Resume Confidence?

lunarsongbird

Have you had to update your resume lately?

How confident are you in your resume?
Do you like the fomatting? The content?

Do you have any tips to share with others?

When going through the hundreds of resumes for my replacement- I found a new formatting that I really think looks helpful and aesthetically pleasing.

The Qualification Summary- It looks a bit like this-
http://www.top-resume-tips.com/sample-resume.html

I also added some bullets, which make it really easy for the recruiter to review. (Recruiters like easy- they are looking through hundreds of resumes- they want things that stand out.)



If you are struggling with the "qualifications" to include- start by browing job postings for positions you are interested in. You'll see the same key words popping up time and time again...include these on your resume as "qualifications."

lunarsongbird

Some other tips-

- Resume Paper- It's the sh!t....Seriously, HR people are weird- we will feel your paper. We might even look to see if it's watermarked. Although it won't keep you from getting a job- it really is the cherry on top.

- Two Pages- Tops. Yup- unless you have a TON of experience- your resume should only be two pages. My boss has over three decades of experience working in dozens of countries- and his resume is only two pages long.

- Objectives Statements= Waste of Space. Yup, I've discussed this with my entire HR Team- and we've come to the conclusion that Objective Statements are a waste of space- and kinda lame.

- Save your Resume Properly- When you upload a resume to a site like careerbuilder- and then an HR Recruiter downloads it- it downloads with the same name that you uploaded it as. It's weird to see someone's resume saved with a strange name- "MoonD~Resume~06~HR ONLY~Updated 8.2009" (P.S. ~ signs are also unprofessional ~~~)

ETA:
- Fill out the Lame Application Completely and Properly- I know that it's stupid and redundant- but you're going to have to take your time in filling out an employer's application. The way many recruiting systems are setup is that the recruiter can see different tabs- the first tab many people look at is an "Overview"- which comes from what you entered on your application. If it looks all jacked up- with an address as a manager's name (because you might have used the "upload function" and it got messed up)- most of the time the recruiter won't even tab over to your resume. It might show to them that you're careless and don't pay attention to details.

-Take Time to Format your Resume- HR Professionals can totally tell if you are just using a Microsoft Word template. You want your resume to stand out in the crowd. You want to be able to look at your resume from a distance and say to yourself, "That's a pretty freaking resume."

-Don't Include Pictures on your Resume- Or Hobbies- No One Cares. Sorry. You can include a link to your LinkedIn pofile though.

-Get a LinkedIn Profile- if you have a LinkedIn profile- it indicated to many people that you are ready for business- you are a professional, darnit!

-Make sure your facebook photo is kosher- Yes, HR people do search for you. Some of them like me- are seriously bored and want to know what you look like.

polkadot111

I like your tip about the resume paper!! I've always wondered if it REALLY mattered....

GreenPepperBurger

Does the paper really matter all that much since most jobs are applied to online? Just my experience - I always save mine as a PDF and then email it to HR.

polkadot111

At my college we always have job fairs- some people have resume paper, and some people don't. Other than that, yeah most are applied to online.

lunarsongbird

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_resume-confidence?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:5177822f-29e9-4079-adbe-bd8a1c1aff60Post:690b648d-c277-47f9-9d71-64dbc21c4558">Re: Resume Confidence?</a>:
[QUOTE]Does the paper really matter all that much since most jobs are applied to online? Just my experience - I always save mine as a PDF and then email it to HR.
Posted by GreenPepperBurger[/QUOTE]

AH HA! This is another thing...

<strong>-PDF is the sh!t too- </strong>PDFs make sure that most everyone can open your resume. (They are like an image of your document). You too can make a .pdf of your resume by downloading a free PDF printer online).

Also- don't send your resume in a 2007 Word Formatting (docx)- not all companies are that savy and have the program. In 2007- you can save your document as a regular .doc file. And PLEASE- don't send your resume in a .wps file (Microsoft Works). This is a pain.

<strong>-But resume paper is still the sh!t- </strong>if you're going to a job fair or an inteview- bring your resume on resume paper. One that feels nice- not like printer paper. HR professionals have paper fetishes. :)

GreenPepperBurger

Yeah, I guess the job fair thing is true about the paper. I always PDF it because it ensures that no one can monkey around and edit the document.

peekaboo2011

Hm, interesting.  My resume is actually kind of a wreck right now because it just got flipped upside down for grad school and internship applications.  It kind of scares me to look at.  It's a weird cross between a CV and a resume.  

Should I print 10-15 copies of my resume and take it to a conference next month?  I'm presenting and I'd like an assistantship with SOMEONE who's there.  Thoughts?

NurseyK

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_resume-confidence?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:5177822f-29e9-4079-adbe-bd8a1c1aff60Post:f1972649-b7e7-48cd-bd3e-d4dbb9e49424">Re: Resume Confidence?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Resume Confidence? : AH HA! This is another thing... -PDF is the sh!t too- PDFs make sure that most everyone can open your resume. (They are like an image of your document). You too can make a .pdf of your resume by downloading a free PDF printer online). Also- don't send your resume in a 2007 Word Formatting (docx)- not all companies are that savy and have the program. In 2007- you can save your document as a regular .doc file. And PLEASE- don't send your resume in a .wps file (Microsoft Works). This is a pain. -But resume paper is still the sh!t- if you're going to a job fair or an inteview- bring your resume on resume paper. One that feels nice- not like printer paper.<strong> HR professionals have paper fetishes. :)</strong>
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]

1. I have found this to be true!

2. Lunar, where have you been all my life! I miss you.

lunarsongbird

I've missed you too! What have I missed? Have you booked the venue or found the dress?