• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Rip my Resume (or offer helpful advice!)

S

simms

Diamond Member
I've been to a few resume seminars and got a few people to offer their input. I'm now seeing your opinion on any improvements or comments.

Here you go! - edit 1, two pages

Here - edit 2, now one page and changed some stuff around.

Here - edit 3, moved skill sets to the bottom.

Thanks!

 
looks pretty good actually

edit: oops. i thought it was only one page. average time spent looking at resumes is 15 seconds; you don't want one longer than 1 page...
 
Don't put "ref avail upon req" on your resume, if your employer wants it, they'll ask for it. A "summary of qualifications" would help or an objective(though I've heard objectives are out these days)
 
Originally posted by: darkxshade
Don't put "ref avail upon req" on your resume, if your employer wants it, they'll ask for it. A "summary of qualifications" would help or an objective(though I've heard objectives are out these days)
Click to expand...
Objectives are stupid. If you're qualified for the job, they'll call you. Having an objective on your resume won't change that.
 
Originally posted by: faenix
It's too long. Cut it down to one page.
Click to expand...

I originally had it at one page, but then my GF suggested I put two to elaborate on project works that could be useful.

I figure that if they don't want to read my resume, they don't have to, but if they're interested, they can keep reading to find out more information that could persuade them to call me. I think in general you don't want to sell yourself short, and if someone is not interested, it should be regardless of the length of the resume.

But if someone is interested and wants to know a bit more, the second page would provide some more information? Or maybe they are really looking for a team player or something that you wouldn't really put on the first page. That could help too.

Which sections would you recommend I keep in a one page resume? I don't think I can condense all of it down to one page.
 
since you know html, php, etc you should create a website with all the info you would like to fit into your resume but can't to save space then create your 1 page resume with a ref to your site. Then put the absolute most important and relevant info into 1 page for your resume.
 
keep it to 1 page, recruiters look at handful of resume, you don't want an essay, but an description of how you qualify for the job
 
1. I don't know what e-mail address you are going to use, but whatever it is, make it professional possible. Bad: thuglife30@hotmail.com, Good: leungs@gmail.com.
2. Spell "honour" like "honor." This also depends on if you are applying for a job in the U.S.. If where you're from they spell "color" like "colour", I guess you should leave it.


 
It wouldn't open for me for some reason. But in regards to length I heard when I last brought my resume in to the folks on campus that essentially when people are looking through resumes they look at the top third of the resume and if that doesn't grab them they toss it. They also said they typically spend less than 10-20 seconds on a first pass of a resume.

So keep it brief and keep what you want to emphasize near the top.
 
Originally posted by: simms
Originally posted by: faenix
It's too long. Cut it down to one page.
Click to expand...

I originally had it at one page, but then my GF suggested I put two to elaborate on project works that could be useful.

I figure that if they don't want to read my resume, they don't have to, but if they're interested, they can keep reading to find out more information that could persuade them to call me. I think in general you don't want to sell yourself short, and if someone is not interested, it should be regardless of the length of the resume.

But if someone is interested and wants to know a bit more, the second page would provide some more information? Or maybe they are really looking for a team player or something that you wouldn't really put on the first page. That could help too.

Which sections would you recommend I keep in a one page resume? I don't think I can condense all of it down to one page.
Click to expand...

The thought of needing a longer resume is a bit of a myth though. It's like when people say with essays you can just add a bit of BS to fill it out. Employers know when you're padding it just as much as a professor knows you're padding an essay.

And hobbies? 😉
 
Originally posted by: state 08
1. I don't know what e-mail address you are going to use, but whatever it is, make it professional possible. Bad: thuglife30@hotmail.com, Good: leungs@gmail.com.
2. Spell "honour" like "honor." This also depends on if you are applying for a job in the U.S.. If where you're from they spell "color" like "colour", I guess you should leave it.
Click to expand...

1. Yep, I use my utoronto.ca address. Just took it out for this edit 🙂
2. Canada has the "U" in words: favourite, honours, neighbour. But that's an excellent point when I send the resume to the USA.

Hmm... I totally understand where everyone is coming from with the 1 page. But why NOT two? My cover letter is one page and THAT describes how I qualify for the job, but shouldn't the resume showcase a bit of everything?
 
Originally posted by: Strk
Originally posted by: simms
Originally posted by: faenix
It's too long. Cut it down to one page.
Click to expand...

I originally had it at one page, but then my GF suggested I put two to elaborate on project works that could be useful.

I figure that if they don't want to read my resume, they don't have to, but if they're interested, they can keep reading to find out more information that could persuade them to call me. I think in general you don't want to sell yourself short, and if someone is not interested, it should be regardless of the length of the resume.

But if someone is interested and wants to know a bit more, the second page would provide some more information? Or maybe they are really looking for a team player or something that you wouldn't really put on the first page. That could help too.

Which sections would you recommend I keep in a one page resume? I don't think I can condense all of it down to one page.
Click to expand...

The thought of needing a longer resume is a bit of a myth though. It's like when people say with essays you can just add a bit of BS to fill it out. Employers know when you're padding it just as much as a professor knows you're padding an essay.

And hobbies? 😉
Click to expand...

Hobbies are there... it's the second last line 🙂 There's a bit of dilemma, if it's one page I can't desribe enough in it. Two seems too long, but if I make it 1.5 it doesn't look right with so much whitespace.
 
Originally posted by: simms
Originally posted by: state 08
1. I don't know what e-mail address you are going to use, but whatever it is, make it professional possible. Bad: thuglife30@hotmail.com, Good: leungs@gmail.com.
2. Spell "honour" like "honor." This also depends on if you are applying for a job in the U.S.. If where you're from they spell "color" like "colour", I guess you should leave it.
Click to expand...

1. Yep, I use my utoronto.ca address. Just took it out for this edit 🙂
2. Canada has the "U" in words: favourite, honours, neighbour. But that's an excellent point when I send the resume to the USA.

Hmm... I totally understand where everyone is coming from with the 1 page. But why NOT two? My cover letter is one page and THAT describes how I qualify for the job, but shouldn't the resume showcase a bit of everything?
Click to expand...

Two is fine, but a recent college graduate with two full pages is, well, padded and it is a bit apparent (i.e. I was a lifeguard and this is what one does).
 
Originally posted by: Strk
Originally posted by: simms
Originally posted by: state 08
1. I don't know what e-mail address you are going to use, but whatever it is, make it professional possible. Bad: thuglife30@hotmail.com, Good: leungs@gmail.com.
2. Spell "honour" like "honor." This also depends on if you are applying for a job in the U.S.. If where you're from they spell "color" like "colour", I guess you should leave it.
Click to expand...

1. Yep, I use my utoronto.ca address. Just took it out for this edit 🙂
2. Canada has the "U" in words: favourite, honours, neighbour. But that's an excellent point when I send the resume to the USA.

Hmm... I totally understand where everyone is coming from with the 1 page. But why NOT two? My cover letter is one page and THAT describes how I qualify for the job, but shouldn't the resume showcase a bit of everything?
Click to expand...

Two is fine, but a recent college graduate with two full pages is, well, padded and it is a bit apparent (i.e. I was a lifeguard and this is what one does).
Click to expand...

Two pages is fine only if you have the experience to justify that two pages, which most college grads don't have. You might want to take out items that are not relevant to the position you are seeking like the lifeguard and aquatics instructor. A hobbies section doesn't exactly help in getting your resume noticed, I think its mostly for something to talk about during an interview (if you run out of material)
 
Originally posted by: talyn00
Originally posted by: Strk
Originally posted by: simms
Originally posted by: state 08
1. I don't know what e-mail address you are going to use, but whatever it is, make it professional possible. Bad: thuglife30@hotmail.com, Good: leungs@gmail.com.
2. Spell "honour" like "honor." This also depends on if you are applying for a job in the U.S.. If where you're from they spell "color" like "colour", I guess you should leave it.
Click to expand...

1. Yep, I use my utoronto.ca address. Just took it out for this edit 🙂
2. Canada has the "U" in words: favourite, honours, neighbour. But that's an excellent point when I send the resume to the USA.

Hmm... I totally understand where everyone is coming from with the 1 page. But why NOT two? My cover letter is one page and THAT describes how I qualify for the job, but shouldn't the resume showcase a bit of everything?
Click to expand...

Two is fine, but a recent college graduate with two full pages is, well, padded and it is a bit apparent (i.e. I was a lifeguard and this is what one does).
Click to expand...

Two pages is fine only if you have the experience to justify that two pages, which most college grads don't have. You might want to take out items that are not relevant to the position you are seeking like the lifeguard and aquatics instructor. A hobbies section doesn't exactly help in getting your resume noticed, I think its mostly for something to talk about during an interview (if you run out of material)
Click to expand...

Good points. The only reason why I put the lifeguard job was because I've been working it for 5 years now, which may show dedication a company (ie: the company that will hire me may see me as a stable employee).

Hobbies was only one sentence under the 'other' category - and that's exactly why its there, something to talk about in case it needs to be brought up.

But I understand everyone's points and I'll see if I can make the material shorter. How is the text size? If I shink the text size a bit maybe I can fit some more... I think it's size 12 right now - how's 10?
 
I like to think I know what I'm doing when reading a resume as I interviewed over 30 people this past year and I have 8 interviews on Monday for an internship at our firm....

Change your major to BS rather than Bachelor
Your grduation date should be changed to "expected" Juine of 2007 or December 2007 or April 2007, no just 2007.

Create an objective, try and tailor it to each position your are looking at. Assuming your looking for an Internship where I can use my technical and education experience to .......

1 page is a must - only time you are permitted to have 2-pages is when you have at least 2-3-prior jobs and ten years experience

Everything should be past tense:
"Manages" should be Managed "Budgets" Budgeted "works" Worked "deleages" delegated .........................................

You have got way too much fluff and not enough substance, hence why your resume is 2 pages. Your Lifeguard experience should be one line as in "lifeguard Date to Date"
Awards need explaing if they are that important.

You need to focus your resume on your skills that an employer is going to be looking at and hiring you for. Fluff needs to be removed as it's meaningless, if they ask, discuss in detail.
Also, on any of your jobs did you achieve or accomplish anything as in made a change or a difference. You say you performed a feasibilikty study, great, did you make recommendations, did they occur, what was the outcome, "did you create change?"

You being elected as team leader is fluff, yea for you, but honestly your employer could care less you were elected. It should read "Led team of 5 and implemented .............


Best of luck and your's isn't really that bad except the 2-page thing, everyone knows if you have no real job experience it should be 1 page. Your ignorance of this fact makes you look like you didn't do your research and your not taking your search seriously, that or your a rebel who just gives a flying fvckabout societys rules..........



 
Originally posted by: Fmr12B
I like to think I know what I'm doing when reading a resume as I interviewed over 30 people this past year and I have 8 interviews on Monday for an internship at our firm....

Change your major to BS rather than Bachelor
Your grduation date should be changed to "expected" Juine of 2007 or December 2007 or April 2007, no just 2007.

Create an objective, try and tailor it to each position your are looking at. Assuming your looking for an Internship where I can use my technical and education experience to .......

1 page is a must - only time you are permitted to have 2-pages is when you have at least 2-3-prior jobs and ten years experience

Everything should be past tense:
"Manages" should be Managed "Budgets" Budgeted "works" Worked "deleages" delegated .........................................

You have got way too much fluff and not enough substance, hence why your resume is 2 pages. Your Lifeguard experience should be one line as in "lifeguard Date to Date"
Awards need explaing if they are that important.

You need to focus your resume on your skills that an employer is going to be looking at and hiring you for. Fluff needs to be removed as it's meaningless, if they ask, discuss in detail.
Also, on any of your jobs did you achieve or accomplish anything as in made a change or a difference. You say you performed a feasibilikty study, great, did you make recommendations, did they occur, what was the outcome, "did you create change?"

You being elected as team leader is fluff, yea for you, but honestly your employer could care less you were elected. It should read "Led team of 5 and implemented .............


Best of luck and your's isn't really that bad except the 2-page thing, everyone knows if you have no real job experience it should be 1 page. Your ignorance of this fact makes you look like you didn't do your research and your not taking your search seriously, that or your a rebel who just gives a flying fvckabout societys rules..........
Click to expand...

Thanks. A few questions: What do you mean by change bachelors to BS? I am getting a BASc if that's what you mean; and what text should be replaced?

Everything in the past is in past tense. If there is anything still in the present tense, that is because I am still presently doing that job/position.

I cut it down to one page by making the font and sizing smaller. I also followed your recommendation and cut out extra fluff, removed the hobbies, put languages under skill set and edited some descriptions to invoke change.

Thanks for the points, keep them coming.

Here - password is the same.
 
too long. make it one page. also, do away with the line on top. That will screw up the resume scanners. what i have heard is that if you copy and paste it into notepad, it should keep the formatting almost identically.
 
Originally posted by: ucdbiendog
too long. make it one page. also, do away with the line on top. That will screw up the resume scanners. what i have heard is that if you copy and paste it into notepad, it should keep the formatting almost identically.
Click to expand...

The resume is one page. I just updated the OP as you were typing.

The text copies fine into notepad...

Text

however if the window is minimized then the formatting is messed up a bit, but it should be fine if it's parsed.
 
Originally posted by: ucdbiendog
too long. make it one page. also, do away with the line on top. That will screw up the resume scanners. what i have heard is that if you copy and paste it into notepad, it should keep the formatting almost identically.
Click to expand...

i'm guessing you didnt look at his updated one, which is 1 page.

The updated version looks good. As for what ucdbiendog said about copy and pasting into notepad, the formatting will almost always be messed up if you do that. However you should maintain a plain text version, because you can easily copy and paste it on online job applications.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top