Any changes I should make, I am going to make the references look nicer, but aside from that anything else I should keep in mind?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Updated resume.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Reupdated.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
Did you drink 5 things of caffeine again? Also, it might not be a good idea to share so willingly your personal info.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Remove the objective - it's completely unnecessary, and practically all employers acknowledge this.
Include phone numbers for all of your previous employers. You'll want to be more specific about what you did there beyond "general duties," and more specific about date ranges when you worked there (month/year to month/year). References are also a good idea.
This may be because the document's presented in HTML rather than in your word processor, but you have a bunch of formatting errors, e.g. a missing line break.
Don't say "experience with..." Be more specific about your level of expertise. "Experience with Microsoft Office" can mean anything from "I know how to open a document" to "I have eight years of experience creating business-level documents in a professional capacity."
Because your job history has nothing to do with technology, it'd be a good idea to list relevant coursework you've completed, along with your grades. It's an even better idea to detail any projects you completed/contributed to.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
Damn. Once again erosomniac offers pertinent and highly useful advice that is far beyond what you might expect.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
You'll also want to get your OWN domain, instead of linking to a class project site. I know I would never personally hire a techie who was so uninterested in having his own space that his site was a subfolder.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
doesn't that cost money?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Well, yes. So does a new suit, and you'd wear that to a job interview, too.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: You'll also want to get your OWN domain, instead of linking to a class project site. I know I would never personally hire a techie who was so uninterested in having his own space that his site was a subfolder.
You would seriously look at an application from a student and decline it based on their site being hosted on their school's free space?
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
I setup my own domain, as well as the web server, database, and development framework. At the interview for my current job, I referenced this work a couple of times. I think it paid off.
Also, I agree that a 'techie' using a subfolder would rate lower than a techie with their own domain.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:You would seriously look at an application from a student and decline it based on their site being hosted on their school's free space?
Well, honestly, with the job market being what it is, I probably wouldn't seriously look at an application from a student. We had an opening for a level 1 tech support position in the paper last month; we got 110 applications.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
How bizarre. It's a prospective's market here, by far.
I also don't think any of the software engineers, QA engineers or support technicians I know--roughly two dozen, most of whom work for Google, Cisco, Amazon or Microsoft--have their own website at all, beyond possibly a blog/myspace/facebook.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Yeah, there's a lot of demand for decent programmers here. We're always having promising people given better offers before or soon after they come work for us.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
If I were you, Blayne, I'd remove the link to my homepage. In fact, I'd host the resume elsewhere so it's not possible to use the url to find your homepage.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
why? I edited out anything political from the FAQ subpage.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
You probably don't want to put things like your blog where potential employers can see it. If you have a page that they'll be looking at, you'll want it to be more professional than personal, I would think. Also, it's not a particularly well-designed webpage, and if you're looking for a CS job, that's not the sort of thing you want employers to see.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Note fugu's caveat: "decent programmers."
There's no bottom in this market anymore; entry level jobs are disappearing or being transferred to consultants and retail.
Posted by Pegasus (Member # 10464) on :
The small company I work for did some work for a guy was doing some sort of techie-for-hire type thing. I dunno if he did installed networks or fixed hardware or what. The odd thing was that this guy needed extensive instruction on how to attach a file to an email that he needed to send us. Based on our observations, I would not recommend him doing any work for us. (not that it was considered, or is likely to be)
I guess the point is, downplay any negatives or anything sub-par and accentuate the positives. Frequently it helps to have a third party help in figuring out which is which.
Posted by HollowEarth (Member # 2586) on :
If your really going to put your resume on your website, either post it as a pdf, or make the html look decent.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Yeah, that's a good suggestion. It's easier to print it that way, or send it as an attachment, and you have complete control over formatting.
Plus, you should probably use CSS for formatting instead of HTML.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
use a single font. mixing arial with TNR in one sentence looks bad Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Oh, we don't require any experience, just the ability to think about programming. Our jobs are definitely entry level for programming. Someone who takes the right range of courses in undergrad to give them some real programming chops, combined with a decent analytical mental toolkit, will get hired right up (unfortunately, usually by someone else).
But yeah, if for some reason we were out to hire people who did not have the skills needed for the jobs we need people for, we would have no problem finding applicants .
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I saved it froom MS Office as an html.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Explain what landscaping assistant is, were you planning things or just grunt labor? Does Winter of 2007 mean January to March or December?
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
That is never a good way to create html.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by Shigosei: You probably don't want to put things like your blog where potential employers can see it. If you have a page that they'll be looking at, you'll want it to be more professional than personal, I would think. Also, it's not a particularly well-designed webpage, and if you're looking for a CS job, that's not the sort of thing you want employers to see.
Agreed wholeheartedly. Presenting your resume this way seems tacky. Put it in a PDF and host it online if you must, but don't do this.
Also, as a novice at getting this kind of job, I suggest you use a resume-wizard on Microsoft office just to be sure you cover all the basics of the CV and get it to look decent. Despite popular (and wrong) opinion, it's entirely respectable to hand in a stock format CV. It makes the CVs easier to read for the interviewer. I realize some people think the wizard is for losers, but why do all the extra work? Why not seem efficient and businesslike?
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Also agreed, a wizard could help this. You should have one if you have office.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Wouldn't computer languages be better to go first, since they're the more pertinent skills?
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Also, list your experience in chronological order, unless you have a really good reason for putting an older job first (like that older job matches extremely well with the job you are looking for).
-Bok
EDIT: Also, your school should have an office that can help with job interview/resume tactics and tips. I would listen to them much more than us (especially since there may be quirks in Canadian hiring practices that differ from the largely US response you'll get here).
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I did make the CV using the MS office wizard, there are soem oddities because I c and p'd from another resume my references.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
It's already been said, but you'd be really well served by going into greater detail on your educational background, and greater detail on your skills section.
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
SQL is not a language; put it under 'Other skills' or something.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
KoM: SQL is a language. Hence "Structured Query Language".
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
quote:SQL is not a language; put it under 'Other skills' or something.
Since he doesn't refer to it as a programming language, it's acceptable.
Blayne, no offense but the resume is rather... well... short. I understand you don't have any tangible experience yet, and are trying to do so, but I don't think it helps to have a resume that consists 90% of the fact that you were a dishwasher at a pizza joint.
The only reference you make to your exposure to IT is through college, so if that's all yo got there's no real reason for a resume to begin with.
Since you are still in your early years, try to list relevant things that might not necessary be jobs. When I was your age and putting together a resume, I mentioned my involvement in school clubs (computer club, astronomy, etc...), my game development experience (yes, even my exposure to "hacking" video games), etc... To this day my resume still have some of the personal game development work I've done, which wasn't for any corporate entity to speak of.
If you're looking for an IT job, saying you went to college for it doesn't mean a lot. IT people look for hands on experience, and you have to show something. Even if it is BS or pseudo-made up, it's still something.
quote:I also don't think any of the software engineers, QA engineers or support technicians I know--roughly two dozen, most of whom work for Google, Cisco, Amazon or Microsoft--have their own website at all, beyond possibly a blog/myspace/facebook.
I've been in the industry for over twenty years and I don't have one. Of course, by now I probably don't *need* one...
When I had to provide a resume, I emailed it as an attachment. I never pointed them to a web page, because that restricts the visibility of it to online. Make it a Word document so that it can respect the pagination and formatting, and your prospective employers can then print it whenever they want (online or not) and it will look the way you want it regardless.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
Blayne, Does your college have an career advice/placement center? I'd highly recommend you taking advantage of it if you can. I think you're going to need more help getting a programming job than people on Hatrack can give you.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Putting on a webpage makes it more easily accessible for the purposes of hey, I dont have it on me right now... but I DO have it on my nifty webpage...
Also I am taking advantage of my teachers and/or the job helpe rpeople to make my resume but getting input from all availiable and experienced sources is to be advantages.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
I think that if you're in a situation where you should have your resume, you should have your resume. If you're promoting yourself in a random conversation, what makes you think that someone is going to remember that long address without having it written down?
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
"I don't have a resume on me. Why don't I get your card and I can email it to you once I get home?"
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Here's my webpage version for those without Office or a word viewer.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
The same thing applies. Or, you could pdf it and save it in your email account. That way you could jump on his computer and email it to him or print it out right then.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Wouldnt it earn points though to cleverly and subtly show him the webpage and display my skills?
Posted by Fusiachi (Member # 7376) on :
At this point, no, it wouldn't.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
It could, but you'd need to learn proper web design first, Blayne...
And most people won't care and prefer a word document. It's easier to save and send to other people who may interview you.
-Bok
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
grr conversation to pdf will only be done in 2 hours grr.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
2 hours? It takes something like a second.
Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
In the Objectives section, only 1. is an objective. All the rest are skills you currently have.
[ November 12, 2007, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Morbo ]
Posted by Fusiachi (Member # 7376) on :
(I endorse the PDF idea. It gives you control of your document's presentation, independent of the platform on which it is viewed. All of the elements are fixed, and PDF is a well-supported format.)
On the rare occasion I've had to email a resume or a similar document, I've forwarded a .doc and a .pdf. Were I in a location that uses open document standards, I might include .odt.
Posted by Sala (Member # 8980) on :
I'm with Morbo. Make another red heading called "Skills" and put your background items 2-7 under it. They aren't objectives.
Posted by Sean (Member # 689) on :
You do need to lose the web link. It's not demonstrating any skills yet I wouldn't assume any CS student either had or could figure out quickly anyway. Once it does, the picture, FAQ, blog and reference to Hatrack are not going to help you.
And yeah, most of the objectives should be under "Skills" or something like that.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
hmm so far the job people, and my teachers seem to think the updated version of my resume is okay, just needs my cell.
Posted by adfectio (Member # 11070) on :
Blayne, about the only advice I can give you is to put as many references on there as possible. Good ones, of course, but if I were hiring, and I saw, 'references available upon request', I'd probably toss the resume. If they have 100+ to go through, and you have a short resume telling them they have to do extra effort to get all your information, especially information you know they'll want, then that would be a downside for me. However, that may be a personal thing.
pdf format is a must. Use Google Docs, if you must, it's free, and you already have a gmail account, so why not?
And please, I mean this in the nicest way, but if you're trying to appear professional, don't list your homepage that starts out "Hullo, this is my homepage." with a picture of a cluttered workspace.
I don't mean to offend you in anyway, those are just things I noticed after looking through.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I was told not to list references on a resume, and that "references available on request" was just automatically understood. Then again, I have trouble fitting my resume on one page.
-pH
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I do it to save space, pretty much everyone I talk to says the same theyre arent exactly 100 people competing for these jobs.
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
Doesn't matter if there are a hundred applicants or six. If there's only five jobs available, you don't want to be the resume that gets thrown away.
Or better yet, don't just try to sneak by. Build your resume as if there are a thousand applicants and only one position available. Regardless, you need it to be the best it can.
Personally, I just attach a second page with references and all their contact information. And as I learned recently, their hours of availability can be useful too. This way it doesn't take up resume-space and they don't have to request it.
At this age, a one page resume is what you should be aiming for but make that one page count. Don't leave any space at the bottom. Be detailed and include anything that makes you look good. Coursework, school clubs, volunteer work. Even if its a menial job, you can make it sound like you learned something from it. I worked a movie theatre through high school and part of college and no, it doesn't look good on paper. But I did develop good cash-handling and telephone skills and picked up alot of extra responsibilities because my boss trusted me. And today I just signed on at a bookstore because it saw that I am quick to train and capable in sales. They're already talking about multiple promotions in the upcoming months if I live up to my resume. I'm not saying to over-dramatize any minimum wage job but don't be afraid to promote yourself. If you do it well, you come off as professional, intelligent, and determined.
My dad does alot of hiring as part of his job and he always says that the style and effort put in a resume can speak volumes more than the words themselves.
Posted by scholar (Member # 9232) on :
What do you do if you can't find an old boss's contact info (or if the boss is dead)?
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: hmm so far the job people, and my teachers seem to think the updated version of my resume is okay, just needs my cell.
If you didn't want Hatrack's advice, why did you ask for it?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I do a one-page resume with attached letters of recommendation.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fusiachi: (I endorse the PDF idea. It gives you control of your document's presentation, independent of the platform on which it is viewed. All of the elements are fixed, and PDF is a well-supported format.)
Just be sure to warn people when you link them to one...
--j_k
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
quote:Originally posted by scholar: What do you do if you can't find an old boss's contact info (or if the boss is dead)?
I've had that issue before... How can I be expected to know the address and phone number of an employer I had ten years ago? Besides, my boss back then isn't working there anymore; he's in jail (I'm not kidding about that). If they call my employers back then, they'd probably get a resounding "who?"
Honestly, and I ask this to those of you that do actual hiring: do you go through the effort of calling references? And what if you left your past employers in not-so-favorable circumstances (which has been the story of my life)? I certainly don't want my potential new employer calling an old nemesis.
quote:I do a one-page resume with attached letters of recommendation.
I've tried to fit my resume on to one page; it ain't happening unless I use a font size of three. Heck, my primary resume is three pages, but that's what I get for twenty years in the industry; the way I see it, if I didn't have three pages, what was I doing with my life?
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