Need help with my Resume

SlayerX

Name
999434 S. 100^th Ave. Apt. #0 • Candyland, AK 34232 • Cell: (800) 000-0000
e-mail
OBJECTIVE:
To obtain a _________ position where I can fully utilize all of my technical skills and knowledge to help and support a business run efficiently.
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Technical

• Experienced working with Windows XP, and Windows 7
• Understands network troubleshooting commands such as ipconfig, ping, tracert, netstat and nslookup
• Able to upgrade, install, repair and troubleshoot computers, laptops, and printers
• Well rounded computer diagnostic capabilities
• Have built several working desktop computers
• Can install network hardware such as routers, network cards and configure wireless or hard-wired local area networks
• Strong working knowledge with Microsoft Office 2010 products: Access, Excel, Word and PowerPoint

Inter-Personal Abilities

• Dependable, efficient, and strong time management skills
• Can analyze and make decisions objectively with rational thinking to accomplish goals
• Works well both independently and as a team member
• Provides great support for staff and assisting others
• Has a professional attitude, patient and handles high stress environments well
• Respects the facility, authority, clientele and co-workers
• Outstanding communication skills
• Fast learner of new IT hardware and software

Work Experience
September 2006 - February 2009
Assistant Manager – Company name

• Managed 30-35 personnel, dealt with personnel complaints and handled payroll

Education
January 2011 – January 2013
IT College – Candyland, AK

• Diploma- Network Administration And Technical Support
• Degree- Associate of Applied Technology

Certifications

• CompTIA A+ Certified
• Microsoft Office 2007 Word Certified
• Microsoft Office 2007 PowerPoint Certified

So far I have only gotten 1 interview and have been applying for jobs for the last 2 months and no other bites due to my lack of IT work experience but I am thinking my resume could need some help. Also the spacing is closer to each other in my doc form I just couldn't get it closer when I copied and pasted it here.

webgeek

What type of position are you after? Also it doesn't pop. Less on the inter-personal abilities and more on your IT skills. Also I've always had my education / certs at the top of my resumes.

DCD

Take off objective and replace it with a summary, use your inter-personal abiities as your outline of the summary.
As webgeek said move up your certification and education information. If you know Outlook add that to your skills. I would change "Understands network troubleshooting commands such as ipconfig, ping, tracert, netstat and nslookup" Able to diagnose and troubleshooting Network issues or Network troubleshooting ofLAN/WAN issues.

SlayerX

Ok I took the advice you gave me and I changed it. I am looking to get into networking but I really need to make my resume pop, as webgeek said. Any ideas on what would make it pop? Wish I could put glitter on it lol

Essendon

My 2 cents:

1. Remove Objective and replace with Summary of you and what you bring to the table. That objective is too generic and isnt it too cliche? I mean isnt it just about every one's objective when they are looking for a new role?

2. There is more fluff than substance to the resume. There's very little about actual experience whereas you go on and on about your skills and abilities. Elaborate on your actual experience, employers want to know more about what you've actually done rather than what you claim to be skillful at.

3. Move the certs/education up.

I realize you dont have much technical experience, but I must say your title "Assistant Manager" may cause HR/hiring employers to be skeptical of hiring you. They may think - O this guy is already a manager, dunno if he's going to fit in the team or they may be - o, this guy's already at a managerial position, he's too overqualified (happens!) or I dont know how long's he going to last here. This is not to say that you must show yourself at a lower position, but just putting it out there for you to consider. I know HR folks will think this way, personal experience speaks here.

Dont take this personally mate, just an honest critique.

SlayerX

Good advice Essendon. You are right I didn't think about the manager position working against me and I will work on less fluff and more substance

DCD

For a network job you need to expand on your Network Administration and Technical Support information, But you probably should shoot of a helpdesk position first to open the doors for the network position.
And you should repost the updated version of your resume. Also remove the Inter-personal abilities you probably have already just making sure, I forgot to mention that last time.

Polynomial

SlayerX wrote: »

Good advice Essendon. You are right I didn't think about the manager position working against me and I will work on less fluff and more substance

I actually disagree with Essendon. I think your summary is more appropriate for a cover letter, not on a resume. In fact, that goes for everything subjective you list on the resume. (Inter personal stuff)

Also, your Office certifications are kind of irrelevant. =/

Do you have a degree or...? I'm not sure based on what you list under education.

SlayerX

Well I want to try a summary as I put objectives and didn't get an interviews for 5 jobs I applied for and I want my resume to not look like everyone's.

I know the office certs are kind of irrelevant but I just wanted to show I have certs, but some businesses will pay you a little more for having them.

Yes I have a Degree its an A.A.T. -Associate of Applied Technology for Computer Systems Support

Should I keep some Inter personal stuff at all or just put all IT skills that I have? Also how would I elaborate on IT skills that I learned on my own or at college as I was never paid for them but I'm tech savvy. I don't want my resume to look like fluff but I don't think it's alright to list them under work experience. Am I wrong? Thoughts?

All good advice here guys its helping a lot!

SlayerX

TechExams Resume Test.pdf Here is the updated resume. I wanted to keep some personal traits.

Essendon

Apart from cleaning it up and making it look better, I dont think there's enough in there to get someone to call you in for an interview. Here's some more:

- Keep the tense the same in your quals, you have three different ones going in there. Ability to (instead of able to), knowledge of, experience in (instead of experienced).
- If you absolutely want to keep that skills/quals/abilities bits, keep them in one section. It's just a huge waste of real estate really. Nothing to tell what you actually did. I mean I can claim to be able to a 747, but have I really flown one?
- For God's sake, write more about your experience as the Manager. Just one sentence for 4 years of work, and yet you have lines upon lines about your skills??

SlayerX

The managerial position was in agricultural labor meaning it is in a different field of work so I am having a hard time tying it to the IT field.

Polynomial

Essendon wrote: »

- For God's sake, write more about your experience as the Manager. Just one sentence for 4 years of work, and yet you have lines upon lines about your skills??

This.

Also while its okay to be a noob (I just turned 23, but have been doing this for a while already!), you really don't want to mix resume and cover letter. It looks terrible. That's what your doing. Resume is not the place for subjective material. You're selling yourself on the cover letter.

"Fast learner"? "Excellent verbal skills"? These are EXPECTED traits, not something an employer looks for as a plus.

Employers at this point are hiring based on your potential more than your skills.

DCD

Your second one is better but a few things need to be changed. Delete the Inter-Personal Abilities section entirely, remove "My ideal position would let me use the skills and knowledge" This needs to be re-worded "I have gained to help support a business run efficiently in a 24x7x365 environment while continuing to expand my technical abilities." Read that aloud to yourself or have somebody read it to you. It contradicts one of your Inter-Personal Abilities. Delete "Knowledge of starting/stopping services and processes in a Windows environment" and change this "Able to upgrade, install, repair and troubleshoot computers and laptops" to this "Able to upgrade, install, repair and troubleshoot Desktop and laptops"

On the Network Admin and tech support was that Network+ stuff or Win2K8 stuff ? It doesn't tell me anything. Just a little bit of information on the course.

SlayerX

Thanks DCD for the helpful advice I will do that. Yes it was a networking degree for working with everything in Server 2008 and learning Net+

Michael2

Don't say that you have "knowledge of starting/stopping services in a Windows environment." That's not really a skill, and it's a little insulting to read that. Don't say you have a "basic working knowledge" of anything. That's too vague. If you have used it, say what you can do with it; but if you only have academic knowledge, don't include it because it makes you're resume uninteresting. I don't think you should include your interpersonal skills at all. By putting them on your resume, it looks like you're trying to direct the interview, and that's not good.