Need help with resume

NuggetBrain

Okay, so I know that there are some ladies on here that hire or work in HR (or just have mad resume skillz *coughcoughBeccough*) so I'm throwing mine out there for help. I've been applying like crazy, following up, but getting nothing back. Anyways, I'm C&Ping it below - hopefully the format won't look crappy. If you could give me any advice on what you think I should change I would greatly appreciate it. And yes, it is long. I think that might be part of the problem. Sept. 2006 - Current Security and Audit Coordinator Manage and process internal systems security requests and documentation for employees. Single point of contact for systems, password and application issues. Provide plan sponsor audit information, including check and claim information. Support function head for member services, including scheduling and maintaining of staff meetings, working within Dreamweaver on the departmental website and other projects as needed. Creation and management of departmental documentation. Perform monthly, quarterly and annual security audits on systems access and user definitions. Organize and lead other areas during security related activities, such as SAS 70 audits and open enrollment. Assist other areas with special projects, including project management and Medicare Part D. Create and implement ways to streamline workflow, including automation of certain job functions, creation of new security request form and new auditing and security regulations. Train in new associates and perform informal refresher training as needed. Feb. 2006 – Sept. 2006 Office Assistant Business Owner for incoming checks; processed and distributed them to the appropriate area, as well as maintained tracking spreadsheet. Perform filing, typing, mail distribution, and other general administrative duties. Created and implemented ways to streamline workflow, including creation of check tracking spreadsheet and metric tracking worksheet. Create and distribute EOBs and denial letters to members. Perform special projects as requested from various other departments as requested, including creation of pamphlets and booklets, spreadsheet and Word document creation. Train in new associates and perform informal refresher training as needed. Aug. 2004 – Feb. 2006 Temporary Services Contractor Create PowerPoint presentations, memos, graphs and spreadsheets for administrative/financial support positions. Perform filing, typing, mail distribution, and other general administrative duties. Resolve customer concerns and work with other customer service related issues. Work with other various temporary positions (i.e. seminars, marketing presentations, etc). Dec. 2002 - July 2004 Cash Application Specialist / Business Office Clerk Perform filing, typing, mail distribution, and other general administrative duties. Process primary and secondary insurance claims. Prepare and scan batches for application to accounts. Apply insurance and personal payments to accounts. Process and eliminate patient credits and resolved lost payment issues. Resolve customer concerns and other customer service related issues. Train in new associates. Education Associates in Arts degree, emphasis on courses in communication and social work. Intention to complete B.A degree, with a major in Professional Communications and a minor in Business. Specific Skills Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, data entry, mainframe and ten-key. Enjoys thinking outside the box and using creative solutions to problem solve. Excellent customer service skills. Ability to multi-task and prioritize responsibilities. Excellent problem solving and decision making skills. Excellent communication skills. Ability to work well both independently and in a group. Work experience within systems and access support.

crfische

Can't help you. My resume just says 2009-present: Black-up back-up. I'll get every job. Every time.

vallyhoo

Few questions first- What type of jobs are you applying for? Are they all basically in the same industry?Also, does your resume fit to one page? (I can't tell by the formatting, and you did say it was long).Without reading each bullet, my first reaction is that I would combine as many as possible and maybe set a maximum of five lines under each job.Also try to quantify as much as possible, i.e.:Creation and management of departmental documentation to increase productivity and communication between departments

[Deleted User]

I'd be happy to help. My best advice after looking at your resume whould be to toot your own horn more. Hiring managers want to see how you have used initiative to contribute to the bottom line in a unique way. If you feel comfortable, you can email me and I would be happy to work with you to spruce it up. I can also send you mine so that I can show you what I mean. My email is my username at hotmail.

buttaflai

And yes, it is long. I think that might be part of the problem.Yep. Is there anything you can combine/omit?For skills, I'd stick to software base and not soft items like "excellent customer service skills" because that is already described within the jobs you listed above.

Calypso1977

the problem may be (and dont take this personally) that you dont have a bachelors.  in this market, i have my pick of applicants.  if i have someone with the same experience and qualifications as you do, but they have the degree, i'm going to pick them.are you actively enrolled in a program now to complete your degree?   if not, id get in one asap, and then you can say you are working on it as opposed to saying you are intending to go back which is veyr open ended.you also appear to job hop a lot.just my 2 cents as an HR manager.

BecW2be

I think you can curtail your responsibilities for past jobs to include those that are most important to the job you want. I always tailor my experience using exact words from the job posting. I also write my experience out in full sentences, changing the tense to past for past jobs. Yours goes back and forth from present tense to past tense. You can use "I" in your experience details to connect you as a person to your resume.

Night_Sprite

Nugget are you taking any coursework for your BA?

NuggetBrain

I'm applying to mostly administrative jobs, because unfortunately the systems security I've been doing for the last 3 years is pretty company-specific, and I don't know how to market that. My resume is about 3 pages long. I have a cover letter but it's pretty short, I'm not real sure what I'm supposed to put on there. I would love to eventually go into public relations or some type of marketing/communication job, and am going back to get my bachelor's after the wedding in the fall. I just need a foot in the door kind of job until I can get it, at a company I can grow in. Cew, I will be e-mailing you shortly, I could definately use all the help I can get.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

I don't typically look at resumes beyond the basic skills, the job title, and the longevity. If it fits on one page, it's probably fine. I've seen a trend of going to 2 pages, but that's generally for higher-up management positions or positions that require a lot of experience or specific skills. Under each job, I would include 3-4 things that you did in your job. 2-3 should be everyday activities that accurately describe your role in the company. The last 1-2 should be accomplishments you've had at that organization (promotion, awesome sales, goals exceeded, expansion of the position, creation of some new process, etc.) Then make sure you have a really awesome cover letter that taylors your experience to whatever the job is looking for. Use key phrases from the job posting to show them you've really considered what they're looking for. I always set up my cover letters in this format: Para 1: Introduction - name, applying for this specific position, "as you will see from my enclosed resume and the specific details outlined in this letter, I feel I will be a beneficial member of your team." Para 2-3: You need, I have format. If they need someone with communication skills, you tell them how that's you. If they need someone with experience in sales, you tell them that you have that experience and this is why you're great. And so on. Para 4: Sum everything up with your general qualifications that meet the position. Similar organizations you've worked for, your strength at written communication, dedication to teamwork, whatever. Tell them you're looking forward to speaking with them more about the position and will follow up in the next week to see if they have any questions about the enclosed information. Sincerely, Nuggs. Hope that helps!!

bbyckes

I'm not in HR, but 3 pages seems excruciatingly long.  Also, I'll plug Cew as well.  She's great at helping and pinpoiting deficiencies.

vallyhoo

One tip for PR is to look into events from your local chapter of PRSA. Also one sub-heading that I rarely see, but enjoy it when I do it is is to list your Core Competencies. For example since you are going to focus on administrative listings then highlight that, such as how many wpm you type and your time-management skills.

Calypso1977

also, be careful abotu using a standard form letter.  as vogt said, be sure to tailor it. all of our ads clearly state my name, address and title for where to send applications.  i get so many that simply say "Dear Hiring Manager".  its sloppy.  i also see a lot of "i'd be an asset to your company".  well, that's great, but we're not a company, we're a municipality.  you can tell that they didnt spend much time thinking abotu their letter but just sat at the computer repeatedly hitting print.  also, sign your cover letter!  for some reason, as of late, i'm getting tons of nicely put together packets, and the letters arent signed.  to me, those things all add up to lack of attention to detail - not a good trait.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

Have you started courses toward your BA and are just not taking classes now? Or have you not started?Any kind of self-improvement looks better. If you've started classes but aren't taking any now, you can list out your accomplishments so far, and give them an estimated graduation date for when you will complete it. It can be a couple years out, but that lets them know you're serious about accomplishing your goals.

vallyhoo

3 jobs in 7 years isn't job-hopping, I assumed that some of the job titles were within the same company but I understand you didn't list the company name so it is hard to tell.The best thing you can do is to make it clear that you received the promotions so as to not let a potential employer think that they are job changes.

[Deleted User]

Thanks Capri! Nugget - Today is a day from hell, but I will work to take a look at it and get you some feedback today.

ac_in_dc

Vogt's recommendations echo what I was going to say. Also, if you're applying for admin I'd say you're more than proficient at the MS stuff. Say you're an expert in 1 or 2 things if you are, highly experienced in 1 or 2 things, and proficient in the others.THis stuff:Enjoys thinking outside the box and using creative solutions to problem solve. Excellent customer service skills. Ability to multi-task and prioritize responsibilities. Excellent problem solving and decision making skills. Excellent communication skills. Ability to work well both independently and in a group. Work experience within systems and access support. Is too much. Pick 2 of these to list. And if you have excellent comms skills, for example, specify whether they're written or oral. A lot of what's listed here you should be able to demonstrate in your bullets under what you did in each job or in your cover letter. You shouldn't have to say it explicitly.Good luck!!

Calypso1977

Would it look better to a HR person if I was enrolled and in the process of getting it? yes, but sadly, i'd still probably pick the person who already had the degree.  if the market werent so flooded, you'd have a better chance.  it definitely shows you are serious about it.  anyone can say they plan to get it.  but when?  10 years?  20 years?  its more definitive if you are actually enrolled.  i personally think 3 jobs in 7 years is a lot, but if one is a promotion, then make sure that's clear, and a promotion is defintiely good.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

Calypso is absolutely right. If I can tell that this letter isn't TO ME, then I don't take anything else in your letter seriously. If you can convey that you know something about our organization, that makes me think you really want to work for us. Go to their website, learn about what they do. If you can, incorporate a piece of their mission statement or something into your letter. It creates a sense that you're willing to buy into what they're doing.

brookelynpaisley

I'd take out anything that's not software related from your specific skills. These are things you can highlight in your cover letter or talk about in the interview. Customer service skills seems redundant when employers can see from your job history that you work with customers. When you said you work well independently or as part of a group, you could add those type of things in the specific job section: "Worked with a cross-functional team of five to increase efficiency/reduce loss/etc."

ac_in_dc

Yeah, calypso has a point. Can you emphasize any awards, high grades, etc that you received while pursuing your associates so that potential employers see you as someone who is academically proficient even though you haven't yet pursued a BA?

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

I think for administrative work, your job history is fine, especially with one of those being a promotion. Make sure that's clear though.I'd probably list it.ABC Company, 2007-CurrentMost recent job title (dates in that position)ResponsibilitiesJob title before promotion (dates in that position)ResponsibilitiesXYZ Company. 2005-2007 (and so on)Administrative roles tend to turn over a lot, so we look for people who have 1-2 years in each of their positions.

vallyhoo

Just speaking from my experience, when we were looking for someone to do administrative work, people with higher education were actually weeded out. The reason? They require a larger salary.I think you are actually in a better position right now, Nugget, because you can get in at the admin. level and then you can still work on going back to school (maybe night classes?). It's about getting your foot in the door.

NuggetBrain

I could put down that I'm enrolling to get my degree in the fall of 2010, with a completion date of 2012. I graduated from my 2 year school with a 3.01 GPA but that's really not that great (I was a horrible slacker there when I started and had no idea what I wanted to do).

gkb0910

The only thing I can think to mention that hasn't been said yet is to make your resume easy to read.  Include white space by utilizing bullet points and tabbing over.  If the resume looks like one big page full of text, the hiring person may not take the time to read everything.

ac_in_dc

I graduated from my 2 year school with a 3.01 GPA but that's really not that great (I was a horrible slacker there when I started and had no idea what I wanted to do). No biggie. You don't have to list that. Maybe if there's relevant coursework you can put that below your degree line, but if your cover letter is well written that will do the most to prove that you're smart anyway.

buttaflai

3 pages?! Be very brief, but to the point! You want people to see all the great points immediately. White space and bullet points are good. If you make the bullets short, you can easily keep them in columns to reduce the "length" space and maximize the width of the paper. You don't want to drown the resume with words and soft skills. The soft skills can be expressed after you get an interview.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

I would leave your GPA off your resume. It's not terrible, but it's not something that will help you stand out either. I don't even think about GPAs, until someone puts one on their resume that isn't stellar. :)You could put something in your cover letter about your plans to enroll in school. My guess is most jobs are looking for people who want to remain in that career, with that company, and take the initiative to better themselves (we certainly value that). You could say something like, "I am consistently dedicated to any job that I take on. I would be an asset to your organization now with the skills mentioned above, as well as in the future as I plan to enroll in (this program), with an estimated graduation date of (this year). As you can see, I expect to be in this type of position long-term and know my on-going education will benefit your team."

NuggetBrain

You guys are so full of awesomeness, this is all SO helpful.

Calypso1977

Just speaking from my experience, when we were looking for someone to do administrative work, people with higher education were actually weeded out. The reason? They require a larger salary.not always.  some of ours are kids 1-2 years out of college that want experience while they figure out waht to get for a master's degree.  we can actually pay them less with a degree adn 1-2 years experience than someone with no degree and 10+ years who's had high paying jobs.  in local government, at least, there is a big push to "grow the profession" since we have predominantly baby boomers in key positions.  a college grad in an admin position today, could be a department head tomorrow.    i also take the view that its better to have someone phenomenal short term, rather than someone mediocre long term.  career executive assitants arent always the strongest. 

vallyhoo

Like I said, that is what I have witnessed. Sure someone without a degree and decades of experience will require a larger salary, but that's not my experience.