Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Goron]

Strike the objective section. You don't have the professional standing to have an objective, so lose it.

He has a very clear objective, and should his resume get separated from its purpose, the reader can determine what he is looking to achieve. Without the objective it is without purpose and requires the cover letter and appropriate recipient to be of any use.

Hmm. So should I add it back in then?

Million dollar question. I can't say I am 'more right' than Blacken with any level of authority. So do as you think is right.

Anyway, I suppose I will submit it today, by e-mail. I'm guessing the resume will be an attachment. Should I attach the cover letter too, or put that directly in the e-mail body? And where would I post the salary/references? Speaking of which... what is a good salary to request? $15? $18? $20?

I would include references as a separate document. Including them directly on a resume is 'old school' and generally discouraged. The salary part... I have no clue.

[Blacken]

"References available on request." You can put it down if you want, although it's kind of implied.

[Starver]

"References available on request." You can put it down if you want, although it's kind of implied.

It's what I have on mine, at the end.  For several reasons:

• Often my applications are made with those awkward application forms which dictate what I tell them (and never let me spin the less advantageous details the way I really want, or allow the parts of my experience that glow to be put as prominantly as I'd like) and if they say "You may also send a CV", they've either asked for references on the form already or aren't asking in the first place,
• Given how I already target my CV for different positions (have a 'everything on' version, which I might remove programming details from when going for network support, or my Disaster Recovery experience when aiming at a more online-researchy style of position) it's one more thing to worry about paring down to relevance.
• Space.  I usually have difficulty getting it down to two sides of rambling A4 (even given my cutting down, as per point 2) without doing so while leaving more than the single "available on request" line at the end.
• Assuming it's not the lack of explicit references that's the cause, the fact that I get precious few interviews per application (which, apart from having had the wrong contact phone-number on for a year, I found out the other day[1], is probably due to a bit of an employment black-hole in my recent past) means that worrying too much about viable references prior to a call for interview involves far too much "You're still willing to referee me, right?" calls to past bosses and colleagues and such, each and every time a slightly revised cast of potential referees is assembled...  Whereas assembling them when formally requested is (holidays/vacations and the risk of other transient non-contactability aside) a fairly painless task.

But, as mentioned, I'm hardly the expert job-hopper.  Take the above with the customary pinch of salt.


[1] Although both postal and email addresses were correct, so me transposing a pair of digits shouldn't have put off anyone who really did think I was worth talking to.  Which was the case for the brokers behind this position I'm sitting in now (on my break, honest!), who mailed me to say they couldn't contact me by phone.

[Goron]

But, as mentioned, I'm hardly the expert job-hopper.  Take the above with the customary pinch of salt.

I'll take a moment to clearly second that statement but in reference to myself. I think my resume template is awesome, but I am not a qualified human resources professional or job placement professional, so take all my advise with a pinch of salt. The last thing I want is someone to misinterpret me as a reliable source and get burned as a result:-)

(Thanks for the idea Starver)

[Siquo]

I usually make a funny cover-letter.

It filters out the bad employers.
If you don't like humouristic employees, then I don't really want to work for you anyway

[Muz]

Whoa... I'd strongly disagree with some of the advice in this thread, but I'm not going to bother commenting. Just remember to use common sense when accepting advice on the Internet. Your first draft resume was more impressive, IMHO. Be careful when relying on advice on the Internet, and that includes the stuff you get from Google.

[Siquo]

Also, what Muz said.

I'd have hired you based on the first one. And I wouldn't have on the second one. On the other hand, I'm not a USAian, nor an employer, nor a model employee.

[Goron]

Whoa... I'd strongly disagree with some of the advice in this thread, but I'm not going to bother commenting. Just remember to use common sense when accepting advice on the Internet. Your first draft resume was more impressive, IMHO. Be careful when relying on advice on the Internet, and that includes the stuff you get from Google.

The "Your first draft resume was more impressive, IMHO" basically negates your opinion as having any value to help him.
His first draft was horrible (no offense rng). I can 100% for sure indicate that spelling errors in a resume is bad.

Also, for the record, I'd also highly advise against writing a 'funny' cover letter. As Siquo said, he has absolutely no qualification to give advice...

If you don't feel comfortable taking advice online, see if your school has resume workshops. Thats how I learned to write my resume.
Actually, that got me thinking.... here is my college's resume section:
http://www.ist.psu.edu/currentstudents/careersolutions/resources/samples-and-templates/
Check out the Resume Template. This way you don't need to take my word for it, but rather one of the foremost university's IT college's advice. PSU's IST career resources is phenomenal. One of the highest job placement rates of any major, anywhere...

[Siquo]

Hey, but I do have a job that I like 

Which is more than most people can say, especially since I despise work, have no ambition and hate "careers". There is no "One True Way" of writing resumes and CV's, is all I'm saying. A wannabe slavedrone might start one with "To whom it may concern", for instance.

[Goron]

Hey, but I do have a job that I like 

In the end thats all that matters:-)

But, I've never heard of someone not getting hired for writing a 'corporate slave drone resume'... but I have heard of people not getting hired for writing sloppy informal resumes- and that includes at 'laid back, casual' companies.

[Blacken]

Whoa... I'd strongly disagree with some of the advice in this thread, but I'm not going to bother commenting. Just remember to use common sense when accepting advice on the Internet. Your first draft resume was more impressive, IMHO. Be careful when relying on advice on the Internet, and that includes the stuff you get from Google.

The "Your first draft resume was more impressive, IMHO" basically negates your opinion as having any value to help him.
His first draft was horrible (no offense rng). I can 100% for sure indicate that spelling errors in a resume is bad.

Aye, no shit. I love how he's like "oh there's bad advice BUT I WILL NOT COMMENT! MUST RETAIN MY CLOAK OF MYSTERY". It's cute, really. Unsubstantiative and largely useless to his audience, but cute.

So Muz, what HR experience do you have? I'm not looking to start a dick-measuring contest, but I do know that while a more enlightened HR person might overlook an awkward-sounding cover letter and a poorly formed resume, there's a reason the term "HR drone" exists. It's an entry level position. They get approximately umpteen thousand applicants. You have to show the professionalism that they don't just teach you in school to get a really good second look. And a very large part of that professionalism, at this stage of his career, is "get to the point and shut up."

Which is more than most people can say, especially since I despise work, have no ambition and hate "careers". There is no "One True Way" of writing resumes and CV's, is all I'm saying. A wannabe slavedrone might start one with "To whom it may concern", for instance.

No, there are many ways to do it. Once you have job experience that makes you worth hiring. He doesn't. He has no real marketable qualifications and no job history. You follow the format exactly in such a situation because entry-level positions are generally hired for body count. You do something dumb and make waves, you are less attractive as a hire.

"Wannabe slavedrone." What are you, twelve years old? Or are you just some rebel without a clue, firmly raging against whatever ill-defined machine you think is oppressing you today?

[Goron]

at this stage of his career, is "get to the point and shut up."

The way I understand it is that unless you rock a doctorate or like 10 years experience, you fit in that boat:-)

And I think you are spot on with the HR drone part.
The first person to read your resume may not be a qualified specialist in your desired job. They may be a boring, non-nonsense, HR asshat that doesn't really give a crap. Therefore, your resume needs to strike true to them in addition to the person it may get handed off to later. That means professionalism.
Sure, your future boss may be a fun loving, laid back, casual person that doesn't care about rigid, boring, guidelines... but someone completely opposite may be standing in the way of your resume reaching that awesome boss... so make sure it caters to everyone... And, I assure you that no 'fun, cool, good' boss will turn down an applicant for being formal.

[Siquo]

"Wannabe slavedrone." What are you, twelve years old? Or are you just some rebel without a clue, firmly raging against whatever ill-defined machine you think is oppressing you today?

Nah, just messing with you, since you turn every vaguely IT-related subject in these forums into a "dick measuring contest"

[Blacken]

"Wannabe slavedrone." What are you, twelve years old? Or are you just some rebel without a clue, firmly raging against whatever ill-defined machine you think is oppressing you today?

Nah, just messing with you, since you turn every vaguely IT-related subject in these forums into a "dick measuring contest"

So you're a troll. Good to know.

[Siquo]

"Wannabe slavedrone." What are you, twelve years old? Or are you just some rebel without a clue, firmly raging against whatever ill-defined machine you think is oppressing you today?

Nah, just messing with you, since you turn every vaguely IT-related subject in these forums into a "dick measuring contest"

So you're a troll. Good to know.

You reap what you sow.