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IT Resume Thread

Hello.

i've been reading the thread and it has help me alot with my resume.
i'm currently a student @ Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Networking Security Support Analyst .
without any real world experience. i'm trying to figure out if i should list my education first or skill set first. here are the following course i'm taking. CCNA, MCSE, CompTIA A+, Security +, Linux +, ISA 2004, Exchange. IIS, Intrusion Analysis and some project works, i will be taking the cert exams after i have completed the program.

any help would be great.
 
I would suggest puting your actual certs first and then your skills. I would also be clear about describing your skills / courses that were taken. If you put down that entire list of certs as classes people may assume that you hold those certs.For example I took a class called routing and remote access. Which was basically a "ccna" primer.
 
winuxgeek said:
I would suggest puting your actual certs first and then your skills. I would also be clear about describing your skills / courses that were taken. If you put down that entire list of certs as classes people may assume that you hold those certs.For example I took a class called routing and remote access. Which was basically a "ccna" primer.
Click to expand...

thanks. just reading the theard over and over again.

i have a question.

i have repaired/build computers and installed OS for maybe the pass 6 years now but it was for friends and family members.
i'm not sure how exactly to put it in my resume.
maybe something like
6 years experience installing and configure windows XP operating systems.

maybe i can just put it in skill sets. i want to let them know i've been installing and configuring computer system with x amount of years.
my writing skill isn't the greatest.
 
Just write you have x years of experience in x y and z. If you have been doing it for 10 years and have no paid work experience doing it, I would not put 10 years tho. Pick somewhere in the middle as to not overstate your experience but still give it a little extra.

If you had a year and a half paid work exp, and 5 years doing this on your own, I would put 3 years exp. I think it comes down to adjectives. As long as you dont say paid experience or relevant, or something that implies it was all paid exp you are not lying. Just my 2c.


Ginku said:
thanks. just reading the theard over and over again.

i have a question.

i have repaired/build computers and installed OS for maybe the pass 6 years now but it was for friends and family members.
i'm not sure how exactly to put it in my resume.
maybe something like
6 years experience installing and configure windows XP operating systems.

maybe i can just put it in skill sets. i want to let them know i've been installing and configuring computer system with x amount of years.
my writing skill isn't the greatest.
Click to expand...
 
I know this is going to sound odd but if anyone wants to check out a site that offers something interesting look here. Know I know it is canadian so don't flame me to bad but her newsletters are kind of good and yes they try to sell her service but some still worth a read. Also I found some of the EXAMPLE resumes on her site helpful when building mine.

KM ;)
 
I'm graduating in June and I started job searching a few months ago (online, in person etc.). I've landed a few interviews but mostly with recruiters from companies who do commission only (wife & child, that won't work). I'm 24, and I'm going to be out of my current job when I graudate (student-based govt. temp job).

My question is: I've posted multiple resumes with the online pages (monster.com, careerbuilder, etc.) and I was wondering, when I submit my resume to a company, is it okay to NOT put a cover letter? There are options to add my own specialized cover letter but I don't know if I'm getting looked over becuase I sometimes don't submit one with it. Any proffessionals out there that will skip a resume because there was no cover letter? I know it won't hurt to put one on... just wondering the damage done. Thanks,

-Aeurix
 
Great thread! never noticed it before. tis might come in handy!

fantastic people are taking their time to review people's resumes!
 
I'm graduating next year with an M.S. in Information Technology and an MBA. Drastically different from what I used to do.... But I am worried though, because the MSIT program seems to be very broad brushed. I don't know if I'll feel confident or comfortable managing IT once I have the degree in hand. Also doenst help that I havent worked a day in the IT field (retired military).
 
Scroatdog said:
I'm graduating next year with an M.S. in Information Technology and an MBA. Drastically different from what I used to do.... But I am worried though, because the MSIT program seems to be very broad brushed. I don't know if I'll feel confident or comfortable managing IT once I have the degree in hand. Also doenst help that I havent worked a day in the IT field (retired military).
Click to expand...
I am in the same situration, i am actually thinking of going to a community college AFTER i get my bachelors degree in computer science because they seem to offer a much more hands on approach which i think is far more important and effective than sitting in a class room hearing about different technologies and how they work. I have done a few Lab Courses including one working with cisco equiptment and learned so much more by actually playing with the technology insted of being lectured about it.
 
Well in response to the last couple of questions...

First of all, don't worry about not being qualified for IT work with all your "book smarts vs. street smarts". Most HR people aren't smart enough to realize the value of actual field experience. Believe me, many of them will gush over your college degrees even though it counts very little in this line of work. Hell, the only reason I was ever hired for my first helpdesk position was because of the HR departments inability to find good qualified people. Instead, they hired a kid who liked to tinker with computers at home for fun. I'm sure from their perspective, I was a cheap hire with minimal qualifications. But in reality, I got all of my first few years of IT training at their expense --not a smart way to run and IT department but oh well. Not my problem! I'm greatful for the opportunity I received.

Still, I'd prepare some basic responses to some valid questions about your lack of IT field experience (in the unlikely event that you run into an actual "smart person" in the HR department). First of all, your skills aren't going to come from college anyways. A good IT person has two important skills IMO that you can use to sell yourself: analytical and people skills. You will have to find a way to demonstrate that you have these important abilities through your past experience somehow. In a helpdesk enviromnet, having good people skills I'd say is more important than anything. Your deskside manner will make or break your career there. And being able to solve complex problems that come your way will always be your bread and butter skill. Your education and training will only get you started. New and different problems will come your way almost daily.

So be prepared to convince your interviewer, word your cover letter, and incorporate into your resume these important skills and you should be just fine. Good luck!
 
ok, since i recently got "terminated" (still waiting to hear the official reason from my former employer), i figured i'd get some help on my resume again. rather than copy and paste it, i uploaded it to my site so you get the proper formatting. it is in ms word 2003 format. the official start date for the oldest job on the list is '99, but that a little interesting since i worked there while in school, left so i could work elsewhere a couple of times, should i put the '99 date?

http://smccloud.com/resume.doc
 
Your resume leaves a lot to be desired. Your summary doesn't back up your dates and facts. I don't see five years of experience written down on there. If the job from '99 is IT-related, then put it down. However, if you left that place to become a "parts picker", that doesn't count towards your overall years of experience unless it's IT-related.

If you have any IT-related work experience, I would list that with a description and axe any non-IT job.
 
versello said:
Your resume leaves a lot to be desired. Your summary doesn't back up your dates and facts. I don't see five years of experience written down on there. If the job from '99 is IT-related, then put it down. However, if you left that place to become a "parts picker", that doesn't count towards your overall years of experience unless it's IT-related.
Click to expand...

how would you suggest that i word the fact that i've done all my it related work at home out of my basement? its kind of hard for me to figure out how to word that. and your post isn't super helpful. and its the job as a parts picker that was officially from '99 to '05.

also, i posted here to get help with my resume because i know it needs help. not to have my bad week end up getting worse because of a post like yours.
 
Well I am sorry my post wasn't as helpful as you expected, but there is no magical answer that will make your resume a winner. If you're having a bad week, then I suggest you come back when you're feeling better, because if you want constructive criticism, give us something to work off, like I said in my original post. Your resume is ambiguous and I am telling you that you need to ellaborate on it before you can really get some good feedback. I didn't know you worked out of your basement, and "parts picker" is for what? Computers? Auto assembly? Home depot? Do you see what I am saying? It's hard to give advice when we don't know what you did at these jobs. Give us a better idea of what you did in all of these jobs.

This thread contains a lot of valuable information which I first read through at least three times completely to construct my resume before posting it for feedback. Sites like careerbuilder.com and monster.com contain good information on resume advice, examples and job descriptions which I would tailor a resume to.

And if you re-read my original post, you would see that I am attacking your resume, not you as an individual.
 
i was a parts picker for car parts. it paid the bills.

i went through the thread and tried to follow the suggestions i got last time i posted it. problem being, i've never been that good at resumes. sadly, i need very clear concise suggestions to be able to follow them. i also cannot afford to pay to get help with it (the whole getting terminated thing).
 
I'm a recent college grad in computer science. Here's 2 versions of my resumes. The 1st is what I started with; the 2nd takes after a lot of the suggestions and samples from this thread. I'm concerned that the 2nd one lists too much info for applying to entry-level positions and would be skipped over since it looks like a lot of text at a glance. Should I cut down some of the sections? I'm open to comments/suggestions.

http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~wfu/Resume_WillieFu.pdf
http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~wfu/Resume_Willie_Fu.pdf

Thanks in advance.
 
Thought I'd post a position that will soon to be opening up here in my company...it will be listed on Monster, but I have permission to give you guys a direct view of the position.

One of our main network techs is leaving to go back into the military, so we need someone to fill his shoes. We are not in a position to train someone on the job, whoever is interested must be able to step up to the plate with little or no proding. So by that statement you can guess that experience is a must. There isn't too much in terms of specific qualifications, Cisco experience is needed, basic config and troubleshooting of routers and switches. Microsoft experience, such as managing Active Directory, User accounts, group policy, remote connectivity, etc...basically you have to make the Microsoft network work apart from the users trying to make it NOT work. ;) Obviously experience with win98, win2k, winXP and the problems that most commonly arise with these OSes is needed. You also should be able to step up to a PC that is experiencing an issue and within a couple minutes have formulated an idea about what is possibly wrong and the steps you are going to take to validate your theory.

Our Server and Workstation Build side of things is growing VERY fast. You may be asked to help with construction and testing of a few of these boxes. They usually are the latest, greatest, and most expensive hardware out there. You get to play with all of the new tech stuff, most of the guys love this aspect of the work.

Some of the stuff we are planning on doing down the road is going to require at least a Secret security clearance (don't worry, you don't need one to get the job). If you have a Secret clearance though that's a plus.

No programming experience is needed.

Having a MS Cert or the willingness to get one (MCSE/MCSA) is a plus.

Any questions you can PM me, I'll get back to you with an official email address to send a resume to.

Oh yeah, we are located in Pensacola, FL...right on the Gulf...we love hurricane season.

Dan
 
ok, after doing my best to use the suggestions posted here, i have come up with the following "improvements". i realize that my resume still isn't the greatest, but i need some suggestions on how to make it look better, especially the little bit of IT related stuff i have in it. i found an IT job i'd like to apply for, but i know that my current resume isn't quite good enough to send it off.

http://smccloud.com/resume.doc
 
Hey great thread. I've taken many of the ideas in this thread (much from jmroberts70) to come up with this.

Any advice?

resume said:
{name}
{address}
{email}

SUMMARY
A versatile networking professional with six years of enterprise-level experience. Strong practical, troubleshooting, administration, and people skills.

QUALIFICATIONS
SERVER and NETWORK ADMINISTRATION: Four years experience in Windows 2000/2003, Active Directory administration, Novell Netware, ArcServe, Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS 2003), Symantec Anti-Virus Enterprise, SurfControl, Websense, and Exchange 2000/2003. Used SMS to keep more than 1000 systems up to date with critical patches. Used SurfControl and Websense to monitor end-user internet usage and created reports on surfing habits for management. Fully installed six new domain controllers as part of a migration from Active Directory 2000 to 2003. Maintained the Active Directory compliance for Sarbanes-Oxley through Group Policy and frequent auditing of security settings. Responsible for managing backups and restores (Arcserve 2000/2003) for ten remote divisions.

SUPPORT: Two years of direct phone support (first level Help Desk) in a corporate environment responsible for hardware/software installation, support of MS Office 2000 and 2003, and troubleshooting of networking issues. Four more years as a second and third level support working with issues involving, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, and both small and large scale LANs. Additional experience includes WANs, physical network cabling, IPX/SPX, troubleshooting multi-site environments, HP Insight Manager, SQL2000, pcAnywhere, Bindview BVS, Service Center, Sharepoint, Infopath, and monitoring traffic issues in both LAN and WAN environments.
System fluency: Windows 9x, NT4, 2000 (server and professional), XP, 2003

COMMUNICATIONS: Highly trained in both communications and customer service. I spent seven years working at a hotel front desk dealing directly with the public plus I have experience in management, public speaking, writing, and performance.

EXPERIENCE
- ISA/Network Administrator ({company1}) November 2002 - Present
- Help Desk Analyst ({company1}) July 2000 – November 2002
- Assistant Front Desk Manager ({company2}) 1996-2000
- Associate Planner ({company3}) 1999
- Internship in City and Regional Planning ({company4}) 1998
- Front Desk Supervisor ({company2}) 1994-1996
- Front Desk Clerk ({company2}) 1993-1994

EDUCATION & AFFILIATIONS
- TechEd 2005 (classes on Security, Active Directory, Group Policy, and SMS)
- M-2596 Managing Microsoft Systems Management Server, August 2004
- MCSA 2000, completed 2004
- TechMentor 2004 (classes on Active Directory, Replications, and Security)
- Network+, completed 2003
- MEC (Microsoft Exchange Conference) 2001
- A+, completed 2001
- B.A., Urban Geography (concentration on City and Regional Planning and GIS), The Ohio State University, 1998
Click to expand...
 
jroberts:

i dont have a resume right now since i am currently employed as a L2 tech for a software company but i just wanted to say that i think the assistance you are providing for everyone here is outstanding.

i know its rare to hear a compliment without a complaint attached but this is a rare occurance where thats not the case.


even though i am not looking around RIGHT NOW i will be in the near future and the ideas i have read from you are as informative as they are encouraging. Thanks!
 
Tabris_Zero said:
I'm a recent college grad in computer science. Here's 2 versions of my resumes. The 1st is what I started with; the 2nd takes after a lot of the suggestions and samples from this thread. I'm concerned that the 2nd one lists too much info for applying to entry-level positions and would be skipped over since it looks like a lot of text at a glance. Should I cut down some of the sections? I'm open to comments/suggestions.

http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~wfu/Resume_WillieFu.pdf
http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~wfu/Resume_Willie_Fu.pdf

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Just a heads up to remove the contact info from the second version. ;)

After looking at it, it does seem a bit convoluted. I really like the format I just think it may be a bit wordy.
 
Kreator said:
jroberts:

i dont have a resume right now since i am currently employed as a L2 tech for a software company but i just wanted to say that i think the assistance you are providing for everyone here is outstanding.

i know its rare to hear a compliment without a complaint attached but this is a rare occurance where thats not the case.


even though i am not looking around RIGHT NOW i will be in the near future and the ideas i have read from you are as informative as they are encouraging. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Well I appreciate your kind words. I'm very busy these days so I don't get to review the resumes here as often as I did when this thread first started but I try and grab an hour or two every couple of weeks and get caught up. I hope that the review history here will answer a lot of questions before I even need to review people's resumes.

Again, I really appreciate the thanks!
 
I just found this thread and thought I would give it a try. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hopefully the formatting will work.

Name
Street – City State, ZIP - Area.Phone
email@email.net

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Systems/Network Technician with experience in computer maintenance and technical support, including building, repairing, diagnosing, and upgrading PC hardware.
• Operating system installation and configuration experience, including Windows 98/NT4/2000/XP and Windows NT Server 4.0 and 2003.
• Strong communication skills with excellent troubleshooting, research, and problem solving abilities.

EXPERIENCE

PC / LAN Technician – Current Employer, April 1999 to Present

• Sole provider of onsite hardware and software technical support for over 250 computer users.
• Held full technical responsibility for installing, repairing, upgrading and maintaining over 160 computer systems on local area network.
• Implemented an Internet content filter using Linux and DansGuardian to provide safe Internet use for students and faculty.
• Planned and performed recent migration from a Windows NT 4.0 / Exchange 5.5 environment to Windows 2003 / Exchange 2003 servers.
• Setup and maintained a mobile laptop station for wireless Internet access in classrooms.
• Responsible for Windows 2003/NT 4.0 server troubleshooting, backups, security, network printing services, user management, and configuring Exchange 2003/5.5 for company email.

Point-of-Sale Systems Technician – Former Employer Inc., Oct. 2000 to Jan. 2001

• Responsible for computer system configuration for new franchises including Nickel Tracker software installation.
• Onsite setup of store computer cash wrap (PC, printers, cash drawers, scanners).
• Updated company website with current products and information using the website’s content management system.
• Provided onsite and telephone technical support for store locations across the state.
• Communicated with software providers to facilitate custom software development and upgrades.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Windows 98/NT/2000/XP, Windows NT 4.0 & 2003 Server, Symantec Antivirus, MS Office 2000/2003, MS FrontPage 98/2000, Dell PowerEdge Server, Gateway and Dell client machines, HP network printers; basic Linux, HTML and CSS.

EDUCATION
B.S., Journalism, Texas A&M University, August 2003

CERTIFICATIONS
A+ Certification, Network+ Certification
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to look, and having this thread to begin with.
 
Hello all. I am in need of some serious advice. Here's my story, and I'll try to keep it as short as possible:

12 1/2 years in the military, both enlisted and an Officer. Worked on aircraft, became a pilot, etc, etc. Worked primarily in Operations, about 4 years, with another year and a half in Safety, and about 6 months in maintenance.

Currently enrolled in a local university, going for my MBA and a Master's in Information Technology. On the IT side of the house, I've taken the data comm & networks class, web design and management, and right now I'm taking Information Systems Design & Implementation. This class covers some Java and ASP. We may get to ASP.NET the professor said. The other classes remaning are IT Project Management, Database Management, and Introduction to Electronic Commerce.

The thing is, I don't feel like I'll be "ready" to lead and manage an IT department after taking all of these classes. From last semester, I got fairly comfortable with web design, and got rather proficient in Dreamweaver and Fireworks. I then moved, on my own, to learning Rapidweaver for the Mac. I am not a guru when it comes to javascript or striaght HTML. I mean, I can do it, but tend to use the WYSIWYG features as a crutch.

I have no practical IT experience at all. This is a problem. I am a full-time student so I do not work, but I know this has to change and will when the summer rolls around. I plan to go part time from summer on, so I can get some experience in an IT position. My computer experience consists of mainly computer building and troubleshooting. I decided on an IT career for my love of computers. I've built 15 or so computers for various friends and family. I get at least two calls a day from friends and family who have computer problems. (But to my credit, no one has had a problem with the computers I've built for them). My computer has been built-rebuilt/upgraded about 6 or seven times, and is overclocked, and is watercooled. I'm also proficient with the Office suite, familiar with Mac OSX Tiger, and proficient with various video editing programs (iMovieHD, Sony Vegas 6.0, Pinnacle Studio 9).

As I mentioned earlier, I don't feel like I'll be "ready" if/when I get my MSIT degree. I want to eventually become a CIO/CTO for a large corporation, and later in life start my own PC repair business (but that is WAY down the road). I have department head experience from my military days and can interact with staff quite well. A squadron organization is not unlike a company organization. There are surprising similiarities, all of which I am familiar with. Basically, I think like a geek, I like my geeky toys, but I can (and want to) interact with the staff and want to assume a staff role.

Ok, I know I said I'd try to make it short. (Sorry). I am wondering if I should seek additional training at someplace like Microskills to attain certification and bolster my education and knowledge base. I am looking for any/all suggestions the IT pros out there have. I want to be the first CIO that checks [H] every morning in the office before getting the real wok done :p

Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
Scroatdog said:
Hello all. I am in need of some serious advice. Here's my story, and I'll try to keep it as short as possible:

12 1/2 years in the military, both enlisted and an Officer...
Click to expand...

Well first of all... WOW! I'm impressed with you already!! Also, thank you for your service to my country. My father was a Pearl Harbor survivor so it means a lot to me. Besides wanting to know what aircraft you flew, here goes my thoughts on your question:

DISCLAIMER: This is totally opinion -and, in some cases, fairly strong opinion about your questions.

I totally understand your desire for "real world" experience. I think that you realize that your IT experience is mostly "book smarts" with some hobby work on the side. Actually, that's how I got started in all this too. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about your qualifications as far as employment within a corporation goes. The only one that doesn't see your real world experience is yourself (and probably a few of us here in the [H]). You gotta' start somewhere though. The fact is that most "large companies" are total idiots when it comes to hiring people with true qualifications --that's how I landed my first IT job! I can easily tell you that with your background, education, and your words above, you'll have no problem landing an IT job high-up -you'll probably have them eating out of your hand at the first interview. You're a smart guy so I'm not worried about your inexperience -I think you know how to get answers and that's all you really need to know.

I do respect your concern regarding your background but there's just no simple (or easy) way to get experience other than to just jump into the fire and try not to get burned in the process. Sadly, there is no set process for raising up a good IT person -not like there is for pilots. No place starts you off with a qualified tech sitting right next to you while you answer your first helpdesk calls, no point where you can finally "solo" a service call with the customer, no simulator anywhere that can train you for the multiple network hacks that will bring your building to it's knees in a matter of hours, etc... When hiring an IT person, just having the certs these days doesn't mean jack. I've worked with tons of A+ and MCSE ticket carriers that looked more like a fish out of water in the server room than anything else. Also, there really is no way to judge their background experience until they start working (thank goodness for probation periods!)

Finally, I don't see a real "business" in doing PC work on the side going anywhere. I've been doing it for years and can only consider it a "hobby" even now that I charge $50/hr for support in my city. I don't ever expect to quit my day job any time soon. I'd say go for the CTO/CIO route if you can stand large corporations and all the bullshit that usually comes with it. Considering your years in the military, I'd say you are especially equipped to handle the politics and such just fine.

Hope this helps...
 
Jon,

Thanks for the reply, your kind words, and the military analogies regarding my specific situation. To answer your question, I flew the CH-53E "Super Stallion" helicopter. When I was enlisted, I worked on KC-130 aircraft. Needless to say I did not get C-130's out of flight school like I wanted. Tough to get what you want when your selection week happens to be the last day of the fiscal year, and they had one jet slot, one prop (C-130) slot, and 15 helo slots (I was #3 that week). To make matters worse, the guy that got the C-130 slot wanted JETS, he didn't even want C-130's. I thought it would have been a perfect fit, with my initmate systems knowledge of that aircraft..... but I digress.

I think the biggest problem I am having with my MSIT program, is that I think it tends to hit major topics with very broad brushed strokes. As in the military, I know that in the IT industry, you're a jack of all trades, master of none, as there are far too many programming languages, applications, hardware, network setups, and the like, for anyone to truly be an expert in everything. And with the way technology progresses, being an expert in everything is just plain impossible.

Perhaps my expectations of the program were just too high. Not being satisfied with the "wavetop level" learning, I did opt to learn more about web programming on my own during winter break. The class I am in now deals with JAVA and ASP, and tying ASP into a database (in our case, Access), so I think learning how the backend interacts with the web environment, I think it will bring the web design experience full circle for me.

Anyhow, I do appreciate the comments. I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from. My view of getting certifications is as an increase in knowledge personally, so I don't look like a jackass when I'm trying to run an IT department and don't know what I'm talking about.

Well, once the summer rolls around I'll be taking one course per session, so basically two nights a week for the whole summer. This will give me time to get out there and get my feet wet. Thanks again!
 
joshmiller83 said:
Just wanted to post my resume and get some advice. Thanks!

My Resume
Click to expand...

Do us all a favor and just copy/paste the text of the resume here in the forum. I'm not that concerned about your choice of fonts or layout.
 
Does anyone have suggestions for the resume I posted (a few posts up thus page)? I may have some opportunities coming up and if there is anything wrong it would be a big help.

Thanks
 
EXPERIENCE and SKILLS


CUSTOMER SERVICE, SALES AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• Experience in general retail sales, general customer service and telephone technical support

ACCOUNTING and BOOKKEEPING
• Six (6) years accounting and bookkeeping experience
• Advanced Experienced in accounts payable , accounts receivables, collections, payroll, general ledger, reports
• Advanced Experience with Intuit’s QuickBooks and Best Software’s MAS 90

HARDWARE AND NETWORKING
• Building complete computer systems
• Setting up computers for clients use
• Hardware troubleshooting and integration of computer systems and networks
• Network troubleshooting and repair of computers, servers, and other network resources

SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
• Advanced experience with the Microsoft Office Suite
• Advanced experience with Intuit QuickBooks Pro
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Operating Systems
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Server Software

PROGRAMMING AND WEB DESIGN
• Advanced experience programming with Microsoft Access, Excel, Word and Outlook


WORK EXPERIENCE


ROBERT HALF TECHNOLOGY, Dayton, Ohio
• SYSTEMAX MANUFACTURING & PLEXTOR AMERICA, Fletcher, Ohio (August 2005 – February 2006)
o Telephone technical support representative

NEW PARIS OIL COMPANY, New Paris, Ohio (January 2005 – July 2005)
• Credit Assistant / Accounting Specialist & IT Support

GREENVILLE NATIONAL BANK, Greenville, Ohio (November 2002 – January 2005)
• Computer / Network Administrator & IT Support

A-1 CENTRAL FASTENER, INC. Dayton, Ohio (February 2003)
• Office manager and bookkeeper & IT support

ACCOUNTEMPS, Dayton, Ohio (April 2002 – March 2003)
• A-1 FASTENER AND SUPPLY COMPANY, Franklin, Ohio
o Accounting Auditor
• ADMARK PRINTING, INC., Brookville, Ohio
o Accounting Auditor
• TROY LOCK AND KEY MINI STORAGE, Troy, Ohio
o Accounting Auditor
• RIESER & MARX ATTORNEYS
o Accounting Auditor
• BECKER’S ELECTRICAL SUPPLY, Dayton, Ohio
o Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivables Clerk

RIVERSIDE COMPUTING, INC., Troy, Ohio (December 2000 – May 2001)
• Technical support analyst and hardware / software / network technician

DARKE COUNTY METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY, Greenville, Ohio (December 2001 – March 2002)
• Occupancy specialist & IT support

MILLER FLOWERS, Greenville, Ohio (Family Owned)
• 13th year family owned & operated business
• Office manager and bookkeeper
• IT support

SUMMIT COMPUTER SYSTEMS, Richmond, Indiana (April 2000 – September 2000)
• Hardware / software / network technician

ADDITIONAL TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS

MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION AND SKILLS ASSESMENT
• CERTIFIED MICROSOFT OFFICE USER SPECIALIST (MOUS EXPERT)
 
Hi, my problem is I created a resume that isn't very technical, however I want to apply for entry level PC technician jobs. Tell me how I can tweak my existing resume to make it more suitable for IT jobs.

OBJECTIVE__________________________________________________________________________________
To obtain a position at a technology firm where I can utilize my working experience, creativity, and educational skills


EXPERIENCE
COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE Chicago, IL
Investigations Unit Intern January 2006 to Present
• Conducted a thorough analysis of Public Defender’s Office main deficiencies in providing adequate counsel and completed research paper on the death penalty
• Conducted interviews of new prisoners in order to establish if they sustained any bodily injuries or had any prior medical problems and related this information to defense counsel. Also obtained information about income and establishment in their communities to help defense reach a more affordable bond
• Transported prisoner roster lists and in house subpoenas to different prison divisions
• Utilized computer program to locate defense witnesses and coordinated their cooperation by serving subpoenas
• Coordinated defense strategies with counsel by taking photographs of crime scene locations to verify testimony and written police reports
• Observed criminal trials and sharpened analytical skills by watching prosecution and defense counsels argue their cases

ACADEMIC COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS CENTER Chicago, IL
Technology Support Consultant August 2004 to August 2005
• Independently troubleshoot clients problems involving operating systems, applications, network connections, and email clients
• Attended weekly improvement meetings regarding client satisfaction, develop new computer skills, and reviewed rules and training
• Reset clients passwords when they forgot them and updated account information
• Provided phone support to all students and faculty regarding accounts, email, internet connectivity, and information about current software titles and licenses
• Reported faulty hardware in the labs, maintained cleanliness of labs, and changed toners and serviced other printer issues
• Effectively communicated university registration pages and other university web documents to new students

UIC CAMPUS HOUSING STUDENT SECURITY Chicago, IL
Security Associate January 2003 to May 2004
• Regulated access to the dorms by performing identification checks at the entrance of the residence halls
• Monitored for suspicious activity in four connected dorm buildings and secured safety of hallways, floors, lounges, and basements
• Responded to resident complaints and enforced residency laws including write-ups of offenders
• Assisted residents with lock out issues and provided auxiliary keys
• Significantly improved problem solving skills with day to day contact with residents by solving their issues


EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Chicago, IL
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Major GPA 3.22 August 2001 to May 2006
• RELEVANT COURSEWORK: Macro-Economics, Micro-Economics, Calculus I & II, Data Structures I & II, Transnational Interest Groups, Political Psychology, Topics in International Relations, Finite Math for Business, Introduction to Accounting, International Security, and Voting and the American Electorate

SKILLS & INTERESTS
Reading, playing basketball, rooting for the Chicago Bears, constructing custom computers, and playing Texas Hold’em poker
 
Sc0ttFern said:
Hi, my problem is I created a resume that isn't very technical, however I want to apply for entry level PC technician jobs. Tell me how I can tweak my existing resume to make it more suitable for IT jobs.

OBJECTIVE__________________________________________________________________________________
To obtain a position at a technology firm where I can utilize my working experience, creativity, and educational skills


EXPERIENCE
COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE Chicago, IL
Investigations Unit Intern January 2006 to Present
• Conducted a thorough analysis of Public Defender’s Office main deficiencies in providing adequate counsel and completed research paper on the death penalty
• Conducted interviews of new prisoners in order to establish if they sustained any bodily injuries or had any prior medical problems and related this information to defense counsel. Also obtained information about income and establishment in their communities to help defense reach a more affordable bond
• Transported prisoner roster lists and in house subpoenas to different prison divisions
• Utilized computer program to locate defense witnesses and coordinated their cooperation by serving subpoenas
• Coordinated defense strategies with counsel by taking photographs of crime scene locations to verify testimony and written police reports
• Observed criminal trials and sharpened analytical skills by watching prosecution and defense counsels argue their cases

ACADEMIC COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS CENTER Chicago, IL
Technology Support Consultant August 2004 to August 2005
• Independently troubleshoot clients problems involving operating systems, applications, network connections, and email clients
• Attended weekly improvement meetings regarding client satisfaction, develop new computer skills, and reviewed rules and training
• Reset clients passwords when they forgot them and updated account information
• Provided phone support to all students and faculty regarding accounts, email, internet connectivity, and information about current software titles and licenses
• Reported faulty hardware in the labs, maintained cleanliness of labs, and changed toners and serviced other printer issues
• Effectively communicated university registration pages and other university web documents to new students

UIC CAMPUS HOUSING STUDENT SECURITY Chicago, IL
Security Associate January 2003 to May 2004
• Regulated access to the dorms by performing identification checks at the entrance of the residence halls
• Monitored for suspicious activity in four connected dorm buildings and secured safety of hallways, floors, lounges, and basements
• Responded to resident complaints and enforced residency laws including write-ups of offenders
• Assisted residents with lock out issues and provided auxiliary keys
• Significantly improved problem solving skills with day to day contact with residents by solving their issues


EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Chicago, IL
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Major GPA 3.22 August 2001 to May 2006
• RELEVANT COURSEWORK: Macro-Economics, Micro-Economics, Calculus I & II, Data Structures I & II, Transnational Interest Groups, Political Psychology, Topics in International Relations, Finite Math for Business, Introduction to Accounting, International Security, and Voting and the American Electorate

SKILLS & INTERESTS
Reading, playing basketball, rooting for the Chicago Bears, constructing custom computers, and playing Texas Hold’em poker
Click to expand...


What are your long term goals? I noticed that you are in school for poli sci which isnt very IT related. Is IT something that you want to pay the bills while in law school or something? The only reason I ask is that you seem to be shooting low with a support job, but sadly that is where most people start out.

As far as your experience goes it looks like your one job involved support. I would cut out the interests part at the bottom and expand on your skills a lot. Obviously you will want to detail all of your technical abilities, and depending on where you want to go some others things as well.

Also I am unsure about the objective statement. I had one on my own resume when I came out of school but chose to make a summary statement instead after reading this thread through.

I am looking to get into analyzing digital evidence so having more law knowledge would help me a lot. You have to figure out what your long term goals are and try to slip them into your resume a little bit at a time.
 
What a great thread...I've browsed its contents on and off for the past year or so, and I am finally getting ready to make some changes.

It has been somewhat of a priority of mine to convert my resume from chronological to functional. I am not 100% certain this will address my minor issue, but the deal is that I've had a couple of breaks in employment, due to schooling. Sure, it's professional development, but prospective employers can be fairly closed-minded in that regard.

I've always loved networking, and wanted to climb the ladder through support (which I was always very good at) to administration, and eventually upwards of engineering, design, and so on. After my undergrad in 2001, a technical writing contract that sprouted from an internship started that phase of my career, and I have basically given up the networking dreams. Tech writing has a better contract rate, and can move me closer to project management positions, which have more stability and versatility.

Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

- David :: my resume


edit: I would also like to note that DH Technical Solutions is my freelance work that I listed to patch over those breaks in employment.

Would anyone suggest pros or cons as far as chronological vs. functional resumes?
 
DigitalMP said:
Would anyone suggest pros or cons as far as chronological vs. functional resumes?
Click to expand...

Well if you've read through this thread (I know it's quite a task) you'll know that I strongly favor a functional resume over chronological. I personally can't think of situations off hand that would justify the use of a chronological resume over functional. I think the information is more quickly conveyed -and that is the whole point. I think a resume like yours could be easily pared down to a single page document doing it that way.

I was in the same boat years ago. I had a 2-page resume simply because i had all this different work experience and I didn't think there was any other way to get that point across. Now that I'm on the other end of resume reading, I just HATE getting chronological resumes as there is just soo much work more work involved just to find out if you have one or two skills I'm looking for.

Also, I'd look into changing your "objective" statement into a "summary" statement. We all know what your objective is. There's no need to put it on a resume. By definition, a resume means "I am looking for a job". Better to have a 1-2 sentence statement that sums up who you are to an employer quickly.

So sort out your skills into a small group of categories and flesh out the descriptions there. Trim down y our employment history to a single line per job. Your employment history (gaps and all) will become much less important when your skills are the focal point of your resume.

Good luck!
 
DistributedBen said:
Does anyone have suggestions for the resume I posted (a few posts up thus page)? I may have some opportunities coming up and if there is anything wrong it would be a big help.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yet another example of a situation where a functional resume is better than a chronological resume. Your work experience has a "thin" appearance simply because there's only two employers. Looking closer shows that you actually have 7 years of working experience and that's not too shabby. Notice how I had to look closely to find this information out. Having 7 years of work experience is something to really brag about in a resume. You should be shouting that from the very beginning. So start with a summary statement something to the effect of "A certified PC/LAN technician with 7 years working experience in support of bla bla bla..." Bam! Right from the start I now know if you're a match for my job opening or not.

Next I'd suggest getting rid of your current format which I would basically describe as "a detailed work history / job description list". Replace it with a skills list. There are several examples on this thread but, simply put, sort out your skills into a few major categories and then describe them in more detail in each paragraph. A good example of what NOT to do is your current "Summary of Qualifications" list. you never mention the EXTENT of your experience -you simply say that you have SOME experience. I don't know from that list if your experience is just from taking a class or if you've proven your skills in the field over time. A good skills description will tell me all I need to know.

And lastly, there's no point to listing your "technical skills" afterwards. In a functional resume, they will be at the top.

Good luck!
 
Ok well here is a question for you guys while I try to revise my resume. I have recently graduated from University of Phoenix with my BS in Information Technology. Now this degree is a little different because it is more of a "managerial training" degree than a real hands on IT work degree (which me and my classmates were pissed about when we found out the change half way through the program). I am currently working for a semiconductor failure test equipment company but I am solely a CSR at the moment. I have done some purchasing work along with Applications engineer work on a few of our newer and revised products, as well as participated in some of the R&D engineering meetings.

So my question is how do I translate that all into my resume? I have done a little here and there but really my only speciality is computer hardware troubleshooting. I have slight knowledge in programming, network diagnostics and installation, database, web programming and design along with alot of other stuff from previous jobs.

Our company is going through some major changes at the moment and I am not sure whether or not I want to stay with the company as I am being paid no where near the amount I should be. Nevertheless, my boss has expressed interest in keeping me on and possibly changing my position for better use of my skills.

I have found some very helpful tips from the first 10 or so pages of this forum, and plan to do some revisions to my resume once I get the chance. But I am currently going to be looking for a "General Tech" opening in my city as well as the nearby ones. Is there something in there that I can use to really catch the HR persons eye?

Thanks for the help
Greg
 
Just revised my resume with a technical area. Let me know what you guys think!

OBJECTIVE___________________________________________________________________________________________
To obtain an entry level IT position where I can utilize my working experience, creativity, and educational skills

TECHNICAL SKILLS___________________________________________________________________________________
Proficient in Windows 2000/XP installation, troubleshooting and applications, SSH, home networking and router configuration and troubleshooting, seven years experience building computers and troubleshooting hardware issues, familiar with Clarify desk help software, experience configuring wireless software for Windows/OSX laptops

EXPERIENCE_________________________________________________________________________________________
COOK COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE Chicago, IL
Investigations Unit Intern January 2006 to Present
• Conducted a thorough analysis of Public Defender’s Office main deficiencies in providing adequate counsel and completed research paper on the death penalty
• Conducted interviews of new prisoners in order to establish if they sustained any bodily injuries or had any prior medical problems and related this information to defense counsel. Also obtained information about income and establishment in their communities to help defense reach a more affordable bond
• Transported prisoner roster lists and in house subpoenas to different prison divisions
• Utilized computer program to locate defense witnesses and coordinated their cooperation by serving subpoenas
• Coordinated defense strategies with counsel by taking photographs of crime scene locations to verify testimony and written police reports
• Observed criminal trials and sharpened analytical skills by watching prosecution and defense counsels argue their cases

ACADEMIC COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS CENTER Chicago, IL
Technology Support Consultant August 2004 to August 2005
• Independently troubleshoot clients problems involving operating systems, applications, network connections, and email clients
• Attended weekly improvement meetings regarding client satisfaction, develop new computer skills, and reviewed rules and training
• Reset clients passwords periodically and updated relevant account information
• Provided phone support to all students and faculty regarding accounts, email, internet connectivity, and information about current software titles and licenses we offered
• Reported faulty hardware in the labs, maintained cleanliness of labs, and changed toners and serviced other printer issues
• Effectively communicated university registration pages and other university web documents to new students
• Assisted in computer lab redesign by running new network patch cables, fiber optic security wiring, and relocating PC towers
• Proficient with Clarify support software by creating cases for client issues, logging lab problems and answering email support questions

UIC CAMPUS HOUSING STUDENT SECURITY Chicago, IL
Security Associate January 2003 to May 2004
• Regulated access to the dorms by performing identification checks at the entrance of the residence halls
• Monitored for suspicious activity in four connected dorm buildings and secured safety of hallways, floors, lounges, and basements
• Responded to resident complaints and enforced residency laws including write-ups of offenders
• Assisted residents with lock out issues and provided auxiliary keys
• Significantly improved problem solving skills with day to day contact solving resident issues

EDUCATION__________________________________________________________________________________________
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Chicago, IL
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Major GPA 3.22 August 2001 to May 2006
• RELEVANT COURSEWORK: Macro-Economics, Micro-Economics, Calculus I & II, Data Structures I & II, Transnational Interest Groups, Political Psychology, Topics in International Relations, Finite Math for Business, Introduction to Accounting, International Security, and Voting & the American Electorate
 
gregnash said:
Ok well here is a question for you guys while I try to revise my resume. I have recently graduated from University of Phoenix...
Click to expand...

'Yea, sounds familiar. I'd say just get your resume started -make sure it's a functional resume and not a chronological resume for starters. Start sorting out your skills into major categories. The way to catch an HR person's eye is through which skills are listed first. For example, I have two major skill sets: AutoCAD engineering, and PC tech support. I make sure to list them all on my resume but I change the order of skills (and my summary statement) depending on the job I'm applying for. In most cases, you're going to be applying electronically anyways so I have several versions of my resume handy and ready to go depending on the job I'm applying for. In many cases, I look for keywords in the job description and make sure my resume has them clearly and quickly stated (within reason of course). Most HR people are not familiar with the skills they are actually looking for. Frequently, resumes are overlooked because the skill is not mentioned in the way they are looking for. By example, if in the job description the phrase "desktop support" is mentioned, make sure your resume uses the same thing in plase of such things as "helpdesk tech". The cover letter will still server as a way to make a connection between your resume and the job description but it makes a great difference if your resume has the keywords they are looking for it there. I personally know of many HR people that simply to "keyword searches" through a collection of digital resumes. If they don't find a match, they will toss the resume. It may sound stupid but when you have a collection of resumes over 200, you have to do things like that to get through them quickly.

So just get your resume put together and posted here and I'm sure we can go from there.
--Good luck!
 
Sc0ttFern said:
Just revised my resume with a technical area. Let me know what you guys think!...
Click to expand...

Well, IMO, I'd say you can start by reading through a good portion of this thread. Your resume has a lot of classical flaws to it that I would point out from the start (and have many times in this thread). I'm sorry to make you do all that reading but until I get a few days to just sit down and type out a simple guide to "functional resume writing", this thread is all we got.

--Good luck!
 
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