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Resume critique
- Thread starter dukebound85
- Start date
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I'd personally make your distinction between work for which you were paid and work that you did as a volunteer, rather than between full time work and part-time work. That is, I'd move the first two additional experience items up to work experience (unless I'm wrong in interpreting those as paid activities).
Also I'm not sure I understand this one... when you say you are an Invite to a few societies, do you mean you're currently in the process of pledging, or do you mean that you were invited and declined? For instance, I was invited to Tau Beta Pi many times and declined -- that I wouldn't put on my resume. On the other hand, while I was a pledge for Sigma Gamma Tau or one of the other ones I did do, I'd put those on. It may be just that the language used at your university is different from what people said at Michigan back when I was an engineering student, though.
Also, I don't know how new your new job is, but you probably want more than one bullet point for what you do.
But overall, it looks pretty nice. Congratulations on getting this far!
Also I'm not sure I understand this one... when you say you are an Invite to a few societies, do you mean you're currently in the process of pledging, or do you mean that you were invited and declined? For instance, I was invited to Tau Beta Pi many times and declined -- that I wouldn't put on my resume. On the other hand, while I was a pledge for Sigma Gamma Tau or one of the other ones I did do, I'd put those on. It may be just that the language used at your university is different from what people said at Michigan back when I was an engineering student, though.
Also, I don't know how new your new job is, but you probably want more than one bullet point for what you do.
But overall, it looks pretty nice. Congratulations on getting this far!
I see what you mean. The first two jobs in addition experience were indeed full time. However, I tired to break it up by pre and post college graduation? Is that unwise?
yea, you are right, i was invited and declined. what you said makes sense. i would be a member to all if i had 50 bucks for each org that asked me lol
Also, I don't know how new your new job is, but you probably want more than one bullet point for what you do.
yea probably. thing is is that i cant really elaborate on anything as you need a clearance and such. this may be tricky
its a "i could tell you but id have to kill you kinda deal" lol
But overall, it looks pretty nice. Congratulations on getting this far!
Thanks! alot of alterations have been made over the years
Actually, as a former HR person, not bad.
As you gain experience, shorten the awards and education section, and when you have more experience than education, then put education at the very last part of the resume. You may actually do well with switching your skills part on the paper with the education part so the resume flows better. Data Analyst can go under the skills section.
If you hold one or more titles as an engineer, the HR person will pretty much figure out you have a degree, so education will come dead last on the resume other than a brand new graduate of a couple of years or less.
The most impressive resumes I have seen are short, with great job titles, and very on point.
This is a balancing act, but put enough technical info but not so much to make it look like jargon since that is the kiss of death on a resume. Like it or not, the HR people are the gatekeepers.
As you gain experience, shorten the awards and education section, and when you have more experience than education, then put education at the very last part of the resume. You may actually do well with switching your skills part on the paper with the education part so the resume flows better. Data Analyst can go under the skills section.
If you hold one or more titles as an engineer, the HR person will pretty much figure out you have a degree, so education will come dead last on the resume other than a brand new graduate of a couple of years or less.
The most impressive resumes I have seen are short, with great job titles, and very on point.
This is a balancing act, but put enough technical info but not so much to make it look like jargon since that is the kiss of death on a resume. Like it or not, the HR people are the gatekeepers.
Newer employee resume vs. long time veteran (hypothetical)
John Dukebound85
Silicon Valley, etc
Ojective:
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Work Experience:
Engineer, level 1, City of Oakland, California
(dates)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Skills:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Education:
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, 2008
summa cum laude
.........................................
...down the line
John Dukebound85
Silicon Valley, etc
Objective:
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Skills and Experience: (this can combine relevant work experience such as CEO potential, project management, and engineering skills)
Headed up engineering department for City of San Francisco and managed $20 million dollar yearly budget. (dates with 10 years or so here, etc.)
Senior Engineer and Project Manager
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (5-7 years)
Assistant Chief of new engineering projects
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
City of Oakland, California (3-5 years)
Education:
Executive MBA, University of San Francisco, 2018
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, 2008
John Dukebound85
Silicon Valley, etc
Ojective:
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Work Experience:
Engineer, level 1, City of Oakland, California
(dates)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Skills:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Education:
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, 2008
summa cum laude
.........................................
...down the line
John Dukebound85
Silicon Valley, etc
Objective:
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Skills and Experience: (this can combine relevant work experience such as CEO potential, project management, and engineering skills)
Headed up engineering department for City of San Francisco and managed $20 million dollar yearly budget. (dates with 10 years or so here, etc.)
Senior Engineer and Project Manager
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (5-7 years)
Assistant Chief of new engineering projects
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
City of Oakland, California (3-5 years)
Education:
Executive MBA, University of San Francisco, 2018
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, 2008
no, education is expected to be listed as its own category
one category of "work experience" is all you need. There's no advantage in the "pre" vs "post" graduation division, indeed it works against you by emphasizing your relatively recent graduation.
The outline 63dot posted is a good sample to follow
@ 63dot, thanks for the tips
oh i know, i meant the education section under the work experience section which 63dot addressed
thanks!
oh i know, i meant the education section under the work experience section which 63dot addressed
thanks!
That looks nice my friend.
I am an Industrial Engineer (4th year) and have had quite a few internships because of my resume and social skills. Take my advice if you wish.
On the top of my resume, I have a Profile section, where I give me basic background of myself. I grew up on a grape farm, worked long days as a kid, played quarterback in football, and a few other things. I talk about how that instilled hard work into my body. Just a few lines, so it distinguishes your resume from the others.
I also have a section on relevant coursework. I guess this might be because I am still in school, but if you are graduated, it's probably un necessary.
Edit: What I don't like, is your name is too small! My name is in the top center of my resume, in big, bolded letters. It stands out on the page.
I am an Industrial Engineer (4th year) and have had quite a few internships because of my resume and social skills. Take my advice if you wish.
On the top of my resume, I have a Profile section, where I give me basic background of myself. I grew up on a grape farm, worked long days as a kid, played quarterback in football, and a few other things. I talk about how that instilled hard work into my body. Just a few lines, so it distinguishes your resume from the others.
I also have a section on relevant coursework. I guess this might be because I am still in school, but if you are graduated, it's probably un necessary.
Edit: What I don't like, is your name is too small! My name is in the top center of my resume, in big, bolded letters. It stands out on the page.
There's lots of good advice here.
I particularly second this one -- my name is in a pretty large font in the upper corner of my resume. I happen to left justify, but the idea is important.I have mine like so, with my contact info right justified across from my name.
Oh, sorry, yeah, I didn't respond to this. For better or for worse, regardless of your reason and how sensible it was, I wouldn't include these as they are confusing and no one will really care much anyway. Mostly what hirers look for is that you are involved in some professional memberships. The fact that you're in TBP is fine.
That is a tricky situation. What are you allowed to say? Are you allowed to market the type of clearance you have (I know you may for some of the clearance levels)? If so, and this is considered acceptable (I've never worked under security clearance, to be honest), then my understanding is that this is a major marketing asset, as it makes you immediately billable.
Most of the advice so far is good. One thing that stuck out to me is weak phrasing of some responsibility descriptions that could be a bit stronger:
"Working knowledge" sounds less wet behind the ears.
Are you sure you weren't "apprenticed to experienced engineers in ?"
While you probably did have to adjust to that sort of schedule (pretty much anyone would), it emphasizes the challenge of it. I see how it's tough to keep parallelism and lead with an active verb when expressing that concept, but how about something like, "Worked full time with around-the-clock availability at 24/7 job sites in remote locations."
What's "essentially" mean? Did you develop it or not?
Definitely not. You just plain placed second. "Ended up" sounds like it was an accident.
With the exception of the last one, I'm pretty much just being a nitpicky hardass, but that's exactly the sort of audience you should assume will be evaluating your resume. It's actually quite good overall.
"Working knowledge" sounds less wet behind the ears.
Are you sure you weren't "apprenticed to experienced engineers in ?"
While you probably did have to adjust to that sort of schedule (pretty much anyone would), it emphasizes the challenge of it. I see how it's tough to keep parallelism and lead with an active verb when expressing that concept, but how about something like, "Worked full time with around-the-clock availability at 24/7 job sites in remote locations."
What's "essentially" mean? Did you develop it or not?
Definitely not. You just plain placed second. "Ended up" sounds like it was an accident.
With the exception of the last one, I'm pretty much just being a nitpicky hardass, but that's exactly the sort of audience you should assume will be evaluating your resume. It's actually quite good overall.
Engineering Resume Feedback
Hi Dukebound,
Here are a few suggestions for your resume that will greatly improve
its usefulness:
1. Remember to focus on what the employer wants, not who you are. While
you society and other participation are honorable and positive they don't
convey any skills. I suggest you reduce that section and give more relevance
to your skills and experience.
2. Your resume should have only one "work experience section". You are a
recent grad so nobody is going to expect you to have significant experience
but whatever you have will help.
By placing the internships and other jobs in the same category as your first
full time job you lend them credibility. They were jobs, they should be listed
as such.
3. While you can list projects they don't count as work experience. Focus
instead on more details on levels of responsibility and contributions in your
jobs.
4. I suggest you add level of proficiency to your skills. Listing many software
tools or skills will trigger many questions in an interview. Be upfront about
your level of proficiency.
5. Focus on achievements and things you accomplished. Don't use words
like "exposed to" and "participated". Chose instead words like "developed",
"created", etc. Remember to showcase what you have done.
Generally your resume needs to be significantly modified. Your goal is to
have a one page summary of what you can do for me if I am your prospective
employer. Engineering resumes should be focused and achievement focused.
Follow the tips above and you will get better results.
Best of luck!
Michael Brit
www.engineer-resume.com
Hi Dukebound,
Here are a few suggestions for your resume that will greatly improve
its usefulness:
1. Remember to focus on what the employer wants, not who you are. While
you society and other participation are honorable and positive they don't
convey any skills. I suggest you reduce that section and give more relevance
to your skills and experience.
2. Your resume should have only one "work experience section". You are a
recent grad so nobody is going to expect you to have significant experience
but whatever you have will help.
By placing the internships and other jobs in the same category as your first
full time job you lend them credibility. They were jobs, they should be listed
as such.
3. While you can list projects they don't count as work experience. Focus
instead on more details on levels of responsibility and contributions in your
jobs.
4. I suggest you add level of proficiency to your skills. Listing many software
tools or skills will trigger many questions in an interview. Be upfront about
your level of proficiency.
5. Focus on achievements and things you accomplished. Don't use words
like "exposed to" and "participated". Chose instead words like "developed",
"created", etc. Remember to showcase what you have done.
Generally your resume needs to be significantly modified. Your goal is to
have a one page summary of what you can do for me if I am your prospective
employer. Engineering resumes should be focused and achievement focused.
Follow the tips above and you will get better results.
Best of luck!
Michael Brit
www.engineer-resume.com
I tried to incorporate your comments. The only one I had a hard time trying to implement was the skills proficiency section, so I am still thinking about how to best do that
Is this a better layout? I tried to make it more concise in a sense and made the layout better imo
Feedback is welcome
is my projects section too large?
alos, if I have a clearance, can I state that?
Is this a better layout? I tried to make it more concise in a sense and made the layout better imo
Feedback is welcome
is my projects section too large?
alos, if I have a clearance, can I state that?
Attachments
Really? Because I work at a Employment Resource center and we teach everyone to make their resumes 2 pages. Not too long and not too short.
Helpful Resume Blog
I am also putting a resume together and I've found a blog that has some pretty useful information and tips about resumes and cover letters.
http://resuweblog.blogspot.com/
They have a lot of info on there, but I found these tips particularly helpful:
How can I build a boring/content rich resume?
1. MS Word doc only! MS Word doc files are the standard and easiest for Applicant Tracking Systems to upload and parse.
2. List your resume reverse chronologically - Most recent positions on top
3. One font throughout your resume - Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, and Garamond are best
4. Black font color only
5. 10pt, 11pt, or 12pt font size only. Stick with one font size throughout your entire resume.
6. Let your resume flow to 2-3 pages if you have the experience (usually 10+ years or more)
7. List all start and end dates for your positions in the Month, Year format (ex. January, 2006 to June, 2009)
8. Optimize your resume content by including as many keywords relating to your skills, experiences, technologies, or activities you have worked with.
9. Proofread. Every text editor, MS Word, and Google Docs all have built in Spell Checkers. There are no excuses for typos!
10. Links to your professional blog or Twitter page to promote your personal brand. Only if you are 100% sure the content is professional.
11. Optimize your resume (coming soon) with ResuWe at http://www.resuwe.com
Hope this helps you out!
~ Shannon
I am also putting a resume together and I've found a blog that has some pretty useful information and tips about resumes and cover letters.
http://resuweblog.blogspot.com/
They have a lot of info on there, but I found these tips particularly helpful:
How can I build a boring/content rich resume?
1. MS Word doc only! MS Word doc files are the standard and easiest for Applicant Tracking Systems to upload and parse.
2. List your resume reverse chronologically - Most recent positions on top
3. One font throughout your resume - Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, and Garamond are best
4. Black font color only
5. 10pt, 11pt, or 12pt font size only. Stick with one font size throughout your entire resume.
6. Let your resume flow to 2-3 pages if you have the experience (usually 10+ years or more)
7. List all start and end dates for your positions in the Month, Year format (ex. January, 2006 to June, 2009)
8. Optimize your resume content by including as many keywords relating to your skills, experiences, technologies, or activities you have worked with.
9. Proofread. Every text editor, MS Word, and Google Docs all have built in Spell Checkers. There are no excuses for typos!
10. Links to your professional blog or Twitter page to promote your personal brand. Only if you are 100% sure the content is professional.
11. Optimize your resume (coming soon) with ResuWe at http://www.resuwe.com
Hope this helps you out!
~ Shannon
Not a bad resume!
The only suggestions I would make are very minor:
1. I've been hearing from headhunters that the "Objective" section in a resume has become deprecated.
2. If you're applying for a position in Mechanical Engineering, try to tailor your experience toward the job you're applying for; emphasize project management tasks if you're applying for a project management position, etc.
Speaking as a mechanical engineer (15 years), your academic credentials look impeccable. If you're shopping yourself for a position I might be able to refer some recruiters to you, if you're interested.
Good luck in your search!
Take this with a grain of salt. Many recruiters and employers will gladly accept a PDF as long as it's searchable. I personally wouldn't send a Word doc simply because someone else can easily edit it.
The only suggestions I would make are very minor:
1. I've been hearing from headhunters that the "Objective" section in a resume has become deprecated.
2. If you're applying for a position in Mechanical Engineering, try to tailor your experience toward the job you're applying for; emphasize project management tasks if you're applying for a project management position, etc.
Speaking as a mechanical engineer (15 years), your academic credentials look impeccable. If you're shopping yourself for a position I might be able to refer some recruiters to you, if you're interested.
Good luck in your search!
Take this with a grain of salt. Many recruiters and employers will gladly accept a PDF as long as it's searchable. I personally wouldn't send a Word doc simply because someone else can easily edit it.
Yes, and you definitely should. Check with your security office for how to word it but I'm pretty sure that "<Level> Security Clearance" is proper.
It varies on the industry.
The purpose of a resume is to get your foot in the door. That's all.
Today, with the current economic situation you are competing with many others for the same job. A buddy of mine who was the HR Chief for a Fortune 500 job provided some great information concerning resumes. These two points have stuck in my head since.
1. He always had more applicants than open positions. He had to use any method to reduce the stack of resumes to review. So if he didn't like the paper color (shade of white), didn't like the typeface used, didn't like the layout or if it was over 1 page. Into the shredder it went.
I asked him once about the possibility of eliminating a well qualified person. He said that he didn't care. He had way too many applicants for the open positions so he had to reduce the resume count down to a reasonable level. Basic Time Management 101 for him. So out of 100 resume's he might only really look at 5-10 after he conducted his elimination process. Then he would reduce that number down to 2-3 to forward to the manager after he reviewed them.
2. He said if you want a job, it's best never to go through HR. The better way is to have a manager approach him with your resume and say that they want this person.
And if you do send Word resumes, send them in .doc format. Word 2008 automatically saves in .docx format, and there's no guarantee that any particular person receiving your resume will be able to open that format. Lots of businesses don't bother to update to the newest Word. I prefer PDF, since then you know that both parties are looking at the exact same thing.
Good point about the docx (Word 2007 (Win) and Word 2008 (Mac) format).
Agree with you on PDF since everyone can open that type of file.
Any comments welcome. Should I have my schooling under work experience?
Thanks
Decent resume as this is my second look in a long time.
Two tips from my point of view right now besides what I mentioned. You can slim down the honors and awards part and add more to your skill set or job duties.
After a very short time, unless you are going into the field of education teaching engineering students, put the education part of your resume at the end.
Some resumes have perfect spelling and perfect action words, but look like it was from a template of a resume from a big resume book found at Borders bookstore.
This is sometimes a great way to put an HR person to sleep and you don't want to do that. So if you can, beware of resume book cliches. Some are OK, but too many, and the HR person focuses on that you are a good copycat but not much else. Copycat resumes blend in so well they become invisible.There is really not much science to resume writing, it's an art form.