[TriLUG] looking for resume writer/improver

[Chris Merrill]

On 1/23/2011 9:22 AM, Matt Flyer wrote:
> One point that I have always tried to remember above all else is that
> the person who reads it is going to be pressed for time.  They are going
> to scan over it with their eyes.  They are NOT going to read long
> paragraphs of text.  When I have been on the hiring team this is the

This is an excellent point.  You have a very limited window of opportunity
to impress - make sure the most important stuff is at the beginning and
it is easy to scan.

I'd like to add that it is perfectly reasonable to tailor your resume for
each job/employer.  Most of us have far more experience/skills than we have
room for on a 2-page resume.  3 pages is pushing it...anything more and it
will likely not be read.  If you have the ability to research and understand
the company and the position, you can tailor the resume to highlight the skills
and experience that they will be interested in.  It is also quite reasonable
to have something near the end that says "I have a more detailed resume,
available on request, that dives into the details of each of my skills and
positions".

In some larger organizations, a cover letter may be thrown away, but it is
still an excellent opportunity to introduce yourself - especially at smaller
companies or wherever you have the opportunity to contact the hiring manager
directly (not filtered by HR).  When we hire, the cover letter tells me a lot
about how well the candidate's written communication skills, how much they
have researched our company and the job, etc.  It is frequently obvious that
the person just saw the ad and applied, with no thought to how good of a fit
they are for the position.  Those get circular-filed pretty quick :>




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Chris Merrill                           |  Web Performance, Inc.
chris at webperformance.com                |  http://webperformance.com
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