Resume Polishing

Given these uncertain times, with many people changing jobs or moving into new technical areas, it is important to have an effective and up-to-date resume.  I do not pretend to be an expert at this but I feel that, over the years, I have written effective resumes and attended some resume workshops – which I found dry but useful.  I have done some hiring and firing myself – definitely didn’t like the firing part.  As a consultant I have written many different types of resumes, each designed to suit individual clients.

My first advice is to be honest while presenting yourself in the best light possible.  Don’t add things you never did or degrees you never finished – these prevarications (and downright lies) and distortions have a way of catching up to you.  I know one case where the fellow got the job only to get dismissed three months later when some helpful co-worker found out he really didn’t graduate from Harvard.

Today, there is a lot more competition for good positions and hiring managers are being choosier and may actually check on your academic record.  I think more thorough background checks are made today.  Another case I ran into was where a thin film “Ph.D.” was working for a famous company.  It came to light after three years that he had written his thesis as a draft but his University did not accept it.  What happened next is not pretty but it could have been much worse; his manager confronted him and said, “I thought you finished your degree!”  Remarkably, he didn’t get fired, but his pay was cut immediately and he was given six months to make it right with his university.  This also caused the manager to get into trouble with his supervisor and the university could have decided not to accept the thesis without substantial payment of back tuition fees.  The employee in question did finish his degree and eventually left the company, along with his boss who was also encouraged to leave.

Anyway back to resumes.  I try to update my resume every year.  You can always have a running draft of things you have done or accomplished during the year.  They can be one liners or short sentences.  Use this as your background material to write your resume.  Keep some kind of log or journal of accomplishments, including a bonus or pay raise, pat-on-the-back or recognition for a job well done.  Don’t just write down when you got it, but also include why you got it and any other details that might be important when you update your resume.  Don’t assume that you’ll remember the details next year (or even next month).  If you wait until you are under pressure to get a resume together after you are laid off, then it seems it is much harder to concentrate on it or even remember the most important points.  Perhaps fear sets in and alters your rationality.

Two Types of Resumes
I break resumes into two types:
A. Fairly fresh out of school.  This is for recent graduates (within the first five years or so) who probably have more school accomplishments than actual work experience.
B. The seasoned worker.  The seasoned worker is a person who has had substantial work experience and the academic side is less important (unless you are doing research).  The seasoned worker would highlight job functions, work experience and responsibilities on a resume.

Before I write or tune my existing resume, I really focus on the company I am interested in, I know is hiring, or may hire depending on what I send in.  Yes, what you write can make a big difference.  Some people just write one resume and sent it to everyone – I call this the shotgun approach.  I remember getting resumes that had nothing to do with the position that I had open and I wondered why the sender was so thoughtless.  It is reality that many resumes do not even get read.  I must stress if you are going after a certain company, you need to be a detective, find out as much as you can about the company, what they make, whom they sell to and the company culture.  I look at their competitors too to give me a better picture of where they stand in the industry.

If you know people who work there, don’t be afraid to talk to them; a little networking can go a long way in getting your foot in the door. Many openings are not published and I have found that friends can make a big difference in getting by the general hiring manager.  Take the time to develop your network of friends and colleagues.  Some people find it effective to make a simple summary resume on a 3 x 5 Index card.  Very simple – name and contact address, what type of position you are looking for and summary of skills.  Leave a card with your networking colleagues or attached to email.  Look over your accomplishments and academic record and see how you can write your resume to fit that company.  Some of it may be as simple as what you stress first in the resume or in the cover letter.  Yes, cover letters are extremely important.  Even if you submit your resume electronically, send images of a signed cover letter.  Employers do pay attention to this and a well-written letter may even make them want to read your resume.  The other thing to do is if you get a rejection letter; always take the time to thank the hiring manager for their consideration.  Very few people do this.  I actually had one manager call me back because of this letter.

The other really important thing is to always check your English and grammar – many of us are really bad at this.  Have at least one friend read your resume.  It is good to have someone who is not in your field read it for clarity.  Also, I found out if you try to read your resume out loud you would find the difficult sentences that you need to change or break up into separate thoughts.  For some reason, technical minds tend to string things out, make run-on sentences and add lots of adjectives.  And we love acronyms “tech speak” and “company speak”.  Company speak is where certain expressions and names are used in a specific company.  If the company you are applying uses this “special language” then it may be appropriate to use it, otherwise I would avoid it.

I realize you may be writing a general resume to be used at a job fair or posted on a job web site like www.monster.com (or “fishing expedition”) as I like to call it.  In this case you have to write your resume for the industry you will post it in.  I think these sites work best when companies are hungry for workers and have unplaced jobs – which is currently not the case.  There is nothing wrong with posting your resume this way, but I like the personal approach and would only use the web posting as a backup.  Also, certain key industries are hiring such as in energy, health and science teachers.

Also remember that labor laws in the U.S. mean that you do not have to disclose your age, religion, race, marital status, etc.   You do not have to put the dates you graduated school, however many do.  When you apply for a position outside of the U.S. the rules can be very different.  I had to submit my genealogy going back three generations before I could be considered for a position abroad!

Okay, so much for the preamble and words of wisdom and back to the “A and B” styles of resume writing.  For both styles, try to get the bulk of the most important things on the first page of the resume.  Many times that is all that is read.
 

Style A – Fairly Fresh out of School
Name
Home Address
Telephone, E-mail

Statement of Intent: Say in a few words what type of work you are looking for (optional, but I like to see this).

Academic Accomplishments

• Degree, Major/Minor/Name of School (location) /Thesis Subject, GPA is usually expected of new graduates
• Trade Schools
• Special Training certificates or special skills - e.g. model making, artistic skills
• Current or Prior Job - dates, position, company (location). Summarize job duties.
• Web and Computer Skills - working knowledge of programs, CAD design, spreadsheets, project design, computer languages, web site design
• Special Projects - projects that really excited you and you learned from
• Technical Society Memberships - student memberships are encouraged (preparation for professional)
• Leadership - e.g. organized and led a lab group, design group, or study group (shows interpersonal skills)
• Awards and Scholarships
• Publications - this can be web pubs, trade pubs, scientific journals, school papers, if you contributed but were not an author place (your name in parenthesis).
• Authors, Title, Publication name, volume, date, pages
• Community Service and Social Networking - important from a standpoint of how well rounded or socially conscious you are (getting to be more important)
• Hobbies (optional), but may give more breath to your abilities)

Personal References: (optional), teachers, professors or supervisors are good
 

Style B – Seasoned Worker
Name
Home Address
Telephone, E-mail

Statement of Intent: Say in a few words what type of work you are looking for (optional, but I like to see this).

Previous Positions/Jobs: Include dates, position or title, company (location).  In certain delicate cases the company name may be generalized for the current job, e.g. glass company.  Brief discussion of duties, accomplishments, management experience, supervised people, operated equipment, trouble shot processes, hired workers, gave presentations, analyzed data, developed new products, and improved yield.
Do this for each position, going back about 7-10+ years (your choice).  Be sure to include any past positions that fit their current needs.  You can always state “further information upon request” or “partial list”.

Academic Accomplishments

• Degree, Major/Minor/Name of School (location) /Thesis Subject (optional)
• Trade Schools
• Special Training certificates or Special skills- machine training, factory training, time management, personnel training, management training, and sales and OSHA training.
• People Skills - Leadership training, motivational skills, hiring, group meetings and dynamics, and performance reviews and grievance training.
• Web and Computer Skills - working knowledge of programs, Excel, Project Planners, CAD design, spreadsheets, databases, project design, computer languages, web search skills, and web site design.
• Management or Professional Skills - strategic planning, applications and operations, plant or process planning, and product development, finance and venture funding and competitor analysis.
• Specialized Equipment and Analysis Operations: e.g. sputtering plant, roll coating, laminating, annealing, cutting, slitting operations, testing, thin film analysis tools, and microscopy.
• Trade Shows - sales, technical activities, new product roll-outs and campaigns
• Client Activities - field engineering, client presentations, competitive analysis, field trouble shooting, help desk, telephone skills.
• Lectures - invited lectures are always good, product lectures, vendor presentations, presentations to upper management, monthly and quarterly reviews
• Awards - Company awards, professional awards, trade awards
• Technical Society Memberships - positions held, participation on committees, publications, conferences, etc.
• Professional Committees - e.g. ASTM, ISO standards, ratings
• Grant Awards - Govt. or private contract writing, Principle investigator, and presenting (usually give $ amount)
• Patents (can be pending) - writing and analysis
• Publications - this can be trade pubs, sales ads, flyers, internal, scientific journals, if you contributed but not an author place (your name in parenthesis).
• Authors, Title, Publication name, volume, date, pages
• Community Service and Social Networking - important from a standpoint of how well rounded or socially conscious you are (getting to be more important)
• Hobbies - e.g. golf, tennis, racquetball, bowling, baseball, football (optional, but to some companies these are important)
• Professional References - colleagues who know you well, the longer the better.

 
Resume Cover Letter
Keep this fairly simple.  Try to tailor the letter to the company needs and make them want to read your resume.  Be very careful about using colored paper or print or artsy fonts (unless it’s an art position).  Stick to business black print on good white bond paper.  Never state your salary requirements.  For the seasoned worker, you may also request that certain companies may not be contacted before contacting you first (for delicate situations, including your current employer).

Hiring manager or Personnel manager or specific person (find out name, if possible)
Company (full name)
Address
Date
Job Reference Number or posting title (if any)

Dear Hiring manager (name):
I am seeking (type, e.g. engineering design) opportunities in your company.
My experience or training is… and summarize briefly.
I feel my qualifications can enhance your product or process.  I am looking forward to working with your team.
I have attached my resume for your consideration.  If you desire any further information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
(SIGNATURE)
Name
Address
Telephone, E-mail
attachment: resume

You can modify these letters to suit your needs and experience.  I hope this helps and I wish you the best for developing an effective resume, which results in landing you a good solid job.
— Carl Lampert, SVC Technical Director, cmlstar@sonic.net