Resume review needed - CCNA working on CCNP

Cat5

I'm looking for a better job that pays more - and has benefits. I only make just over $40k/yr and I'm rolling contract. I just started studying for my CCNP, also. And I have five years of real-world networking experience. I don't understand why almost no one is contacting me. Thanks for any review.

olaHalo

As was explained to me recently: adjust the margins!
You can fit so much more and take up that negative space very easily.

Also Id remove the personal info and upload it generic for this site.
Make sure you are posting it weekly to all the job sites and consider having a recruiter help.

kohr-ah

Cat5 wrote: »

I'm looking for a better job that pays more - and has benefits. I only make just over $40k/yr and I'm rolling contract. I just started studying for my CCNP, also. And I have five years of real-world networking experience. I don't understand why almost no one is contacting me. Thanks for any review.

***First thing first, remove your resume and the personal info at the top make it generic and repost on here :P

Now. I am on a phone so excuse me if formatting is a bit off. I figure since you are going for your CCNP you want more of a pure networking job.

Professional Summary - Remove the bullet points and format it so it is more of a statement. You are telling who you are.

Windows 2000, ME, 98 <-- They are old dead technology
Remove them

SecureCRT really isn't advanced software, remove it.

Graduated Cisco netacad in Florida. While the GPA is nice, it isn't current as you recertified which is more important.
Also I would reorder it CCNA, SEC+, Bachelors.

As for your experience, I would say you could make it more specific.
Engage in extensive troubleshooting with both software and hardware issues <-- such as?

Work with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint with ping tests on circuits nationwide <-- This sounds like you just go PING x.x.x.x I know you do more than that

Verify and upgrade switch IOS versions using Excel spreadsheets <-- Why not just say Verify and upgrade Switch IOS to newer revisions for clients

• Work with technicians and customers to turn up new circuits at business sites
• Configure and troubleshoot 56K to gigabit circuits, including both fiber and copper link

These could be consolidated to say "Turn up, Configure, and Troubleshoot WAN circuits for customer base" or something like that. They are going to know that it goes beyond a connection medium.


You want to tailor your resume for the job you want but tell what you do. Tell me why I would want you and not just a generality.

Cat5

Thanks for the feedback. Let me work on these things. I already removed the personal info and reposted my resume here - thanks. I'll repost again when I'm done.

Legacy User

After looking over your resume in response to your other post I think the ccnp should give you a nice push in the direction you want to go. I would go over the format and such but I just got home from 3 hrs of traffic caused by a snow storm and my eyes/head hurts. I'm sure after you polish the resume you should be able to get the type of job you want.

Cat5

olaHalo wrote: »

Make sure you are posting it weekly to all the job sites and consider having a recruiter help.

I have my resume posted to the main job sites, but so far the only responses I've gotten are from temp agencies in India wanting to tell me about jobs in Iowa, New York, etc. - everywhere but where I live. Not one single response from a U.S.-based company, much less for a perm position.

Cat5

I've modified my resume more now.

RouteMyPacket

IMO your resume doesn't tell me anything about what you have done or what you can do for me as a potential employer.

"Provided Tier II Internet technical support; Identify and correct technical problems."

Ok, so what "technical" problems did you "correct"?

"utilized the TCP/IP model"

Ummm, and this is worth a bullet point? Do we all not use this? It's irrelevant and simply because you put it on there, I would ask you specific questions regarding the OSI, TCP/IP layers and see how you "utilize" it.

Simply too many blanket statements, you need to be more granular. What can you do? What have you done? tell me, I want to know.

"troubleshoot", "issues"..."provisioning", "configuring", oh and "high-level troubleshooting", "technical assistance", Proper network configs",

"Configure checkpoint firewalls", so I could hand you some paper and have you draw out a design/configuration plan using a Checkpoint firewall solution?

"Make physical changes". Ok, you moved a cable? Racked a switch?

"Engage in extensive troubleshooting with both software and hardware issues like lack of connectivity, correcting interface configurations, adding proper route statements, investigating Rad switch flows, verifying remote-to-host pathways, etc."

I stopped at "like", do not bring everyday conversation English into your "professional" CV. I'd throw your CV to the side for that alone most likely. I mean after all if you cannot properly compose your professional CV, how would you document an entire network?

Ok, so now that I am done reeming you (no romo), let's get down to it. You have flashes of good stuff, some of your wording is spot on with the use of "utilized", "assisted", "ensure". I found your posting of "Job 1" cleaner than the previous entries, you almost gave me an idea of what you provided that company and what you could potentially do.

You are a CCNA, so IMO you are begging to be destroyed by a solid technical interview. I would formulate a technical interview on several things specifically because you state them in your CV

OSI
TCP/IP
Checkpoint Firewalls
Provisioning of router WAN cards etc.

Am I right in assuming you didn't design and or configure these Checkpoints out of the box? I'll be honest, there is always room for a little embellishment, any serious Engineer will do so while also knowing when too much is too much.

I would focus on opening up the highlights of your time in each position

ABC Corp
NOC Technician
January 2005 to August 2007

As a NOC Technician, I had the opprtunity to work on several data center projects and some of the highlights from my time as a NOC Technician are:

- "Assisted" in the installation of dual Cisco 6500 series catalyst switches
- Configured and deployed L2 Cisco 2960 catalyst switches in each IDF, fiber home run to Core
- Implemented a new IP design for WLAN and migrated existing AP's from Data network segment to new WLAN

From that I can see that you have worked with 6500 and 2960 series switches. Very good! You also segmented the network to allow room for a new WLAN. Nice flexibility in showing some R/S and Wireless exposure. So do you see how these details matter?

Be honest, I "implemented", I "assisted", I "as part of a team", I "designed"

I have to run but there are so many details to look at when this is your professional CV, this is literally you presenting yourself to an organization and showing on paper that you bring something to the table that I need and or can utilize.

You can do google searches to keep up on current trends, things like Professional Summary is no longer needed and "References available upon request" should be left off as well. If they want references, they will ask.

Your CV is ever changing as you will find better ways to compose and sell yourself on paper. It's not something you tweak and leave for years. You should tweak it as much as possible, at least every 3-6 months because you are learning new skills daily right? Your CV should reflect that.

Good luck

Death Dream

RouteMyPacket wrote: »

Good luck

Damn, great write up. This isn't even my resume and I took things away from this. I did find it funny, I also stopped reading at the work "like."

egrizzly

Great. think issue might be in your job search skills not your resume/skillset.