I worked really hard to get my resume down to a page. My education is now 1 line (HR filter purposes, I'd remove it if I could.) I got rid of objective and shit like that. I have a terse outline of my work history and what I did at each function then below it is what I basically refer to as the buzzword cloud where I list all my skills for the purpose of HR filtering again. If they want to know more specifics they can interview me. I figure being vague and having them call me to fill in some of the holes at least gets my foot in the door.
What do you do?
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Noodleface
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Borzak
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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I talk about projects I have been involved in. I list precipitators, bag houses, carbon capture projects, furnaces, stacks, large duct work up to 21' in diamter, pressure vessels, platforms and give a typical customer and location for each example. Like say "Worked as project manager at the capture capture project currently being installed at XYZ company at ABC location". Do that for each specific example. I leave off ones like the one that is $2 billion over budget currently thru no fault of my own but why bring it up?)I talk about how I have a 25 year hisotry in the steel fabrication industry at a variety of roles from draftsman, steel detailer (someone who makes shop drawings) designer, project manger, project coordinator, estimator, purchasing, field liason etc...(I leave out owner) and go on about how I have dealt with all aspects intimately from design, shop fabricaiton, field erection. Talk about the various types of estimating from lump sum, unit price, contract unit price, and cost plus. I also mention that my family has a 50 year background in the industry and I started at a very early age becoming familiar with it.
I make sure I throw in customers for the end product I have worked for like Exxon, Dow, and the list goes on. Make sure I throw in some names of the bigger contractors like Shaw, Southern Company, Jacobs. This in itself has opened a lot of doors because everyone wants to talk about how their competitor or possibly who they are contracting with works on the inside.
I also talk briefly why I am interested in their specific area and physical location and why I am interested in leaving the area I have worked in the past.When you mention you have a desire to get out of the Baton Rouge area post Katrina they normally comment on it. My current job it was the opener because petro chemical is centered there and his daughter in law is from there and they are trying to talk her family into relocating.
Just normal everyday talk stuff. Probably would get file 13 quickly by a compuer which is why I send it to the owner, president etc..of the company. I get call backs on every resume I have sent in the last 10+ years. I also get my ear bent about how difficult it is to find someone with X skills and how crappy a job their HR department has been doing.
Stuff like that. I wouldn't do it if you send it in to an HR department becuase most likely someone gave them a list of skills you must have and expact it to fit onto a 1/2 page. I sent my resume in thru an HR department once and it said must have AutoCad ver. X experience. I put down the latest version only later to find out it was canned because I put that down (it's all backwards compatiable) and not the 6 year old version they used. HR departments lol.
I make real clear I'm not the typical sit at a computer and can't tell the difference in a plate roll, beamline and a CNC plate burner in the shop if their life depended on it. Lots of those guys around, their pay reflects it as well.
I also talk briefly about the equipment I have dealt with in the past that don't really reflect in the resume and the problems we overcame thru purchasing them, installing them and running them.
Just everyday "shop" talk so to speak like you would if you were across the room from them.
I make sure I throw in customers for the end product I have worked for like Exxon, Dow, and the list goes on. Make sure I throw in some names of the bigger contractors like Shaw, Southern Company, Jacobs. This in itself has opened a lot of doors because everyone wants to talk about how their competitor or possibly who they are contracting with works on the inside.
I also talk briefly why I am interested in their specific area and physical location and why I am interested in leaving the area I have worked in the past.When you mention you have a desire to get out of the Baton Rouge area post Katrina they normally comment on it. My current job it was the opener because petro chemical is centered there and his daughter in law is from there and they are trying to talk her family into relocating.
Just normal everyday talk stuff. Probably would get file 13 quickly by a compuer which is why I send it to the owner, president etc..of the company. I get call backs on every resume I have sent in the last 10+ years. I also get my ear bent about how difficult it is to find someone with X skills and how crappy a job their HR department has been doing.
Stuff like that. I wouldn't do it if you send it in to an HR department becuase most likely someone gave them a list of skills you must have and expact it to fit onto a 1/2 page. I sent my resume in thru an HR department once and it said must have AutoCad ver. X experience. I put down the latest version only later to find out it was canned because I put that down (it's all backwards compatiable) and not the 6 year old version they used. HR departments lol.
I make real clear I'm not the typical sit at a computer and can't tell the difference in a plate roll, beamline and a CNC plate burner in the shop if their life depended on it. Lots of those guys around, their pay reflects it as well.
I also talk briefly about the equipment I have dealt with in the past that don't really reflect in the resume and the problems we overcame thru purchasing them, installing them and running them.
Just everyday "shop" talk so to speak like you would if you were across the room from them.
Vinen
God is dead
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I honestly have never made a Resume which was actually read. Every-time one was submitted it was just for HR to file somewhere. I tend to spend 1-5 minutes updating it every year or two just to have on hand if I decide to leave my company.
Networking is the way to go in tech at least.
stupidmonkey
Not Smrt
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Noodleface
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Vinen
God is dead
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Drop it by me without any self identifying information =p I can take a look also.
Look at how many posts Borzak has in this thread about his work life and how much he likes to show off. You really need to ask that question? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the engagement and the discussion and there is nothing wrong with it, but let's not be asking silly questions.
Noodleface
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Well I know borzak is wordy, but others mentioned having to cut down too. I do like a one or two paragraph letter...
This is what I was taught. You basically need to sell yourself on page 1 and anything after that better be bonus info.
At this point I don't even have a resume. If recruiters want to get me interested in a job they can export my LinkedIn and live with it. It is fun being a purple squirrel or my personal favorite "A Unicorn that Craps Rainbows".
Like I said, I enjoy reading your posts, I just was making fun of Noodle for asking silly questions.
Vinen
God is dead
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Honestly. My wife and I (both Software Architect level in our career) both gripe when we see a resume that goes beyond 1 page.
Much like other marketing documents it should be short and to the point.
I want to know A. What you can bring to the table and B. What you did for at most the last 5 years and you can bet C. Questions I can ask to see if you are lying.
Anything else is useless information and makes me tl;dr. I am not an exception.
Please keep in mind that this is within the Tech Industry. Other industries may have different expectations (The people Borzak is interviewing with probably have their ego fed by having people deliver large documents detailing their life stories.)
In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin. "Time is money, bitches"
//Yes, this is not the context of his quote and he totally put bitches at the end.
Heylel
Trakanon Raider
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I'm very curious what you use for C. Specific projects you can call to follow up? Competency quizzes?
Heylel
Trakanon Raider
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Two more job leads hit my inbox this morning. Either I'm doing something right, or someone is looking out for me.
Neither of them are as interesting as what I applied for yesterday, but one does have the advantage of being right here in town. Plus I know a guy who can give me an internal recommendation.
Neither of them are as interesting as what I applied for yesterday, but one does have the advantage of being right here in town. Plus I know a guy who can give me an internal recommendation.