Resume Issues and General Engineering Career Advice

[Rbahr24]

I'm trying to update my resume in hopes to relocate out of upstate New York. A few months back I signed an offer letter for a manufacturing engineer position with a company in Virginia, but I need a government clearance, so that is going to take awhile. In the mean time, I'm trying to find a contract job. My current job as an engineering tech, coupled with a few bosses who don't take the time out of there day to give me any feedback, its time I find a better place to work at.

With all that, I really haven't heard back from any of the applications I've applied to in the last couple months. Hoping that I can adjust my resume to assist me in some areas that I see as a concern. I'm struggling to narrow down what I should leave and what I should add. Is it too long? Should I quantify my results? Define a better objective?

I'm trying to be optimistic with the future engineer job being better than the current one I have now. I really took it just to finally get back down south where I like the weather and the atmosphere. If I do get this Top Secret gov't clearance, I'd really appreciate any guidance you can give me to get back into the energy field or other government engineer positions that would be beneficial to keep an eye on. Previously , I worked with large bore marine diesels and while it was strenuous work, it was something I really enjoyed...except the 24/7 travel. I'd like to get back into a career field that somewhat pertained to that or other energy industries, without the excessive travel.

https://files.engineering.com/getfi...946-7c1f33225ac5&file=Resume_Review_2020.docx

 

[GeoEnvGuy]

Your resume looks like a typical template which offers very little details of your engineering ability. Your previous employers, computer skills and education are the side notes of your engineering abilities. You may consider doing a CV type describing representative work assignments. Your project summaries should state the work completed, your involvement and your level of accountability to the project. You would also want a cover letter or objective at the start to indicate why you are looking for a change and what you are looking to get into for the future.

 

[ProEpro]

The changes to the resume should be for each job you apply for to highlight the skills they want.

 

[weldstan]

You need to be much more specific in what you did and what you accomplished , especially in your last/current position. And you do need a cover letter tailored to each company to which you are applying.

I received Secret and Top Secret clearances in a matter of weeks through my former employers. If it's been months, maybe you should contact your future employer if he is still interested. It could of course be because of Covid19 and the inability to physically contact people close to you, like neighbors, relatives, former bosses/coworkers, etc.

 

[oldestguy]

As a technician, not a graduate engineer you are at a disadvantage when things are tight. I'd stick with current job and do the best you can there to show varied experience that is not requiring an engineer degree.

 

[IRstuff]

OK, I suggest you look at previous threads on this site about resumes, because there's great material there.

> Your resume is THE glossy brochure that a prospective employer reads to decide whether to buy the product (you) or something else -- it's a marketing tool and the story it tells must be compelling and you must be the cost-effective product that they can't live without
> Your resume reads like you're a great instruction follower and you do things as you are told, which is great, but BORING and so not compelling
> You supposedly improved things, but by how much? 1%, 5% 25%? If it was only 1%, then keep it the way it is, but if it was 25%, then don't bury the lead to the point of non-existence
> The resume should scream "Pick me, pick me" not because you're desperate, but because you are so clearly head and shoulders above anyone else they could hire
> The document should convince the employer that you are not only qualified for the job, but that they would be stupid to not hire you
> Your resume should not, and must not, be generic; ideally it should be tailored specifically for each job you apply for. Ideally, you should thoroughly and completely read the job posting and every item in the job posting should not only be complied with, but should be exceeded
> Even if you can't check all their boxes, you, the product, should be so compelling that they'll overlook the missing box checks
> Job postings are what employers use to justify their decisions to NOT hire someone, i.e., "they can't do Excel" But, if the story is compelling, they'll be thinking, "we can train him in Excel"
> That said, your "technical skills" peter out after Minitab, most high school students are skilled in Office tools. Have you actually used Access, programmed it, etc? DO NOT oversell; it absurdly silly to get shot down because you claimed a skill that you cannot back up. I once rejected someone with a skill that I was particularly interested in, only to get "Oh yeah, I haven't actually used it, but I watched someone use it" BZZZZZZ! Minitab and Access skills sound possibly compelling, but what exactly can you do? Have you programmed complex statistical analyses in Minitab? Have you created databases in Access?



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