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Forum -> Working Women

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amother

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 3:29 pm

Help!! Outta job... desperately looking for something! Every job I'm interested in applying for requires a resume!!! What on earth? How do I get one??

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 3:30 pm

You write it.

There are templates that can help you - word has some.

oliveoil

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 3:38 pm

Seriously? You don't know what a resume is? How old are you??

busydev

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 3:39 pm

you follow a template and enter your info, education, work experience, skills etc and then send it in.

almost every job requires a resume (except for being self employed).

Why would you not know that?

bluejays

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 3:42 pm

I work in an office and see resumes, would not recommend using the templates, they look really bad....!! I got mine done by Writeaway 718-633-9815... Theyre amazing!!!!!!

imasinger

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 3:53 pm

The point of a resume is to tell businesses who you are, what experience you have had, and why they might want to hire you. A cover letter should summarize the salient points.

There is plenty of online help available. If you feel you need more, you can hire someone. Once you have a good resume, you should be able to rework it for other positions as your life goes along.

amother

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 4:04 pm

OP here, I'm scared to mess up with my own resume... I'll try that place, thanks for the tip, bluejays! Wish me luck!

Cookie Monster

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 6:52 pm

Op, you can try to PM Mama Bear. She does priffessional resumes.

Cookie Monster

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 6:54 pm

Sorry for the typo. That was totally "unprofessional!" Typing from my phone...

Mama Bear

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 9:23 pm

"Used to." Not doing it in a long time. here's some guidance though:

In the center write your

NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER

then, these are the fields you want to fill out:

OBJECTIVE

To utilize my skills and experience in business administration to benefit my employer bla bla bla bla

SKILLS

* Proficient in XYZ computer programs
* Able to multitask, meet deadlines, and adapt to changes
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
* Team player etc etc etc etc

EXPERIENCE

List your employment history, title, dates, and the things you did there - but make them specific...

* Assisted the manager in implementing a new telephone system
* Entered data into customized computer software, including inventory tracking, sales, accounts receivable
* Handle a large volume of incoming calls daily
* Functioned as right hand assistant to office manager, completing multiple tasks on an ongoing basis.

etc etc etc etcccc

EDUCATION

your high school and any courses you may have taken, college etc.

REFERENCES

will be made available upon request.

HOPE THIS HELPS.

SingALong

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 9:36 pm

I used an online/word template...no issues landing a job...as long as you have the capabilities/education/experience they are looking for, and you can sell yourself well during the interview, the resume design doesn't matter so much. It should be concise, to the point, easy to read, and list all relevant info. Try for getting it all in 1 page if you can. My resume listed the info in similar fashion to how mama bear posted above

z.a

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 9:40 pm

I used a professional service called resumeplanet I think... there are a bunch of online services. it is worth it

Fabulous

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 10:26 pm

SingALong wrote:

what she said. As long as it's organized and you have the background the employer is looking for, it doesn't matter if it was from word or from a professional. It will get you the interview, it's up to you, to do the rest.

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 11:21 pm

No need to include objective (obviously your objective is to be hired for the job for which you are applying) or to state "references upon request;" that's a given, too. They just take up space.

If you can, quantify your work experiences. For example, "increased productivity of the department by 20% over six months" means more than "participated in efficiency project."

List high school only if you are not a college graduate, or if high school graduation is not a given in your community. Exception: if you are a fairly recent graduate with limited work experience and/or you went to a special high school program of some kind. Similarly for college - no need to list specific coursework unless you have very limited work experience after graduation.

There are lots of examples and articles on the internet about this. No need for a template, but it's ok to use one. If you are really stuck or unsure, there is probably someone capable in your community who formats resumes for a fee.

If you need to submit resumes electronically through job-application websites, you might need a plain-text version of your resume as well as a traditional format version. Just follow instructions on the application; they'll let you know what you need to submit. Not following instructions is a good way to be eliminated from consideration. For skilled jobs, use "keywords" (technical terms to describe your job skills) somewhere in your job history in case the employer is using software to screen resumes. The easiest way to do this is to echo the terms used in the job description as much as possible.

A personal recommendation is extremely valuable, especially in today's difficult economic climate. Work your network!

Good luck with your job search. I hope this helps!

cbsmommy

Mon, Jan 28 2013, 11:56 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

"Used to." Not doing it in a long time. here's some guidance though:

HOPE THIS HELPS.

Actually, speaking as someone who has worked writing resumes:

Put whatever you have that is most impressive AT THE TOP RIGHT UNDER YOUR NAME. So, if you are a Harvard Law Grad with very little real-life work experience, your education should go at the tippy top. If you've spent the last 14 years working for a fortune 500 company, WORK EXPERIENCE goes on top. Always do current first (list your master's before your undergrad, your current job before the one you had 12 years ago, etc).

Put whatever is "least" important at the bottom. Do not say "references available". 9/10 times there is another paper (cover letter, actual recommendation form) that you need. Space on a resume is valuable. You need to sell yourself in one 8x11 piece of paper.

Special skills = outdated. So are the terms "highly motivated", "self-motivated" and "able to work as a team member". Find a new, innovative way of saying that you can work collaboratively with co-workers.

If you happen to speak a language other than English PUT THAT ON YOUR RESUME under languages spoken. Bilingualism = super vital in this global economy. Don't try and rate a language by saying "I only speak Hebrew" or "I only speak Yiddish" and this is for a non-Jewish firm. Companies like seeing that someone is diverse. Speaking a second language (even if it's not the current hot-button of bilingual - Spanish) can make you stand out.

If you've been a volunteer for Chai Lifeline for the last four years, worked at HASC, visited nursing home residents every Shabbos since you were a freshman in high school, PUT IT ON YOUR RESUME. Include the category as: Relevant Volunteer experience. Everyone loves a volunteer and it adds "human aspect" and "interest" to your resume. Smile

amother

Tue, Jan 29 2013, 8:46 pm

Hello CBS,

Can you please put a sample of what is the current style?

For one not currently working, how would you word time out of work?
consult?

If anyone was hired recently in nyc, can you please post who is hiring (real company real benefits) and where job was listed?

TIA

lamplighter

Tue, Apr 16 2013, 1:31 pm

bump

shirtsandskirts

Tue, Apr 16 2013, 2:21 pm

amother wrote:

Maybe I missed it, but what kind of job are you looking for. You don't write what you did if not working, just write all your jobs, unless you are doing something now in your field.

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