Resume Check

Russ5813 · March 2016

Good morning! Recently, a couple of entry-level/intermediate InfoSec-GRC jobs have opened up in my area. I'm still fairly new to IT, but I'm hoping my military/LE experience will make me a competitive candidate for a GRC role. I only have about 8 months at my current job, which I know can be viewed negatively, but GRC is the dream and I simply can't pass up the opportunity to at least apply. I've tailored a resume to fit one of the job descriptions, which I've attached to this post, and would really appreciate a second (third, fourth, etc...) set of eyes to look things over and provide some feedback.

I'm also curious what kind of questions I might expect if I land an interview. I'm guessing these might be dependent on the security framework they use?

Thanks!

AverageJoe · March 2016

Well written and easy-to-read format. Only thing that jumped out at me was that under Military Police you have "Lead" where you should have "Led." Personally, I'd put your education and credentials before your professional experience, but certainly no right or wrong. Nice job!

bloodshotbetty · March 2016

I would echo putting your education and credentials up top. Employers get a lot of resumes- grab their attention right away.

Russ5813 · March 2016

Excellent, thank you both for your replies! I moved education and certification under my summary and I think I like it better there as well. Did you get the impression that I enjoy teaching? Do you think I should add more about my experience with federal/state regulations as LE?

Mitechniq · March 2016

Some of the previous answers relate to the format of your resume, I would like to address your pursuit of a GRC position.

I don't believe you go into enough detail on NIST compliance - here is some questions I would have based on your resume.

What tools or methods are you using to keep the LAB NIST compliant?
Are these Linux or Windows OSs and how do you address non compliant settings?
Who manages patches and updates - what tools are used to defend your system (AV, DLP, HIPS, WAF etc.)?
What specific applications are installed in the Lab Environment that might hinder your NIST compliance. ( CAD, Programming Tools, Nursing, Business) ?
Do you interact with the Colleges IT department and at what level?
What role do you play in the NIST RMF?
Is the LAB already at the Authorize stage and you are now Maintaing/ Monotoring or are you in the process of being NIST compliant?

Russ5813 · March 2016

Thank you, Mitechniq. I'm going to add some bullet points to address some of the questions you've brought up

techtia · March 2016

My advice - one page

Russ5813 · March 2016

Hey Tech, thanks for the reply. I've followed the one page rule in the past, but in this case I think there's enough substantive information that two pages shouldn't be a deal-breaker (I hope!).

CyberSecurity · March 2016

techtia wrote: »

My advice - one page

I disagree. I used to do that and keep it to only 1 page but since I received no interview opportunities I moved to 2 pages with more detail and received calls for interviews. Now that i'm at 3 pages it seems I'm having companies compete for me. Most prefer well kept and organized resumes that highlight key skills and if you can't do that on 1 page, jump it to 2 or even 3. I wouldn't go past 3 ever unless they specifically asked for it. My old boss (former marine making +160k) always told me "F the small simple crap, give me the details man! I want to know what you're all about!"

If 5 people submitted resumes, 4 of those listed details 1 wasn't as detailed, and all 5 individuals had the same experience, who would you pick if you could only interview 3 people? I'd personally pick the ones with more detail since I have more to go off of regarding speaking points.

Not saying i'm right or wrong, just based on my personal experience, I've had much more luck with 2-3 pagers.

CyberSecurity · March 2016

Russ

I don't recommend putting your address on resumes, maybe city and state, but I don't even do that. I always feel, even if it is illegal, that someone could figure out what your house is worth, how you live, etc. and figure out more information than they need to know and base your salary on that instead of what's important, your skills and experience. I just knock that option out completely and only put name, email, and phone number.

Another thing I don't do and was questioned this by someone: Why is your name font bigger than anything else? Is your name MORE important than your experience, skills, education, and background?
Suggestion is to stick with 2 font sizes, 1 for headers, another for everything else. It gives it a much cleaner look.

Everything else looks good though!

Russ5813 · March 2016

Hey Cyber, thanks for the feedback! Those are good points. 2 font sizes for the whole thing sounds like a good rule of thumb--I'll probably make the change and see how it looks. Your point about addresses is interesting. It's always just been automatic due to the type of resume formatting I like, but I can't recall the last time I had to communicate with a potential employer via snail mail. Giving away too much personal intel is a valid concern as well. I'm going to take your advice and give it the axe. Thanks again

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