Applying for jobs today...

"roflcopter" (roflroflroflcopter)
02/19/2014 at 15:18 • Filed to: None

My current work situation has been getting consistently more precarious, just due to me not being super into it anymore and the season for it tapering off, which has left me on the look out for new potential digs. Which inevitably means updating the resume... Which brings me to question for all of you, do you ever feel like you're overselling yourself on your resume? Nothing on mine is a lie, but reading back through it there sure is a lot of very diverse, and very precise things that are on there and I wonder if that possibly scares off some employers... just my random early afternoon musing for the day. Have my friends Lotus at the most recent autocross for your troubles!

DISCUSSION (21)

The Ghost of Oppo > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:22

What could possibly scare off employers?

Proficient with axes and bone saws?

roflcopter > The Ghost of Oppo
02/19/2014 at 15:24

I was more referring to certain things that might be completely irrelevant to the job being currently applied for... like for instance I have a lot of microcontroller and programming experience, but that doesn't mean I would be above doing custom automotive upholstery(which is one job I'm currently applying for).

ttyymmnn > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:31

You might consider tweaking your resume for each potential employer. For example, move things to the top of your resume that indicate experience for the particular job you're applying for. As a performing musician, with some college teaching experience, I would put the teaching experience first in my resume if I were applying for a college job, but put the performance experience first if applying for a performance job. Your cover letter should also be arranged in this fashion, making sure it highlights the skills you possess that a certain employer might be looking for. Traditionally, resumes get very cursory reads by prospective employers, so you want to be sure that they see what will interest them. Good luck!

04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:31

I, too, have the feeling that mine is over pretentious. Looking at my resume compared to all of my close friends, who also have decent jobs, makes my resume look like the Mona Lisa. So it seems odd to me that being my age, that my resume looks so professional.

Which is the point, but I get the feeling sometimes that employers look at my resume and imagine 50% of it is just lies and making it look like I just put what they wanted to see.

The Ghost of Oppo > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:32

Besides at career fairs in college, I have never given the exact same resume to multiple employers.

Just try to tailor it to the job description and company. Instead of using space to talk in depth about your programming experience, be precise and short about the experience and use the space to talk about things more relevant to the job you are applying for.

MtrRider > The Ghost of Oppo
02/19/2014 at 15:32

"Three times, Roflcopter... Three times through the grinder"

roflcopter > ttyymmnn
02/19/2014 at 15:33

I've done that before, but I have been trying to make it as all-encompassing as possible, and I'd rather have as much of the experience on there as I can than skip over things just because they aren't relevant. I always find it kind of amazing to read back over what all I have on there, almost doesn't seem like I've done that much, but I suppose I have.

roflcopter > 04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches.
02/19/2014 at 15:34

EXACTLY.

I get worried that I won't live up to their expectations from it, but nothing on it is a lie, and I do in fact have all that experience, even though I am on the young side of things.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:35

You might consider tailoring your resume to particular opportunities, especially when they are a little different than what you're doing right now. Focus on the most relevant skills / experience in the resume.

When you get an interview, you can judge whether to bring up some of the other examples if you think they're relevant. "Well, there was the time I had to figure out why a new microcontroller wouldn't boot up" might be a way to answer "what's a really tough problem you had to fix that you hadn't seen before?"

All the best!

ttyymmnn > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:35

I'm not suggesting you delete anything, just find a way to highlight those things you think the prospective employer will be interested in. I don't know what line of work you're in, but I do think (at least I hope) that employers would be interested in somebody with a wide range of work experience in addition to the specific thing they are looking for.

jariten1781 > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:36

I prefer when I get resumes that are tailored. Relevant experience expounded on, other experience bulletized. Granted, I mostly prefer it because it means the candidate actually thought about what they were applying for, not just spammed out the resume looking for a bite.

I assume people will embellish on their resume. Finding out what they really did happens during the interview.

roflcopter > The Ghost of Oppo
02/19/2014 at 15:36

The other half of my concern comes from my resume having a lot of different things on it and me being worried that an employer is going to look at it, and my age, and think that it's mostly a pile of BS. But everything on there is in fact the truth and I have done it all, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it so much.

The Ghost of Oppo > 04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches.
02/19/2014 at 15:36

Never lower yourself to your competitions level!

For most applications your resume is your only chance to stand out.

roflcopter > ttyymmnn
02/19/2014 at 15:37

Very true. Thanks for the input, I'll shuffle it around a bit for the places I'm going to today.

The Ghost of Oppo > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:38

Any employer who looks at a diverse resume and thinks it is BS without interviewing you to find out is not someone you want to work for.

roflcopter > jariten1781
02/19/2014 at 15:38

None of mine is embellished, which from talking to friends does seem rare, but it doesn't sound like the kind of stuff that most 22 year olds looking for part time work while in school would have on their resume, so I get afraid that an employer is going to assume it's mostly embellishment.

roflcopter > The Ghost of Oppo
02/19/2014 at 15:39

Touché.

jariten1781 > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:40

Nah, if you're looking for part-time work near a school they see that all the time.

The Ghost of Oppo > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 15:41

Good luck!

Don't forget to list your Oppo posting experience

jariten1781 > 04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches.
02/19/2014 at 15:43

Nope, a well put together resume is always a plus. Even if it comes off as over pretentious to you, what I see is someone who pays attention to detail and presentation. That is a good thing in every career.

04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. > roflcopter
02/19/2014 at 18:22

Same here. I literally do nothing but mess with cars and electronics. So my resume looks more like a list of specializations at ITT than anything. Then there's all my certifications, which is like listing out how many girls you've slept with in college. Finally, you have my work history, which I feel I have a problem with over-detailing, and therefore probably could be the script for an episode of "The IT Crowd".

Meanwhile my buddies resume looks like a one-page book report that he put together last minute, and didn't even read the book (a-la-sparknotes style).