The Resume Building/Interview Process/Job Hunting tips thread...

[NZA]

dont list GPA if it is mediocre, let them ask for it

somebody with no experience should not have a two page resume

in the meantime, look for experience in positions that have a low barrier for entry (vollunteer, freelance, charity, internship, etc.)

always use action verbs and results when describing past job roles. dont just list titles and tasks

try to find something applicable from your shyt jobs

list coursework and describe briefly how it pertains to the stuff you would be doing

always use language that describes what you can do for the employer. this is a sales pitch, and chances are, several hundred people are applying as well. they dont care about how nice of a person you are, or that you are the first person in your family to graduate. they want to know that you will require little to no training, and will kiss ass

 

[Luchini]

@Nudie, @MyGawdThePower , @duckbutta
can somebody let me know if this is good cover letter and resume??

I got hit with the Donotreply@invalidemail.com

I'm not familiar with IT so I can't tell you how exactly to make your resume better but as far as formatting:

1. Remove the Objective
2. Remove 3.5/4.0 to just "GPA:3.5"
3. Remove Business Minor, it is irrelevant to the job you are applying for an since most of your resume is about IT it makes no sense to keep it there. However if you insist the way it should look is

University of Massachusetts
B.S. in Information Technology GPA:3.5
Minor: Business

4. Honors and Awards should be a separate section, not listed underneath education
5. Remove the complete coursework, it looks weird and is unnecessary. It's just like saying your a political science major and have taken American History. They know the content of work needed for the position.
6. Don't double space in between bulletins
7. Remove the Box Chart thing in the "Skills" Section and just hyphenate each category. i.e Software: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Project
8. Why is one heading bigger than the other? The work experience heading should be the same size as others
9. There is too much space in between each heading
10. For the Work Experience Section it should look like

Super Stop N'Shop spacespacespacespace Lowell, Massachusetts
Sales Associatespacespacespacespacespace Month Year-Month Year

 

[Luchini]

@ghost305

Here is a start for a cover letter:

Dear Hiring Manager: (Always hypen after title)

I am writing to express my interest for the position of Data Analyst for (Companys Name). I am a recent University of Massachusetts graduate in Information Technology and have extensive knowledge in relational database and SQL writing skills. I learned of this position through the job positing on Indeed and believe my skill set makes me a competitive candidate for the position of Data Analyst. Please accept this letter and the attached resume for consideration.


Obviously don't use this verbatim, feel free to add your own input this was just to give you an idea of how to start it off. Good luck!

 

[714562]

@Nudie, @MyGawdThePower , @duckbutta
can somebody let me know if this is good cover letter and resume??

I got hit with the Donotreply@invalidemail.com

It's late and I just got home from doing stand-up, but here are some first impressions.

1. Get rid of the objective section. That's old-fashioned. Nobody gives a flying fukk what your objective is. Just get a nice header with name/address/phone number/email

2. The education section looks great. I like that you highlighted your coursework.

3. Get rid of that table in the Skills section. Just have some right-justified sections without the table. And maybe narrow it down into fewer categories so that you take up more horizontal space. Maybe something like

Web Development:
Database Technologies:
Other Languages and Technologies:

4. If you're going to have an IT projects section, it needs to be way more detailed than what you have. Who was it for? Was it a school project? List the class. List the professor. List the date. Provide any existing hyperlinks. Don't just give a one-sentence summary of what the project was. Tell these people what you learned and the skills you employed. Don't be afraid to use the empty space on the page. Get narrower margins if you have to. One page is enough to tell an employer a lot about yourself.

5. Work experience...eh. it's whatever. You just don't have much. But the date and location of employment need to be right-justified, and I would provide a short description of what you did, even if it's just a formality.

6. As for the cover letter...it's a good start, but it's not adequate. First of all, a paragraph needs at least 3 sentences. So mind that. Second of all, if you're going to say "here's what the company's main asset is, here's why my skills would be a good fit for that" you need to GO INTO IT. Don't just say "You're good with people and hey, me too! We're a perfect match." Talk a little bit about yourself. Did your job as a sales rep help you with people skills? Was there an IT project where you had to work in a group and deal with people? Don't recite your resume, but GIVE THEM a reason to believe that you're the right fit. Don't just throw it out there. What is this "additional experience" you have. Why is that relevant?

Also, the conclusion needs to re-state your phone number, alternate methods of contacting you, and times of availability for calls/interviews. You have a good start here. You just need to follow through.

If you give me an email address, I'll send you a sample tech resume.

 

[gho3st]

@Nudie, @MyGawdThePower, @duckbutta , @Luchini
is this better??

 

[Ohene]

@Nudie, @MyGawdThePower, @duckbutta , @Luchini
is this better??

Very tired from work so cant say much. But this is a very different format at least compared to what financial institutions like. I'm sure an IT or Comp Sci head can help you out though

 

[duckbutta]

@Nudie, @MyGawdThePower, @duckbutta , @Luchini
is this better??

Looks better. I would take off the work related stuff, as in IT, people tend to only care what you did in IT, so stating you did something else isn't going to do much for you...

Also, expand a bit on the code that was written. For example, for the C++ stuff, was there nested loops? Declared variables? If then statements? Functions?

For the SQL stuff, where there clustered or non clustered indexes ? Did you use OLTP? What type of Queries did it run? Any sub-queries

It still needs a little technical jargon, but other than that it looks better than the first draft.

 

[Grand Cru Boo]

Excuse the format. Alright brehs, the native son needs a little critique from some of the coli's finest. I know it needs some work so....

Human Resources

Dear Hiring Manager,

Please find the enclosed resume as a sincere indication of my interest to from your recent advertisement. I believe that the qualities you seek are well matched by my track record. To emphasize, please allow me to highlight a few of my skills that accentuate my character as they relate to the requirements

• Independent self starter- Highly motivated and passionate about service.
• Commitment- to improvement and development
• Dedication- to preserving company standards


The enclosed resume describes my credentials in some detail. It is difficult to express on paper the personal qualities that would essentially set me apart from the others. I bring to every challenge: commitment, energy, drive, focus, passion and a strong work ethic to compliment. I am eager to take on new challenges and confidence that I can deliver. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet personally and further discuss my how my skills, commitment and service can be a assets to a company of such integrity.
Thank you for your time and consideration

Regards




PROFESSIONAL

Objective: To gain employment with a respectful company that not only complements my talents, but allows for growth.

Profile•

Excellent working knowledge of pc operating system which includes-but not limited to: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint.
• Experience in all aspects of Customer Service and support with notable strengths in problem solving, trouble shooting, planning procedure and efficiency to avoid subsequent issues
• Excellent communicator, work well independently as well as with a team
• Ability to train, motivate and supervise if needed
• Self starter
• Detail oriented and able to handle multiple task under the most precarious situations
• Proven ability to focus directly on the needs of the company


Synopsis of Achievements•

. Quality assurance projections maintained throughout tenure (2010-11) which resulted in < 1% margin of error
&#8226; Proactive planning increase morale in department
&#8226; Introduce more effective and concise customer surveys which allowed the customer to give criticism if needed
&#8226; Safety conscious resulted in a decline ( 2%) of accidental repairs and reworks
&#8226; Recognized for excellent customer service ( March 2010)


Employment

Kodak, Lab Associate, 2010 - 2011
&#8226; Worked under the direct supervision of a medical technologist-collect, examine and analyzing samples.
&#8226; Perform test to identify contamination ( microbes, parasites, derby, fluid)
&#8226; Administer routine quality control assessments
&#8226; Manage chemical processing and diagnostic
&#8226; Interpreting results and submitting the initial tests to the superior for further analysis
&#8226;
Beam Team, Retail Merchandiser 2010
&#8226; Ensure product placement corresponded with the request of the company (plan-o-grams)at the appropriate time .
&#8226; Oversee delivery and distribution of stock ( inventory control and maintenance)
&#8226; Use specialized computer software, produce sales projections and present spreadsheets and graphs ( labeling)
&#8226; Meet with suppliers and managing the distribution of stock, by negotiating cost prices, ordering stock, agreeing timescales and delivery dates, and completing the necessary paperwork
&#8226; Restored department displays ( project resets, follow-ups and preventative maintenance if necessary)

Education: Cleveland State University 2013
Bachelors of Science: Health Science, Minor: Biology

References: Upon Request


I'm looking for a entry level health administration or allied health position ( Health education, promotion/prevention, nutrition)

Unfortunately I don't have enough experience. How would a newbie gain s a little more insight. Any suggestions or connects in the medical field that could potentially help a brother out.

 

[BrehMan]

Once your resume is finished, you should also do the following:

1) Complete a profile on Monster and make it searchable

2)Also once people are contacting you via email from seeing your resume (from Monster), search for them on LinkedIn and add them to your connections.

 

[mastermind]

My advice for cover letters is to talk about an experience that shows a skill or talent in that 2nd paragraph.

A nice narrative, talk about what you did and what you learned and what obstacle you had to overcome goes a long way.

 

[Cyrus' Wife]

Once your resume is finished, you should also do the following:

1) Complete a profile on Monster and make it searchable

2)Also once people are contacting you via email from seeing your resume (from Monster), search for them on LinkedIn and add them to your connections.

Yep, and make one on CareerBuilder too

 

[Blackking]

@Nudie, @MyGawdThePower, @duckbutta , @Luchini
is this better??

If you're attempting to get a position in software development, data admin, networking, etc....

You did good by leaving off the objective... but at the top, Just hit em w a 1 line to tell them who the fukk you are. IT's not going to be a software development, data admin, networking, .. etc person looking at your resume.

It will be someone who is looking at many. Just say Something quick and random.... like. People aren't trying to check out all ur other bullshyt before they know who the hell you are.



Senior QA Analyst with expertise in all phases of automated and manual testing of client/server and Web applications

A talented NET Developer with several years of experience working within complex environments. I have worked through the Software Development Lifecycle including design, development, testing, implementation, and post implementation and by accumulating experience I participate in developing a PDA framework the reduce development effort which used in many projects. I have worked with in both Agile and Waterfall methodologies.

Over nine years of diverse progressive experience in Retail, Telecom and Finance sectors with emphasis on ETL Testing and Software Development Lifecycle.

Adept, passionate, and fast-learning software engineer with over two years professional experience.

 

[Blackking]

Once your resume is finished, you should also do the following:

1) Complete a profile on Monster and make it searchable

2)Also once people are contacting you via email from seeing your resume (from Monster), search for them on LinkedIn and add them to your connections.

Yep, and make one on CareerBuilder too

You def will need a Dice.com account. That in combination with LinkedIn is a good IT combo.

Join all the recruiter groups on LinkedIn that are open for you to join.. that way recruiter can reach out to you easier without being a 2nd connection. Also join the groups that pertain to your skill set.

 

[MikelArteta]

the consensus on references?
and also styling a job that you let go?

 

[Blackking]

the consensus on references?
and also styling a job that you let go?

"References available upon request"


On resume.. just put start and end dates. In interview have the bomb 3 liner about why you let it go... Center it around ur own career growth, not around nothing negative. If you can make it so your seeking something in an organization (that u sorta know that company has).

I just said something about .."I know that I don't have 15 years in the industry" "with my begining projects and job I would like to be in a position to .... blah blah.. " with blank job, my responsibilities were, which weren't inline with my ultimate career plan"..

whatever u say make it seem focused and not like a quitter.