Tips for my resume (updated)

RomBUS

Well guys as promised in my other thread I have made an update to my resume and need some critique. Thanks in advance!

Updated resume in attachment(s) below

Essendon

Hey RomBUS, do you mind posting a pdf version. It just comes out so much nicer with the formatting and all. We'll be able to see it the way a HR goon would.

RomBUS

Sure thing

Essendon

Ok:

1. First thing I noticed, put in a one-two line summary/objective section. Some folks may disagree on this, but it makes the resume nicer (for lack for a better word) and provides a quick introduction of the applicant to the person on the other side.

2. Certifications are not Technical Skills. It's something that demonstrates your skills. Have a separate section saying Certifications/Education and list the degree and certs. PROUDLY display that MCSE, achieving it is no small feat. Expand out the acronym MCSE and the MCTS. No need to tell them when you achieved them. You have them, that's it. And no logos please!

3. You may want to consider ditching the Skills section with all the software/hardware/routing protocols. I always say this, there are so many things an interviewer could ask you about Hyper-v, DNS, Exchange and so on. I see this bit as just padding. Some folks leave this section in so as to get more keyword hits, so if you want to leave it in, go ahead.But I dont have it, because I got burnt twice for the reason I just mentioned.

4. In your latest gig, your duties seem to go from helpdesk to a server admin. I can see your title is Helpdesk/Network Tech but it's all about first impressions. When I first looked at our experience, I went - O this guy just looks like a helpdesk ticket monkey (the HR boffin might trash your resume at this point), then I happened to read further down and say you did much more than reset passwords. Your duties should go from the higher-level ones first and then the lower-level ones. Consider dropping the lower-level tasks - resetting passwords/creating users.

5. Go like this :

Company XYZ from date-to date
Title
Responsibilities:
1.
2.
3.
(indent) Key accomplishments:
>
>
>

Do the same for all positions if you can. You want to highlight and really show-off what you did for a company. A resume is all about selling one-self. A HR baboon will only have one look at your resume. Second glances only for resumes that catch and hold their attention.

6. Keep it to two pages.

Food for thought!

RomBUS

Essendon,

I listened to your pointers and applied the changes to my resume...I tried to make it two pages but it stretched into the 3rd page by just a little

The updated version is in the following attachment

Thanks so much for this

Asif Dasl

The margins on that PDF are huge, reduce the margins and it'll fit 2 pages...

EDIT: Ambitious IT professional seeking long term relationship? - Huh, you looking for a date?



50-100+ clients throughout New York and Long Island, also New Jersey - change to New York, Long Island and New Jersey

supporting ranges of 20-25, 40-50 users at each site - change to 20 - 50 users at each site



Just fix the spacing between bullet point so that it is consistent. Other than that, I would have to say it looks good. Well done.

Essendon

Asif Dasl wrote: »

EDIT: Ambitious IT professional seeking long term relationship? - Huh, you looking for a date?

Funny as!!

As for the current resume, it's better than before so well done.

Here's more:

1. You could take out the High School bit, that was what...7 years ago. No need to put that in, IMO.

2. If I were you, I'd take out the First-line support bit in the very first bullet point. Kind of undermines what you have been doing. Makes you look entry level though you are not. In the same vein, delete the phrase "helpdesk role" "first-level" anything of that nature. And you are not fudging the truth in any way, you are just doing what you must to get a better, higher-level job.

3. Use Trebuchet MS or Garamond font for the resume, all over. Aesthetically pleasing.

4. Achievements, IMO, are not that you became proficient in something. Well it is an achievement in its own right, but not something I'd be looking for on a resume. What I'd like to see for example is

• Implemented an email archive solution that saved 700GB of space on network drives.
• Designed and implemented new backup policies to deal with yada yada yada...
• Implemented a WDS server deployment solution reducing OS deployment times by 4 hours. Built 26 servers for a server refresh project

You get the idea.

5. Apart from your last role, the other roles' responsibilities look like they have all just been slapped in, just chucked in there. You need to create a bit of a flow. A resume must flow, see how your Vesque Partners role starts off as. Microsoft Gold Partners. Provide IT consulting... This is more like the profile of the company itself.

6. Give your resume consistency. List major responsibilities first, the minor ones (password resets etc) then follow.

7. Bold the company name, dates and job title. Italicise the job title. Dont underline.

8. Put the section names (Education, Experience) in the middle. Upper-case all of them. Dont underline.

9. Too much margin on the left and right.

10. List certifications like:

• MCSE (expand it out)
• MCTS (expand it out)
• Security+
• A+

11.

Burst into the Information Technology field as a Jr. Network Admin at times

Hilarious! Get rid of this though.

12. Spend time getting all the punctuation right. The full stops, the commas, all that kind of stuff.

Hope this helps.

RomBUS

Made some more changes

Thanks for the comments both of you!

Essendon

Waaaay Better!! I might just add, instead of

 Became proficient perform tasks on helpdesk remotely using remote tools such as RealVNC or LogMeIn.
 Learned to use case-based system using Microsoft CRM. Used this system to delegate higher level tasks for higher tier teams or if field services were required
 Learned to remotely manage NBX phone systems using web interface (light Asterik work acquired)

Tell me what you did with them. Sure you learned all this, but what did you do with them?

Asif Dasl

Yeah that's way better, well done.

RomBUS

Thanks guys!

Essendon I changed the section you suggested, check it out.

Should be about ready for me to start putting it out there right?

Pishof

RomBUS wrote: »

Thanks guys!

Essendon I changed the section you suggested, check it out.

Should be about ready for me to start putting it out there right?

Couple things I've noticed from taking a quick look. You have an extra space before Security+ and an extra page of white space.

RomBUS

Pishof wrote: »

Couple things I've noticed from taking a quick look. You have an extra space before Security+ and an extra page of white space.

Whoops I didnt see that extra space, got rid of the extra page.

Essendon

Just the one thing that came to mind, list your certs as:

MCSE :2003 (Microsoft Certified.....)
MCTS :2008 (Microsoft Certified.....)
Security+
any others...

This is just so you get that hit in the HR keyword filter for MCSE.

Start firing out that resume and I hope you snag a cool position in no time.

RomBUS

Thanks Essendon for everything!! And everyone else as well

I will let you know how my search goes

j_griffith

RomBUS, PM me with your private email. I have inserted so many notes into you resume, I can't post it here.

Regards,

J.