Advice --A Cry for Help 3

[olamuse]

Hi,

Ok I got my BSEET about 7yrs ago. I started working as an electronics repair technician because I had experience before graduating.

I continued in this line until I became a System Test Technician (testing from the beginning of production to commisioning).

I want to move on/up but I dont how to. I have tried System Eng. positions, Quality Eng. but I see that I dont have experience needed.

I took a CCNA course, just finished a PLC/SCADA course hoping these would boost my resume but nothing. I am now considering MSc but I am starting to feel that I am acting desperate --definitely I know I am confused.

Pls, advice.

Attached is "my resume". Maybe it is not composed properly

 

[MikeHalloran]

It might be worth spending a few hundred bucks to have a Certified Professional Resume Writer tune it up for you.

Yes, there is such a trade.

No, there shouldn't be; people should be able to figure out whether you are what they want from a resume in any arbitrary format.

Well, they don't.
Hiring managers, or their designated minions, respond differently to particular formats and particular word choices, and the tactics that are effective seem to change like women's fashions. The CPRW keeps up with the fashions.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I'll second Mike's suggestion of a resume touch-up, but for reasons a bit different. You're listing all of the wrong things.

* You have 7 years experience, but you're still including your GPA... that's for fresh grads, few care about your GPA at this point in your career.
* Your "professional competence" section lists you as "highly proficient" in Windows, MS Office products, etc... a truly vague description, unless you hold MVP titles from MS or can run rings around the other engineers in the typical workplace. You're an engineer, take pride in your ability to figure things out... you're expected to be able to use a basic application like Word within a short period of time, even if you've never used it before. List specific packages that are germane to your field, not just "various".
* Your awards for org. and leadership... who gave them, the company you were working for, or some international org? If it was the company, it had better be an amazing achievement, or it ranks down there with "employee of the month at McDonald's" in the grand scheme of things. A nationally-recognized org would make it more impressive.
* Be more specific in your job duties... "Resolved major issue with X using toolset Y..." or "Saved company $$$ by implementing test program Z..."

Lots more I could say, but you get the idea. How you present yourself to the working world has a major impact on what doors will open themselves to you.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[sprinkler1000]

Looking at your resume I would suggest to add a more personal touch, maybe a picture of yourself.
Besides, you have to be more specific. "numerous awards" is too vague. Why not putting only the most prestigiuos of those awards.

Often, people that go beyond their technical tasks in a company is the one that can look at the whole picture. I do not know you, but you look like a very technical competent guy, but nothing tells me that you can manage people, interact, write a clear report, or look at issues that go beyond the technical thing.

If you have the technical abilites that for most people are the hardest thing to get, you are in a good position.

On the other side, sometimes going up is just not possible for the time being, so dont be so hard on yourself.

Hope that this helps.

 

[TheTick]

You asked for opinions, and by golly, I got 'em!

Resumes with pictures are for actors and realtors. Stay professional, not gimmicky.
Your resume is a C-minus at best. It starts with a yawn and ends with a snooze. The format is certainly not reflective of someone "highly proficient" w/ MS Word. Class it up but stay professional.

Do away with the top section. It's little more than cheerleading and provides no useful information to a hiring manager. Hiring managers are busy people, and they lose interest if they don't see something they want in the first half page.

I lead off my resume with a section titled "Key Skills". It hits hiring managers right away with a menu of what I can readily contribute that is likely of value to them.

Education should be LAST (though your degree should be in "Key Skills"). You have to answer questions in order of importance:
[ol][li]What can I do for you?[/li]
[li]What have I done?[/li]
[li]Where/how did I learn it?[/li][/ol]

 

[desertfox]

Hi olamuse

The main observation I made was the two positions prior to the one you hold now where you stayed barely a year, an employer might look at that and decide you move on frequently or there are other reasons for your short stay.
Your resume doesn't say why you moved on ie:- promotion, better opportunity for career advancement etc so why not include your reasons for leaving unless its detrimental.
Agree with others you need to expand on your experience and skills ie- what major achievements have you contributed to at these companies and using what tools and software.

desertfox

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Resumes should not disclose why you moved on... it's irrelevant to the key info a resume should have, and it's something that should be discussed in person during an interview. I have held a number of jobs that were only 1-1.5 years in length... it's a side effect of field, the market, and sometimes just poor management.

Resumes should not include photos... this is a rundown of your technical abilities, not Glamour Shots (not to mention it could be an issue with larger companies who have equal rights issues to worry about... they don't want to know your possible race/creed until the interview).

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[MikeHalloran]

My resume does include reasons for leaving. ... because it produced a _lot_ more response with them than without them. There is no 'reason for leaving' checkbox or boring line item per job; just a word or a phrase inserted where it makes sense. The hardest part is being honest and factual and positive about it.

( I just got word from a headhunter that inclusion of the reasons for leaving turned off one outfit they were trying to rent me to. ... or so they said. Virtually the same resume has gotten positive responses from many people, so I'm not changing that part of it. )

( I do change it at random, and track whether the response rate goes up or down, and evolve it that way. )

My resume also includes several small photographs. ... not of me, but of some of the objects I've worked on, selected to help the casual reader begin to understand what some of the words are about, and to serve as talking points in phone interviews.

... but that works for me, and it may not be appropriate for you.
I repeat, get a CPRW to generate one for you, and work from there.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[GregLocock]

That's a great suggestion - pictures of things you've worked on. It derails any technical interview in your favour, since you are the expert and you are able to guide the interview your way. Also your natural enthusiasm will show through.

(OK I admit I did this once and it worked really well, pretty sure it got me the job).

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Mike,

You make a valid point about the photos (though I obviously still stand behind my point about photos of yourself), and it should be considered on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you're an architect, a picture of a (nice) building you worked on says as much as any paragraph of text. For an EE like myself, a pic of a black box won't do much to impress an interviewer, but a list of the tight specs I was able to meet would.

In Greg's vein, I bring images to interviews (but not on the resume)... graphical user interfaces I've put together, block diagrams of systems I've worked on, etc. The full-color GUI printouts lead to other fruitful discussions without unduly interrupting the interview process.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[ScottyUK]

I agree with Dan. Photographs of things I've worked on have made a good talking point in an interview and allowed me to gain a degree of control of the interview for part of the time. In some instances earlier in my career I had actual examples of my work which gave the interviewer something tactile to play with. A bit like a dog with a new toy really.




----------------------------------

If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[SNORGY]

olamuse:

I guess my comment on the resume would be to write more about what you *did* and what you *accomplished*, and less about what your assigned duties were.

An excerpt from mine, for example, from a period in time when I had a comparable level of experience:

_________
I designed and implemented an innovative compressor building air extraction system at (GAS PLANT) that utilized the compressor lube oil aerial cooler to draw air out of the building for heat rejection. Implementing this design produced a capital cost saving of $30,000.00 by reducing the scope and complexity of other building ventilation equipment.
_________



Regards,

SNORGY.

 

[bigTomHanks]

Has anyone mentioned that you need to work on your resume? Haha

Here is what you need to do:
1) You need to use the functional resume format.
2) Put your "Professional Experience" bullet points first. Only use the ones that are relevant to the position that you are applying for.
3) Put your work history with job title, company, location, and dates of employment in chronological order. You do this to down play the fact that you have moved around quite a bit.
4) Put your education last. This is the thing that needs to be on your resume to so that you meet the requirement of the job but it should be last now that you have extensive experience.

This type of resume highlights the specific skills that you have for the particular job that you are applying for FIRST. Then it shows who you did this work for and then last shows that you have the requirement minimum education.

 

[bigTomHanks]

Forgot to mention. Do not use your "Professional Competence" at all. Most likely this is the part of the resume that turns most people off.