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[killdatninja]

So many resumes here with so much wrong (though I do like thespots nice clean simple layout, I'm gonna use that as my base for my next one!). Everyone needs to make their resume their own, not follow some template that thousands of people applying for are using too.

I noticed a big difference in the quality of calls I got before I updated my resume to this one (I used a template similar to this eyesore). Also, I catered my resume to the job applied for. McDonalds doesn't give a shit if I know how to troubleshoot computers.

Keep it one page, don't be afraid to use a dash of color and don't fluff it up too much (seriously most people don't give a fuck).

 

[TheRagnCajun]

^^^I like your format and I agree thats a tastefull use of colour. Normally I'd say thats a long objective, but with no 'skills' or 'profile' section I think it works.

 

[lacinius]

A tasteful use of colour can be nice, but just remember if emailing the resume the odds are it will be printed out on a b&w laser printer anyway, so the initial screener probably won't even be aware that there ever was any colour. Not saying it's always like that, but I would say it's a safe bet, especially for larger companies.

 

[RDreamer]

A tasteful use of colour can be nice, but just remember if emailing the resume the odds are it will be printed out on a b&w laser printer anyway, so the initial screener probably won't even be aware that there ever was any colour. Not saying it's always like that, but I would say it's a safe bet, especially for larger companies.

This is definitely true that you should be mindful of what your resume looks like in black and white.

That said, I've never actually seen a company print out my colored resume in black and white during any of the interviews I've been in.

 

[Metroid Hunter]

I'm in my first year of Engineering, and have to apply for co-op within three days for the next term. I don't have much expertise in writing these documents, so I would appreciate some advice.

To give you an idea of how to cater the documents, potential employers include: Apple, Microsoft, Research in Motion. Some of the jobs include design and electrical engineering. My program is Systems Design Engineering.

And I'm very proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and in both Windows 7/8 and OS X. Should I list out the Microsoft Office programs in programs as follows or should I just leave it at Microsoft Office?

• Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access)

Also, since we are learning AutoCAD and C++, how should I mention those in my resumé? Should it be under my skill set?

Thanks for any help.

 

[RDreamer]

I'm sure some people in this thread will give you some help, but we do have a Resume Tips thread that's been around for a while with some decent posts. You may want to poke around that a little.

 

[JoeBoy101]

Just remember that a cover letter is not supposed to be a rehash of your resume, but a targeted presentation of your qualities/accomplishments that meet the needs/requirements of what an employer is looking for. As for doing your resume, there are a ton of templates out there. Just use one thats fairly recent (within the past couple of years).

 

[Windu]

use action words at the start of a sentence.

 

[teh_pwn]

Yeah, I remember that being hard. You have to fill it up with bullshit because I mean you're a kid in college. After 3-5 years in the work world it's about condensing because you could fill up pages.

Something they probably don't teach you much in school is that a popular way to manage is to work around people's weaknesses and focus on their strengths. The education bubble wants you to get a super PHD max with 200k debt to make you "well rounded". But really it's bullshit. So maybe focus on clubs, jobs, activities, and study habits that display innate strengths/talents that cannot be learned. Though that may fly over the heads of recruiters because they're kool aid drinkers.

 

[killdatninja]

I'm sure some people in this thread will give you some help, but we do have a Resume Tips thread that's been around for a while with some decent posts. You may want to poke around that a little.

Wait a minute, did you just re-link this same thread??

I'm in my first year of Engineering, and have to apply for co-op within three days for the next term. I don't have much expertise in writing these documents, so I would appreciate some advice.

To give you an idea of how to cater the documents, potential employers include: Apple, Microsoft, Research in Motion. Some of the jobs include design and electrical engineering. My program is Systems Design Engineering.

And I'm very proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and in both Windows 7/8 and OS X. Should I list out the Microsoft Office programs in programs as follows or should I just leave it at Microsoft Office?

• Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access)

Also, since we are learning AutoCAD and C++, how should I mention those in my resumé? Should it be under my skill set?

Thanks for any help.

Like windu said, use action verbs. Don't just list what you know, but how you applied it and if possible how it benefited the current/previous company.. "Managed the Microsoft Exchange server" doesn't sound as impressive as "Maintained the Microsoft Exchange Server, essential for the company's day to day communication." Just to give the employer a taste of how you can fill their gap.

The job postings themselves give you hints as to what the company is looking for, make sure you have some of those buzz words in your resume (current company I work for auto-rejects any resume not containing certain buzz words, the HR reps won't even bother with it even if it's the best resume ever). Make sure it's clear and concise, the HR person skimming through your resume isn't going to care about all the fluff, probably has dozens of resumes to sift through.

 

[Zoe]

Wait a minute, did you just re-link this same thread??

They got merged.

 

[My Name Is Luke]

I have a Career Fair at the School of Business (I'm an Economics major hoping to minor in Marketing) at my university and I'm kinda stumped about what to put on a resume.

I just transferred from community college so I don't really have any real education background at my current school to show off (unless if getting Dean's List at a community college is something worth touting to these reps) and credit wise I'm still technically a sophomore, even though this is my third year in school.

So any tips on how I should try to structure this out and some points to focus on when talking to representatives?

 

[Hazaro]

I have a Career Fair at the School of Business (I'm an Economics major hoping to minor in Marketing) at my university and I'm kinda stumped about what to put on a resume.

I just transferred from community college so I don't really have any real education background at my current school to show off (unless if getting Dean's List at a community college is something worth touting to these reps) and credit wise I'm still technically a sophomore, even though this is my third year in school.

So any tips on how I should try to structure this out and some points to focus on when talking to representatives?

Things you've done, projects you worked on. Your approach to problems or tasks or planning your future.

I'm sure you've done a lot of things and had experiences that led you to this career path besides what you have done in academia.

Dean's List is good because it means you know what to do and did it consistently (at least that's what it should mean). You put in the work.

 

[Earthstrike]

When you're writing a cover letter and don't have a specific person to address it to what should you write in the dear xxx: line?

 

[xxracerxx]

When you're writing a cover letter and don't have a specific person to address it to what should you write in the dear xxx: line?

To whom it may concern.

 

[Earthstrike]

To whom it may concern.

Of course! It's so obvious now. Thanks dude.

 

[n64coder]

When you're writing a cover letter and don't have a specific person to address it to what should you write in the dear xxx: line?

I have not seen a cover letter for years. I guess they get filtered by my HR dept. As a hiring manager, I only get the actual resume. Many of our candidates come from recruiters.

When I look at a resume, I quickly look to see what skills they have and if it will be a good fit. Then I look at the job experience.

 

[Mayyhem]

Okay so I just touched up my resume using this thread and I was about to apply to a volunteer position but I have a question.

The Ad indicated please email your resume and cover letter to ________

How would I go about properly doing this? What should I put as the subject, body of message, and should I attach my resume and cover letter separately in the email? Or should the cover letter be in the body of the email itself with the resume as an attachment?

 

[CharlieDigital]

Two Column Resume Format (And Why You Should Use It)

 

[Linkhero1]

I'm not sure what to put under Education. My work experience is pretty limited. I've been working at my current job for two years doing web editing, application testing, application designing, and a few other things and I'm sick of it. I'm a recent graduate with a BS in Computer Engineering. What should I do to make my resume standout? What skills should I put on my resume? I have all the basic engineering and programming skills anyone has out of college, so how do I make mine stick out?

 

[Vox-Pop]

Can someone recommend a nice Google doc resume template?

 

[TheApatheticOne]

Can someone recommend a nice Google doc resume template?

Anyone got some templates that can be used in Google Docs? Like the one above for example.

Ive had one that Ive used for awhile, but apparently its terrible as Ive gotten one call for an interview since September and Ive been applying like crazy.

EDIT: Also, if something like that is only available through Microsoft Word, I dont have word. I'd be willing to pay someone to take my current resume and just apply it to some better templates. As I said, been unemployed since September and moving in April, need to land a job in my new home area ASAP.

 

[CharlieDigital]

You can upload Word documents into Google Docs and it will convert it.

 

[CharlieDigital]

I'm not sure what to put under Education.

As you are a recent graduate, it is expected that you will have an entry dedicated to your education. Put down any stand-out grades in high level courses, any special recognition, etc.

My work experience is pretty limited. I've been working at my current job for two years doing web editing, application testing, application designing, and a few other things

That is already a great start.

and I'm sick of it.

Even though you might be sick of it, perception is everything. Don't let it come off as a sour experience; hype up your responsibilities, think about the positives of your job, and think about what you've accomplished. Now capture that in text form. Spin your exit (or desired exit) as a positive when asked: "While I think I've contributed tremendously to my current team and enjoyed my job, I feel that it's time to handle more responsibility and rise to new challenges." Something like that.

so how do I make mine stick out?

You have actual working experience so you already stick out. But formatting is important. It can catch someone's eye and that's all you need.

 

[dark_chris]

Is a date like "2008-2011" fine or would it be best if I was more detailed?

 

[lacinius]

Is a date like "2008-2011" fine or would it be best if I was more detailed?

Depends on the context... like is it the only date range that will be shown, or the only block of work experience shown, and that sort of thing. Like if someone graduated in 2007 they might want to include the month associated with each year so that it clarifies there wasn't a huge gap of doing nothing from the time of graduation to whatever was going on in 2008. Or it can also show a longer commitment with a particular company. Like if they were hired in early 2007 and left late in 2008, which shows stability of almost two years, instead of 2007-2008 that "visually" only looks like one year of employment. If there is a lot of experience to list then just the years are fine so long as the formatting is consistent.

 

[dark_chris]

Depends on the context... like is it the only date range that will be shown, or the only block of work experience shown, and that sort of thing. Like if someone graduated in 2007 they might want to include the month associated with each year so that it clarifies there wasn't a huge gap of doing nothing from the time of graduation to whatever was going on in 2008. Or it can also show a longer commitment with a particular company. Like if they were hired in early 2007 and left late in 2008, which shows stability of almost two years, instead of 2007-2008 that "visually" only looks like one year of employment. If there is a lot of experience to list then just the years are fine so long as the formatting is consistent.

Thanks again. I have a good resume but I feel it should use fine tuning with stuff like that.

 

[Sanky Panky]

Two Column Resume Format (And Why You Should Use It)

I use a variation of this (smaller column on the left side) and I've always gotten compliments on my resume. Key skills (match what the job wants), professional skills (the generic stuff like MS Office, bi-lingual) and education.

Then I make sure the main body with work experience lists examples of using those key skills (that the employer wants). The more specific numbers/metrics/projects listed with actual results/benefits for the previous employer, the better.

 

[dark_chris]

I recreated thespot's resume and changed it for my liking. You can get it yourself if you want it. (illustrator file)

I downloaded this. Thank you so much. It'll be nice to update my old format for once. Been using it for so many years, this will be a refresher for me.

I want to ask though, on the greyed areas for experience, I assume thats for position?

 

[CharlieDigital]

I use a variation of this (smaller column on the left side) and I've always gotten compliments on my resume. Key skills (match what the job wants), professional skills (the generic stuff like MS Office, bi-lingual) and education.

Then I make sure the main body with work experience lists examples of using those key skills (that the employer wants). The more specific numbers/metrics/projects listed with actual results/benefits for the previous employer, the better.

I think the smaller column is more effective on the right because you naturally read left-to-right so keeping your experience on the left helps highlight it.

 

[dark_chris]

Bumping old thread but I'm curious in knowing when do I stop putting high school education on a resume? I'm a college senior about to finish in December. May I stop putting that on now or leave it till I graduate?

 

[zero_suit]

Bumping old thread but I'm curious in knowing when do I stop putting high school education on a resume? I'm a college senior about to finish in December. May I stop putting that on now or leave it till I graduate?

Take it off. It's not relevant anymore.

 

[thespot84]

here's an updated template if anyone wants (Word this time, because some systems wont take PDF, blah. )

and some tips i gathered as I reworked it:

I have a lot of varying skills, since I've worked for startups, but now i'm applying for a finance job. They don't care about my IT or graphic design experience, so keep it to what's relevant.

This is in a different format thanbefore, it's kind of a hybrid format. Some resumes have different sections for achievements and experience, but I combined them. You'll see a blurb after each job and then a list of 'achievements'. This may or may not work for you, but it seemed the most logical to me, and space saving.

This is now updated to use sans serif for the headings and serif for the body (droid sans and droid serif, respectively).

quote to download

 

[Minamu]

I only see a png, am I missing something? :S

 

[RDreamer]

I only see a png, am I missing something? :S

Quote it and you'll see the link. It's hidden so lurkers can't get at it.

 

[Minamu]

Quote it and you'll see the link. It's hidden so lurkers can't get at it.

That's what I get for not reading properly. Thanks!

 

[torontoml]

This seems like a good thread to ask, do people have any tips for cover letters? New grad in Civil/structural engineering by the way.

 

[beat]

This seems like a good thread to ask, do people have any tips for cover letters? New grad in Civil/structural engineering by the way.

Definitely read the entire job posting and figure out how to tell them that you're a good fit.

I have a kind of template cover letter: hey, this is My Name applying for company X's position Y and here's why I'd be great for it. (Translate that to cover letter language, of course. The "here's why" part is both full sentences and some bullet points.) A lot of it is the same for each place I apply to, depending on what I can write in to better fit what they're looking for. It seems to work out alright.

Don't forget to re-read your cover letter and resume if you do get an interview, phone or in person. You'll definitely want to know what you're talking about if you're asked about any of that stuff.

 

[Router]

I'd appreciate a good word template for a bigger resume if anyone wants to share. Been doing the single page thing for a few years but I'm looking at going for a bigger position now.

 

[lacinius]

Bumping old thread but I'm curious in knowing when do I stop putting high school education on a resume? I'm a college senior about to finish in December. May I stop putting that on now or leave it till I graduate?

Probably yes... but say you graduated from HS with honours, then an achievement like that might be something you want to leave on since you are only just about to graduate college. Also depends if you remove it and don't have much experience to include aside from graduating college, then it might make the resume look kind of barren... so something that can be used for "padding" as well. There is also the alumni effect depending on how active the alumni are with the high school or college. In some instances you can look up if the person you are about to interview with also attended the same school... always a long shot, but you never know... then you leave something like that on as an automatic "ice breaker". This is something that only really works for recent graduates that don't have much experience... so especially these days use anything that can get you noticed!

 

[lacinius]

This seems like a good thread to ask, do people have any tips for cover letters? New grad in Civil/structural engineering by the way.

Basically what beat said in the post right after yours... the cover letter should speak directly to the position that you are applying, since most tend to use a more "common" resume and don't design a specific resume for each place. The cover letter should focus as directly as you can, even using the same key words or phrases as found in the job posting if you can, so they will know exactly what you are talking about. This is also where your research into the company can be quite useful. Start showing that here and then hopefully also in an interview. A tweak or two to the resume wouldn't hurt either if possible.

The cover letter is something that should make them want to then look at your resume... so you are basically casting a line, and then "hook" them with your words... then land that job interview!!! lol!!

 

[Clockwork5]

Hey CareerGAF! i would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me concerning this cover letter. I have deleted all contact and mailing information cause its the internet

Name
Address
Blah

Ms. C

I am writing in response to your search for a candidate to fill the position of Deputy City Clerk for the City of MH. As a current Intern for the City of MH, it would be an honor to be considered for this position. I have greatly enjoyed my time performing the duties of my internship and I have a great appreciation for my coworkers here at City Hall.

As you’ll see from the enclosed resume, I have spent the last four years preparing myself for a career in public service. While I have long term goals that extend beyond the Deputy City Clerk position, I am aware that I still have much to learn in this field before I am able to achieve these personal career goals. I feel that through fulfilling the role of Deputy City Clerk I would gain a more complete understanding of the day to day activity and responsibilities of municipal governments. As a result, I believe that I would find this position very fulfilling and professionally enriching.

What my resume does not reveal is my professional, service oriented demeanor.
Throughout my career in the food service industry, I have held myself to the highest standard of service and customer satisfaction. Consequently, I have had the opportunity to secure serving positions in increasingly professional and demanding restaurants. In a public service environment, these qualities are of the utmost importance when assisting and interacting with residents as well as co-workers.

I hope that you have discovered these qualities in me during my time as an Intern for the City and I look forward to the possibility of discussing my potential future with the City of MH.

 

[lacinius]

Hey CareerGAF! i would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me concerning this cover letter. I have deleted all contact and mailing information cause its the internet

It sounds like you know this Ms C and it seems like she is at least aware of you and perhaps even your work... this is a good thing. But what I'm not getting from your cover letter is the connection between your work as an Intern, and the position of Deputy City Clerk. Did your intern work involve assisting the DeputyCC, or were you in the same department, or was your intern work unrelated to that of the DeputyCC... so it's difficult to provide a proper comment. If you worked in the same department then you should focus on how easy the transition would be for you to assume the position of DeputyCC since you probably would have helped and are familiar with many of the duties... but I'm not sure how your intern work relates.

Other stuff... I would omit the part about "long term goals that extend beyond the DeputyCC position", as that is the sort of thing that often comes up in an interview, but in a cover letter it may only serve as a distraction. Focus on the position you want right now, and not indirectly dismiss it as a stepping stone to something else.

I would also rework or leave out the "what my resume does not reveal" part, as basically you are saying that your resume is already inadequate and they have not even looked at it yet.

I understand what you are saying with the part about the "food service industry", but you say more about your time doing that, than anything you did as an intern working for the City. You mention at the end "I hope that you have discovered these qualities", but you don't speak to those qualities in your time working for the City, so you are asking them to draw conclusions about your work, but are not helping them or "leading" them to the conclusions you want them to make from what you did for the City, and therefore would then make you the obvious choice for the DeputyCC position.

Okay so this was probably more feedback than you were looking for, but it's more just tweaking than anything. You have chosen good and positive words, it reads very well, and you write very well... all of this is just my take on it without knowing anything about the position and all that. It sounds like you know the person you are writing, so adjust to suit your needs.

 

[Clockwork5]

Thanks for the advice! It is all very helpful. Part of the issue I was having with this particular cover letter was the fact that Ms. C is in fact very aware of my skills and performance as an Intern. But your suggestions are spot on. I should not assume this in my cover letter and should definitely market the connection between the DClerk and Intern positions. Thanks again

 

[RobertM]

here's an updated template if anyone wants (Word this time, because some systems wont take PDF, blah. )

and some tips i gathered as I reworked it:

I have a lot of varying skills, since I've worked for startups, but now i'm applying for a finance job. They don't care about my IT or graphic design experience, so keep it to what's relevant.

This is in a different format thanbefore, it's kind of a hybrid format. Some resumes have different sections for achievements and experience, but I combined them. You'll see a blurb after each job and then a list of 'achievements'. This may or may not work for you, but it seemed the most logical to me, and space saving.

This is now updated to use sans serif for the headings and serif for the body (droid sans and droid serif, respectively).



quote to download

Although this looks like an awesome template and I fully approve of it, it doesn't fly with a lot of recruiter so you're better of with traditional resume template. Of course this depends on if you're going to work for Facebook/Google or some local business.

 

[Fireblend]

Here in Costa Rica I think 2 pages is the sweet spot. My resume skills have never failed me (I've used them 3 times now and haven't gotten ignored/rejected once). Here's the first page, for reference (It's made using LaTeX, by the way. People seem to appreciate that):

The second page is a couple more jobs and some other relevant activities (independent development efforts, symposiums I've attended, given lectures at, etc.) I could squeeze everything in one page if I wanted (cut the Interests + Publications section if it's not a very academic job, list only the relevant skills to each job, etc) but as I said 2 pages isn't really bad here.

 

[Zoe]

Here in Costa Rica I think 2 pages is the sweet spot. My resume skills have never failed me (I've used them 3 times now and haven't gotten ignored/rejected once). Here's the first page, for reference (It's made using LaTeX, by the way. People seem to appreciate that):

Why do you list your birth date?

 

[kai3345]

Sorry to bump the thread but I've got a quick question

So right now I'm filling out my resume to apply for a student internship at Rev3 Games and I recently did an interview with Adam Sessler, who also happens to be the Executive Producer of the site.

What would be the best way to go about including that? Do I put it in experience? Make another category?

I want to put it in because it shows that:
-I was able to shoot and edit a video (a required skill for the position)
-I was able to conduct an interview (a skill that would be useful for potential future positions in the company)
-It shows that I met Adam Sessler, one of the big dudes at the place I'm applying for. Who also said he was impressed by my interview.

 

[Clockwork5]

Sorry to bump the thread but I've got a quick question

So right now I'm filling out my resume to apply for a student internship at Rev3 Games and I recently did an interview with Adam Sessler, who also happens to be the Executive Producer of the site.

What would be the best way to go about including that? Do I put it in experience? Make another category?

I want to put it in because it shows that:
-I was able to shoot and edit a video (a required skill for the position)
-I was able to conduct an interview (a skill that would be useful for potential future positions in the company)
-It shows that I met Adam Sessler, one of the big dudes at the place I'm applying for. Who also said he was impressed by my interview.

Depending on what your experience section looks like i can see how this would look out of place.

Are there other short term projects or honors that you have received ( even just one or two) which you could add to your resume and create an accomplishment's section? Even larger school projects that you are proud of and for which you received positive recognition could apply here.

If so I think that would be a good option.

Regardless, you definitely need to add this as it is directly related to the company to which you are applying. Also, refrain from any embellishment on that project, you never know who might be reading your resume

Good Luck!

 

[beat]

This is somewhat related to job hunting: negotiating salary, IMO, starts with knowing what reasonable salaries are in your field. You can and should check out salary.com and glassdoor.com for salary information where possible. If salary surveys in your field are available (such as the Game Developer magazine salary survey for game developers), check those out as well.

Also, check out the visa data the US government maintains. Christer Ericson posted this a couple of years ago (well, I'm linking to the update) http://realtimecollisiondetection.net/blog/?p=107

One of the most popular articles I've posted on the blog was the one on salaries in the games industry from back in 2008. What made the article extra interesting was that I mined the public H1-B visa database for games companies. Unlike salary surveys, where people can claim arbitrary wages (and the submitted salaries are never posted), the H1-B data contains actual wages! In other words, it is a rare opportunity to get some objective data points on industry salaries.

The website he linked to is still around but obsolete; the government now releases H1-B (etc) wage data over at http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm .

These files are easily 100 MB; you may want to use a text filtering program like "grep" to cut it down to a reasonable size before throwing it into a spreadsheet program.