Need a resume made.

[Deggy]

Any tips, ideas, or programs you guys use.

I've never made one before, at least a professional looking one.

[Cryptic]

Word

[05caddyext]

Rules.

1 page max. I don't care about your experience from 20 years ago, make it all fit on one page.

Don't lie about anything, I will ask you about anything I think is a little untrue during your interview.

There are 2 types of resumes, skills based and experience based. Don't combine the 2, decide which is stronger for you and stick with it.

Know dates. Be able to explain gaps in employment to the day.

Have references ready, but not listed on your resume. Saves space and shows confidence in your own abilities. Place the line "references available upon request" at the very bottom.

[Deggy]

Is there anywhere I can look to see what a "typical" resume looks like?

[michelle]

Weren't you on unemployment?

I thought those agencies were supposed to help you create a resume and give you tips on how to get back into the working world, not just cut you a check.

[michelle]

Is there anywhere I can look to see what a "typical" resume looks like?

http://www.emurse.com/

http://www.theresumebuilder.com/

http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/job_search/resume_resource_list.htm

[Moparjim]

Rules.

1 page max. I don't care about your experience from 20 years ago, make it all fit on one page.

Don't lie about anything, I will ask you about anything I think is a little untrue during your interview.

There are 2 types of resumes, skills based and experience based. Don't combine the 2, decide which is stronger for you and stick with it.

Know dates. Be able to explain gaps in employment to the day.

Have references ready, but not listed on your resume. Saves space and shows confidence in your own abilities. Place the line "references available upon request" at the very bottom.

Exactly what is said here.

I could email you mine to use as an example if you like if you shoot me an email at jimkielma@gmail.com.

[Deggy]

Michelle, technically I am "laid off" from my previous job due to "lack of work".

So my work search is waived, because I'm still technically employed by my previous job. Which I know I won't be going back to. I've been looking really hard into something I want to do since I know school isn't an option for me right now.

[michelle]

Michelle, technically I am "laid off" from my previous job due to "lack of work".

So my work search is waived, because I'm still technically employed by my previous job. Which I know I won't be going back to. I've been looking really hard into something I want to do since I know school isn't an option for me right now.

I still suggest using the agency to help you out. You can create your own resume and then drop it off to have it polished. I've known quite a few people who have used Workforce Development to help them go back to school part-time/full-time, complete a 1-year certificate, and find a career path that interests them.

Good luck.

[Deggy]

Thank you Michelle, I will look into that!

[wrath]

Rules.

1 page max. I don't care about your experience from 20 years ago, make it all fit on one page.

It depends on your work experience. Somebody that flips burgers probably should have a 1 page resume. Mine is three pages. And it's really more like 4 pages, but I change it to suit the job I'm responding to. Management jobs I've cut down to less than 2 pages because I have little management experience.


Don't lie about anything, I will ask you about anything I think is a little untrue during your interview.

Lying and embellishing is out of the question. Now that employers have the upper hand they speak a little more freely besides the normal "so and so worked here between these dates with this job title".


There are 2 types of resumes, skills based and experience based. Don't combine the 2, decide which is stronger for you and stick with it.

Those are pretty much the same thing. Where did you get your skills if it wasn't from experiencing something? Like Wisconsin CDL holders, a Cracker Jack box? The other popular kind for young people is education-based resumes. Have a clear distinction between education-obtained skills and work-obtained skills.

You should include some of your other interests also. It gives the reader the opportunity to get a feel for you because today employers are looking for people that will stick around, not a robot that is going to flee as soon as something better comes along. I'd probably leave off that you like to shoot animals or anything potentially controversial.


Know dates. Be able to explain gaps in employment to the day.

Gaps aren't that important. The important part is having a good reason, that isn't baloney, for why you left a job.


Have references ready, but not listed on your resume. Saves space and shows confidence in your own abilities. Place the line "references available upon request" at the very bottom.

References are nice to have. Don't even bother putting anything about it on your resume. Don't hand them over until you get an offer. It's one of the few things you have control over. You can tell them "you're welcomed to make the offer contingent on my references checking out, a background check, and a drug test".

The best reference you can have are former workplace superiors or if you volunteered at a non-profit.

[Car Guy]

Just print a picture of your junk on a full sheet of paper and hand that over.....:goof

[michelle]

Wut?

[Rocket Power]

Just print a picture of your junk on a full sheet of paper and hand that over.....:goof

qnq3iBuO2xY:goof

[PureSound15]

I agree with the 1 page thing. I can judge by your first statement of work how much experience you've had.

Things that stick out to me immediately are:

1) Inflation - if you don't have numbers, don't tell me how awesome you are if it could ahve been defined numerically (i.e. 13% growth vs 'massive growth')

2) Shit happens. Don't try to hide it by not including dates. If I like who you are I don't care that you have gaps or job hopped.

3) Verbs. I get it. You did stuff. "inspired, created, engineered...." all work great to describe stuff you've done, but I'm really only interested in figuring out your level of thinking.

4) There sin't anyone in this world that WONT say that they're analytical, highly skilled, team player.... if you can be more creative in describing who you are, it'll catch my attention much faster than the canned BS that every job search website puts out for the masses.

[WickedSix]

do not exceed 1 page!!! it will get cut the instant they print it out. Hiring managers want clear and concise not your life story. The point is to hit your highlights and if they want to know more THEY WILL ASK YOU IN THE INTERVIEW!!!

If you can't follow this most basic of rules 90% of people will send your resume straight to the round-file

[Deggy]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

[wrath]

What kind of job are you applying for?

My resume usually sits at just under 3 pages, but there is a fair amount of white space (easier to read, large enough margins to take notes for old farts that still kill trees). I tailor each resume to every position I apply for. But I'm in a technical field. I don't do sales and I don't flip burgers.

The resume should match the posting. If it's a 3 line posting, it should be a short resume. If it's a long posting, you need to hit what they're asking. Especially if it's a large company, you really need to hit the bullet points. The first triage is done by some HR generalist or recruiting flunky, not the person you're going to be working for.

So if the posting says "Strong Oracle 10i experience" and you don't mention Oracle at all then yours is getting vertical filed. All they do is play connect the dots. The hiring manager (the person you'd be working for) can probably read between the lines better. So the hiring manager would see "Very familiar with SQL Server and other relational databases" and ask you about any Oracle experience.

I'd probably avoid the shotgun approach to applying for jobs. You'll end up with one shitty resume that looks like every other resume and yours will get vertical filed.

[MoCkiN U]

send me a email to bward20@wi.rr.com and I will send you mine to take a look at and use as a template for your own.

[PonyKiller87]

I agree, 1 page limit, and don't put it on legal paper or anything like that to fit more. Anything more than one page will get it thrown in the can, and if by some chance they do look at it and its 3 pages of mostly space it just looks like your trying to fluff it up.

Other stuff that you can do thats less obvious if your mailing it or dropping it off print it on some heavier bright white paper, sounds stupid but it works because it stands out a little from the other 20 in the pile.

[Prince Valiant]

3 pages have always made resume unreadable. I want an idea if the canidate is worth an interview...not to read an epic life story.

I always followed a basic template:

-1 page, and I don't flip burgers.
-Name/title/Contact info up top
-Relevant work experience below
-Education
-If space permits, any other certifications, interest, skills, hobbies that might say something about yourself or personal qualities and why you are different/sets you apart. (An example of this might be someone stating they are a volunteer emt, work at the special olympics, active competitor in sanctioned races, or past high level accomplishments, etc...something that makes you stand out from the rest of the interviewee's)

Earlier in an individual's career, work experience usually takes a back seat to education...but after ~ 5 years of strong work experiences, educational accomplishments should be fall to toward the bottom of the page and take less space.

Make it concise and readable. Write a cover letter that states how your experience/skills/personal traits might specifically help the company in the position you are seeking....heck, even if it's punctuality or dependability, for some jobs, people are seeking just that...someone they don't want to have headaches with filling up the schedule.

[MoCkiN U]

I have mine on two pages but only and clearly stated because my experience requires specific measured results and you cant write that crap out easily and simply. With sales management you must be able to sell yourself so mine is printed on gray spec stone paper and placed in a clear binder so I know it wont be lost in the pile.

I broke some basic resume rules but also needed to in order to gain the spot. My main details are at the eye center and beginning. The rest of detail is there "IF" they wanted. A lot of times in my job field they ask for the last 7 years of experience anyway

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/ShoUrGlow/IMAG0034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/ShoUrGlow/IMAG0035.jpg

[TransAm12sec]

Other stuff that you can do thats less obvious if your mailing it or dropping it off print it on some heavier bright white paper, sounds stupid but it works because it stands out a little from the other 20 in the pile.

I'll second that. Microsoft Word works well for resumes.

Be sure to have to black line like Mockin U does. I have my name/contact info centered above the black line.

Mine is formatted similar to this, without the second and third black line, and without the interests section. Also my dates are on the right.

http://www.thejobexplorer.com/Resume_Template/images/resume-example.gif

[NachoNotch]

Make sure you list an email address thats professional not "buttholesurfer@eatme.net".

[theavenger333]

the more simple and to the point it is, the better. don't assume that having a big long fancy resume with crazy font and nice parched paper with embroidery will make a positive showing. i read resumes all the damn time and i had took enough english classes and had to write them enough. trust me, get to the point, make it look like your not an idiot.

[MoCkiN U]

make sure YOU write your resume also so that when interview time comes it sounds like you. Dont include so many words that dont exist in your own daily vocabulary to try and embelish (sp?) to make sound better cause it will possibly come out in interview

[Crawlin]

If you are doing it online, the first cut off is the parameters set into the computer by monster or milwaukeejobs.com

know what one of their parameters is, LENGTH. We had the lady from Monster tell us that companies can set any kind of parameters they want. If it doesn't meet that parameters, it doesn't even get to them.

They can type in 100 words that fit what they are looking for, and then the computer will search for those words. They will put a percentage hit on it, and if it doesn't meet that percentage, again, the company doesn't even get your resume. It's as if you didn't even send it to them.

Cuts down on their waste of time.

wrath, by no means am I trying to be an ass, but your resume is WAAAY too long. I've applied for "professional" and management type jobs and have a TON of work experience in implementing programs that I actually have statistical data on how much it improved work, and i STILL am only at one page.

like stated above too, have references available and a portfolio of what was done if you have that information. I have lists of numbers and profits from before and after I got to a job(car business) as well as my own personal monthly numbers from the finance manager stuff. I also have the lists of the other things that i've started at companies. I keep it all in a portfolio so when I go into a job interview and they ask a question, I can back up my answer with actual data.

[wrath]

You need to have in your resume a response for every bullet point in their posting. If it's a short posting, it's easy to hit, and therefore a short resume. If you're in a technical field (I am, I'm an IT lackey), it's easy to have 3 pages, especially if you have adequate whitespace, margins wide enough to jot notes (anyone older than 30 still write notes on people's resumes when they're thumbing through them), 12-13 point font, et cetera. I wear a lot of hats so I have a pretty wide range of skills. Some jobs are searching for a well-rounded individual so it's easy to generate a lot of text. I'm not just a DBA, Systems Engineer, Security Engineer, Network Engineer, Software Developer, Exchange Admin... I'm all of those and more.

Do I say more than one line about my experience with Nokia/Checkpoint firewalls if it's a DBA job? Nope. But I put it in there to show I've got diverse knowledge. There's a whole slew of other things in the IT world that are universally appreciated like familiarity with compliance, incident management, and disaster recovery.

Some career postings don't warrant more than a 1 page resume. I'm also not looking for those jobs.


You shouldn't have a bunch of fluff. My resume looks similar to the one above from the guy from Virginia. You don't need an objective. The objective is to get the job. Waste of space. You should have a "summary" of some sort, you want to hit the HIGH points of the job posting in this. Then you list experience related to the job function and eliminate stuff you don't need in it. If you're going to be a software developer you don't need to include your managerial experience of how you turned around poorly performing mechanical engineers.

Next you list your education. Once you've got a few years work experience under your belt then this section should be getting pretty short unless you did something pertaining to this particular job. Always include the education section, even if it's a DeVry or ITT degree. You can put your certifications and/or other recent relevant training (this is a must if you've got it) in this section also. You probably don't need to include your 30m dive cert if you're applying for a tinsmith job.

Last section should be your projects/interests sections. Probably shouldn't include that you like to shoot prairie dogs from half a mile away but this would be a good spot to include you like to SCUBA. This allows the place to get a feel for if they think you'll fit in. Once a place knows you've got the skills (which should be included in the Experience section) they want to make sure that you can be a part of the team and assimilate quickly. It also gives them something to talk with you about at interview time.

Anyway, the moral of the story is to make sure you craft a resume that answers every single bullet point of the job you apply for.


I've had about a 30% success rate on getting an interview this year. Much, much lower than years before. I'm pretty choosy about what I apply for. It's got to be something I can do 80% of on day one and be able to do 100% of within a month otherwise I don't bother wasting their time. Not a lot of places right now are looking to train someone to do their job, they seem to be only looking for people to integrate into the workplace. So far, if I've gotten an interview then I've received an offer. My resume must work alright then. :confused I have failed on every single management job I've applied for... then again, I'm down to one page and have very little people management experience. So for sure take what I say with a grain of salt if you're looking to be middle management.


The projects/interests section is very important. I've been asked more questions relating to this than you can imagine. I had one guy ask me (he'd be my boss) when in conversation I was in to automobiles more than my resume let on what was in "city" and I said "such and such race track". Also be prepared to be quizzed. Not just the typical "what can you do with a pencil besides write" but other crap, some very technical. This is not the time to make shit up on the fly. If they seem to be looking for more than an answer and you don't have it, tell them how you'd go about solving the problem. A lot of times they ask these questions not expecting you to know it but to see how much of a self-starter you are and how resourceful you are; or they just want to see if you're capable of learning new things (preferably without objection).

[WickedSix]

I'll agree on that point...

The accomplishments and activities/interests section of my resume has garnered the most questions during the interview process. Since I am an ME and more directly a Design Engineer every company I have interviewed with spent a good amount of time delving into the motorsports aspects in my resume. They like to see you don't just do it for a job, they want to see you have a passion for it in your life

[Moparjim]

1 page is a must. I screened engineering applicants all the time for Chrysler and anything over 1 page didn't get read and usually got laughed at and tossed since it was all buzzwords and embellishment.

I am a P.E. with 15 years experience. I can fit mine on one page and still hit every point I need to make. There's no reason for it to be longer. It only takes maybe half a dozen lines to cover the big bullet points of each position, and I don't even have any details about my schooling anymore just one bullet line for my degree basically. Noone cares what classes I took 20 years ago, just that I have my BSEE for example. Most places will quickly screen the resumes initially and just want to look at that one page quick, check off the maybe half a dozen things they are looking for, otherwise toss it. You want to make it easy for them to see and mentally check off those half a dozen things, not make them read 3 pages to find them. The whole point is to give them enough information to hit the skills and experience they are skimming it for, then have them bring you in for an interview to provide more detailed information.

I have a close to 100% interview rate and close to 100% job offer rate. I literally cannot recall a job I applied for and did not get called for at least a phone interview. Same with the offer. I cannot recall an application where I didn't at least get to the point of talking about an offer.

[PureSound15]

I would not look at a 3 page resume no matter what the position. That's ridiculous.

I have had strange questions in my interviews, though. Including:

"What is the current price per barrel of crude oil?"

[Crawlin]

We like to ask what your favorite swear word is. Any hesitation is a bad thing

[05caddyext]

Skills based and Experienced based are definitely not the same, not even close.

Example. Lets say you have a 4 year degree in Business Management. And lets also say that you have never worked in management in your life. This person should work on a skills based resume.

[05caddyext]

Also, you don't need to hit every bullet point in a job posting on a resume. That is what a clear and concise cover letter is for. If your resume is 3 pages long, you aren't even going to get a read from me, its too long and makes me think a few things:

1. Wow this guy has had a lot of jobs, how long is he going to stay here.
2. This guy has no idea what he wants to do, I don't want you at my company.

[wrath]

Skills based and Experienced based are definitely not the same, not even close.

Example. Lets say you have a 4 year degree in Business Management. And lets also say that you have never worked in management in your life. This person should work on a skills based resume.

That would be education-based. Ever heard of booksmart and braindead? Having skills means doing something. You don't have a skill in whittling wood if you've never put knife to balsam... no matter how many books you've read about it.


Also, you don't need to hit every bullet point in a job posting on a resume. That is what a clear and concise cover letter is for. If your resume is 3 pages long, you aren't even going to get a read from me, its too long and makes me think a few things:

1. Wow this guy has had a lot of jobs, how long is he going to stay here.
2. This guy has no idea what he wants to do, I don't want you at my company.

A cover letter is there to state your interest in the position and how you'd fill it perfectly while bringing new talent to the company. The cover letter is to tell them that you're the perfect candidate, the resume is there to tell them why. The cover letter should be no more than three short paragraphs long. If you find that your cover letter is filled to the brim with text you need to make it a little more succinct.

Nobody stays at a job long anymore unless they are overpaid, are severely adverse to change (kids, family, or chicken shit), or are incredibly secure (mastered it, full of tribal knowledge) in their position. Job-hopping is one thing, it's another if the person is clearly changing jobs to pick up new skills. Instead of worrying about how long they're going to be at your company you should worry about what they're bringing to the company and how you're going to keep them there. You should always worry about keeping the rockstars, otherwise you'll just end up with a bunch of rocks.

[Gregor]

Weren't you on unemployment?

I thought those agencies were supposed to help you create a resume and give you tips on how to get back into the working world, not just cut you a check.


Yeah they suck. I ended up rebuilding mine after they mauled it. And I never got any hits on jobs that they provided me.

You need to build it yourself, since it is a advertisement of you. Otherwise when you do get a interview and you asked about it you can answer them with no hesitation. That is HUGE. We can help, but its your career that you are selling.

As of lately I was told NEVER go more than 1 page. Give me your email and I will send you mine as a template. This one landed a job in 2 weeks, with a acceptance letter within a month. So I know it's a strong resume.

Its all about networking now. You need to know someone on the inside that can keep your name "HOT". If a job gets posted you are statically screwed because within the first day your one of 200 that sent in a resume.

Cover letter are not a copy of your resume but a addition to it. That's where you sell yourself. Sometimes that is the only thing that gets you a job.

[xFullThrottlex]

I have a two page resume and am having problems downsizing!