Ok, I will probably regret this but…………..
I am updating my resume as a precaution against all the $hit going on at work.
What should I include and/or not include on this.
Currently I have:
Name (duh)
Position
current compensation (still iffy about this one)
Experience
Education
References available on request
Am I missing any thing?
I am also gonna get together a portfolio of pics of some of the work I have done to bring to any interviews
Any help you guy/gals can give will be appreciated!!
Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!
Replies
just dug my old one out ...
I'll paraphrase ...
name and address
objective ... to get a great big money job/blah/blah/etc ... keep it short ...
qualifications ... you can go either line by line style .. or descriptive paragraph. Which ever highlights your experience best. Mine was 3 very short paragraphs with a one line close at the end.
employment ... dates ...Company name and location ...(I just use the city/state)
job title and a very brief description
ends with ...
Reference and Portfolio to be furnished upon request.
Keep it one page.
No one wants to read more than one ... especially in construction.
Keep it basic and simple.
I've never bothered to print a resume on cheap white paper ...
I always had that Ref page ... seperate ... printed on the same paper stock .. read to hand over. That should have all their contact info.
also .. lose the salery info ...
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
The emphasis of your resume' can be adjusted to focus on your talents for specific jobs.
Um, I'm not sure that sentence makes any sense.
What I mean is, my resume' for a job as a carpenter looks a whole lot different from the one I will use to apply for a Customer Service/Warranty position.
Also, I like to use a cover letter.
Use bullets.
I used three letters of recommendation when I applied for my last job. One each, from my boss, a co-worker, and a customer.
I am in the process of working on mine right now too, so thanks for starting this thread.
Also, I was wondering if there would be any benefit to putting it allon a disk, with the pictures of your work.
Any thoughts?
I think more employers should ask to see work samples. Even if the applicant steals the samples from somebody else, it gives the employer a chance to see what the applicant considers to be good work.
One thing not yet mentioned: when you're done updating your Resume: USE SPELL CHECK.
Then, get someone you know has excellent writing skills, to take a look at it since spell check will never tell you that you've properly spelled a word but it's the wrong word for the context of the sentence...
Hi Uncle Dunc,
I am working on my resume right now, and will be emailing many of them.
I was wondering if you know how I would go about applying my actual signature to my cover letter?
Me thinks, go to a copy place and have it scanned and transfered to a disc? Or emailed to myself?
Thanks,
darcy
>> I was wondering if you know how I would go about applying my actual signature
>> to my cover letter?I'm sorry. I don't. I'm flattered that you asked, but I may be the least qualified Breaktimer to give advice on computer graphics. You might get a more expert response if you started another thread with a title like "graphics in documents?"I wouldn't send a cover letter as a word processing file. What if the employer doesn't use the same WP you do? Or doesn't have the latest version? You want to make your letter stand out, but making it unreadable is not a positive way to be outstanding. Plain text is adequate for cover letters, IMO.
A few good points brought up:
Lose the salary info. You don't want to tell someone you're making 30k per year if they are willing to pay 50k. They will get a deal, and you may not realize it.
Cover letter is a must. Looks professional, allows you to "sell yourself" a little rather than hope they will get the picture from your resume.
Spell check. I was an operations manager for a heavy / highway construction company, and part of my job description was to screen potential interview candidates. Right or wrong, misspelled letters or resumes did not receive much attention, especially for supervision or management positions.
Photographs are a great idea as well.
Specific examples of performance always caught my eye. Quite a bit is in the way it is phrased. "I lead a crew of ___", "I successfully completed ____", followed by specific examples is more impressive than "I am able to do _____", or "I know how to ____".
I think it is a great idea to update your resume. It's nice to have one available right away rather than take a few days to update it and possibly lose an opportunity.
Best of luck to you!
and don't forget to throw in how a little napalm goes a long way<G> Or, move down here, I don't read resumes LOL Don't worry, we can fix that later!
"Spell check. I was an operations manager for a heavy / highway construction company, and part of my job description was to screen potential interview candidates. Right or wrong, misspelled letters or resumes did not receive much attention, especially for supervision or management positions."
But don't just let the spell checker make the correction.
Reread it and make sure that you are using the right word.
There is a filler column in the local paper from time to time by some on e that runs an employement service.
Has all kinds of funny resumes. From mispelled words, to wrong words (after from spell check corrections), to reasons for leaving, to objectives.
No salary info - current or desired. Sets limitations. Answer to salary/ wage question - "Make me an offer."
Don't use the typical "Objective: To find a job in ....." DUH! Instead use "Position Sought: Carpenter.
Cut the wordage. No "successfully" completed. Would you included it if it was not successful? Successful is NOT a power word. Integrated, coordinated, led, instituted, and developed ARE.
Photos are great. If shown in a publication also show the mention of you in the text or on the "Resources" page.
F.
Several of the Customer Service/Warranty Manager jobs I am considering say:
Fax Resume and Salary Requirements
I have attempted to research the typical salary for this position but I have not had much luck.
Also, would the salary working for a 4000+sf custom homebuilder, be about the same as for a builder of 1500sf production homes?
Also, would the salary working for a 4000+sf custom homebuilder, be about the same as for a builder of 1500sf production homes?
Well, if it's not, and the job is the same, then one of them won't be able to keep employees.
Regards,
Tim Ruttan
Try http://www.salary.com for a rough idea of the range you should expect.
Believe it or not I got a résumé once without a name.
You didn't mention address and phone number (though others did). Also your email address if you use email regularly.
If you have an answering machine, make sure the greeting is not embarrassing.
Definitely don't mention money at all in either the résumé or the cover letter. It's considered unprofessional.
The résumé has to look as neat and careful as the work you do in your trade. Try to look at lots of examples. Have several other picky people read your drafts and final version for mistakes or unclear information.
You are correct that experience should be listed before education for person not looking right out of school. If your education is basic, you don't need to be wordy about it. Something like "High School Diploma, Whatever H. S., Greatplace, OH". Only add more if it makes you look good. Grade point average only if good (compared to others in your field), honors, team captain or varsity letters, etc. If you've had education in your trade, include it of course. Don't forget even short courses such as OSHA 8 Hour Fall Protection Course or something like that.
It's illegal for an employer to ask about your marriage status and so forth. You can voluntarily say, though, but it's difficult to predict what condition an employer might consider an advantage (married, therefore stable and dependable; single, therefore willing to work long hours) so it's best if you don't say anything about it in your writing.
I doubt one in a hundred employers will care, but the correct spelling is résumé, not resume, but resume is so common as to be considered acceptable by most people.
Best wishes.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I can't find my copy, but the book you want is orangish-red, 8-1/2 x 11, about 100 pages. It should be in the resume/business section of any good bookstore, such as Barnes and Noble. Also a guy named Yate has a book called "cover letters that knock em dead."
Ah, found it "D@mn Good Resume Guide," Yana Parker. The first 30 pages will answer all your questions.
FWIW, I pay a woman $100 hr to look over my resumes, cover letters, and job postings. Her insight as a career counselor and a 20 yr human resources person gets things on paper in 5 minutes that would take me hours. Some of the stuff looks schmaltzy, but it works.
When they ask for salary requirements, put in "negotiable based on experience and responsibilities."