>>Anybody out there do any resume critiquing? My wife is pretty good at it, but she doesn't have a techical background.
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>>Thanks!
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>I used to do a lot of hiring, so if you want to send me your resume confidentially, go ahead -- mbeane2@comcast.net. The general advice I can give you is as follows:
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>Focus on accomplishments, as concrete as you can make them. "I was the lead architect of a system that led to a 15% decrease in shipping costs" -- like that.
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>Don't lie. Most companies try to verify what is verifiable. If you get caught lying or inflating, you are totally busted, dead, kaput.
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>Focus on the recent past. Summarize old jobs and your educational background in bullet points.
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>Show some passion.
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>This doesn't go in the resume, it goes in the cover letter. Show some knowledge about and enthusiasm for the company you are applying to.
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>Never forget that your purpose is to convince them what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. The person doing the hiring has a problem -- a job to fill. Convince them you are the solution.
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>Be confident but not arrogant.
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>The OBJECTIVE section of your resume appears right after your name and contact info and is the most critical part of the whole thing. You have to hook them there. If you don't, if you come across limp, many recruiters will not read any further. Again, be specific. Leave the "I am looking for a challenging job with a forward-looking company" crap to the politicians.
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>Print it out, put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and put it in the mailbox. That alone will differentiate your application. It's so easy and cheap to apply online, hiring managers have become very jaded about online applications. There are lots of applicants out there who email 500 places and hope one of them sticks. Show the specific company you want their specific job.
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>Be positive. That should go without saying, but you would be surprised how many resumes don't heed it. NEVER trash any previous employer. They will think they're next. I don't care if your boss was Adolf Hitler and you had to eat a plate of camel dung every day. Put the best spin on it you can. If that's too hard to do, just leave it unsaid.
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>Did I say be positive, confident, and enthusiastic? Be positive, confident, and enthusiastic.
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>Good luck!

Good advice Mike!

I would like to add:

1. The purpose of a Resume is to get an interview!

2. Do your homework on any prospective employer. What do they do? Are they profitable?

3. Your resume should fit the skills necessary and required by the employer. If you fit 80% of the requirements, that is good. Do not list things that do not apply to the position of interest.

4. Do not list positions or events that are more than 10 years old.

I was in a class to teach you how to get a job in Silicon Valley a few years ago. We had a fellow who was in his early 60’s and had white hair. He had just received his MA degree from a local university, and listed that on his resume with the date. He got an interview, and before arriving he had his hair dyed. He got the job! My point is you have to think ahead of the pack. Now had he received his MA in 1960, and listed the date – you do the math! Age discrimination out here is a fact of life. It may not exist anywhere else in the world.

Tom