Resumes Dos and Don'ts guide line for getting contacted

keenon

To answer both your questions:

@earweed- You had a "pro" doing it they don't obviously doesn't understand how IT resumes work they are a different beast all together. I would be very concerned if I had to pay them. Being that I have written IT and Non-IT resumes I know the handle of both.

@netn3rd- I have addressed this on numbers of responses in this thread. My opinion remains the same. If they want them or need them they will ask for them. The biggest hurdle is making through the resume review(s) processes. In order to sell yourself.

earweed

keenon wrote: »

@earweed- You had a "pro" doing it they don't obviously doesn't understand how IT resumes work they are a different beast all together. I would be very concerned if I had to pay them. Being that I have written IT and Non-IT resumes I know the handle of both.

Luckily it was free but not helpful. You may be right about the differences as I had several calls for non-IT jobs with the same resume.

netn3rd

Another question...

I finished university late and it's in an unrelated field which I chose out of pure interest, knowing it was worthless for my chosen career. It took me a long time to figure out what i wanted to do with myself and I kept on starting and stopping university trying different programs, from science, to business, to arts... I was working full time while I was doing this. However, full time often meant 80+hrs/wk because we were chronically understaffed and that resulted in some really bad grades. Often I got stuck with horrible conflicts at the worst possible time (exams). The reality is that I was working for this company for 5 years, 2 as a jr. admin, and 3 yrs running systems/network + programming duties. I had no life during that time.

If I put the year of graduation on my resume, it might raise questions that I don't want to answer such as "what was your gpa?" Conversely, if I omit it, potential employers may wonder why at my age (30) I haven't done more. Well, I put off doing any certifications while i was in school and working because I simply didn't have the extra time for them. Since finishing last April I've done my CCNA and am a couple weeks away from my CCNP, and i was still doing crappy hours at work.

Frankly, since I "discovered" networking, I have been working non-stop on my certs. I'm gonna do the CCIE after my CCNP. All I really care about at this point in my life is catching up to where I feel I should be based on aptitude and intelligence, had I not wasted so many years... I just don't want to project the wrong thing on my resume...

dadaji

This thread is very useful and awesome so I thought of putting my resume and have some of the members look at it and give me some suggestions for sprucing it up.
I know that the resume is ordinary and not eye-catching and that is why I need some help.
The experience written in my present job is exactly what I do so I don't know what else to write or how to change the words around.
Secondly, my non-it experience, do you guys think I should consolidate it into one? I left it as it is because it shows that I was promoted to the Manager's position from a regular student worker which shows my progression.
Thirdly, about the internship, do you guys thinkk I should get rid of it since it is almost 5 years old position? But to me it also shows that after completing the internship, I got the position in the same company which might be good.

---

NAME
EDUCATION and CERTIFICATIONS

Some University, Somewhere, US
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science May 2005
Minor: Math and Electronics
* CompTIA A+ (IT Technician) Certified - July 3, 2008
* CompTIA Network+ Certified - January 23, 2009
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) – Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003 environment - March 15, 2010
SKILLS
*
* Windows XP/Vista/7
* Windows Server 2003
* MS Excel
* MS Word
* MS Access
* Other MS Office applications

IT EXPERIENCE

ABC Company Somewhere, US
Computer Technician Aug 2008 – Present
•Creating new user objects in AD (Active Directory)
•Monitoring and managing, servers, computers, printers and switches using SpiceWorks
•Installation of printers in stand-alone and network environment
•Responsible for installing Windows XP/Vista/7 operating systems and software on new and existing machines
•Analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve technical problems related to hardware and software


XYZ Company Somewhere, US
Software Tester Aug 2005 – Jul 2006
* Software testing included unit testing and full system testing
* Debugged the code written in C# and reported the problems found
* Assisted other programmers by writing small modules in C#
* Resolved the bugs found during testing

XYZ Company Somewhere, US
Internship May 2005 - Aug 2005
* Conducted software testing, documentation and reported any problems or bugs found
* Prepared documentation and user requirements for the system using MS Word

NON-IT EXPERIENCE

ASD Company Somewhere, US
Manager Jun 2007 – Jun 2009
* Manage an on-campus coffee shop
* Duties include making schedules, inventory control, and ordering products from suppliers
* Duties also include training new employees

ASD Company Somewhere, US
Student Worker Nov 2006 – Jun 2007
* Worked in an on-campus coffee shop
* Duties included making different kinds of drinks and food items
* Maintained a clean work environment
* Got promoted to a Manager position

---

Thank you guys.

keenon

dadaji wrote: »

XYZ Company Somewhere, US
Software Tester Aug 2005 – Jul 2006
* Software testing included unit testing and full system testing
* Debugged the code written in C# and reported the problems found
* Assisted other programmers by writing small modules in C#
* Resolved the bugs found during testing

XYZ Company Somewhere, US
Internship May 2005 - Aug 2005
* Conducted software testing, documentation and reported any problems or bugs found
* Prepared documentation and user requirements for the system using MS Word
.

This is simple enough. However you could better explain the software tester and internship duties

dadaji wrote: »

NON-IT EXPERIENCE

ASD Company Somewhere, US
Manager Jun 2007 – Jun 2009
* Manage an on-campus coffee shop
* Duties include making schedules, inventory control, and ordering products from suppliers
* Duties also include training new employees

ASD Company Somewhere, US
Student Worker Nov 2006 – Jun 2007
* Worked in an on-campus coffee shop
* Duties included making different kinds of drinks and food items
* Maintained a clean work environment
* Got promoted to a Manager position
Thank you guys.

I would think the same for both of these as well. IT or Non-IT experience its all about how its explained/worded.


Overall these need to be revised into a better flowing read.

Turgon

keenon wrote: »

This is simple enough. However you could better explain the software tester and internship duties



I would think the same for both of these as well. IT or Non-IT experience its all about how its explained/worded.


Overall these need to be revised into a better flowing read.

I agree. Its a bit vanilla that, sort of like me saying I can program routers and switches. You did small modules, give an example of what it was for and what it did. Expand on what you have done and what you can do. Employers like examples as its a reference point for a discussion in an interview. Im my last interview I had to talk about my last most significant project where I had timepressure.

Supermiguel

here is mine:
RapidShare: 1-CLICK Web hosting - Easy Filehosting

fly351

How long should my work history go back? I held several jobs between 2002-2004 that were temp positions, but I am only listing 2 of them. Next is a systems admin position from 2004-2009. And finally two more jobs between 2009-2010. So total of 5 jobs on my resume--should I drop the two old temp positions?

tpatt100

I have had that problem of letting my resume get rusty. I now try and consider my resume a living document that I change constantly. I try and update it when I complete projects rather than wait because you never know when an opportunity mght present itself

keenon

tpatt100 wrote: »

I have had that problem of letting my resume get rusty. I now try and consider my resume a living document that I change constantly. I try and update it when I complete projects rather than wait because you never know when an opportunity mght present itself

Now your getting the idea! It should always be a living document as you are forever learning and growing with new experiences.

@fly351- My opinion that is simple, if it were a 3 month or longer contract/temp job it should be listed and remain so. I have nearly 10 yrs of experience and some of the guys on here have even longer than that! If your not changing jobs every year its not a problem. A resume can sometimes span 2-3 pages I wouldn't go past 4

fly351

keenon wrote: »

My opinion that is simple, if it were a 3 month or longer contract/temp job it should be listed and remain so. I have nearly 10 yrs of experience and some of the guys on here have even longer than that! If your not changing jobs every year its not a problem. A resume can sometimes span 2-3 pages I wouldn't go past 4

Thanks, I will leave them on there for now. My resume is two full pages but I don't want it to go over that. I will try to keep them on there as long as possible before something has to be bumped off.

But let me ask the same question again...

Job A - temp position as System Support for a hospital
Date: April 2003 - September 2003

Job B - temp position for non-IT related call center (I was desperate)
Date: November 2003 - February 2004

Job C - System Admin
Date: March 2004 - March 2009

So Job B is worthless, but the only reason I leave it on there is to fill the time gap. What do you guys think?

earweed

Personally, unless those 2 lines made you run over your 2 pages I'd leave it in. It doesn't hurt you. Just leave out the part about being desperate..lol

fly351

lol obviously.. that wasn't copied from my resume

colemic

High achieving Information Systems Security Professional with expertise maintaining military systems and network security accreditations, preparing relevant security certification and accreditation (C&A) documentation, and defining information system security policy and requirements, seeks a challenging role as a member of an Information Assurance team. A quick learner with demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks in a pressured environment, with an excellent reputation for exceeding expectations, as well as a strong work ethic.

...so how does this sound as a professional summary? Or does it sound like more of an objective?

keenon

colemic wrote: »

High achieving Information Systems Security Professional with expertise maintaining military systems and network security accreditations, preparing relevant security certification and accreditation (C&A) documentation, and defining information system security policy and requirements,

This is more of a summary i would remove the high achieving thing seems like u vain from first read

colemic wrote: »

seeks a challenging role as a member of an Information Assurance team. A quick learner with demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks in a pressured environment, with an excellent reputation for exceeding expectations, as well as a strong work ethic.,

Now this is clearly an objective. Read it as i have separated it doesn't it look like it?

RomBUS

Hey keenon, I was wondering if you could give a quick resume and cover letter review (if you do that), it seems you definitely know what you are talking about when it comes to making the resume presentable.

I applied to over 120+ jobs and have probably gotten 4 or 5 calls, but I feel like I should've gotten more because I felt I was well qualified for those positions. So it has to be something that's off with the resume or cover letter. I was wondering if I could private message you my resume and cover letter and you can give me adds/changes, pointers, maybe some positive critique

This is just a request! Thanks in advance!

zerglings

Quick question guys....

I work for another department now but it isn't official yet. For two months, I was working for that department part time (once a week) and a month or so ago I started working for the department full time. I am still under the payroll of my previous department and of course I still hold the same job title. I guess my question is, do I put the new title and the department on my resume or do I just keep adding what I do to my official title and department? There's no telling if I will be officially be in the current department or not but my partner in crime has been building my name up to my current manager and the other manager that actually used to handle the same group (probably still does in the management hierarchy).

SrSysAdmin

[FONT=&quot]This all looks much better when it's actually in Word, but it gives you the basic idea. Thanks for taking the time to help me (and many others) out![/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Edit: This butchered the formatting much more than I originally thought it would! The formatting actually looks quite nice when it's in an actual Word document, but kind of looks like crap here. I guess I'm more looking for help with the content of the resume than the formatting anyways.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]John Doe[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]123 Sesame St. · Anywhere, America
(555)555-1234 · jdoe@gmail.com

_________________________________________________________

[FONT=&quot]S[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ystems [/FONT][FONT=&quot]A[/FONT][FONT=&quot]dministrator

[/FONT]

Offering Advanced IT skills and Proven Record of Consistent, High-Quality Performance in Systems Deployment, Configuration, Upgrade, Migration, Maintenance, and Problem Resolution Activities

Quality-focused IT professional with B.S. in Business Management, in addition to Security+ 2008, MCP, and MCTS certifications as well as 3 years experience as systems technician, systems infrastructure deployment specialist, and IT management. Proven ability to create and deliver solutions that meet corporate objectives tied to business and technology performance. Comfortable operating in a wide range of platforms and environments. Effective communicator; able to explain complex processes in easy-to-understand terms for end users. Skilled in proactive identification and resolution of critical systems/network issues.

Core Competencies:

· New & Emerging Technologies
· Testing & Troubleshooting
· Application Administration
· Systems & Network Upgrades
· Windows & Linux Platforms
· Systems Integration/Migration
· User Training & Support Tools
· Disaster Recovery Planning
· Problem Identification/Analysis
· Network Connectivity Issues
· Client Needs Fulfillment
· ISO 20000 Process Certification

Technology Summary:

Software:
Windows 2000/2003/2008/XP/Vista/7, *nix Red Hat Enterprise/CentOS/Debian/Ubuntu, Mac 10.x/Server, VMware Server/ESXi/Workstation, Microsoft Exchange 2003/2007, Active Directory, MS Office, Oracle 9i/10g, RMAN, SQL Server 2005/2008, MySQL, IIS, Apache, RMAN, DHCP, DNS, WINS, NLB, Avaya IP Office, Visec Axis Camera Software, Windows ISA Server, RDP, Altiris, Ghost, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Backup Exec, pcAnywhere, Opera PMS, Micros POS 3700/9700, HP Integrated Lights Out, Dell OpenManage


Hardware:
HP, Dell, & IBM servers and workstations, Cisco PIX515 and McAfee Sidewinder firewalls, HP ProCurve networking equipment, Avaya VoIP phone systems.

[FONT=&quot]––––––––––––Professional Experience ––––––––––

[/FONT]

Company X – Somewhere Out There, USA
Jr. Systems Administrator (September 2009 – Present)
Responsible for a mixed Windows and RedHat/CentOS server environment. Managed various areas of support including network connectivity, account provisioning, email (Exchange 2003), and Windows XP and 7 installation, configuration, and upgrade issues. Maintained and monitored support for all TCP/IP network configurations. Responsible for all website backend management typically using LAMP (Linux OS, Apache HTTP Server, MySQL database, and PHP scripting), in addition to MS SQL 2005 and IIS. Handle all end user issues locally and remotely using both Windows XP/7 and Mac OS X. Successfully documented all IT processes according to ISO 20000 specifications. Designed and fully tested new backup procedures using Backup Exec to backup 1.5 TB of data on a daily basis. Managed Cisco VPN tunnel for end users using RSA authentication. Upgraded RedHat and CentOS server environment from 32-bit to a 64-bit environment requiring complete rebuild of all Linux servers. Implemented VMware ESXi environment hosting all non-critical IT systems. Redesigned A/V management solution using Symantec Endpoint.
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
Key Contributions & Accomplishments:

· End user Support & Satisfaction – Achieve high level of end user satisfaction through patient, methodical approach to problem resolution. Turned tense situations with upset end users into solutions meeting the needs of both the end users and IT.

· Professional Development – Expanded background knowledge in Windows, Mac, and Linux implementations and reconfigurations. Upgraded servers from Windows Server 2003 to 2008, workstations from Windows XP to 7.


Company Y– Your Town, USA

Systems Implementation Specialist (May 2008 – August 2009)
Responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of key IT infrastructures at hotels across North America. Corroborated with sites in an effort to engineer an IT system that would meet all of their needs, including servers, workstations, printers, and other peripherals. Deployed a wide variety of complex technical IT solutions ranging from single server environments to high availability clustered application servers backended to Oracle Real Application Cluster databases in a SAN environment. Designed custom Active Directory infrastructures for hotels with a variety of security and user needs.

Key Contributions & Accomplishments:

· Technical Leadership – Played the role of lead technical investigator in pinpointing a solution to Oracle RAC systems at Ritz Carlton properties across North America

· Systems Training – Tasked with training classes of teams on an array of different topics, including Windows and network installs, Oracle database maintenance, and Backup Exec backup and restore procedures

· Award Recipient – Received numerous accolades including two “On the Spot” awards presented by the CEO (of which only 20-30 were presented annually among a company of 5,000 employees).


Historic Hotel - Your Town, USA

IT & Front Office Manager (October 2007 – May 200
Performed key role in restoring an aging hotel to its former luxury and prestige. Designed and installed hotel’s IT infrastructure. Provided IT support for hotel staff. Oversaw all front of house operations, including hiring, accounting, inventory, training, conflict resolution, and employee evaluation.

[FONT=&quot]–––––––––– Education & Training ––––––––––

[/FONT]

B.S. in Business Managemen
West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 2007
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) - Configuring Windows Vista
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) – Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2003
Security+ 2008 Certified

keenon

@JrSysAdmin

Read the resume from the non tech perspective. I find alot of things that could be reworded.

spartangtr

I think i'm going to completely overhaul my resume, haven't touched it since I landed my last job. This is the outdated one updated with the latest job. Any ideas/suggestions? Feedback?

earweed

Just my opinion but I'd probably change the formatting to having evrything left justified. Where you have the dates on the left pushing everything towards middle of page should be changed somehow.
As far as the content I would seperate the skills and certifications. In the skills section you should mention your customer service skills (It's a big plus) and try to expand on your IT skills. From your experience section it can be seen that you have IT skills, don't lose your audience before they get to the work experience section. If the hiring manager sees that short ofa skills summary he may not read any further.
Something to do with what I got hammered on an interview for: where you list Microsoft office suite, it's good that you explained what office areas you're proficient in, you should probably not include the word Suite as some people may not notice you're only proficient in 3 applications and then you'll get hammered like I did. From my own experience the place I was interviewing with uses Access and I had worded mine just like yours but the interviewer hammered me for listing it that way (I didn't have access listed but whoever reviewed my resume only saw Suite and didn't notice it not listed.)

spartangtr

That's the exact reason I didn't list Excel. The objective part I think i'll just ****. As far as splitting up the skills/certs, would it be good to still leave those as bullet points to keep in line with the rest of my resume?


Now i'll just need to find a fancy way to word customer service skills....

keenon

I'm not fond of bullet points for job duties. Reasoning is that you can do more with a paragraph than a sentence. Also at some point you will need to drop the non IT related jobs but keep the skills gained from them. List what your familiar with but I wouldn't put " familiar with" I would just list it as a skill even if limited/learning from a production capacity.

earweed

spartangtr wrote: »

As far as splitting up the skills/certs, would it be good to still leave those as bullet points to keep in line with the rest of my resume?


Now i'll just need to find a fancy way to word customer service skills....

Skills I believe are best as bullet points. Like Keenon (our resident resume expert) said put the experience in paragraph form. Personally, I have a resume like yours with non-IT jobs listed. Those I keep the explanation of what I did short. I expanded more on my IT work.
You may want to mention more about your actual customer service functions in the paragraph for Customer Service Representative.
As far as the customer service skills goes, how about "Possess excellent customer service skills" or someting to that effect. Remember your help desk duties also use your customer service skills.

spartangtr

OK, here's what i've got so far. I'll work on converting the experience to paragraph form tomorrow.

1) As far as the certifications go, should I list those first? After the skills summary? I feel like I should keep those near the top since I don't have the experience to back the CCNA and i'm still trying to get into networking.

2) That contract job was actually 2 seperate jobs, but doing the same thing. After the first go-round they just brought me back in to finish it up later. Is it OK to have 2 dates for 1 experience listing?

-Foxer-

Very helpful thread. Thanks to all those that have contributed.

My question is should I list all the separate certifiations included in the MCITP:EA, or just list MCITP:EA?
Also, I don't want to take up tons of space with the certifications. Should I bullet point them, or have a couple of columns with them?
Does any of that make sense?

EDIT:
Here's what I've got. The Comptia stuff is in its own column. Formatting doesn't show up right.

Certifications:
• MCITP: Enterprise Administrator • CompTIA Security+
• 70-620 Configuring Vista • CompTIA Network+
• 70-640 Active Directory • CompTIA A+
• 70-642 Network Infrastructure • CompTIA Project+
• 70-643 Applications Infrastructure • CIW Professional
• 70-647 Enterprise Administrator • CIW Site Designer

Jesh

What would your advice be as to the education section of a resume for someone with no college experience at all?

As in, I was home schooled so I can't list a high school even if I wanted to (I don't) but i'm not sure about just not having an 'education' section. It would look pretty bad to me if I was the one who received the resume.

I am working on my A+ and already have the books for N+ to start on it immediately after, but i'm looking to get some starting experience asap. What's the worst they can do, not call me?

keenon

@-Foxer- If there is just a plain certification that covers the exams just use it. listing all the exams to someone non IT(which most managers, recruiters and HR) will draw a blank on those. so will most IT ppl that aren't in the MS world. Just list the certs


@Jesh If you have completed the requirements for a HS diploma don't worry about it. That's more of an HR thing. If your currently working on a cert you can list it as a current goal.

@spartangtr List the certs where ever you feel that they fit best. concerning the contract I have had one that was the same. It depends on the lapse of time if it was under 30 days there's not really a break to mention. If it were 2-3 months then you can list it with 2 dates under the same job but I don't think there is a need to list the same jobs twice with 2 different dates

puckstopperga

fly351 wrote: »

Job A - temp position as System Support for a hospital
Date: April 2003 - September 2003

Job B - temp position for non-IT related call center (I was desperate)
Date: November 2003 - February 2004

Job C - System Admin
Date: March 2004 - March 2009

So Job B is worthless, but the only reason I leave it on there is to fill the time gap. What do you guys think?

Maybe a moot point now, as this was posted a little while ago, but for future readers... You could just drop the months off your dates, and that would make the gap less noticeable.

keenon

puckstopperga wrote: »

Maybe a moot point now, as this was posted a little while ago, but for future readers... You could just drop the months off your dates, and that would make the gap less noticeable.

yes that is possible if the gig is over 4 or 5 years old depending on how its done