My turn to dust off the resume for a critique.

I haven't been actively looking for a job. My company may be getting acquired soon, pending FTC approval. The company that will be taking us over has most of their IT staff centralized out of their headquarters in another city 4 hours away from where I live. This creates a lot of uncertainty for me, so I figure it's probably time to dust off the resume and make sure it's ready when the time comes.

I've pretty much just taken the resume that got me the job I have now, and added experience from my current job to it.

I've removed my personal information, and company names to post it for review here: http://www.custommopar.com/images/resume_review.pdf <-- Old original version
http://www.custommopar.com/images/newformat.pdf <-- Added new version here since some people will be too lazy to read all the posts before replying.

There's a few more things I could put for my current position, however my resume has already reached 7 pages in length. $:\$ I've debated taking the 1st 2 jobs from 1999 off of it, but that will only drop it to 6 pages, and leave only 10 of my 12 years of experience showing.

I'm also trying to decide the best way to take the repitition out of the start of a couple of the bullets in the earlier part of my career.

Any tips for cleaning it up/making it better are appreciated.

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Comments

networker050184

First thing that comes to mind is wholly crap that thing is way too long. Maybe try to mess with the formatting or something to get it down. Felt like I was reading a novel.

I'd also get rid of the whole "Skills" section. You have more than enough experience to show your skills with rather than a huge jumble of key words.

Try to straighten out the certification section a bit. Its hard to tell what certs you have with just a glance which is all you may get from an employer.

For your positions I'd go with a couple sentences to describe the position. Then you can use three to five bullets to list some of the things you want to stand out. That should also help cut back on some of the space used up.

Everyone

Messing with the formatting, bringing it down to a 10pt font gets it down to 5 pages. Trimming the Skills section out still leaves it at 5 pages.

The cert section I had thought about putting in a table format, same for the skills, although this may end up taking up more space.

I like keeping the skills section for a resume posted on a job sites, because it helps it come up in searches. For a resume I'm submitting to a company, I agree, it can be cut out.

As you can see, I have a LOT of experience. It's hard not to list it, and I haven't even listed everything. I guess I need the most help on "trimming the fat" to keep my resume a reasonable size.

networker050184

Everyone wrote: »

Messing with the formatting, bringing it down to a 10pt font gets it down to 5 pages. Trimming the Skills section out still leaves it at 5 pages.

You have a lot of white space in the margins. Getting rid of some of that on all the pages would probably help a lot.

Everyone wrote: »

I like keeping the skills section for a resume posted on a job sites, because it helps it come up in searches. For a resume I'm submitting to a company, I agree, it can be cut out.

I'd just work those words into your experience section to clean all that mess up at the top. Or maybe stick it on the bottom if you have to keep it where the clutter wouldn't be the first thing someone sees.

Everyone

networker050184 wrote: »

You have a lot of white space in the margins. Getting rid of some of that on all the pages would probably help a lot.

Good catch, after taking a closer look I realized it was in a messed up conversion of an old Word 97-2003 format. I changed everything over to native Word 2010 formatting and fixed the white spaces.

I tweaked a few other things too, now I have it down to 4 pages... check out the revised version: http://www.custommopar.com/images/resume_review2.pdf

I still feel like there may be some more tweaking and trimming that can be done though.

Thanks for the tips so far.

cyberguypr

+1 on way too long. I have an issue with everything in bullets. For each position you can go with a paragraph format listing duties which will make better use of the space. Use bullets for key accomplishments that really need to stand out by themselves.

I also have a widespread skill set and always tailor the resume to the position, leaving out technologies they are not looking for or I consider irrelevant for the position.

networker050184

I still think you could get rid of some more of the white space in the margins and header/footer. I don't think the white space is doing much to help you land a job.

Asif Dasl

Your problem is you are too specific. I'll take one bullet point as an example...

Led Exchange 2010 upgrade project, migrating over 3500 users from old single server Exchange 2003 environment to new dual server Exchange 2010 environment with no data loss. New Exchange 2010 environment includes Database Availability Group and Load Balanced Client Access Servers for redundancy and high availability.

change to

Led upgrade project, migrating over 3500 users from old Exchange 2003 server to new Exchange 2010 servers with no data loss.

Most of the specifics you are mentioning mean absolutely nothing to most of the people reading your CV. Dumb it down a little.

Webmaster

I agree a bit long and too specific, unnecessary too because some items can be easily combined into one, for example:

- Administer and maintain PKI Certificate Authority (CA) server.
- Manage PKI certificates for over 4000 users on CA server.

into

- Administer and maintain Certificate Authority server with over 4000 PKI certificates.

- Perform vulnerability assessments, intrusion detection, and computer forensics, for over 2500 workstations, and over 4000 users, on a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) and Global Wide Area Network (GWAN).
- Create custom startup scripts to check for malicious code; configure Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in Active Directory to push scripts out to all computers in the directory.
- Scan for vulnerabilities in network resources using eEye’s Retina Network Security Scanner; apply fix actions to any vulnerabilities found.

into:

- Perform vulnerability assessments, intrusion detection, patching, and computer forensics, for over 2500 workstations, and over 4000 users, using Group Policy Objects, custom scripts and eEye’s Retina Network Security Scanner.

Just some examples.

Over 5000 mailboxes were migrated to new servers with no loss of data.

I would leave out that last part (should be implied since you had a rollback plan and backups).

Migrated 2.5TB of file data to new SAN in fewer than 8 hours with no perceivable impact to end users. As part of this migration, 9 file servers spread across 3 clusters were consolidated into a single 5 server cluster, increasing overall reliability and availability of data.

Someone at HR won't be able to judge whether that 8 hours is good or not. I would change the whole item to something like "Consolidated servers and implemented new SAN to increasing overall reliability and availability of data." Whether there are 5 or 15 servers doesn't really matter, until you can use "dozens" or "hundreds" or "thousands" even I wouldn't be that specific.

lunchbox67

7 pages? It will go straight into the circular file.

2 -3 ... 4 is the max.

First thing I can see (and I only look at the top section so far) is you do NOT need to repeat Windows.

Turn this ...

Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows 3.1, DOS, Red Hat, CentOS, Fedora, Ubuntu Linux, and Solaris.

Into something like this ...

Windows Server 2000/2003/2008, Windows 3.1/95/98/2000/ME/Vista/7, DOS, Red Hat, CentOS, Fedora, Ubuntu Linux, and Solaris.

And to be honest I would drop 3.1, 95, 98 UNLESS the job is ASKING for those systems.

Essendon

Your resume reads like a manuscript!

Implement what everyone has suggested and with all the experience you have you can up with a fantastic resume. 3 pages tops.

Put yourself in the seat of the interviewer/HR and think if would you go through all the pages? If you have a very well-written 2-page resume, you are much more likely to secure an interview than a 7 page script that just has everything thrown in.

MentholMoose

If you want to keep it that long, you should add a table of contents. Otherwise, set the margins to 0.5 inches all around, then completely remove:

summary - useless
skills - wall of text, all useful keywords are in your experience already
education section - don't highlight that you have no degree, and planning this or that is useless information (also remove that bit from certifications)
oldest three jobs (at least) - unless you are trying to find a job assembling cell phones??

Then consolidate everything unnecessary, as already explained. Get it down to two pages. Most of people won't read past the first page, so make it count. That wall of text is unreadable, nobody is going to read it, and nobody is going to see it and want to keep reading the remaining pages.

Everyone

Thanks again for all the tips. I would have had this updated days ago, but I came down with strep and have been sick in bed.

For some stupid reason Word 2010 takes a 16kb file in its native format and blows it up to 273kb converting it to PDF, so I can't attach the PDF, and I'm not somewhere that I can throw it on my server right now... So I'm attaching the .doc file of my changes.

It isn't finished, but I think I'll be able to keep it to 2 pages max by the time I'm done with it. I dropped the margins from 1" down to 0.5" and changed the layout to get rid of some of the whitespace. I implemented a lot of the suggestions you guys have made. What do you think of the new format? Am I on the right track with it now?

The old resume was just that old... That format worked well for me 5+ years ago when I had less experience, which is why I was looking for advice to fix it up and make it current.

newformat.doc

Everyone

Ok, I've got it to 2 pages on the dot, I think it looks a lot better now... here's the latest version: http://www.custommopar.com/images/newformat.pdf

What do you think of it now?

Thanks again for all the suggestions, they really helped me get it down to 2 pages.

MentholMoose

I would put the certifications and clearance on the first page. The clearance is a huge selling point, and Security+ often is a requirement for jobs requiring a clearance. I would also leave off the summary and education sections. The summary is not a big deal since it is usually ignored and shouldn't hurt you, so leave it if you wish.

However, the education might hurt you since it brings attention to the fact that you lack a degree. If you want to leave it I would write it more formally (e.g. the actual degree name instead of "associates"), so like this:
College Name
Your Major, Associate of Arts/Science (expected Winter 2011)

higherho

Everyone wrote: »

Ok, I've got it to 2 pages on the dot, I think it looks a lot better now... here's the latest version: http://www.custommopar.com/images/newformat.pdf

What do you think of it now?

Thanks again for all the suggestions, they really helped me get it down to 2 pages.

I always thought that your SCI status goes away if you do not need it in your next government job unless it requires it. Like a need to know kind of thing. Of course it will be on your record that you obtained it but if you left that position into a position that does not need one does it still stay?

resume looks great! I like how you did HIPAA compliance. Were I work we create STIGS to remain compliant and these stigs go into VMS which alot of people at cyber command care about.

Cannot wait to get the experience you have / had! hope all goes well for you. Though if you get a degree (4 year) and leave the government you would get so much money with you exp you gained.

Everyone

higherho wrote: »

I always thought that your SCI status goes away if you do not need it in your next government job unless it requires it. Like a need to know kind of thing. Of course it will be on your record that you obtained it but if you left that position into a position that does not need one does it still stay?

resume looks great! I like how you did HIPAA compliance. Were I work we create STIGS to remain compliant and these stigs go into VMS which alot of people at cyber command care about.

Cannot wait to get the experience you have / had! hope all goes well for you. Though if you get a degree (4 year) and leave the government you would get so much money with you exp you gained.

You are correct, however I maintain my clearance because I am still in the Air National Guard. My ANG position requires it, so my clearance is still active. If it wasn't for that, my clearance would be in an inactive status.

Very familiar with STIGS.

I'm 1 for 1 on the new resume. I had an interview with a big time Fortune 500 company today, there's another thread about that.