paragraph to explain your approach to the job at hand. Then summerize, thank them for their time and close.

If someone puts that much care in the cover letter, I will read it. 2 short paragraphs, I won't-it looks like they did it because "that's what you do" and not because they took the time to let me know something about them. That's just me though. I would rather see a kick **** cover letter and a minimal resume than a 3 page list of accomplishments.

One advantage of a cover letter is it shows how capable you are of expressing yourself and some insights into your personality and makes you more human. A well written cover letter will never hurt your chances.

Also, if you do get interviewed, follow up with a thank you letter that mentions something unique from your interview. This will bring your interview back into the mind of the interviewer. Trust me, if you interview 10-15 people over two weeks, you can't remember the specifics of the at least first 8 if they were all similarly qualified. A follow-up re-enforces your impression and gives you a leg up. Kind of a "Oh yeah, I liked this guy" thing.

I think I have ended up hiring every person who followed up with a letter (which is only about 3 people unbelievably). It's just one thing that shows a class that can tip the scales.

MrNightly

Demiurge wrote:

Here's some sage advice from someone who actually does hiring -- Don't rely on a resume to get you a job. It merely gets your foot in the door. I'm more interested in you than how much time you put into your resume. Of course it shouldn't be sloppy, but don't sweat the intricite details of bullets or no bullets. Make it presentable. Don't take this to mean your resume is meaningless, but people are kidding themselves if they think their resume is going to sell them -- that's your job. Even if your resume isn't chok full of stuff and you fall short in some areas you can do wonders in the interview itself. Focus on that. Most people don't like an act either, so be real.

You might know all of this already, and if that's the case -- good luck with your job search!

Of course. This is what a resume is! Just a way to get the request for an interview.. but these days, if it's not kickass and stand outish, you won't get the offer.

Hence, I'm trying to ensure I have the best one I can get

Thanks for your time, I am editing as we speak.. er.. type. Whatever.

jdhdiggs

What type of job are you looking for again?

MrNightly

Trying to move into a management position or possibly the financial services field. Just took a test online that recommended a service type of industry. I honestly don't know though.. and am trying to find my niche!

jdhdiggs

Ok, uh, let's try this: What do you currently do and why aren't you happy with it?

What I'm getting at is that depending on your desired position, experience, and current situations, your documents may have different needs.