All about Resumes / CV's and Cover Letters for Jobs and Internships

[yourbestfriend]

Hey everyone, i was wondering a few things about this and sorry if you all feel its a useless topic but I think it would be something that could help out alot of our fellow tfsers.

Im applying for part-time work next week and have been having some trouble. When writing a resume what type of things should i have written out? Under skills how should i list them in an impressive manner? I dont want to have things such as good listener, good people skills listed so bluntly. How could I have these things written to make more of an impact on the employer? What do you usually put on your own resumes?

Do any of you ever lie about work experience?

Another thing is what ways do you approach a possible employer when applying for work? Go in person and hand to the people up front or should I be asking to see the person in charge of hiring.

Please post some tips you may have.

Thanks everyone.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I strongly recommend not lying. I worked with a friend on her resume, and she insisted on falsifying it by combining two jobs where she'd worked 6 months at each into one. Duh, she got an offer, they did a background check, she got fired. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT LYING. I know of a number of cases where people have been fired for this, some justly, some probably not, but be careful. Your claims need to be verifiable. If you went to a school that doesn't exist anymore, or worked at a company that doesn't exist anymore, or if relevant records burned ... say so upfront. If you have any kind of criminal record, including misdemeanors, disclose it! If you're not sure, find out before you state categorically that you don't. It's really best not to be stupid & get one in the first place--you will have to disclose it everytime you apply for a job for the rest of your life. Know where your diplomas are so you can prove you graduated. And for goodness' sake don't give yourself a degree you don't have. I've seen people get fired for all of these reasons. I can tell you it's really upsetting to hire someone that HR finds a real or imagined problem with.

I've passed a number of background investigations, but I have seen this happen so much that I will not give notice at my old job until the new company tells me everything's A-OK.

As far as making yourself look good, it's good if you can quantify your accomplishments in terms of percentages and dollars. It's good to list soft skills on your resume--if you can, state them in terms relevant to your industry and its particular challenges.

Good luck!

 

[Bluestar07]

I have my own firm which means I employ and "unemploy" people and I second what fashionista-ta said. Never lie. Never ever lie. It comes back to bite you in the ***.

It's cliched but be your natural self during the interview. The way you carry yourself, the way you speak (confidently and not overly chatty) and how you answer questions (I've had interviewees who completely don't answer questions that I ask and rattle off with their pre-rehearsed stuff) speak volumes.

Good luck!

 

[Curious]

Another voice in the plea to not lie on your resume

On top of not lying about where you worked and how long you worked there, you don't want to fudge your skill set. Background checks verify that you actually worked for a company and what length of time you worked for them, but they rarely verify what you were actually DOING at the company. Some people falsify their skill set and it will show in their performance. This happened in my company where we hired a couple of people based on their "skill set" and it was obvious that they lied once they got into the job. We wound up having to fire them. It's a waste of everyone's time! Don't do it!!

As far as who to give your resume to, ask for the person in charge of hiring. The people up front generally don't care and you really want to make an impression on the decision maker. Also, don't be afraid to follow up. Employers are more likely to hire someone who appears eager. Don't call every day, but if you haven't heard anything in a week or so and you really want the position, give them a call. Good luck

 

[Erin]

Resumes aside, I've come to hate interviews, quite honestly. They're such shows. Real BSer's and extremely social people always do well. Gosh, I suuuuck at interviews, but most of the time I know I could do the job 100% better than anybody else.... I'm a polite person, and I stay so during interviews, probably the time I need to have that "get out and get it" attitude.

 

[yourbestfriend]

thanks for everyones responses, about the lying thing what if it was "volunteer" work for an uncles company? It wuldnt show up on any background check and i doubt there would be a background check for any job im applying to.



btw i gave you all karma

 

[DressageChick]

Resumes aside, I've come to hate interviews, quite honestly. They're such shows. Real BSer's and extremely social people always do well. Gosh, I suuuuck at interviews, but most of the time I know I could do the job 100% better than anybody else.... I'm a polite person, and I stay so during interviews, probably the time I need to have that "get out and get it" attitude.

Yeah, I agree with your opinion on interviews. I'm a pretty shy person, so I don't do too well with interviews because I've just met the person and everything. I hate it when people do better than me just because they're more social

 

[fashionista-ta]

thanks for everyones responses, about the lying thing what if it was "volunteer" work for an uncles company? It wuldnt show up on any background check and i doubt there would be a background check for any job im applying to.



btw i gave you all karma

Lying of any kind is bad for your real karma, know what I mean? B) OTOH, volunteering *is* a great way to gain real experience for your resume.

 

[Kimkhuu]

I am hiding now..... I always lie on my resume..... But it works.....

I am being absolutely serious.... ...but it's not big lies, it's not as though you write that you've been a secretary for Microsoft or something... Just like instead of saying you've worked for 3 months at a certain place, change it for 2005, it's not a lie, it's true, it's just they think it's a year, and you think it's three moths.....

But I agree that lying is not good, it can make you loose your job....

 

[Sunkist]

You should probably have a section clearly labeled Education. List your school, location, majors, and any honors and awards. If the award isn't something that's universally recognized (i.e. cum laude or Dean's List), then you should explain what it is briefly.

You also should have a section for work experience. List company, location, dates, and your title. Under each job, list some key experiences. Think about words that describe specific accomplishments, skills, goals met, etc. Also, for most jobs, even if they require a lot of time working alone, it is nice to show one or two instances where you worked with other people effectively or that you have people skills (Saying you "addressed customer complaints" at a retail job would show such skills, for example).

It is also nice to have a line about your interests. It should just be at the end. It gives the interviewer something to talk about as an icebreaker. Almost anything can be an interest (so long as it's not illegal or something).

 

[fezbatik]

The best advice I ever received was:

1.) NO MISTAKES - if there are grammatical, or spelling errors on a resume, consider your resume thrown out. No one will take you seriously, if you can't take yourself seriously.

2.) A lot of people tend to explain their past experience in such a way as: Responsibilities included - (insert responsibilities here). This is boring, and does not make you stand out from the crowd in any way. Instead, like someone mentioned above - use figures, use tangible, quantifiable reasons that explain why you were good at those jobs.
Ie. Routinely exceeded sales quotas; or, single-handedly promoted such and such brand to over 3,000 customers...etc, etc, etc..

3.) Like Kimkhuu said - not stating something is not necessarily lying. If you worked from june-august somewhere - instead of saying 3 months, you could say Summer 2005.

4.) If you need to combine job exposure to ensure you are covering the right amount of experience needed for the position - state somewhere that you have "5 progressive years experience in" ... etc, etc..



Good luck - it's a rat race out there.

 

[Vans]

Your Best Friend. Limit your resume to two pages. Also, don't use white paper, too many people use white paper, use cream or off white, so your resume will stand out. Don't use fancy fonts, it may be too difficult to read. Get a friend to proof read your resume. Good luck and I hope you get the job you are applying for.

 

[yourbestfriend]

thanks tigerlilly, and thanks to everyone else too

 

[Sunkist]

Your resume should just be one page unless you're a senior-level person.

 

[CelineChic]

Never lie about past experience because they may ask you for a reference. Although if you have a friend who is a good actor then I suppose there is a solution.



I once lied about knowing how to use Adobe Illustrator. I got the job and needless to say I had to go buy the book "Adobe Illustrators for dummies"...the book should be named "Illustrator for dummies who lied on their resume"

 

[yourbestfriend]

I just may lie about minor things so my resume wont look so blank, and also so it dosent seem like ive been bumming around during my teenage years

 

[Fashion_addict19]

i'm trying out for a job in retail this week (jay Jays) can any one tell me what is required to make a good impression?

 

[yourbestfriend]

After you hand in applications at places, do they generally pool the applications together and interview everyone on the same day? Or do they call them the next day asking for an interview?

 

[Curious]

It's variable YBF. Depends on the company, the position, number of resumes, etc. If it's been a week or so and you haven't heard anything, I strongly recommend following up if it's a position you really want. Bodes really well with employers

fashion_addict19 - dress nicely and be well groomed. Speak confidently and directly. Have all the information you need to fill out your application (i.e. references, phone numbers, etc.). Personally, I think it makes a better impression to fill applications out on the spot rather than taking them home, but that's probably debatable. And for retail, ask to speak to a manager about employment rather than speaking to a floorperson or cashier. They could care less about helping you so it's best to make your impression on the person in charge. Best of luck

 

[yourbestfriend]

thanks curious, im anxious for interviews....i want a job before christmas comes around