Here is my updated resume with changes. I've taken some peoples advice.
Some people say I should take out my HS info and golf team stuff. I hesitate because A)I'm not far removed from HS and still in College so I don't see a need to take it out. B) I was sports editor for our school paper and I want an excuse to showcase that.
As to the golf thing, I have always been told to show activities and I think thats a hell of a lot better than saying "I like sports, music and movies".
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS • Creative thinker, who uses a wide variety of strategies to improve current ideas and processes for a more proficient operation. • A team orientated person. Worked in group settings trying to achieve goals together in order to complete projects. • Displayed quality customer service in a mix of different environments. Found ways to communicate with clients on multiple levels to reach a level of satisfaction from both sides.
EDUCATION 2006-Present Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Broadcast/Journalism Cumulative GPA: 3.52
2002-2005 Santiago Canyon College Orange, California Liberal Arts Associates of Arts Degree
1998-2002 El Modena High School Orange, California June 2002 Sports Editor of Frontline Newspaper
WORK EXPERIENCE 2002-2005 Orange Tax & Bookkeeping Orange, California Accounting Assistant/Bookkeeper Collected, counted, and dispersed money; did basic bookkeeping and completed banking transactions; communicated with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions; disseminated or explained information, took orders and addressed complaints; directed calls and took messages; compiled, copied, sorted, and filed records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities; completed and mailed bills, contracts, policies, invoices, or checks; operated office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines.
2000-2002 WD Kirk Pool Service Tustin, California Assistant Cleaned, maintained, repaired and resolved swimming pool problems and services.
COMPUTER LITERACY Office Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; Intuit QuickBooks and Lacerte; CFS Payroll and Stamps.com. Graphics Software: Adobe Photoshop 8.0, MS Paint Web Development Software: Microsoft FrontPage and basic HTML. Hardware: Brothers facsimile machine, HP Scanner, Fuji Digital Camera and Linksys Wireless Router.
ACTIVITIES El Modena High School Varsity Golf Team 1998-2001 Team Member
2002-2005 Orange Tax & Bookkeeping Orange, California Accounting Assistant/Bookkeeper Collected, counted, and dispersed money; did basic bookkeeping and completed banking transactions; communicated with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions; disseminated or explained information, took orders and addressed complaints; directed calls and took messages; compiled, copied, sorted, and filed records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities; completed and mailed bills, contracts, policies, invoices, or checks; operated office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines.
I think this is excessive. I took a resume/interview/etc. course in college, and your main goal for listing your duties in a specific job is to give an overview. You have the correct wordage such as 'collected', 'counted', 'filed', etc. What you want here is to list only the most pertinant one or two for the job you're applying for. Think of if you're an employer. Do you want to read that seemingly neverending list of near-meaningless activities. When you're in the door at your interview, you can delve deeper into your responsibilities, but remember, your goal is to keep this resume to the front of one typed page of 10 point font.
This is just a suggestion and none of my business really, but get involved in more so your Golf Team isn't your only activity.
I think overall, this thing needs a facelift, too. I'll post a copy of mine and how it is formatted, etc. on Friday or this weekend if I remember (remind me via PM if you want to), and you'll see how it's inviting to employers, presents the info concisely, utilizes the available space well, and looks professional. Remember, an employer is staring at a stack of these with no other knowledge of you vs. them (those applying for the same job as you). You want to make yours stick out, but in a professional, organized way. It's tough to find a happy medium, but I'll show you how I felt I did it with mine later in the week, if you care to give it a shot.
I've done a fair amount of hiring, so I've seen a ton of resumes, and the advice I would give would be to tailor it to the specific job you are applying for (as somebody already stated), get rid of the 'summary of qualifications and characteristics' completely. I'd also leave out the pool service job, unless the one you are applying for has something to do with pool service.
The summary of qualifications stuff comes across as very forced and phony, even if it isn't. That is the kind of information that you should be able to get across at an interview without putting it in writing on your resume.
Your resume will not get you hired. Your interview will.
One question I have is if I take out my golf info (A lot of people tell me to keep it, while others say to take it out so I dunno) I won't have any activities. I did compete on my schools forensics team (competitive speeches), should I put this in activities or with my school info?
Phatferd wrote:One question I have is if I take out my golf info (A lot of people tell me to keep it, while others say to take it out so I dunno) I won't have any activities. I did compete on my schools forensics team (competitive speeches), should I put this in activities or with my school info?
Definitely keep the golf info on there. I just graduated college and went through interviews to find my current job. Without a doubt the first thing I was asked about at 5 different interviews was the golf item (I worked at a golf course throughout HS).
Keep it on there, it's a great conversation starter and also serves as a way for them to remember you. There are several applicants who will probably have a similar skillset, but there are not several applicants who had golfing related info on the resume. It sounds dumb, but it worked for me I think.
I've done a lot of hiring and the first thing that struck me is: Too long.
If the interviewer has a lot of applications to go through the long ones will just piss him off.
The other thing that got a bad reaction from me was:
El Modena High School Varsity Golf Team
Varsity golf in HS? Just a personal thing - it rubbed me the wrong way, but then again so do people who list frats. Both are probably good for a candidate to have but I'm the wrong audience for that. If you are applying to work at a bank, leave it in. If you are applying to work at a legal aid clinic, take it out.
Mookie4ever wrote:I've done a lot of hiring and the first thing that struck me is: Too long.
If the interviewer has a lot of applications to go through the long ones will just piss him off.
The other thing that got a bad reaction from me was:
El Modena High School Varsity Golf Team
Varsity golf in HS? Just a personal thing - it rubbed me the wrong way, but then again so do people who list frats. Both are probably good for a candidate to have but I'm the wrong audience for that. If you are applying to work at a bank, leave it in. If you are applying to work at a legal aid clinic, take it out.
I agree, it depends on the type of job you're applying for. If you suspect the interviewer might be a golfer, then leave it in.
I agree with Mook though, I was always told that it should fit on one page (front only) with a font big enough to read it without problems. Keep it short and sweet.
I've learned one thing from my researching this. There is no damn answer! LOL. Whoever is reading the resume will want it to look like their own resume and everyone does their differently.
I took a class on career planning last semester and they told us to put all this crap on it and most people here and another forum say the opposite that we were taught.
Im wondering if the real world has changed without letting my professor know (wouldn't suprise me).
Would it look bad to not have any activities on my resume or could I put info about me being a member of my schools competitive speech team there or should I put that with my school info.
Someone else told me to take out my HS info, but I think thats stupid. I am not even 4 full years removed from HS and I want to highlight that I was Sports Editor of my school paper.
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by Phatferd » Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:05 am 
