resume help

[Gibson486]

My job search sucks You think it is my resume? I have only had 2 serious interviews in the past 3 months. One did not call me back (I really wanted that job) and I was under qualified for the other. You guys mind picking aprt my resume?

Here is a text version....

Education

Northeastern University
Boston, MA
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
May 2007
GPA: 3.0
Achievements: Placed 2nd in circuits lab design competition
Senior Project: Designing detector circuit for use in microwave
(patent application pending)

Skills

-PCB Soldering
-Circuit design and PCB design
-EMI and noise reduction
-Languages: C/C++, Basic, Assembly
-Applications: Matlab, Prism Sound dScope Series III, Audio
Precision series 2700, RealView Developer
-Operating Systems: Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP (Pro), Unix (AMS)

Past Work Highlights

-Wrote company/industry technical documentation in the field of audio amplifiers and board design
-Designed battery charger for current and future product development
-Contributed to a pending patent for a future development circuit
-Ported a third-party debugger to proprietary processor cores by programming a software interface
-Created company test and procedural documentation

Work Experience

Bose Corporation
Framingham, MA
July 2006 - January 2007
Technical Engineer
-Designed battery charger circuit
-Made significant contributions to a pending patent for a switch mode charger circuit
-Aided Engineering development team in testing of future concept products and in research for improvements in fields such as acoustics
-Used Matlab and Unix (AMS) scripts to tabulate data for evaluation
-Tested various headset parameters such as attenuation, audio response and acoustic block on company and competitor headsets
-Debugged and modified circuits for testing purposes

Jam Technologies
Wellesley, MA
July 2005 - May 2006
Hardware Engineer
-Authored company/industry technical documentation on EMI reduction on audio amplifiers and board design as well as company test and procedural
documentation for testing such parameters such as audio response and linearity
-Directly involved and put in charge of EMI testing with third party
-Aided in design and the defining of company test suite
-Put in charge of vendor management and international shipments
-Troubleshot problem devices as well as being responsible for lab bring up
-Chip testing, and board debugging, comparative board testing

Zoran Corporation
Woburn, MA
July 2004 - January 2005
Firmware Engineer
-Ported a third-party debugger to proprietary processor cores
-Built releases for QA and Engineering Tests
-Implemented chip architecture for software to hardware interfacing using C and Assembly

 

[smack Down]

Add more details to the important things. Like "Designed battery charger circuit" that doesn't tell much. Give the details of the design/requirements say what voltage, current, battery type. Talk about the circuit you designed.

 

[Vortex22]

GPA: 3.0
Achievements: Placed 2nd in circuits lab design competition

I would leave those out.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Vortex22

GPA: 3.0
Achievements: Placed 2nd in circuits lab design competition

I would leave those out.

I know the GPA isn't spectactular and mine isn't either. I've heard mixed things about the GPA. Either way they're going to ask you.... If you hide it, they might wonder why you never listed it. Try to put more details like some other people suggested. You know.. fluff things up a bit.

 

[jaybert]

i say keep it in... 3.0 is a respectable GPA for an engineering degree. The people reviewing resumes arent stupid...if you dont leave it in, they know its low...I believe my career services place @ school said to put it in if its above a 2.5 or so.

Dont worry about the GPA, mine was the same and had no problems getting interviews when I looked at switchings jobs a few months ago. More importantly, how are you going about looking for jobs? Are you just submitting your resume on websites? Monster.com/dice.com? Look into getting a recruiter to help you look?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Have you tried to contact the companies that you previously were at.

As a recent grad, you are going to have a problem having Head Hunter people interested in your papers.

Did you participate in the Job Fairs held on campus over the past couple of years.
Talk to some of your instructors, they may have some leads.

Worst case - start going to all the companies along 128 and 495, 3, 9 and turning your papers into them.

There are also a lot of HH in the Boston area. Dig them out and send your papers to them.

You are going to have to be pro-active, not waiting for them to come to you.

All my advise it operating on the assumption that you are still in the Boston area.

If not, the same process should apply w/ the exception of the geographical areas to contact companies in.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: Vortex22

GPA: 3.0
Achievements: Placed 2nd in circuits lab design competition

I would leave those out.

I know the GPA isn't spectactular and mine isn't either. I've heard mixed things about the GPA. Either way they're going to ask you.... If you hide it, they might wonder why you never listed it. Try to put more details like some other people suggested. You know.. fluff things up a bit.

It doesn't need fluff it needs real details listing 6 things you did in as many months makes it look like you didn't really do much of anything. It already has to much fluff.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: jaybert
i say keep it in... 3.0 is a respectable GPA for an engineering degree. The people reviewing resumes arent stupid...if you dont leave it in, they know its low...I believe my career services place @ school said to put it in if its above a 2.5 or so.

Dont worry about the GPA, mine was the same and had no problems getting interviews when I looked at switchings jobs a few months ago. More importantly, how are you going about looking for jobs? Are you just submitting your resume on websites? Monster.com/dice.com? Look into getting a recruiter to help you look?

I have done all three of those (coporate websites, job websites, and recruiters). I feel like i have been black listed or something... As for the recruiters, they are being worthless to me. They call, bring me in, say they are gonna send my resume to all these places, but they never call me back

 

[oogabooga]

you may also want to ask if people will volunteer to read your resume in it's actual doc format. Maybe you can send them it over EM. Even better, if some of the HR people on ATOT want to read it as though they were evaluating you have them do the full deal, cover leader, resume, email, etc. That'd probably get you useful feedback.

Presentation is important.

I'd say I'd show off your work experience first and foremost rather than at the bottom of your resume.

 

[Platypus]

I'd put what kind of position you're actively seeking somewhere in the resume near the top.... also get rid of the highlights section because despite changing the wording up you still have the same things listed twice.

Furthemore, nitpicky, but it's 'UNIX'

There's no reason to list every Windows revision since 95 either.. a simple one liner would suffice.

Hope this helps

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Have you tried to contact the companies that you previously were at.

As a recent grad, you are going to have a problem having Head Hunter people interested in your papers.

Did you participate in the Job Fairs held on campus over the past couple of years.
Talk to some of your instructors, they may have some leads.

Worst case - start going to all the companies along 128 and 495, 3, 9 and turning your papers into them.

There are also a lot of HH in the Boston area. Dig them out and send your papers to them.

You are going to have to be pro-active, not waiting for them to come to you.

All my advise it operating on the assumption that you are still in the Boston area.

If not, the same process should apply w/ the exception of the geographical areas to contact companies in.

here is the thing... I really wanted to go back to Bose. They even said I am in good position to get a job there. They even told me that they were looking for a new graduate. They, however, never contacted me after I left. I have been very proactive in trying to get in contact with the HR person for about the past 2 months, but she never responds to my emails, letters, or calls.

As for the other two....I did not really enjoy my first coop and my second place of coop moved to Texas.

One thing I have been thinking about is contacting a few of my old co workers from my 2nd coop. What I do not want to do is just email them and maing it sound like I am desperate for a job. Any tips on how to do this?

 

[Platypus]

Gibson486, have you tried attending career fairs at your school?

A good tactic for grabbing a job with a fellow past coworker is to ask them if they know any good recruiters because you're seeking a new job. Most places offer a nice referral bonus so it won't bother them to recommend you for a job

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Platypus
Gibson486, have you tried attending career fairs at your school?

A good tactic for grabbing a job with a fellow past coworker is to ask them if they know any good recruiters because you're seeking a new job. Most places offer a nice referral bonus so it won't bother them to recommend you for a job

yeah, that is how I landed an interview that I was not qualified for....

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Platypus
Gibson486, have you tried attending career fairs at your school?

A good tactic for grabbing a job with a fellow past coworker is to ask them if they know any good recruiters because you're seeking a new job. Most places offer a nice referral bonus so it won't bother them to recommend you for a job

yeah, that is how I landed an interview that I was not qualified for....

Not qualified for in what way? Companies do not expect you to know everything fresh out of school.. any good company will recognize potential and train you in the things you're not familiar with. A lot of the 'game' so to speak is how you present yourself. If you're upfront and honest about not knowing how to do something but show a willingness to learn and are confident then you will go far.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Platypus
Gibson486, have you tried attending career fairs at your school?

A good tactic for grabbing a job with a fellow past coworker is to ask them if they know any good recruiters because you're seeking a new job. Most places offer a nice referral bonus so it won't bother them to recommend you for a job

yeah, that is how I landed an interview that I was not qualified for....

Not qualified for in what way? Companies do not expect you to know everything fresh out of school.. any good company will recognize potential and train you in the things you're not familiar with. A lot of the 'game' so to speak is how you present yourself. If you're upfront and honest about not knowing how to do something but show a willingness to learn and are confident then you will go far.

I thought that too. Maybe it was used as a cover up to hide the real reason why they didn't want to hire me.

 

[Reckoner]

Originally posted by: Vortex22

GPA: 3.0
Achievements: Placed 2nd in circuits lab design competition

I would leave those out.

lol, wtf is wrong with a 3.0? It's a solid B last I checked. Oh I forgot, AT is filled with 4.0 MBAs who date Supermodels, coupled with a mistress or two at the summer home :laugh:

 

[Platypus]

A lot of times it simply doesn't make sense at all. It's all about networking and timing a lot of times which is unfair but that's how it works.

Don't get discouraged, you're still fresh out of school with a nice degree and some decent work experience on your belt.

 

[Rogodin2]

Start your own company.

Rogo

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Rogodin2
Start your own company.

Rogo

I actually thought about that a few days ago

 

[DaveSimmons]

Were those 3 positions co-op / internships? They aren't marked as such.

When I first read the work history my first thought was "Gibson can't keep a job for more than 7 months?"

 

[Rogodin2]

hehe

You're young, you've no family to support and you've got skills. Put those skills to work building a business for yourself

Goodluck!

Rogo

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Were those 3 positions co-op / internships? They aren't marked as such.

When I first read the work history my first thought was "Gibson can't keep a job for more than 7 months?"

good point....

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: Gibson486
Bose Corporation
Framingham, MA
July 2006 - January 2007
Technical Engineer
-Designed battery charger circuit
-Made significant contributions to a pending patent for a switch mode charger circuit
-Aided Engineering development team in testing of future concept products and in research for improvements in fields such as acoustics
-Used Matlab and Unix (AMS) scripts to tabulate data for evaluation
-Tested various headset parameters such as attenuation, audio response and acoustic block on company and competitor headsets
-Debugged and modified circuits for testing purposes

There's your problem... kidding.

You have a pretty good resume, quite a bit of experience and respectable grade. There probably isn't anything wrong with you at all, just the luck of the draw. Remember, you graduated in a class of 50+ (EE class size at my college is 100+ per year), and there are likely some people better/same as you resume-wise. Not to mention even more people who graduated in the past and have worked more. Just keep applying, go to job fairs and get yourself out there. Try "hooking up" with people who have "influence" in companies. Lot of people I know got their jobs cause they knew someone in a company...

 

[MasterOfKtulu109]

in your job experience, mention personal achievements (what you learned, leadership stuff, what you improved upon rather than what you actually DID at the job).


take out all the operating systems stuff. knowing windows 95 isnt going to get you hired anywhere, and its assumed that if you have an engineering degree, you know how to use windows.

anything else besides work experience? mention clubs you were in, scholarships you received, etc.


im not sure what it looks like on a sheet of paper, but make sure you have plenty of white space so it doesn't look so crammed.

very top of the resume should have a brief description of what you want (full-time position in the field of EE with an emphasis on....whatever)

 

[jai6638]

Hey.. Just curious how it worked out for you?

Were those 3 positions co-op / internships? They aren't marked as such.

Those are 3 co-ops which are part of Northeastern's co-op program.