resume critique please

NetworkNewb

Think of applying for an entry level security consulting position. Just looking for any advice for updating the resume!

Here is the position: Associate Consulting Engineer

blankresume.pdf


I'll also be taking my CCNA on May 1st, what are the opinions on adding that on there? Something like "Test Scheduled May 1st" for the date.

Jasiono

I'm super **** about the tense of resumes. Half of your previous jobs are in past tense and the other half are in present, I would change them to be either or, past would be best in my opinion.

You have Microsoft Office on there twice in the technical proficiency section.

Those are the most obvious things that stuck out to me. That's all I can give, someone can give their 2 cents on the other sections. I'm sleepy

As for the ICND2 exam, I am basing that off of the fact that you have CCENT, I don't think it will hurt to put down your anticipated date of obtaining it after your certs and education.

srabiee

First thing I noticed, your margins are huge. Lots of wasted white space surrounding the document. I'm wondering if you could get this resume to a single page if you reduced those margins.

I would expand upon your professional summary. A single sentence is a little short. The summary is the first thing the hiring manager is going to read, so you really want to sell yourself here. This section is also a good opportunity to tailor your resume to a specific job that you are applying for. (as well as the cover letter, if applicable).

Regarding the Technical Proficiencies section, instead of listing a bunch of software, technologies, and protocols, and I would rather you expand upon this information and explain HOW you are proficient in these skills, especially in a business/enterprise environment. Ideally I would recommend that you incorporate this info into your professional experience, and then drop the skills section altogether. This will also help to reduce the overall length of this resume.

Within the professional experience section, each job description should begin with a high-level overview of your daily duties and responsibilities, and then use bullets to highlight special achievements, projects, promotions, etc. Don't rely solely on bullets like this. I will link you to a resume that's a great example on how to format and write this properly. I would recommend expanding on your experience as much as possible, especially as it relates to the specific job that you are applying for. Again, tailor the resume for the job position.

The education section should be separated from the certs. You should create a new section called "Certifications" for those. I don't like the way they are crammed together like that.

This is just IMO, but I don't find the sideways arrows aesthetically pleasing. Try using round or square bullets instead. I find simple bullets have a cleaner, more professional look. Again, that's totally subjective though.

Someone already mentioned the tense of your action verbs, but that needs to be corrected. Everything should be written in past tense with no discrepancies. I personally also write my current position in past tense as well to make everything consistent, but that's a personal preference. Present or past tense would work for current position.

As far as the content of your resume goes, I'd really like to see you expand upon some of this information. Some of it is overly brief and doesn't give me a good impression of what you accomplished in your past job positions. You should focus on the details of your accomplishments (projects, promotions, etc) and not just your daily job duties.

If you need help with the content itself, let us know.

This is an excellent resume guide with example resumes, a huge list of action verbs, sample summaries, etc:

http://www.filedropper.com/resumeguide

This thread contains a fantastic example of a properly formatted and written resume (ptilsen's resume):

Resume time

NetworkNewb

Thanks for the replys, definitely good suggestions!

Kinda funny, that example resume, the guy went to the same college as me... It isn't a huge college so we probably live pretty close. That is very good looking resume he has. I got some work to do on mine!

anoeljr

Yes, I think the suggestions given by the other members is good. And the resume format srabiee posted is a great format; I use it myself.

I've also been through an interview for an SCCM consulting position with CDW. They seem to be a great company and they pay or certifications. There's about 2 or 3 phone interviews, then a video interview, and then a face-to-face. I wasn't selected for the position, but it was a good learning experience. Good luck!