Help with resume

[zmanwit90accord]

After seeing Deev's thread about how educated this site is, I figure it's appropriate to ask if you guys could critique my resume since it seems like a lot of you (if not all) have done one at some point.

It's not "due" at any point (until I theoretically get a job or internship over the next 4 years) but I'd appreciate as much feedback/corrections as possible whether they be grammatical errors, format concerns, or issues with the content.

I'm just going to copy and paste the bulk of the info since I don't know how to attach a document and I'm not sure if I'd want to.

Objective: Apply my critical thinking, communication, and basic knowledge of aerospace and mechanical engineering to a summer internship/job opportunity.
Education:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: B.S. in Mechanical-Aeronautical Engineering
• Expected graduation date: May 2015
• Relevant coursework: Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering Analysis
• Relevant skills: basic knowledge of NX CAD software, Labview, MATLAB, basic skills of operating a lathe, mill, band saw and welder, knowledge of Microsoft Office programs, knowledge of car maintenance from oil changes to replacing a sub-frame to installing complete audio systems.
________ High School: graduated with 3.3/4.0 GPA

Leadership:
Head steward of the _________ Fraternity at RPI
• Main duty: to shop and provide food for a house of 35 within a budget. In addition, I manage work crews to clean/cook during the week.
President of the Car Club at ____________ High School
• Plan trips to car garages, organize shows with turnouts of at least 10 cars, work with local dealerships to bring cars to shows, set-up a car wash to raise money for charity.
Varsity Tennis Captain at __________ High School
Member of the Rensselaer Student Auto Shop

Work Experience:
Camp counselor for local elementary school
Apprentice under certified electro mechanic
• Install car alarms and audio at local dealerships
Camp counselor for local sports camp
Dishwasher at local restaurant
Office assistant in work study at RPI

Interests:
Cars
• Purchased first car at 15, began working on it including engine work, body work, and electrical work as well as routine maintenance
Community Service
• Member of Habitat for Humanity since seventh grade
• Volunteer work: Jeepers Peepers program to collect used eye glasses, Ronald McDonald House in New York City, various RPI activities
• Three week trip to Costa Rica to build a house and help teach local children

The heading includes my name and contact information centered and the format is in a table with the education, leadership and interests being in the left column with all the details on the right column. It is one page in length which is the recommended so I can't include too much more. I can't even fit the sports I do.

Thanks in advance.

[deevergote]

Looks good for the most part. My advice would be to try to cut down on the wordiness (though since it's in forum text, and not a proper resume format, that might make a difference.) Keep in mind that a prospective employer will be looking very quickly at your resume. If it's wordy, they'll look right over it (like most people do my posts on here... ) Make it as brief and concise as you can, without sacrificing what you need to say.,

Also, tailor your resume to the job you're applying to. Those "relevant skills" in your education may not ALL be relevant to every job you apply to. Your resume should say "I'm perfect for THIS job", not "I'm perfect for A job"

[Tnwagn]

First off, I have never been a big fan of 'Statement' resumes. That said, they have their place and can be just fine when done properly. I would urge you to always custom tailor your objective statement to the specific position you are applying to. A generic statement is often looked upon less favorably than a resume with no statement at all.

Second, besides the raw information the most important thing in a resume is the layout. Since you have chosen to upload the information in a text box, which preserves almost none of your layout, we're going to be hard pressed to comment on the resume as a whole.

I would suggest saving the document as a PDF, uploading that file to something like Imgur, and then posting the photo on this thread.

Additionally, I would urge you to visit your school's career services office. They have full time employees who have training in this field and know what employers want to see on resumes. While there might be some smart people here, their expertise will pale in comparison to that of someone trained to critique resumes.

[zmanwit90accord]

Looks good for the most part. My advice would be to try to cut down on the wordiness (though since it's in forum text, and not a proper resume format, that might make a difference.) Keep in mind that a prospective employer will be looking very quickly at your resume. If it's wordy, they'll look right over it (like most people do my posts on here... ) Make it as brief and concise as you can, without sacrificing what you need to say.,

Also, tailor your resume to the job you're applying to. Those "relevant skills" in your education may not ALL be relevant to every job you apply to. Your resume should say "I'm perfect for THIS job", not "I'm perfect for A job"

That's something I have trouble with too, something I have to work on. I usually say more than I have to but I only do it because I'm trying to be as clear as possible so I'm not misunderstood. I will see which parts could use some snipping.

First off, I have never been a big fan of 'Statement' resumes. That said, they have their place and can be just fine when done properly. I would urge you to always custom tailor your objective statement to the specific position you are applying to. A generic statement is often looked upon less favorably than a resume with no statement at all.

Second, besides the raw information the most important thing in a resume is the layout. Since you have chosen to upload the information in a text box, which preserves almost none of your layout, we're going to be hard pressed to comment on the resume as a whole.

I would suggest saving the document as a PDF, uploading that file to something like Imgur, and then posting the photo on this thread.

Additionally, I would urge you to visit your school's career services office. They have full time employees who have training in this field and know what employers want to see on resumes. While there might be some smart people here, their expertise will pale in comparison to that of someone trained to critique resumes.

I'll work on getting it uploaded so you guys can see the format tomorrow.

I also put the broad objective because this resume is going to a temp agency where a friend of my mom works. Since I have no idea what a temp is or what they do I thought a general statement saying I have a background in engineering would be a good opener.

Next year when I actually use this for an internship at Sikorsky, I'll be sure to specifically state why I want the job there, thanks for the tip.

And about the career center, I've yet to even step inside that office let alone ask about my resume. I understand it's part of their job to help students with this kind of stuff and I will go there eventually, but after reading Deev's thread I noticed there were quite a few people here with engineering degrees/backgrounds which is who I'm trying to target here.

Those of you that do have engineering degrees/experience, I'd appreciate if you helped give examples of how you "tailored" your resume to each individual employer and the format you used.

I have friends in web design with fancy logos and borders and colors on their resume. I was told that was inappropriate for an engineer.

Another general question:

What are your opinions on GPAs? I'm told a GPA lower than a 3.0/4.0 shouldn't be posted (which is why I haven't put mine haha) but I also here it doesn't really matter to some employers.

Thanks for the tips you two.

[deevergote]

Owequitit's reason for typing his lengthy posts is the same as yours... when he tried to be brief in the past, he found that people assumed he knew little. So he started saying EVERYTHING in detail. The information is there, but any thread he participates in usually dies in a few pages, because few people want to read all that!

TypeG is the opposite. I doubt he's ever posted anything on this site that has gone unread... because he keeps it brief.


Both are intelligent and respected here on this site. Nobody doubts that. But which one is most likely to have their post read and understood?
Keep that in mind, if nothing else. Brevity and speaking/writing to your audience will get you far in life.

[zmanwit90accord]

Owequitit's reason for typing his lengthy posts is the same as yours... when he tried to be brief in the past, he found that people assumed he knew little. So he started saying EVERYTHING in detail. The information is there, but any thread he participates in usually dies in a few pages, because few people want to read all that!

TypeG is the opposite. I doubt he's ever posted anything on this site that has gone unread... because he keeps it brief.


Both are intelligent and respected here on this site. Nobody doubts that. But which one is most likely to have their post read and understood?
Keep that in mind, if nothing else. Brevity and speaking/writing to your audience will get you far in life.

Definitely noted for the future.

Here's the format as best I could get it.



If you can't read it, open it in a new tab and zoom in

Thanks again.

[Tnwagn]

I have had too much to drink at this point to offer reasonable feedback. I will give you some feedback in the morning.