Job hunting in a recession

[IainC]

Why use a whole page? If you can't summarise your CV with a single well chosen image macro then it's your own fault you can't find a job.

[Sky]

<--- My resume.

[schild]

Agreed, single page. The only alternative to a single page is a 7 page tome. Or longer. But 2-3 pages is just annoying.

[Oban]

Those Belize retirement pictures are nice. What they don't tell you is that it is hot as fuck and if you go 100 miles in any direction you will be killed by drugrunners/rebels/communists/fascists/pick one. Belize. Nice if you want to do nothing all day.

What the hell are you talking about?  If you go a hundred miles in any direction you are in another country.  Drug runners?  Rebels, rebelling against what?  Communists?  Facists?

What?

I know it is quaint to point out that Americans do not know geography, but come on man.

[Salamok]

I'm still not waiting tables or working at McDonald's or digging ditches just yet.

5 Months in, the closest I've gotten to applying to places like that is Starbucks, they didn't even call me back. I have absolutely no idea why since it's just an application.

My best advice to those who are having trouble finding jobs is, apply for more, but keep yourself busy and do not, under any circumstances, think about it - even though 9 times out of 10 if someones talking to you they're gonna ask "So, gotten a job yet?"

Get a few more tats, a piercing or 2 and shave the left half of your head then go apply at Kirby Lane.

[NiX]

Yes, single page, especially when your actual work experience is somewhat limited.  Beyond that, I'll reserve judgement unless you'd like to answer this question:  what sort of job are you looking for?

I tailor the Resume/Cover to the position I apply, but I'm mostly looking to just get my foot in the door for HR with the hopes of the position being somewhat geared towards HRMS.

Update the resume so it's 1 page.

[Nightshade]

Can I ask why you think 1 page resumes are the way to go?  I mean, I know I'm no expert on resumes, hell I've had Nix / Nix's HR teachers even look at my resume, but when it comes down to it, it seems to be more of a formality, and an entrance into a job.  1-2-3 pages, whoever is actually looking at it, I would assume would spend the exact same amount of time on it as any other resume 5-10 seconds.

It would be nicer if you could just have an explanatory picture to explain all tho! 

[Hindenburg]

Update the resume so it's 1 page.

Why do you hate periods, John Freeland?

[pants]

Can I ask why you think 1 page resumes are the way to go?  I mean, I know I'm no expert on resumes, hell I've had Nix / Nix's HR teachers even look at my resume, but when it comes down to it, it seems to be more of a formality, and an entrance into a job.  1-2-3 pages, whoever is actually looking at it, I would assume would spend the exact same amount of time on it as any other resume 5-10 seconds.

You're right - you have very little time to impress the person, especially if they have dozens/hundreds of resumes to get through.  So if you take 3-4 pages to get to the point, they won't read most of it, and boom, you're in the bin.  If you can sum up everything important in 1 page, you get their attention asap, and improve your chances of going into the yes pile.  If your page 1 is full of fluff (noone gives a fuck what your hobbies are, really.  And often they just laugh if you have something odd like sword collecting), they won't bother with reading page 2+.

Any my 2c worth on your resume.
   * That version has your phone # and email/RL address - dunno if you want that on the intarwebs.
   * I'd lose the objective - if you are resorting to non-HR jobs, they dont want to hear that you want to be a HR pro, since they know you'll be out the door at the first good HR job.  They can probably work it out from your degree, but don't rub their faces in it.
   * Don't list referees.  They waste space - if they want referees it means you've had an interview and they like the look of you, and so thats when they'll ask for referees.  At most, put a line 'References can be provided upon request' or something like that.
   * You haven't listed your grades - instant question is 'why?  did you suck at the course?'.  Put your grades in, even if they aren't great.  Hiring managers always assume the worst when something is missing.

Rest of it looks pretty good.  G'luck.

[Cyrrex]

Well, HR people may help get you in the door, but they are not usually (in my experience) the ones who ultimately hire you.  That would be the douchebags like me.  If you have a two page resume, it better be filled with TONS of RELEVANT work experience.  If you are just needlessly filling up two pages full of what is ultimately irrelevant to me, then you're just wasting my time.  If I'm going to use 30 seconds to scan your resume, wouldn't you rather have it all concisely condensed into one neat little page?  As the reader, that is sure as heck what I want.  Resumes that go too far beyond that magic 1 page, maybe 2, come off as generic at best.  At worst, I think you are full of bullshit, a complete douchebag, and you're making yourself out to be far more than you really are.  Me not thinking you are a liar is a good way to get an interview.

Also, keep the specifics of the EB Games gig at a minimum.  As soon as you wrote EB Games, assistant manager, and did some payroll...I could figure out the rest of it myself.  

[Hindenburg]

   * You haven't listed your grades - instant question is 'why?  did you suck at the course?'.  Put your grades in, even if they aren't great.  Hiring managers always assume the worst when something is missing.

You guys tend to do that up there? o_O

[schild]

Yea, I've never heard of anyone recommending you put your grades. Maybe your overall GPA, but what matters it hat you got the piece of paper.

[Merusk]

On the job search front, your school doesn't have any career development resources you can use?  Mine allowed us to use the CD center for a number of months after graduation for free, and I'm fairly certain I can make use of it now if I can prove I'm an alumnus donor. (Hell, I may not even have to do that, I didn't check.)

The best advice I can give is network.  Call up those old employers, teachers, friends, etc and see if they've heard anything.  Make particular use of the people who thought you did a good job and told you so to your face.  They're gold and you need to keep in contact with them as time goes on.  I only got my new job because of this, and was able to bypass all the application and winnowing bullshit.  (A similar process is probably why Starbucks didn't call Schild back.. except the reality is probably closer to, "the manager wanted to fuck this chick who applied..")

On your resume/ CV:

Agreed on the GPA.  It's your first job after college, you need to list how well you did.  When you have 5 or more years of experience in the field, then you can drop that crap as your professional career will matter more at that point.

I also agree on the references part.  Nobody cares until they want to take a closer look at you and it will drop you to a single page.   One page and 6 lines is actually more annoying than two pages, particularly if it's fluff like that.  It comes off as just padding your resume to me.

In your cover letter you say "Extensive management experience." All I see are two years as a store manager doing joe average employee stuff and nothing mentioning people management - which is more essential to an HR position.

Data entry skills don't strike me as a strong point for an HR associate. An administrative assistant or data processor, sure.  I may not know enough about HR, though.

Speaking of your qualifications; You are prepared to give detailed examples of your #1, #3 and #4 points, yes? If so, include ONE short example in your cover letter.


Other than that, good luck to you.  

[fuser]

If you come out far east enough, check out http://careerbeacon.com/

Most have covered it, glad you cut it down to one page, drop the references. Btw are the networking nights development that a general position would want to see?

Your formatting rendered on two pages here in Word 2k3 (generally why I use PDF for better or worse). I'd use your cover letter as the email body and just attach the CV.

Something that you didn't mention, did you have any interviews and or call backs over the past month or two?

[NiX]

1 callback/interview. That was through networking, not general applying.

The two page rendering is coming from the margins. I'll have to fix it up some more, that was just a rough cut down. I'm sure I can kill some of the professional development stuff.

I'm actually in Ontario right now with plans to move to Alberta. My method right now is to look for retail/crap work to pay bills/save and then move when I can afford to. All the while looking for a career job out there so it's a smooth transition.

[schild]

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/chi/942873935.html

[Hindenburg]

Is that the thing you sent to bioware?

[Broughden]

Well, its been more than a month since I've posted in this thread and I'm still unemployed. I've expanded to such fine establishments as Blockbuster, Future Shop (Canadian Best Buy), The Source...etc. Nothing from them either. Heck, I'm even looking in another province.

So, I'm thinking maybe I should do something more drastic like cold call or walk into corporate places or is that kind of stuff a bad idea? I've exhausted every avenue.

You have a degree yes? Apply to go overseas and teach English. Apply to go anywhere. These English school mills dont pay all that well but you get to live internationally, travel, and fuck the hot Ukrainian/Korean/Japanese/etc chick in your Engrish class. Win+Win+Win=WIN.

[Yegolev]

He lives in Canada, so he's already International.

[NiX]

And I have a diploma, not a degree. Go go Canadian post-secondary system!

[Bunk]

You have a degree yes? Apply to go overseas and teach English. Apply to go anywhere. These English school mills dont pay all that well but you get to live internationally, travel, and fuck the hot Ukrainian/Korean/Japanese/etc chick in your Engrish class. Win+Win+Win=WIN.

It can work. Friend of mine studied Archaeology, ended up going to Korea to teach English. Now has a Korean wife and works for ESL school that sends him to Korea a couple times per year for recruitment projects.

[Yegolev]

Good Korea or Bad Korea?

[Righ]

And I have a diploma, not a degree. Go go Canadian post-secondary system!

Don't worry, before too long they'll rename all the colleges as universities, re-title the diplomas as degrees, and change the name of the examining body and then people will ask you in the interviews what your archaic diploma is since they've 'never heard of' (forgotten about) that examining body, polytechnic, diploma, etc. 

[Polysorbate80]

You have a degree yes? Apply to go overseas and teach English. Apply to go anywhere. These English school mills dont pay all that well but you get to live internationally, travel, and fuck the hot Ukrainian/Korean/Japanese/etc chick in your Engrish class. Win+Win+Win=WIN.

It can work. Friend of mine studied Archaeology, ended up going to Korea to teach English. Now has a Korean wife and works for ESL school that sends him to Korea a couple times per year for recruitment projects.

You often don't need to know any of the local language to start with either--folks I know who've done this tell me the teachers are generally expected to only speak English with the students.   

[IainC]

I'm taking German classes at the moment from a teacher who doesn't speak a word of English.

Ich heisse Iain apparently.

[Raging Turtle]

/grumbles about making a long post on the ESL industry two pages ago   

[NiX]

/grumbles about making a long post on the ESL industry two pages ago   

If it makes you feel any better, whenever I consider it I think of you. I know you've done a fair bit of it. If I could get into Japan teaching English, I would be

[Tale]

Ich heisse Iain apparently.

Until you find out everyone in the area of Germany you visit pronounces it "ee haess Iain" or something, depending on the local dialect. Ich heisse Iain is saying it like "the rain in spain falls mainly on the plain". Fortunately the more beer you drink, the more natural "ee haess Iain" becomes. And then you fall for the hot Aussie girl you're travelling with and write poems to her and that new Rick Astley hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" is playing from all the discos on the Kurfurstendamm ... oops for a moment there I was 17 again. Prost!

[Engels]

Happened to you too, huh? In my case it was a petite spanish brunette and the music was U2's. Other than that, yep, Kurfurstendamm and yep, bad poetry.

[Cyrrex]

bad poetry.

No need to be redundant.

[Broughden]

/grumbles about making a long post on the ESL industry two pages ago   

If it makes you feel any better, whenever I consider it I think of you. I know you've done a fair bit of it. If I could get into Japan teaching English, I would be

Then do it. Apply. Go. Get out of here. Run for the chopper!

[Teleku]

Careful, English teaching gigs aren't all hookers and blow like they are making it out to be.  You can land a job at some really shitty company/places if your not careful.  If you did go this route, do your research.

Plus, you know, you might not want to end up as a total stereotype 

[lamaros]

Update the resume so it's 1 page.

Some advice I got for my resume is that when making claims like "Strong organizational and analytical skills" you include some reference to what you got them from. So you might say "Strong organizational skills from 3 years experience as EB manager" or "Strong analytical skills from 3 years of university studies in economics" or the like. Just substantiate your claims in general, it makes them sound less empty.

For university I wouldn't include the specifics of courses/subjects you took unless it relates to the job you're applying for, and even then it would probably be something better mentioned in the cover letter. Also I'm not sure you have to include the study period, just the date you received the qualification. I'd probably write yours like:

Education

2009 Diploma of Business Administration (Human Resources)
Sheridan College

I wouldn't use the words "work experience" for employment. Work experience, at least here, is something different and would include the three weeks you spent at company x over the holidays getting a look at the career you were interested in. A job is a job. I've also been told to talk about your jobs with regard to duties and achievements and in doing so to use active and specific language. I think you tend to use a lot of general words and some passive language (some notes below re this). I'd rewrite this part like:

Employment / Employment History

Assistant Manager, EB Games, 2004–2006

Duties and Responsibilities

Assisting customers in merchandise selection; fielding inquiries and complaints
Performing payroll functions on a regular basis (what regular basis? be more specific or don't mention it)
Providing excellent customer service to successfully drive sales and encourage repeat customers / To engage customers in a prompt and friendly manner to encouraging sale and repeated business (this is kind of doubled, reduce to one point)
Conducting weekly inventory counts to prevent shrink (shrink? not sure what this means, will they?)
Participating in bi-weekly marketing development meetings (participating is a passive word, use a more active ones like 'contributing')

Achievements

(Here include anything notable you can think of like weekly sales records you might have been involved with, marketing ideas you had that were particular successful. Best is if you can substantiate them with specific details.)

As for your professional development section... I'm not sure what this section is meant to indicate. Is it stuff you've participated in that you think relates to your application? Maybe this section would be better as 'Memberships', with the lecture series mentioned in your 'education' or another category. Not sure exactly.

This might well be information that people care about but you can direct why they should care about it in your use of headings a bit more. And trim it down a lot, it takes up half a page and is surely doesn't need to be more prominent than your education and employment history.

I would take your volunteer experience and put it right after your employment history.

As for references i wouldn't include it, or would put 'References available on request'.

Hope my observations are useful in some way.

[NiX]

As for your professional development section... I'm not sure what this section is meant to indicate. Is it stuff you've participated in that you think relates to your application? Maybe this section would be better as 'Memberships', with the lecture series mentioned in your 'education' or another category. Not sure exactly.

In Canada to maintain your Human Resources certification you have to attend seminar, speakers..etc. It shows that I'm willing to do those things without actually having my certification and every HR department in this country knows full well what that means.

As for the rest, I agree with most of it, though some stuff was taken out already and the references were left there for printing, not actually attachment. They're in a separate document now anyway.

[MellowYella]

 I actually moved from a small town where I went to college , back to NYC where I am originally from thinking jobs would be better, then the recession hit just about the time I moved back lol.  It took a while to find work but eventually I found work with a marketing company that I enjoy, the best move I think is staying focused on the goal, even in this recession it's doable.  Use craigslist in my opinion as well.

(bonus: the marketing company I work for has a campaign for WoW going on which is something i am big in to.  So good luck can happen even in these rough times.)