[TriLUG] looking for resume writer/improver

bak bak at picklefactory.org
Sun Jan 23 12:17:33 EST 2011


I couldn't agree more.

When I look at resumes, I look for candidates whose resume indicates:

-- I have an understanding of what your company does
-- I have skills that will be useful to your company and specifically
your team
-- I am not wasting your time by telling you that I know Domino 4.5 or
some other thing from 1998 -- I will gloss over anything that isn't
relevant to the job I'm applying for

...and who can indicate this to me in a concise way, without boasting or
excessive jargon. Two pages is ideal, three pages is acceptable.

Anything else is wasting the time of the poor guy who gets handed a
stack of resumes from HR and has to go through them and pick out likely
candidates for time-consuming interviews that could be better spent
catching up on the work the potential new guy ought to be performing. :)

Any resume you send out should be reviewed a couple times with these
points foremost in your mind.

When I review resumes, I read cover letters mainly to get an idea that
the applicant has some ability with written communication. It's
difficult to use them to express something non-generic.

--bak

On 1/23/11 10:44 AM, Chris Merrill wrote:
> On 1/23/2011 9:22 AM, Matt Flyer wrote:
>> One point that I have always tried to remember above all else is that
>> the person who reads it is going to be pressed for time.  They are going
>> to scan over it with their eyes.  They are NOT going to read long
>> paragraphs of text.  When I have been on the hiring team this is the
> 
> This is an excellent point.  You have a very limited window of opportunity
> to impress - make sure the most important stuff is at the beginning and
> it is easy to scan.
> 
> I'd like to add that it is perfectly reasonable to tailor your resume for
> each job/employer.  Most of us have far more experience/skills than we have
> room for on a 2-page resume.  3 pages is pushing it...anything more and it
> will likely not be read.  If you have the ability to research and understand
> the company and the position, you can tailor the resume to highlight the skills
> and experience that they will be interested in.  It is also quite reasonable
> to have something near the end that says "I have a more detailed resume,
> available on request, that dives into the details of each of my skills and
> positions".
> 
> In some larger organizations, a cover letter may be thrown away, but it is
> still an excellent opportunity to introduce yourself - especially at smaller
> companies or wherever you have the opportunity to contact the hiring manager
> directly (not filtered by HR).  When we hire, the cover letter tells me a lot
> about how well the candidate's written communication skills, how much they
> have researched our company and the job, etc.  It is frequently obvious that
> the person just saw the ad and applied, with no thought to how good of a fit
> they are for the position.  Those get circular-filed pretty quick :>
> 
> 
> 
> 

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