How to put a resume together? Update- Found a job, Didn't even have to make a Resume ;)

[Eli]

Isn't there software to help you do this?

Any helpful tips?

I have no "real" prior work experience.. I need to find a job, and I figured if I'm able to give any prospective employer a paper telling of my skills and experiences, it might just be that much easier.

 

[Viper GTS]

How coincidental, that's what I'm doing right now...

You have Word 2K? I can e-mail you my resume, if you want something to look at.

I'm no expert at it, but I've done it several times. I'd be happy to let you see what I've put together in the last couple hours.

Viper GTS

 

[dl]

visit my homepage for a sample

basically use word and "tables" is key...

 

[3615buck]

TIP 1 :

Mind the spelling !!!
One single mistake and more than 50% of the companies won't even read it any further...

I cannot give you more tips, there are probably too many differences between Belgium and the States...

 

[403Forbidden]

keep it at one page maximum!!!!

the only people that should have more than one page
are senior level people looking for lateral
job changes

 

[Viper GTS]

Keeping it to one page is damned hard, especially if you have two previous employers, an education, & a decent set of skills.

But it does need to be done...

Viper GTS

 

[glenn1]

Eli, is this intended to be a "generic" resume that you could send to any potential employer, or are you trying to create a resume for a particular field/job position? Depending on your answer, you could use quite a few different techniques to help you write it.

 

[Eli]

I'd say pretty generic.. Just something to give the employer a general idea the kind of person I am. I really have no idea what kind of job I may get hired for.

Viper- I don't have Word 2k .. Heh.. Is there just a viewer I could download?

dl- Man, I wish my resume could boast all those things.

I have a very high mechanical aptitude. I took and completed the Foley Belsaw Course of Small Engine Repair when I was 14(This isn't the field I'm interested in as a career, but it must count for something, eh?). I have been collecting and restoring antique small engines since I was ~14; That's what made me want to take the course.

I've been into electronics since I was a child(I used to get light bulbs as presents...), and have a good basic knowledge of electronics, particularly electromagnetics. I went through a phase in 5th grade where I was absolutely nuts about electromagnetic motors, and I read every book I could find in the Clackamas County Library system on them, and have successfully built a few. I've taken apart just about every piece of electronic equipment imaginable.. Heh.. Right now, I'm into computers (Duh..), and have been upgrading/building my own systems for the last several years. From my first 486SX/25 with DOS/Win 3.1, to my current K6-3/450. I've built a couple Athlon systems for friends. I'm knowledgable and up to date in Computer Hardware, and can navigate around even unfamiliar sofware with ease. I know Windows 95/98, and am learning Win2k, which I am currently using as my OS. I do not know a whole lot about Networking.

Another one of my interests has been plants/trees, particularly the coniferous(cone bearing) types. I've been growing them from seed since I was 10 or 11. I have a high understanding and knowledge of the fundamentals of plant growth, propagation, etc. My first "real" book that was given to me as a child was the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. It is a 1500+ page book, that I have read through probably 2-3 times.

I "worked" for my mom's Natural healthfood store, doing things such as taking wholesale produce orders, restocking, janitorial work..

I just completed my GED recently, and scored as follows:

Writing - 50 - 53%
Social studies - 64 - 93%
Science - 66 - 96%
Reading - 61 - 88%
Math - 52 - 55%

My writing score kind of baffles me, because I'm a strong writer. I placed into WR121 and passed with a B when I was doing some special "Highschool Catchup" program my local community college offers. They must not have liked my essay or somethin. Maybe it was just a bad day for me. Heh. My weak point is definately math. I only know basic math.


You know, I really have no idea why I'm telling you all this, but I didn't know what else to say. Hehe. I would guess that letting a prospective employer know some of these things would be a good idea, yes/no?

 

[glenn1]

One more question Eli... what type of position are you looking for? I don't mean this to sound demeaning, but for certain positions, a resume might neither be helpful, nor even required. If you are looking for an entry-level technical, non-professional type position, you might be better off just filling out the generic employment application. Just have a good pre-prepared material which will highlight your skills (and quantify them as much as possible... anything with written records or qualification results is best), demonstrable (and again, preferrably documented) traits an employer would find desirable, and a list of your aptitudes, specifically relating them to particular job skills an employer would be looking for (i.e. administrative tasks, problem solving ability, ability to work independently and/or in team work settings).

Let me know what type of position you have in mind, and i could perhaps offer some more concrete suggestions. Feel free to email or PM me if you like.

Best of luck to you

 

[Eli]

Entry level technician, yes. Entry level assembly also interests me. Mechanic assistant/helper. I'd be willing to do entry level anything. But I'm not willing to work at a fast food place, or a gas station. I'm better than that. I'd rather not work in a retail outlet, either.


I really could do anything I could get hired for, I feel. I just don't like going to employers going "Durr.. Hire me, please?" It feels to me like they're missing out on who I really am, my interests and skills, etc. I feel that if they knew me on a personal level, they'd want me to be apart of their team.

 

[Viper GTS]

Word viewer... Probably somewhere. You have any kind of Word? 95, even? Any word processor at all?

Viper GTS

 

[nEoTeChMaN]

I have a very good resume which got me the job I wanted.

Email me for a copy.

 

[axelfox]

This is good, cuz I have a bunch of alumni coming for a career fair type of thing, and I want to present my resume to them. There is one for "business" and "business and technology." I'm going to both, but look forward to the business and technology one later this month.

So I guess the best thing is to create a generic resume that i can pass to anybody. If I apply for a specific job, then I'll have to tailor it.

 

[jman7272]

The myth that your resume should not be more than one page is absolutely outdated! You can argue this point to the hilton, but I work for an International resume database service. We process 850,000 resumes per month during out off season and scale to 1.4+ million during the "hiring" season.
I can tell you that from years of experience within this organization, I have seen just about every type of international, domestic, professional, trade resume written. Our company stats are that 93.27% of our resumes databased in 1999 consisted of more than one page (not including a cover sheet). 72.71% were two or greater. Three or greater constituted a significantly greater drop, (<20%).

Fact is that as technology takes over and job descriptions grow, you cannot just say &quot;I was a net admin&quot; anymore because there are countless variations to the title. This forces individuals to elaborate, thus, consuming space. But surprise! Employers WANT to read what you write, (provided it is not fill). Don't write that you were an Athletic Footware Technitian if you worked at a Foot Locker. If you have experience/important facts to add, they DO push you ahead of the candidate who might be equally as qualified, but didn't list it. This myth about one page is obsolete and if from a hiring/job seeking era of years past, and pre dot.com.

Good luck.

 

[xtreme2k]

keep it short and concise

be honest and truthful

tell them you experience and that you are capable of doing the job and the responsiblity

make sure grammer and spelling are correct

good luck

 

[highme]

here is version 2.0 of mine

It went out with a couple of changes in punctuation.
There was no way I could have communicated my skills, experience, education, and references in only one page. Also, where you read &quot;Experience Cont.&quot; is a page break on paper that didn't translate to the web page, but I wasn't about to decipher Word 2000 cluttered HTML to cut it out.

But, write, read, re-write, re-read, have somebody else read, re-write.



Maybe you could go to the Tackamas Clown Center for a job, but oh wait, retail sucks.

 

[Eli]

Tackamas Town Center?

Is that anything like the Clackamas Town Center, or the Beaverton Town Square?


Thanks for the tips, guys.. I was hoping for some comments on the worthiness of some of my passed experiences and skills, I really don't even know where to start. Since I have no prior work experience, and documented skills (Except for the Diplomas I got for completeing that Small Engine correspondence course), I really don't know what I should put, heh.

 

[lowtech1]

Viper GTS,

Save your Word Document as Rich Text Format, then WordPad will retain all your formatting


Eli,

If you don't have many skills then try for one page format, other wise 2 pages is fine.

Uses 12 points font.

First page should have the job objective, then try to fill out the page with all skills that related to the job...such as work experiences, volunteer, hobbies, and personality.

The employing trend today is weighted heavily on personality so don?t forget to mention it in your CV. and cover letter.

And, don't forget to wear a smile to the interview.

Good huning!

 

[403Forbidden]

keep it one page...

it impresses people when you can say alot in a very tight space...

if you use more than one page, you better damn well be sure that
it is ALL impressive

 

[kduncan5]

Just completed my resume:

Page#1. Cover letter

Page#2. Resume (education, experience, skills)

Page#3. References

Page#4. Letter of Recommendation from Regional Accountant.

I put it on disk so I can send it to businesses online (couldn't get the letter of rec. on disk - don't have a scanner).

Hope it gets me a good one! (if it's too long, oh well.....) -kd5-

 

[Eli]

Welp, I have a job interview tomorrow at 10:30 for a General Assembly job.. Didn't even have to make a resume. Cool. It's right across the street from the Intel Jones Farm campus. Hehe. 7.70/hr. Swing shift. Cool cool. I'll letcha guys know how it turns out

 

[kami]

Make sure it looks appealing and unique. Most employers get tons of resumes and I was surprised to find out that your resume has about 10 seconds to make a good impression on the employer. And one single mistake..spacing, spelling, anything... your resume will probably be tossed right away.

 

[Eli]

Woohoo! I got the job. Here's the place I'll be working for, ZMan Magnetics. I'm stoked.