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Resume writing

MMike

MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
I'm just curious...I get a lot of resumes from people with a "Career Objective" blurb and a "Summary of skills".

I never read any of it. I only ever skip to the list of work experience.

Are those first two things the "norm" now when creating your resume?
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,396
20,187
Sleazattle
I've been told that the summary part is now the norm. Probably more for HR and recruiter types who want a quick summary and would be just confused by the technical details in the rest of the resume.
 
BurlyShirley

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I've got another interview next week, and was actually wondering about this. They already have a resume, but I've been told to bring one, plus some other materials. Would a shortened version that they can read through quickly be better for an interview, or should I bring a big one, hammer out all my experience, past duties, etc. ?
 
I Are Baboon

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,414
9,424
MTB New England
When browsing through resumes, I'll skip right to the work experience first. If it's looks good, I'll move onto the skills. "Career objective" might as well not even be there AFAIC.

Last time I had an opening, 175 people applied. Reading the work experience first eliminated literally 95% of the candidates.
 
I Are Baboon

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,414
9,424
MTB New England
BurlyShirley said:
I've got another interview next week, and was actually wondering about this. They already have a resume, but I've been told to bring one, plus some other materials. Would a shortened version that they can read through quickly be better for an interview, or should I bring a big one, hammer out all my experience, past duties, etc. ?
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If they already have a resume and want to bring you in for an interview, bring the same resume they already have, that way if you discuss it you'll be on the same page.
 
Greyhound

Greyhound

Trail Rat
Jul 8, 2002
5,065
365
Alamance County, NC
From someone who has read a lot of them and, due to being unemployed, has now sent a metric fvckton of them out....it all depends on the audience.

But since I still don't have a job, I highly doubt I am qualified to answer. :D
 
cadmus

cadmus

Monkey
May 24, 2006
755
0
PNW
It seems like restating the obvious to me. Looking over one today "To obtain an analyst position in Information Services"..... great, because that's what you applied for.
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,396
20,187
Sleazattle
Greyhound said:
From someone who has read a lot of them and, due to being unemployed, has now sent a metric fvckton of them out....it all depends on the audience.

But since I still don't have a job, I highly doubt I am qualified to answer. :D
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My guess is that if you are sending the resume to a recruiter or HR type put the poofy summaries in that is all they are going to read. If it is going directly to the hiring manager cut to the chase.
 
binary visions

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,098
1,144
NC
I think it's pretty normal to have a two page resume now, if you have the experience for it.

I got a 3.5 page resume to look over the other day, absolutely chock-full of spelling, grammar and formatting errors. Had I been the hiring manager, I wouldn't have seen anything other than that because it would have gone into the trash. I was asked to read it, though, so I also found a dozen misused technical terms, statements that were directly at odds with statements above or below them, and strange blocks of "skills" sprinkled randomly through the resume that said things like, "Skills: CPU/RAM/Router"
 
binary visions

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,098
1,144
NC
P.S. I think the "skills" section is important for hiring in the IT world. I had multiple hiring managers tell me to put an objective statement in there, though. I hate it, WTF do you think my objective is? I'm applying for a job. I imagine my objective is to work for the department I'm sending the application to, in the job I am applying for.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,148
13,319
Portland, OR
I had one recruiter ask for my entire resume history, it was 4 pages and was painful to look at. The bulk of my resume and need to know info is on the first page, the rest is just where I've been and random things I've done at each place.
 
moff_quigley

moff_quigley

Why don't you have a seat over there?
Jan 27, 2005
4,402
2
Poseurville
Name: MMike
Occupation: Source of Hatred
Summary of Skills: You'll hate me when you meet me. Possibly before.
Hobbies: Being hated on teh internets
 
TN

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
nope....name & info in the header then work experience starting with my most recent. my experience & my reel is what has always landed me my jobs.
 
KavuRider

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
Interestingly enough, none of the insurance/finance jobs I've had required me to submit a resume, just show up for the interview. I guess that's where networking really comes in handy.

Although I did just have mine professionally re-done. And of course, the job I just landed didn't require one either.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,859
24,453
media blackout
MMike said:
How topical.....this just appeared in my inbox.

He won't be getting the job.

Most obnoxious resume ever.
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If I were a cricket coach I would consider him.


MMike said:
Ok another question. I'm up over the 16+ year mark now in my career (which is a scary thought to me)

But do you think my resume is allowed to spill into a 3rd page?
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quality over quantity. can you make 3 quality pages?
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,859
24,453
media blackout
MMike said:
yeah....I've pared down my older jobs to maybe two lines. Most recent has lots of detail....but I DO wear many hats....so it's not fluff.

But it ends up around 2.5 pages.
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sounds fine to me. i'm only 4 years out of college and i've already broken then one page resume rule.
 
stoney

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,596
7,245
Colorado
jonKranked said:
sounds fine to me. i'm only 4 years out of college and i've already broken then one page resume rule.
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I was at 2 pages a few days ago and cut it down to one page again. I pulled the fluffy out and just hammered in the pertinent info. I also pulled a lot of my WAY prior experience off, as it's not applicable anymore.
 
jonKranked

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,859
24,453
media blackout
The Joker said:
I was at 2 pages a few days ago and cut it down to one page again. I pulled the fluffy out and just hammered in the pertinent info. I also pulled a lot of my WAY prior experience off, as it's not applicable anymore.
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for my industry, lots of technical expertise and experience is pretty much necessary in a resume. It's a fine line though.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
the summary is to HR as your experience is to the hiring manager.

In other words, HR people are nigh on retarded, especially when it comes to technical or science positions. They look for the ooey gooey like "hard thinker", "well organized", "smells like roses when he sweats", "can bench press a car". The hiring managers are more likely to pass over the fluff and go for the "what did you do?

I have a two page resume, and yes it starts with a summary, which I think is important for the ill-informed, then I have a list of skills. That gives a hiring manager or even HR person a quick reference for whether or not I have what they're looking for. I follow that up with my previous work experience, and finally my college education, which people either care about or don't. I'm not sure the list/table of skills is appropriate or necessary, but I feel that in a 5 second review, somebody is likely to see "cell culture" or SDS-PAGE and latch onto it, rather than having to review two pages of my hard ball cricketmanship.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
41,148
13,319
Portland, OR
jonKranked said:
for my industry, lots of technical expertise and experience is pretty much necessary in a resume. It's a fine line though.
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I like money, I keep some in a jar on top of the fridge. I would like to put more money into that jar, that's where you come in.
 
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