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Jastiger posted:I'm looking to get back into the workforce as I'm currently a stay at home dad. I've checked out the OP and I think I'm hitting the points I need to. Can anyoen give me some pointer? You have a really vague duty based resume. For example, when you say quote:
it should say something more like quote:
Across state lines? Are you a 1920s bank robber? quote:
This repeats for all of your insurance sales jobs. For Best Buy, try putting yourself as "top 10% of sales reps 2009" or whenever that happened. ING: What was your job? No one knows what a random E4 does and some absurd percentage of the Army is an E4. Were you a paper pusher? Were you responsible for some huge inventory? Did you write any reports? Did you protect/defend something? (not freedom) You should also move your bullet points over and not waste the white space. Make tables and choose the "no fill" option for borders with single spacing if that helps you.
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Oct 5, 2013 00:36
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What does it mean when a job keeps getting relisted? The same job description with the same requisition number gets its "date posted" updated every 4-6 weeks.
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Oct 6, 2013 17:07
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They might not have funding to actually pay someone but want to use up their hiring budget. Alternatively, they just can't find anyone.
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Oct 6, 2013 17:10
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FrozenVent posted:They might not have funding to actually pay someone but want to use up their hiring budget. Probably the first. The companies I see this with are government contractors. My application status is still "active" though for that position even though the date has been relisted.
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Oct 6, 2013 17:20
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I have a huge interview on Tuesday for a real job. Like, actual contract with more than double what I make annually now. One of the head people for this position (someone in a high regarded position) personally told me to apply because she felt I would be a good fit. They have already gone through one round of interviews and found no one suitable so as a recent grad this all made me, well, a little terrified. I was sent an email with a complicated scenario that might arise within the job and was told to make a PowerPoint to present with my answer. The PowerPoint is done and I've had my husband and friend take a look to make sure it looks good and has no errors. My question is, how can I really wow them? Would it be a good idea to have notecards so I can look at them rather than the screen, or does it look better if I memorize as much as possible with more or less a cursory glance at the screen if needed? Should I print out anything to hand out, like some points from the presentation? This job is the much needed stepping stone into my career path, it's at a university so the benefits would be great and as stated, the pay is great. I just want some advice on how I can really stand out and ace this interview.
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Oct 6, 2013 20:04
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Toriori posted:I was sent an email with a complicated scenario that might arise within the job and was told to make a PowerPoint to present with my answer. The PowerPoint is done and I've had my husband and friend take a look to make sure it looks good and has no errors. My question is, how can I really wow them? Would it be a good idea to have notecards so I can look at them rather than the screen, or does it look better if I memorize as much as possible with more or less a cursory glance at the screen if needed? Should I print out anything to hand out, like some points from the presentation? Memorize, practice as much as you can, but use note cards as "place holders" which you can quickly glance at to remind yourself where you are at. Try to avoid using the PowerPoint itself, as this can unintentionally lead to you "presenting to the screen" instead of the audience. Try to avoid this even if you have a podium with a screen, because you'll start talking to the podium. Don't make your notes so long that you start reading them and talking at your hands, just a quick note like "Slide 1: Children like red" to remind yourself to talk about how studies show that children are most attracted to the color red because they associate it with Santa Claus. Basically minimize anything which would force you to break eye contact with your audience. Try to give each person (assuming small panel) equal amount of "eye time" by constantly going back and forth (gradually) between each person. Try to look at each person at least once per slide (unless it's a really short slide. Gradual, natural head motions, not jerky quick back-and-forths between each person. Try to avoid reading the slides to your audience, have bullet points that you expand on in your speech. Can't think of anything else as I'm dog tired at the moment. edit: more tips edit 2: have print outs in case they ask for them, but don't 'volunteer' them if you're not asked to. Otherwise, depending on if you have charts and figures it may be a good idea to have some copies of those handy. Don't give them a novel to read, because they'll stop paying attention to you while trying to read your presentation. Basically, if you lose eye contact with your audience, they'll stop paying attention to you and lose interest in what you have to say. You can bring them back if they start to wane, but avoiding it in the first place is best. CovfefeCatCafe fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Oct 6, 2013 |
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Oct 6, 2013 20:34
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Is firstname@signalnoise.net less "professional" than firstname.lastname@gmail.com or does anyone even care about the aesthetics of email addresses anymore?
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Oct 6, 2013 21:24
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Maybe a little, but I don't think it really matters. Just make sure you're okay with them seeing whatever's at signalnoise.net...
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Oct 6, 2013 21:30
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Xandu posted:Maybe a little, but I don't think it really matters. Just make sure you're okay with them seeing whatever's at signalnoise.net... Do people still do the whole "webpage as resume" thing?
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Oct 6, 2013 21:45
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signalnoise posted:Is firstname@signalnoise.net less "professional" than firstname.lastname@gmail.com or does anyone even care about the aesthetics of email addresses anymore? As long as you're not using @currentemployer.com I wouldn't worry about it.
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Oct 6, 2013 22:28
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YF19pilot posted:Memorize, practice as much as you can, but use note cards as "place holders" which you can quickly glance at to remind yourself where you are at. Try to avoid using the PowerPoint itself, as this can unintentionally lead to you "presenting to the screen" instead of the audience. Try to avoid this even if you have a podium with a screen, because you'll start talking to the podium. Don't make your notes so long that you start reading them and talking at your hands, just a quick note like "Slide 1: Children like red" to remind yourself to talk about how studies show that children are most attracted to the color red because they associate it with Santa Claus. Basically minimize anything which would force you to break eye contact with your audience. Try to give each person (assuming small panel) equal amount of "eye time" by constantly going back and forth (gradually) between each person. Try to look at each person at least once per slide (unless it's a really short slide. Gradual, natural head motions, not jerky quick back-and-forths between each person. Thanks! Especially for the idea of just writing quick notes/cues on a note rather than what to actually say. This is a big deal and the woman who suggested I apply said "we didn't find anyone when we did interviews but I really think you would be a good fit for this position" so I'm hoping being in good standing with her going in will give me some help too.
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Oct 6, 2013 23:00
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Toriori posted:Thanks! Especially for the idea of just writing quick notes/cues on a note rather than what to actually say. This is a big deal and the woman who suggested I apply said "we didn't find anyone when we did interviews but I really think you would be a good fit for this position" so I'm hoping being in good standing with her going in will give me some help too. Try not to let the "we didn't find anyone..." bother you, don't focus on that. Public speaking (and as an interview no less!) is always nerve racking, don't want to add thinking about what losers they had to go through before they found you. Be confident in your presentation, and confident in your facts, and you'll do well. Good luck, and best wishes.
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Oct 7, 2013 02:37
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I'll try to keep this from being an e/n post. Long story short: recently moved to a new state to live with my girlfriend, got a job at a local brewery, the work is nice but the job is killing me (possibly literally), I don't have any benefits, and I never get to see my girlfriend during the week due to our hours. I'm feeling extremely lovely, both physically and mentally. Now I'm looking for a new job while still working for this brewery. I've been focusing on trying to get a job as a bank teller since the hours line up with my girlfriend's, I have relevant experience, and it doesn't seem like a job that would destroy my body. After spending four weeks of sending out applications, resumes, and cover letters I still haven't had a single interview. I feel like I'm just running into a brick wall. Back in 2011, I used a resume and interview skills building service (not something awful's  ) and ended up with a general resume I thought looked pretty good. After reading this thread and seeing some examples, I think my resume format looks like poo poo. So I tried changing it up to more of a CV style format.It would be nice to get some reassurance that my resumes arn't lovely or full of errors if someone would care to look at them. Old resume: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwPd_5u06rA4cDNUNnA2di1rVDA/edit?usp=sharing Revised/CV: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwPd_5u06rA4N0xKUzg2LUVvWU0/edit?usp=sharing Just keep in mind these are tailored towards a job as a teller. I get paranoid about my resumes since I've bounced between California and Washington and have never held a job more than a year and a half. Any tips about getting to an interview or finding new employment would be great. Edit: oh right, the reason I made myself post here. For several of the more local opportunities I've applied to, I go in and visit the location after a day or two with my resume/cv and cover letter. Is this a good practice to show that I'm serious and enthusiastic? After reading this thread I'm not as sure that it's helping me. Pyraen fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Oct 7, 2013 |
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Oct 7, 2013 18:08
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https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3uG-jfFnQf6ZkV2R09FM1h6d2M/edit?usp=sharing So here is my new resume with some of the updates recommended here. It's tough to quantify the insurance information because I had to stop doing it because it wasn't paying the bills. How can I spin that into a good thing? As far as formatting this is somewhat similar to what my wife has...should I change it? Edit: Since I'm' a stay at home dad now, should I put down as work history that I'm current treasurer and vice chair of some local non profits? Jastiger fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Oct 7, 2013 |
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Oct 7, 2013 22:09
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Would y'all mind checking out my resume? The page for it is here I'm trying to apply for more creative senior editor positions in journalism, magazines, and online editorial in the New York area (as well as copywriter and copyeditor positions) and I'm not getting any bites at all. I'm actually at the point where I'm considering moving to Los Angeles to start over. Should I be considering a new design or is the experience lacking for senior positions?
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Oct 7, 2013 22:11
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Pyraen posted:
Here is a VERY basic critique. Hope this helps! 
Goon Approved Resume and CV Writing Service
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Oct 7, 2013 22:58
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So I got a job offer today for a company that's kinda far from where I live...about 30 miles. The pay is acceptable for an entry-level position in this field, and there's definitely room for advancement within this company. I want to give them an answer within 1-2 days; but here's the problem. Of course, today, when I get an offer, the first such offer in 2-3 months of interviewing, suddenly I'm contacted by 3 different places where I'd sent out resumes 2-4 weeks ago, wanting to schedule interviews. 2 of these 3 places would pay slightly more, in a slightly different field, with probably a bit less room for advancement. I am likely going to rule out the third place, because I don't really want to do that type work. The commutes would also be shorter than 30 miles. 30 miles is much further than I would like to drive every day, but the hours at the place that made the offer would make traffic less of an issue (7am-3/3:30ish). 1) How do I buy myself another day or two before giving an answer to the offer, while at the same time trying to push forward interviews with these other 2 places? I don't want to say "yes" to the place that made me an offer, pick a starting date, and then say, "Sorry...I got a better offer after I agreed." It would burn my bridges with that company, one that I could otherwise see myself applying to in the future. I also don't want to tell someone with whom I haven't yet interviewed, "Yea..I need to interview tomorrow/today because I have an offer outstanding..." Keep in mind, I sent my resume like a month ago and they're just now scheduling interviews. 2) I interviewed at somewhere else entirely last week, and it went well. I suspect I'll be hearing back from that company with an offer, but I've been wrong before. Is it acceptable for me to send an email to that company and say, "Hey, if I'm still in consideration, can you let me know right away? I have another offer.."? 3) edit: nevermind question 3, I already know the answer.
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Oct 7, 2013 23:33
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johnny sack posted:So I got a job offer today for a company that's kinda far from where I live...about 30 miles. The pay is acceptable for an entry-level position in this field, and there's definitely room for advancement within this company. I want to give them an answer within 1-2 days; but here's the problem. Would moving closer be out of the question? Which company are you most interested in working for? Which industry do you want to be in, Industry A (offer) or Industry B (interviews). Will you be able to change careers down the road if you decide A/B are not for you? Otherwise, the time between interview/offer from the other companies may be too long that your window with Company A may close. I'd just think really hard and long if losing the job with A would be worth getting a job with the Bs. It does seem like you're in a "one in the hand, two in the bush" situation though. I, personally, would probably go with the offer from Company A, and if a year or two from now you're not happy, you can always reapply to Companies B. But just think about things and you'll find your own right answer.
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Oct 8, 2013 00:23
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YF19pilot posted:Would moving closer be out of the question? Which company are you most interested in working for? Which industry do you want to be in, Industry A (offer) or Industry B (interviews). Will you be able to change careers down the road if you decide A/B are not for you? Yea I think you've summed it up pretty well. A and B are different specialties of the same industry. One is metrology (calibrating sensitive laboratory/manufacturing instruments) and the other could be summarized as working with the same type instruments. So once you start specializing in one, you could work in the other, but it wouldn't be a straightforward transfer. Moving closer to job A is certainly a possibility, but we do own our home now and would be buying another if we moved. My wife drives about 10 miles in the same direction to her company, so if we moved, say, 20 miles from here, that would put us both 10 miles from where we worked. Of course, I would only do this if the job turned out to be pretty drat good and promising, which I wouldn't know for a good year or so. In any case, I've decided to outright decline one interview, and to tell the other two that I can interview with them...but it has to be tomorrow - sorry, I have another outstanding offer to which I must respond. As for the position that I am thinking/hoping to get an offer from, but haven't yet, I just have to contact them and explain. If they were considering making an offer to me, then they'll do it sooner. If not, no harm done, far as I can see.
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Oct 8, 2013 04:04
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Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, but UK CVs: 2 pages max? Include references with contact info? Leave out interests section? No personal statement? I just heard these and I feel like they contradict other things I've read. Also, with CVs is it ok to play creative with the formatting when applying to a creative/design job? Oh,and A4 paper, right?
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Oct 8, 2013 10:45
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DustingDuvet posted:Here is a VERY basic critique. Hope this helps! Thanks for your feedback. It's nice to get criticism from a 3rd party about my resume, especially when you keep asking for specifics. Still curious about the formatting difference between the two documents. After reading this thread, my old resume seems gimmicky despite having come from an HR consulting service. Also, still wondering if it's a good move to physically drop off a resume and cover letter to a business after applying online. More often than not, the front desk says they'll just give it to the hiring manager or whoever. But once in a while, they've actually grabbed someone for me to talk to.
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Oct 8, 2013 16:43
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Okay so the interview was 9 AM yesterday morning and was really, really intense. I gave my presentation and it went a hell of a lot better than I had thought because I'm a nervous public speaker. After the presentation, there was a few basic questions, then I sat down and was in the hot seat for another standard 20 questions about the position. There was a certain amount of red flags that kind of popped up for me, for example, this is the first year this position was created and it was supposed to start before the school year so now I'm certain it would be an absolute circus, and the idea of a position that has never had a chance at trial and error as well as being so far behind already is a little worrying. Is it wrong that at this point I'm not even worried about not getting it, and part of me doesn't want it?
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Oct 9, 2013 15:17
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Toriori posted:Okay so the interview was 9 AM yesterday morning and was really, really intense. I gave my presentation and it went a hell of a lot better than I had thought because I'm a nervous public speaker. After the presentation, there was a few basic questions, then I sat down and was in the hot seat for another standard 20 questions about the position. Toriori posted:"This job is the much needed stepping stone into my career path, it's at a university so the benefits would be great and as stated, the pay is great." If you disliked the people, culture or feel that you'll be working 60+ hour weeks then that's completely reasonable. On the other hand, the fact that they're trying to backfill a position open 4 months ago is a good thing, it gives you leverage if they do make an offer. Clearly going into this you saw it as a good opportunity, so you need to ask yourself if what gave you an uneasy feeling about it is a legitimate concern or self-sabotage. Blorange fucked around with this message at 16:30 on Oct 9, 2013 |
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Oct 9, 2013 16:27
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Blorange posted:If you disliked the people, culture or feel that you'll be working 60+ hour weeks then that's completely reasonable. On the other hand, the fact that they're trying to backfill a position open 4 months ago is a good thing, it gives you leverage if they do make an offer. Clearly going into this you saw it as a good opportunity, so you need to ask yourself if what gave you an uneasy feeling about it is a legitimate concern or self-sabotage. It's true, I self-sabotage all the time. Every job I start I think "no, I'm not ready for this and I can't do it". Why do I do this! It's like a rollercoaster, that feeling of rising up the tallest hill, hearing the cart clink-clink against the tracks and you feel the sickness swelling up in your gut..Right now I'm at the top of that hill. One of my references told me they called today and she really talked me up (this person also happens to hold a very prestigious position within the university) so who knows.
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Oct 10, 2013 00:20
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So I'm writing a cover letter. I have found a job listing with a company that say to address the cover letter to the VP of HR, but the job I am applying for does not specify that; other listings also do not specifiy. Should I go ahead and address the cover letter to that person or keep it general?
The Rising Suun fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Oct 10, 2013 |
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Oct 10, 2013 18:23
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I need advice. I had an interview on September 17th and they told me then that they had another candidate coming in around the beginning of October so they wouldn't be able to let me know if I get the job until mid-October. I sent a follow up e-mail a week ago, on the 3rd, and volunteered a reference list. Do I just wait for a reply or do I follow-up again? I never got a response to my e-mail and as far as I know, they didn't contact my references (which I'm not taking as a bad sign since they never asked for any).
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Oct 10, 2013 19:23
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Well, my latest freelance contract just dried up, so my job hunt is becoming a bit more desperate. I'm a recent graduate of a technical writing program and am looking to get my foot in the door. I've been applying to tonnes of places and have few interviews to show for it. I've already gone through the OP and made many of the suggested changes. Here's my CV, what can I do to make it better? I'm not a fan of the amount of blank space at the end. Would it be better to elaborate on my previous postions, specifically freelance writing assignments that were not under an NDA, or include a section on my volunteer work?
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Oct 10, 2013 21:26
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Every Man Jack posted:Well, my latest freelance contract just dried up, so my job hunt is becoming a bit more desperate. Redesign it in my opinion, that's a page long resume in terms of content.
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Oct 11, 2013 00:47
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If I got a short-term contract job with company A through staffing agency B, and am being paid by/getting benefits from agency B, who am I technically employed by? And which one should I put on my resume? I asked someone about this and they said I should put the staffing agency, because they're paying me and it'll look bad/weird when my contract is up and I leave company A. My reasoning is that since I'm getting all my relevant experience through company A and will use it for references, that's what I should list on my resume.
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Oct 11, 2013 00:52
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Pianist On Strike posted:If I got a short-term contract job with company A through staffing agency B, and am being paid by/getting benefits from agency B, who am I technically employed by? And which one should I put on my resume? I asked someone about this and they said I should put the staffing agency, because they're paying me and it'll look bad/weird when my contract is up and I leave company A. My reasoning is that since I'm getting all my relevant experience through company A and will use it for references, that's what I should list on my resume. List the company where you're actually doing the work (B) since that's the relevant experience. If you want to note that it's a contract (so some idiot doesn't call their HR dept and think you're lying when you turn out to not be on their rolls) then go ahead. But you work there even if you don't "work" there. If the agency ends up sending you on a bunch of short term contracts then you might want to roll them up into one section with the agency as the employer.
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Oct 11, 2013 11:29
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corkskroo posted:List the company where you're actually doing the work (B) since that's the relevant experience. If you want to note that it's a contract (so some idiot doesn't call their HR dept and think you're lying when you turn out to not be on their rolls) then go ahead. But you work there even if you don't "work" there. That's what I was thinking, thank you!
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Oct 11, 2013 15:28
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So, yesterday I had a preliminary phone interview for a job. I forgot to ask for her email address so that I could send a thank you note, and there was no email correspondence between us already - just phone calls. However, using my super internet-sleuthing skills I was able to find her email address. Should I send a thank you email now, or would it just be weird and creepy, given that she never gave me her email address (and it's not something that'd be easily found on a website - I had to dig deep to get it)? edit: despite the fact it was a hard email address to find, yes, it is an business email address, not a personal one. Now that would definitely be too weird. Ramrod Hotshot fucked around with this message at 16:34 on Oct 11, 2013 |
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Oct 11, 2013 16:29
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Wait are you supposed to send thank you letters for preliminary phone interviews?
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Oct 11, 2013 17:47
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I dunno. Nobody tells me the rules.
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Oct 11, 2013 18:10
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Gray Ghost posted:Would y'all mind checking out my resume? "Tailored" is a weird verb choice in the first entry. Why not "Edited"? You're inconsistent with your use of "copyedited"/"copy edited" in the first and last job descriptions. Why is "Psychology" capitalized in the second entry. I would lose the "Competent Communicator" entry. Sounds like damning with faint praise.
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Oct 11, 2013 19:20
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I got the job!!
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Oct 11, 2013 19:50
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My apologies if this has been asked, maybe even by me. I don't doubt it's a common question but I'd appreciate an answer nonetheless. I'm a recent graduate of web design, and the only experience I have in my job history related to that is my internship. Everything before was either fast food, movie theaters, and a brief stint in the Army. Should I be including these jobs because it shows I have done something with myself? Should I not and instead put in projects I've worked on and relevant information to them?
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Oct 12, 2013 21:40
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How unseriously will I be taken if I mention I am a director for an anime convention? I recently got correspondence from resume2interviews and they took that into consideration on other skills or something. What I wrote is that I have been doing it 10 years, and have built the department from a small 1 room operation with under 10 staff to a 50 staffer, 5 room department in a convention that this year got 18000 people and received no complaints from management. Does the subject matter here matter? I figure if it's being taken objectively, it's decent management experience for both projects and staffing, but somehow I feel like it's risky putting it on a resume.
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Oct 12, 2013 22:04
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signalnoise posted:How unseriously will I be taken if I mention I am a director for an anime convention? Can you describe it as a media convention/consumer fair/trade exhibition? I would leave the word anime out of it if you can, but it is management experience worth mentioning if it's relevant to the position.
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Oct 13, 2013 00:42
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signalnoise posted:How unseriously will I be taken if I mention I am a director for an anime convention? I recently got correspondence from resume2interviews and they took that into consideration on other skills or something. What I wrote is that I have been doing it 10 years, and have built the department from a small 1 room operation with under 10 staff to a 50 staffer, 5 room department in a convention that this year got 18000 people and received no complaints from management. Does the subject matter here matter? I figure if it's being taken objectively, it's decent management experience for both projects and staffing, but somehow I feel like it's risky putting it on a resume. Everyone that reads your resume will laugh at you unless you are applying for an event management type of position. Even then, I'd try to be as nonspecific as possible with the subject matter of the convention.
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Oct 13, 2013 03:01
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