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[plasticpassion]

Be consistent with your tenses and verbs/nouns. If you're going to use verbs in your bullets, then be consistent with the rest of them. For example:

Job 1
Formatted resumes for neogaffers
Played video games all day
Moderated a forum of 5,000 members

NOT like this:

Job 1
Work on resumes for neogaffers
Experienced in video games
Responsible for moderating a forum of 5,000 members

Also, I would do as other members mentioned and make margins smaller, limit the number of jobs you list, and possibly reduce it to one page. A banging cover letter may set you apart too (IF it is done well and not boring).

Here's my recent resume:
Click

Edit: changed pic to link for condensing post

 

[J. M. Romeo]

Alright, fine.

Look at mine for the other extreme of the spectrum. I've had people in the industry say it looks good, so I've kept it. I agree that it could use more space.

Tenks was a bit harsh! You can go to sites like Smashing Magazine and look at text layouts to get some inspiration. You probably need something sober and simple for yours, so it shouldn't be difficult to get a few cool ideas.

@Ragin' Cajun, Absolutely agree with you, but there is also something very powerful about being able to show what you are all about in one page. It's more direct, and looking for further info is very easy these days.

I guess it depends mostly on what kind of career you are in. As I said, what I posted would probably never fly in most fields.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

Tenks was a bit harsh! You can go to sites like Smashing Magazine and look at text layouts to get some inspiration. You probably need something sober and simple for yours, so it shouldn't be difficult to get a few cool ideas.

@Ragin' Cajun, Absolutely agree with you, but there is also something very powerful about being able to show what you are all about in one page. It's more direct, and looking for further info is very easy these days.

I guess it depends mostly on what kind of career you are in. As I said, what I posted would probably never fly in most fields.

True. All I'm saying is don't leave something important out because of the hard-and-fast 1 page rule.

 

[TommyT]

 

[J. M. Romeo]

True. All I'm saying is don't leave something important out because of the hard-and-fast 1 page rule.

Yup. Definitely.

snip

That's really really cool.

 

[Complex Shadow]

definitely pare all that down

Wider Margins
Smaller text
tailer the description of each job to what will make you valuable for the one you're applying too
get rid of all the spaces between paragraphs
one page is ideal

http://i.imgur.com/v30J0l.jpg[img][/url][/quote]
dude. i am steal your resume layout. hope you don't mind XD
[quote=TommyT][img]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b276/MystikGohan/3351321706_284ab62aee_o.jpg

holy crap. toke me a min, but wow that is one nice resume.

 

[iamvin22]

One page and list jobs on your resume that compare to the job you are applying for first. Remember for every job open you will have about 100 applicants, maybe even more.

 

[Tenks]

Its not easy on the eyes. I'll be honest, its formatted poorly.

Also, I'm hearing a lot of people insist that resumes should be 1 page. Thats true for a bar tender. But there is nothing wrong with having 2 pages if your job and accomplishments are more extensive.

I don't know a single person who's resume is over 1 page. This includes my immediate boss, my mom who is a project manager and my brother. All of these people are college educated, my brother with an MBA and have around 10 years of experience. You simply must be concise or the HR rep will just not read it all. Mine is also a page long and it was honestly a chore to trim it down but it was necessary. I've had around 7 jobs in my life and currently there are only two listed. With the next revision I'll be removing my HS education information and adding my current position.

 

[Entropia]

I hope that isn't yours. I'd trash it.

 

[TommyT]

I hope that isn't yours. I'd trash it.

Yeah sure, call that number and I'll trash your ear.

 

[thespot84]

yeah I don't mind if you all steal mah layout. If I can help a gaffer get employeed it's a good thing.

 

[Deleted member 53899]

yeah I don't mind if you all steal mah layout. If I can help a gaffer get employeed it's a good thing.

He's applying for your job.

 

[SolKane]

definitely pare all that down

Wider Margins
Smaller text
tailer the description of each job to what will make you valuable for the one you're applying too
get rid of all the spaces between paragraphs
one page is ideal

you got a template for that? It's nice and clean.

 

[thespot84]

you got a template for that? It's nice and clean.

unfortunately no, but i suppose I could link the illustrator file.

I got sick of word messing with my layouts so i just did it from scratch in .ai

 

[SolKane]

unfortunately no, but i suppose I could link the illustrator file.

Would appreciate it if you did!

 

[TheRagnCajun]

I don't know a single person who's resume is over 1 page. This includes my immediate boss, my mom who is a project manager and my brother. All of these people are college educated, my brother with an MBA and have around 10 years of experience. You simply must be concise or the HR rep will just not read it all. Mine is also a page long and it was honestly a chore to trim it down but it was necessary. I've had around 7 jobs in my life and currently there are only two listed. With the next revision I'll be removing my HS education information and adding my current position.

I dont' know what to tell you. I removed my highschool education a long time ago. I don't have all my work experience listed. I dont' even list MS office proficiency, hoping its assumed. I went through an extensive trimming process. Part of it has to do with the fact that I have a split project manager/engineer role and I advertise myself as such, which means listing skills and accomplishments related to two different fields. I'm in automotive manufacturing which means listing a lot of buzz words.

I could go on about how successful my resume is, but its just anectdotal. Its common for computers to screen resumes in my field, meaning putting the right words in can be more important than being concise. You can think of it as 'how google-able is your resume?'

Ultimately its more important that everything important is on there, and its reads easily. Rather than trying to adhere to the 1 page. And if they don't read the second page, thats ok since the *more* important stuff is on page 1.

 

[zero_suit]

Would appreciate it if you did!

Indeed.

 

[Entropia]

Yeah sure, call that number and I'll trash your ear.

Alright.

 

[tariq]

1. do your layout in quark or indesign...word sucks for trying to make a nice resume layout.
2. dont repeat the same types of responsibilities or even entire jobs for that matter
3. get rid of buzz words/fluff like 'accustomed to high volume , fast paced..." and "exercised empathy and persistence..." alot of this type of stuff is implied by the position. in the RARE event an employer asks about these positions, you can lay on the fluff.

you pretty much want your resume to be easy to scan. if its too difficult, you're making your potential employer's job a nightmare and they're more likely to pass on you.

good luck and hamilton represent!

 

[no angel]

Everyone's already said all that's worth saying but as someone who deals with recruitment there's nothing wrong with a 2 page CV as long as the contents are relevant to the position you're applying for and it's not full of waffle.

Also bear in mind that depending on the position you're applying for your employer may have to sift through 100s of applications so you need to make it as easy as possible for them to get key information out of your CV, That's why clear concise sentances are vital. Although some of the CVs shown above look amazing they may not be suitable for all applications so don't go overboard with your layout.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

1. do your layout in quark or indesign...word sucks for trying to make a nice resume layout.
2. dont repeat the same types of responsibilities or even entire jobs for that matter
3. get rid of buzz words/fluff like 'accustomed to high volume , fast paced..." and "exercised empathy and persistence..." alot of this type of stuff is implied by the position. in the RARE event an employer asks about these positions, you can lay on the fluff.

you pretty much want your resume to be easy to scan. if its too difficult, you're making your potential employer's job a nightmare and they're more likely to pass on you.

good luck and hamilton represent!

About point number three, unfortunately you're presuming that the first line in reading a resume is done by a human and not a computer. It is well known that computers are employed to help filter out resumes and they sometimes look for those very buzzwords or may return garbage if formatting isn't conventional enough.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

Buzz words are always important. There's a reason employers put buzz words in job descriptions. They are not assuming everyone has those skills. list them.

 

[thespot84]

About point number three, unfortunately you're presuming that the first line in reading a resume is done by a human and not a computer. It is well known that computers are employed to help filter out resumes and they sometimes look for those very buzzwords or may return garbage if formatting isn't conventional enough.

yeah this is why there's no one-size-fits-all for a resume. For instance I used mine as a foot in the door for startups where I advertised myself as a generalist capable of running many aspects of a company. So i knew for instance that startups would not use computer scanning, and that showcasing an eye for layout/detail was one of the things a startup would be interested in from a generalist. I would change things up if I were applying to an IBM, for instance...

 

[MrOogieBoogie]

definitely pare all that down

Wider Margins
Smaller text
tailer the description of each job to what will make you valuable for the one you're applying too
get rid of all the spaces between paragraphs
one page is ideal

Please post exact specifications (font, margins, etc.) of that resume. It's amazing.

 

[thespot84]

Please post exact specifications (font, margins, etc.) of that resume. It's amazing.

i'll post a .ai file today or tomorrow.

 

[charsace]

I think you need a header that pops and goal that's a few sentences that demands attention.

 

[tariq]

About point number three, unfortunately you're presuming that the first line in reading a resume is done by a human and not a computer. It is well known that computers are employed to help filter out resumes and they sometimes look for those very buzzwords or may return garbage if formatting isn't conventional enough.

If you're applying via a recruitment website (avoid if you can) then yeah you have a case, but for the majority of jobs, you're safe in assuming that it's going to be a human that makes the initial trash or keep decision. Especially if its for a bartending position.

 

[TommyT]

Alright.

Still waiting by the phone here...

 

[ccbfan]

Some ridiculesly bad advice given here.

None of these resumes are great. Only one decent one.

The secret to a good resume to getting the hirer to read it and finish reading it. (So put important stuff at top) That means ease of reading is number one and making your points clear.

http://imgur.com/v30J0

Nice format but put some bullet points in there. Your work experiences section looks like a wall of text hard to read. Also while the location of your skills is unique, there is a lot of empty space in there because of the format.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b276/MystikGohan/3351321706_284ab62aee_o.jpg

Unless you're working at kinkos or specifically at making graphs then trash this.

http://i.imgur.com/g76Oy.png

Again bullet point. The formatting of your lines are out oh whack. Hard to read.

http://i.imgur.com/jYeri.jpg

OMG my eyes hurt. Everything is wrong except you used bullet points. You do have a lot of good substance in your resume though.


Remember the entire point of the resume (along with cover letter) is to get a guy that has already read through hundreds of resumes to put your resume into the "Go to next step" pile. Make sure you keep him/her in mind. Make your resume clear, easy to read and to the point (aka short while still conveying 99 percent of your achievements). Don't go created and cute. We've seen enough of those.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

If you're applying via a recruitment website (avoid if you can) then yeah you have a case, but for the majority of jobs, you're safe in assuming that it's going to be a human that makes the initial trash or keep decision. Especially if its for a bartending position.

Yeah restaurants usually aren't as... structured as other jobs forgot this is a thread about bartending applications. But even company websites may use computers first especially if they get high application traffic and only allow submissions via their career sites.

But there is no perfect advice except to taylor each resume to the specific job requirements and needs.

 

[Zoe]

I don't know a single person who's resume is over 1 page. This includes my immediate boss, my mom who is a project manager and my brother. All of these people are college educated, my brother with an MBA and have around 10 years of experience. You simply must be concise or the HR rep will just not read it all. Mine is also a page long and it was honestly a chore to trim it down but it was necessary. I've had around 7 jobs in my life and currently there are only two listed. With the next revision I'll be removing my HS education information and adding my current position.

I don't think my resume has been 1 page since my first professional job.

Never had HS on there either.

 

[thespot84]

http://imgur.com/v30J0

Nice format but put some bullet points in there. Your work experiences section looks like a wall of text hard to read. Also while the location of your skills is unique, there is a lot of empty space in there because of the format.

Are you saying I should fill up more empty space? Is that going to get someone to read it? My only possible response to your critique, most of which is valid, is that this a.) got me job and b.) has been well received by everyone thus far except you. Like i said before I was applying for a position that required me to be a generalist, and had to show that I'm capable of such, therefore the variety of experience I had was just as important as relevance of each line item.

Don't take this to mean that I think it's perfect and can't be improved upon. I always welcome constructive criticism.

 

[TommyT]

Some ridiculesly bad advice given here.

Indeed.

 

[xxracerxx]

Loads of advice without showing their own.

Maybe you should show us all yours to show a "great" resume.

 

[plasticpassion]

Some ridiculesly bad advice given here.


http://i.imgur.com/g76Oy.png

Again bullet point. The formatting of your lines are out oh whack. Hard to read.

I got three job offers with this

Seriously though, if not "bullet point," what do you do to list your job descriptions? In my field, it was important to list the specifics of my ICU experience so I had to have those things there.

Edit: misread previous post.

As far as bullet points goes, at a job I applied for they offered resume tips on their website (ie, read and do this or we'll know you didn't even browse our site). One of the things they mentioned was to not use bullets.

 

[.GqueB.]

God that's awful. Why would a potential employee wanna sit there and decipher this maze of a resume? None of the information is clear. Where'd you find this?

 

[thespot84]

God that's awful. Why would a potential employee wanna sit there and decipher this maze of a resume? None of the information is clear. Where'd you find this?

if he's trying to get a job making infographics why is this bad? again..every position is different.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

I got three job offers with this

Seriously though, if not "bullet point," what do you do to list your job descriptions? In my field, it was important to list the specifics of my ICU experience so I had to have those things there.

I think he's saying to put bullet points in. Personally I find it quite readable nonetheless because of the indexing, line spacing and most jobs only list a couple points. Probably wouldn't hurt to put them in though.

 

[.GqueB.]

if he's trying to get a job making infographics why is this bad? again..every position is different.

Because the info isnt presented well. Its kind of ironic really.

 

[plasticpassion]

I think he's saying to put bullet points in. Personally I find it quite readable nonetheless because of the indexing, line spacing and most jobs only list a couple points. Probably wouldn't hurt to put them in though.

Yeah, I edited the previous post earlier. I had misread it.

 

[.GqueB.]

I got three job offers with this

Seriously though, if not "bullet point," what do you do to list your job descriptions? In my field, it was important to list the specifics of my ICU experience so I had to have those things there.

Edit: misread previous post.

As far as bullet points goes, at a job I applied for they offered resume tips on their website (ie, read and do this or we'll know you didn't even browse our site). One of the things they mentioned was to not use bullets.

You'll hear arguments either way.

Bullet points arent a bad thing. Imagine how many resumes people have to read daily. Anything you can do to make their reading experience easier is welcome. You dont have bullet points but you also dont have periods. As whats his face said, this resume isnt bad but the lack of bullet points are a bit bothersome when looking at it.

Being offered a job isnt an indication of a good resume. There were probably just a few submitted that were far worse ;P

 

[TUSR]

God that's awful. Why would a potential employee wanna sit there and decipher this maze of a resume? None of the information is clear. Where'd you find this?

If you brought your resume in and showed me a graph of your intake and output without any supporting documents, I would trash your artsy fartsy resume.

Heck, your illustrator skills are listed as your highest in your skillset, with zero reference to an actual scale it could be just below garbage.

when you show a graph, you need axies labelled.

Because the info isnt presented well. Its kind of ironic really.

It isn't presented properly, you have to get it right initially.

 

[Entropia]

Still waiting by the phone here...

Because I don't really feel like calling internationally.

Let me just say that the resume is frankly too hard to read and plot everything together. While I understand what you are going for in show casing your talents as a graphic designer, if you were applying for a job, the resume may not even get to lead designer. Instead it'll land at an HR rep who is going to be receiving many resumes. They won't have time to sort through and understand what you have shown on your resume. Instead they'll think "Great, it looks pretty" and file it under "Not calling".

A resume has to be neat, succinct and easy to navigate. Simplicity is key in a resume.

 

[Dies Iræ]

i'll post a .ai file today or tomorrow.

Please, please do.

Your resume is god-tier.

 

[SolKane]

Some ridiculesly bad advice given here.

None of these resumes are great. Only one decent one.

The secret to a good resume to getting the hirer to read it and finish reading it. (So put important stuff at top) That means ease of reading is number one and making your points clear.

http://imgur.com/v30J0

Nice format but put some bullet points in there. Your work experiences section looks like a wall of text hard to read. Also while the location of your skills is unique, there is a lot of empty space in there because of the format.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b276/MystikGohan/3351321706_284ab62aee_o.jpg

Unless you're working at kinkos or specifically at making graphs then trash this.

http://i.imgur.com/g76Oy.png

Again bullet point. The formatting of your lines are out oh whack. Hard to read.

http://i.imgur.com/jYeri.jpg

OMG my eyes hurt. Everything is wrong except you used bullet points. You do have a lot of good substance in your resume though.


Remember the entire point of the resume (along with cover letter) is to get a guy that has already read through hundreds of resumes to put your resume into the "Go to next step" pile. Make sure you keep him/her in mind. Make your resume clear, easy to read and to the point (aka short while still conveying 99 percent of your achievements). Don't go created and cute. We've seen enough of those.

It's kind of hard to take any of your advice seriously when your post is riddled with spelling errors.

 

[Complex Shadow]

unfortunately no, but i suppose I could link the illustrator file.

I got sick of word messing with my layouts so i just did it from scratch in .ai

link mee. I can't get it to work right In word.

 

[plasticpassion]

You'll hear arguments either way.

Bullet points arent a bad thing. Imagine how many resumes people have to read daily. Anything you can do to make their reading experience easier is welcome. You dont have bullet points but you also dont have periods. As whats his face said, this resume isnt bad but the lack of bullet points are a bit bothersome when looking at it.

Being offered a job isnt an indication of a good resume. There were probably just a few submitted that were far worse ;P

As for periods, I don't have any because they're not complete sentences. Therefore there shouldn't be any. Yes, I was taught by a grammar nazi back in high school. She was a stickler for things like that (even when we worked on resumes).

 

[.GqueB.]

As for periods, I don't have any because they're not complete sentences. Therefore there shouldn't be any. Yes, I was taught by a grammar nazi back in high school.

Didnt really notice as I didnt read through but I guess that makes sense. I was looking at it more from a visual stand point is all.

 

[plasticpassion]

Didnt really notice as I didnt read through but I guess that makes sense. I was looking at it more from a visual stand point is all.

It may just be opinion when it comes to resumes, who knows. As long as things make sense with good flow, there is consistency, and no spelling errors it would probably be okay.

 

[Tunavi]

1 page only. thanks for the advice gaf