Resume wording

[DTSMAN]

I posted this on a different forum and didn't get alot of response. I will be graduating next June with my BSIT, I got my AAS 12 years ago and have been in the IT field since. I install and support proprietary software for restaurants and retail outlets. I am looking to do something different, but don't know what.
When listing my experiences and current line of work, how can I keep my cover letter general as to get my foot in the door without asking for a job-specific position. My interest are all over the board as in database administration, network administration, etc. but no direct experience outside my proprietary software.
Are there any good one-liners that I can have in my cover letter that may help to get someones attention? Even if they are silly, maybe I could put a professional spin on them. Do I have to apply for a specific position to better my chances? Thanks in advance for any help.

Bo

Kentucky phone support-
"Mash the Kentrol key and hit scape."

 

[Lunatic]

Bo,

I spent several months doing some pretty intensive job hunting/resume writing, and while I'm not an HR staffer or an expert by any means, here are a few suggestions:

1) Go to Amazon.com and look up 'resume books' you might even try searching for ones specfic to the IT field. I found several really good books with dozens of examples for 15 bucks including shipping and handling. Its a very good investment.

2) Cover letters should NEVER be general. They should always be specific to a single job. And to a lesser extend Resumes should be specific to that job as well. You are trying to seperate yourself from others and speaking in broad terms will not help you. Think of your cover letter and resume as the arguement as to why you should be hired. The more specific you are with facts and supporting information the more likely you are to win that arguement.

3) If you have room (3 page cover letters or resumes are not a good idea though, 2 pages max, cover letters should probably be 1) add in other experience. I was called in for an interview and and was offered my current job because of a single 4 month job I had working as a teacher's aid.

* When I applied for a research assistant position on a survey project I listed several glowing experiences (at least I thought so) including running a 22 month land use study. What opened the door for me though was the position was education related so that 4 months stint as a teacher's aid seperated me from the rest of the pack. *

4) Most major newspapers, such as the washingtonpost.com have a pretty good job help section and often have some good online columnist info. Use these resources.

5) From personal experience, rewrite your cover letter at least once a month and your resume when you get the chance. It was amazing how much better both of mine were after each revision. It takes time, but it should pay off.

Like I said, I'm not an expert but these are a few of the things I learned when I was looking for work.

 

[mjldba]

I would suggest that you include any prior work experience that comfortably fits on a one-page resume.

After graduating, I landed my first job with a pump company and I was hired as much for my experience as a car mechanic (knowledge of nuts, bolts, thread pitch, gaskets, impellers, volutes ...) as I was for my IT degree.

Also, do not leave any gaps in your employment history. I spent 10 years nightclub DJ'ing and my resume omitted this time period listing only traditional employment.

I was surprised when an interviewer asked if I'd been in prison!! The question was prompted by the 10 year gap on my resume which I easily explained away but he suggested I include ALL employment history.

Despite the flawed resume, the pump company hired me.

 

[sha76]

I'm currently shortlisting for a position for the first time and there are a few things that have stood out (some of which I'd not thought of before):
1) If you can sell your skills over the phone then do call. Only one person managed to do this (ie sell her skills, several called!), I knew I'd interview her before seeing the application.
2) Spellcheck, proof-read, ask a couple of friends to do the same. I am horrified at the number of applications with mistakes in them.
3) Don't put it what you want from the company until the end, and then do it subtly. I'm amazed at the number of people who start the section on suitability for the role with "I'm keen to learn new things...". I do want someone keen to learn, but I want to know what they can offer first.
4) Find a friend who's good at English & who you trust to be harsh if needed. My friend changed half a dozen words in my CV & it could have been written by a different person. You need to sound positive, so nothing in the passive voice, no being in charge of small projects (only qualify if they're big projects!).
5) Don't give details of your paper round, Saturday or holiday jobs unless applicable. A brief summary with them all lumped together would be far preferable to a paragraph on each of your four bar jobs.

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Gooser]

In regards to 5) above, I have some questions:

-If I worked for the Illinois Bar Association, should I summarize that?
-If I worked at their clubhouse, in the bar, should I summarize that?
-If I worked as a bouncer in the bar at their clubhouse, thereby barring barristers from the bar, should I summarize that?

...just wondering.

--Gooser

 

[Scott24x7]

Gooser,
I recommend you go to the bar...


Best Regards,
Scott

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler."

 

[sha76]

Gooser - well that'd certainly get you into to the "to be considered" pile if I were selecting! An excellent demonstration of sense of humour & command of the English language, plus an ice-breaker for the interview!

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[RCorrigan]

BTW gooser if you are at the bar, mine's a large Jamesons (straight up) TVM

On-topic --- I had to write my CV after 15 years with the same company .... interesting to say the least as most examples I had ever seen revolved around several jobs over the same period. !!!!!


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