Resume advice

[i_got_a_mohawk]

As far as a resume and a CV, they are generally synonymous in a lot of Europe, but they're two similar but different things in the states. A resume is generally a one or two page profile of recent job experience, qualifications, education, and skills. A CV generally lists research and teaching experience, along with professional and academic publications and grants. CVs can be 20+ pages long. While my CV has all of my research experience on it, my resume doesn't even list the title of my Master's thesis.

They are often taken as interchangable, yet quite different over here too.

I said resumes as single page, CVs as two pages, just as that is a 'standard/typical' over here. If you are producing an academic CV, which is a more specialised CV (as you have by the sounds of things), then yeah, they are at least 5 pages, and, as you say, they can get big!

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I agree with not puttin comments like hard worker, self starter etc. I used to go through lots of resumes and scan them real quick. Those comments started sounding like adults talking in a Charlie Brown video. Wah, wah, wah, wah.
When I scanned resumes I was looking for three things.
1. Can this person do the job?
2. Can I afford to pay this person?
3. Will this person fit in with the rest of the staff.

I usually found out more about question 3 during the interview.
One time I was trying to get a job at paticular place I really wanted to work at. I had sent them 2 resumes and cover letters without any response. I attached a really crazy cover letter to the third attempt. I forgot what I said but I did attach the editorial I had written that had nothing to do with the job : Invalid Link Removed
It's the third one down titled "Learning when to be quiet."
It was unorthodox and crazy but it got me an interview. Maybe it was too out there for what you are doing but it helps to make your resume stand out some how.
Good luck, I hope and pray you get the perfect job.

Also good points, unorthodox and crazy (within reason) can be great things and really help make you stand out from the crowd.

I remember when I graduated, everyone was so sure of the qualifications they had, yet they seemed to be missing the fact that everyone applying for the jobs they were after, would also have those qualifications. So, while the qualifications are obviously required, having them simply puts you on a level playing field, you always need that 'something' to jump out from the gray.

 

[jruberto]

One rule: follow the instructions.

Many employers I know include fairly detailed instructions in the job listing & ignoring any of them gets your resume filed in the bin without even being considered. With the job market being what it is, any job offer gets lots of takers, many of them from desperate folks who are just spamming a reply to anything that seems in the ballpark.

If someone is successful/busy enough that they are hiring help, they don't have time to weed through all that, and likely want a detail-oriented person who doesn't need a ton of supervision.. If someone doesn't follow the instructions given to get the job, well, that's pretty indicative of the kind of work they'd produce on the job.

A friend of mine was just telling me she got 80+ replies to a job posting, only 11 of them followed the (very simple!) instructions in the job listing, and then her assistant whittled those 11 down to the 4 (excellent) candidates she wound up interviewing.

 

[RS]

I say multiple positions as with one hospital I'm looking at, there is a MGR for Admissions open, Team Lead, and Admissions specialist.

I qualify for all three. But figured I shouldn't apply for all three at once.

Pick the one you most want and are honestly most qualified for based on your past experience. I assume you could do all three but focus on one. One of the worst thing people say in interviews is "I can do anything really" or "I am interested in a,b,c,d and e". These all sound like "I don't know what job I want and I don't have many concrete job skills."

Any job only exists to resolve a certain business pain. An employer wants the remedy to that pain at the lowest cost (time/effort/money) possible.

 

[RS]

One rule: follow the instructions.

Many employers I know include fairly detailed instructions in the job listing & ignoring any of them gets your resume filed in the bin without even being considered. With the job market being what it is, any job offer gets lots of takers, many of them from desperate folks who are just spamming a reply to anything that seems in the ballpark.

If someone is successful/busy enough that they are hiring help, they don't have time to weed through all that, and likely want a detail-oriented person who doesn't need a ton of supervision.. If someone doesn't follow the instructions given to get the job, well, that's pretty indicative of the kind of work they'd produce on the job.

A friend of mine was just telling me she got 80+ replies to a job posting, only 11 of them followed the (very simple!) instructions in the job listing, and then her assistant whittled those 11 down to the 4 (excellent) candidates she wound up interviewing.

True.

 

[Tat2dHeart]

One thing I will say, and it sounds daft, but try and keep a professional email address.

no "[email protected]" or "[email protected]" etc etc

You'd laugh, but I've seen people sending out CV's with email address along those lines!

+1,000,000

During my last open call, I got one for a grad student whose e-mail was pornstar69@(*^%^&&*.com. Needless to say, this one didn't make the cut, but we did all check out the facebook page.

 

[Munjibunga]

Oh yeah. You get one and only one spelling or grammar error. Two and you're out. There's no excuse for that kind of thing these days with spell-check and grammar-check built into word processing programs. (I'm sure that comes as a big surprise to any of you who follow my posts. I'm an inveterate grammar nazi.)

Regarding multi-level marketing experience - leave it off. One time I was helping my company recruit a replacement for the retiring CEO. They extended him an offer, which he declined because his wife had just gotten an excellent position with a large health-care organization in the Bay Area. A legit enough reason. (I eventually got the position, BTW.) Six months later, he called the CEO to touch bases and, "by the way, would you like to buy some washing machine balls and become a dealer?" What in the wide, wide world o' sports is a'goin' on here? Talk about a close call. The guy must've gone psycho.

Seriously, I've had employees who got involved in MLM and ended up spending more time on that than on the work at hand. They didn't last long. MLM schemes are not held in high regard by most real businesses.

 

[drerio]

So if I were your potential employer, here are things I want to know that I may not be able to ascertain from your resume alone

1. When not employed, what were you doing to improve yourself? And even if you list something on your resume, I want to know how that prepared you for "this" job.

2. What makes you especially qualified over someone else? You need to stand out.

3. What is (are) your possible five year, and depending on the job, or 10 year goal(s).

Avoid typical cliche lines. Tell a story someone wants to read. This is rarely a formality unless you plan on a low level service job. I can tell you as one who has hired, I read letters to decide whether I even want to consider the person after which the resume serves only to ensure the person meets the qualifications.

 

[drerio]

Do yourself a favor and research any company you are applying to: you will likely need to have a few versions of your resume tailored for specific jobs or levels. There are lots of good tips at Lifehacker. Tons, really. Just search for job hunting, hiring, etc. over there.

Great advice

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

1. When not employed, what were you doing to improve yourself? And even if you list something on your resume, I want to know how that prepared you for "this" job.

This is a great point, particularly for younger members.

Try not to leave holes in your resume or CV!

 

[sandmangeck]

What about out of state applications? I will be applying before we get to Colordo, about 4 weeks prior.

 

[ToneMonkey]

What follows is my .02, but it works.

First, the purpose of a resume is to get an interview, not the job. Think of it as an hors d'œuvre, NOT a meal.

Keep your resume to 1 page, possibly 2, but only if you belong to a highbrow profession like scientist, doctor, lawyer, CEO, etc.

Omit crap like Interests, etc.

Only include stuff that will help you. If your education is irrelevant to getting this job, don't include it (no one cares when you graduated HS).

Ditch the "Objective" statement. It's wasted space.

You may have as little as 5 seconds to engage someone's interest, so put the important stuff near the top. The first thing I do is list is all the tools and technologies I have current practical experience with, right at the top in a "Key Skills & Abilities" section. It's a big ass bulleted list of key words, but it works.

Under "Professional Experience," keep the window to 10 years max, and focus on specific accomplishments with actual numbers (e.g., "completed Fubar project 9 months ahead of schedule and 7% under budget"). Remember, you've already listed your key skills and abilities, this is where you demonstrate a track record of putting those skills to good use. Be honest, don't embellish.

Cover letter. Customize it for each and every position you apply for. Three short (!!!) paragraphs:

First paragraph, mention the position and how to came to know about it ("I am writing to express my interest in the Dog Catcher position listed in the Gumby Gazette on Sunday February 29").

Second paragraph, briefly(!!!) explain why you are uniquely qualified for this position... set yourself apart from the competition. Some head hunters will ask you to provide a matrix in the format of "You seek, I provide." Be BRIEF and concise. No rambling!

Third paragraph, ask for an interview. Provide specific times and days of the week that you are available to interview (e.g., "I am generally available for interviews Mondays through Fridays between 8:00AM and 5:00 PM").

 

[drerio]

What about out of state applications? I will be applying before we get to Colordo, about 4 weeks prior.

Start working on your covet letter now. Make every word count. Write, edit and rewrite. Make sure you have another set of willingly critical eyes read if over.

Just got finish with the grueling process of hiring a biochemist (1 spot, 75 applications)... Really wish half of them would not have wasted my time. Don't be a statistic... Make yourself shine.

 

[placedesjardins]

What about out of state applications? I will be applying before we get to Colordo, about 4 weeks prior.

There's no real difference if you are an out-of-state applicant or in-state applicant, unless your position requires you to be a resident of the state and/or have a valid state driver's license before you start. You should apply as soon as possible. If you get an interview, then you can let the employer know when you will be available to start. They'll probably ask you.

 

[sandmangeck]

There's no real difference if you are an out-of-state applicant or in-state applicant, unless your position requires you to be a resident of the state and/or have a valid state driver's license before you start. You should apply as soon as possible. If you get an interview, then you can let the employer know when you will be available to start. They'll probably ask you.

Good deal. I've just never interviewed over the phone, or skype.

 

[placedesjardins]

Good deal. I've just never interviewed over the phone, or skype.

I've had multiple job applications where I had a phone interview as the initial interview. Then, I had to go to their office for a second interview.
Depends on the company and their way of processing job applicants. Some may have one interview step which would require you to go there in person. Most HR people/companies understand it is not easy to travel for a job interview so they may allow a phone interview as the first step.

 

[JaamE]

One rule: follow the instructions.

Many employers I know include fairly detailed instructions in the job listing & ignoring any of them gets your resume filed in the bin without even being considered. With the job market being what it is, any job offer gets lots of takers, many of them from desperate folks who are just spamming a reply to anything that seems in the ballpark.

If someone is successful/busy enough that they are hiring help, they don't have time to weed through all that, and likely want a detail-oriented person who doesn't need a ton of supervision.. If someone doesn't follow the instructions given to get the job, well, that's pretty indicative of the kind of work they'd produce on the job.

A friend of mine was just telling me she got 80+ replies to a job posting, only 11 of them followed the (very simple!) instructions in the job listing, and then her assistant whittled those 11 down to the 4 (excellent) candidates she wound up interviewing.

My job does this It's actually kind of amusing the number of people who will call me at the front desk to ask how to apply when the first instruction is right in the CL listing. And the ones who want to know how much it pays don't get anywhere by calling me either, i don't know, and will not know.

Then for some of our positions the first interview is a group interview and a test you get to take. That test also has things built into it to see how much attention to detail you pay and how you can work things out. If you do get to come back for a second interview, when you arrive, what you do when asked to have a seat and wait, how you interact with me, and how well you handle being asked to wait are part of your interview too.

 

[iamlowsound]

What follows is my .02, but it works.

First, the purpose of a resume is to get an interview, not the job. Think of it as an hors d'oeuvre, NOT a meal.

Keep your resume to 1 page, possibly 2, but only if you belong to a highbrow profession like scientist, doctor, lawyer, CEO, etc.

Omit crap like Interests, etc.

Only include stuff that will help you. If your education is irrelevant to getting this job, don't include it (no one cares when you graduated HS).

Ditch the "Objective" statement. It's wasted space.

You may have as little as 5 seconds to engage someone's interest, so put the important stuff near the top. The first thing I do is list is all the tools and technologies I have current practical experience with, right at the top in a "Key Skills & Abilities" section. It's a big ass bulleted list of key words, but it works.

Under "Professional Experience," keep the window to 10 years max, and focus on specific accomplishments with actual numbers (e.g., "completed Fubar project 9 months ahead of schedule and 7% under budget"). Remember, you've already listed your key skills and abilities, this is where you demonstrate a track record of putting those skills to good use. Be honest, don't embellish.

Cover letter. Customize it for each and every position you apply for. Three short (!!!) paragraphs:

First paragraph, mention the position and how to came to know about it ("I am writing to express my interest in the Dog Catcher position listed in the Gumby Gazette on Sunday February 29").

Second paragraph, briefly(!!!) explain why you are uniquely qualified for this position... set yourself apart from the competition. Some head hunters will ask you to provide a matrix in the format of "You seek, I provide." Be BRIEF and concise. No rambling!

Third paragraph, ask for an interview. Provide specific times and days of the week that you are available to interview (e.g., "I am generally available for interviews Mondays through Fridays between 8:00AM and 5:00 PM").

Great advice right here. When I was looking for my current job, I sent out four resume/cover letters and I got called for three interviews. If you have a good resume/cover letter and are qualified, you will get call backs.

lowsound

 

[sandmangeck]

So a quick bump. A huge thanks to LiquidMidnight! He helped me immensely with putting my resume together.
I received a call back from one of the major hospitals in Denver, and scheduled a telephone interview (my first telephone interview so kind of nerve wrecking)
I thought I did alright, but not really well, I let a couple of um's slip out. HR told me they would forward my resume to the hiring manager of the department, and they would get back to me in a week or so.
I went outside to move my sprinkler, and 15 minutes later the hiring manager from the department called and wanted to set up an interview as soon as possible!
So I've got an interview my first official day in Colorado! We'll be arriving the day before! WOOHOO!

 

[RS]

So a quick bump. A huge thanks to LiquidMidnight! He helped me immensely with putting my resume together.
I received a call back from one of the major hospitals in Denver, and scheduled a telephone interview (my first telephone interview so kind of nerve wrecking)
I thought I did alright, but not really well, I let a couple of um's slip out. HR told me they would forward my resume to the hiring manager of the department, and they would get back to me in a week or so.
I went outside to move my sprinkler, and 15 minutes later the hiring manager from the department called and wanted to set up an interview as soon as possible!
So I've got an interview my first official day in Colorado! We'll be arriving the day before! WOOHOO!

Good news!