ATTN:Hiring Managers - Resume Question(s)

[A3M0N]

I have a couple of questions for all of you who see resumes often. First up, do you like to see objective statements? If you do, what do you like to see? Specific to the job you are seeking, even as to write down a job title or name of the position.

Second, I am active duty Air Force seeking an open position in the Air National Guard, should I use my rank at the top of my resume, or just my name? Or should I place that with other qualifications, like F-15 Engine Run Qualified, and Intake/Exhaust Qualified, etc.?

Third and final (for now), should one put a degree or qualification you are currently seeking? Or only ones that you have fully completed?

Thanks to all of you!

 

[cb91710]

Objective statements are one of those things that has gone back and forth over the last 20 years.
I always include one in mine, and I make it VERY specific to the position I am applying for. Of course, that requires some research to know exactly what you WILL be doing.
For some positions, it can be difficult though. As a traffic signal timing specialist, it was not hard to list personal goals for the job such as "Improving traffic flow along the Main St Corridor through the implementation of....."
My last job, maintenance technician... not so easy. But I still included one, and it was more generic... along the lines of "Promote and support continuous improvement in operational efficiency through analysis of existing procedures and...."
"Team Player" is 1990... leave it out
That one is the 21st century equivalent of the high-school application "Works well with hands"... some things are assumed, and if you are not a team player, that will come out in the interview and reference checks.

For a position in another branch, I would include your rank with your name in the title. Same as "Dr" or "Mr".
For a civilian position within the Military, I would still include it.
Outside of the Military, I'd drop it and just include it under training/experience.
Edited to add: I'm thinking commissioned officer's rank here... I'm not sure what protocol would be for non-com and whether SPC/TSGT would be appropriate for use if you have separated and are applying for a civilian position in the Military.

On the degree, I would include something like "Currently enrolled in University of Florida Masters of Science program majoring in Particle Physics"
The program itself indicates that you have education beyond your existing quals, that you are willing and able to further your training, and indicates where you are heading mentally.

 

[bakerbarber]

Make sure to show up clean shaven and with matching socks on.

I don't hire people, I just wanted to give some shaving advice.

Go easy on the after shave too.

 

[A3M0N]

Make sure to show up clean shaven and with matching socks on.

I don't hire people, I just wanted to give some shaving advice.

Go easy on the after shave too.

I'm so confused by this response. What you are saying is that I need to put on my resume that I wetshave and then sprinkle some aftershave on it before I send it in? Brilliant!

 

[A3M0N]

Here is a link to the first draft of my resume if anyone cares to critique, please be honest, I'm a big boy. Mind you this is going to be viewed by other military aircraft maintainers, so the jargon is legit.

Thanks!

 

[Lion and the Fox]

If you're seeking a US Federal position, I recommend you use USAJobs.gov to create a Federal style resume. I would think if you're looking for a job in the Guard, they will require a Federal resume, as opposed to a civilian style resume. The trick with federal resumes is that the fed uses a computer system to match key words, so it is best to find a position description and use phrases that apply to your particular skillset.

 

[Lion and the Fox]

I am currently both a Reserve officer and work as a Department of the Army civilian supervisor, so I routinely hire personnel to support our mission. This is what I recommend and it's how I got my foot in the Federal system.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Good post, since I'm unemployed.

The hiring managers that I've spoken with have told me that they are receiving about 300 responses per Craig's List ad. I went to an open call for a retail job and there was a line around the block. It is NUTS out there.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Venting, I guess.

 

[cb91710]

The hiring managers that I've spoken with have told me that they are receiving about 300 responses per Craig's List ad. I went to an open call for a retail job and there was a line around the block. It is NUTS out there.

Yes, there are 300 responses, but the bulk of those are trimmed out by HR for lack of qualification before they even make the first stage in the process.
Where I work, HR screens the apps, then there is a written test, panel interview composed of engineers from neighboring cities, and finally the top 3-6 from the panel are forwarded to the department manager for the final decision.

The last two positions we had open, out of 300 applicants, only about 30-60 were invited to the written test, and of those, only 8-12 scored high enough to move on to the panel.
On the last one, of the 12 that went to the panel, 6 were immediately DQ'd due to lack of experience (and HR was curious how they made it through their initial screening).
On a previous opening, they sent 12 to the panel, but the supervisor was contacted and informed that he had to make the written test "easier", because a new HR standard required 70% or better to pass. When asked how many of the 12 scored higher than 70%, the answer was "one"

So don't be discouraged by the sheer number of applicants. There are people out there that make it a hobby to apply for jobs, even if they have no intention of taking one. They do it for the experience to keep their interviewing skills sharp and to keep touch with the current trends in hiring. That hurt me. I was out of work for 7 months, and prior to being laid off, had not had anything more than an informal "we have to document an interview and resume" in over 20 years. Things changed a LOT in the hiring process between 1988 and 2009.
The number of applicants doesn't mean anything when 250 of those 300 aren't qualified to mop the floors.
Just be the best at what you do, look for a position where you can be a big fish in a small pond, rather than just another number, and do your best to show your unique abilities to the hiring managers.

 

[A3M0N]

If you're seeking a US Federal position, I recommend you use USAJobs.gov to create a Federal style resume. I would think if you're looking for a job in the Guard, they will require a Federal resume, as opposed to a civilian style resume. The trick with federal resumes is that the fed uses a computer system to match key words, so it is best to find a position description and use phrases that apply to your particular skillset.

Understood, USAJobs resume is in the works now!

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Yes, there are 300 responses, but the bulk of those are trimmed out by HR for lack of qualification before they even make the first stage in the process.
Where I work, HR screens the apps, then there is a written test, panel interview composed of engineers from neighboring cities, and finally the top 3-6 from the panel are forwarded to the department manager for the final decision.

The last two positions we had open, out of 300 applicants, only about 30-60 were invited to the written test, and of those, only 8-12 scored high enough to move on to the panel.
On the last one, of the 12 that went to the panel, 6 were immediately DQ'd due to lack of experience (and HR was curious how they made it through their initial screening).
On a previous opening, they sent 12 to the panel, but the supervisor was contacted and informed that he had to make the written test "easier", because a new HR standard required 70% or better to pass. When asked how many of the 12 scored higher than 70%, the answer was "one"

So don't be discouraged by the sheer number of applicants. There are people out there that make it a hobby to apply for jobs, even if they have no intention of taking one. They do it for the experience to keep their interviewing skills sharp and to keep touch with the current trends in hiring. That hurt me. I was out of work for 7 months, and prior to being laid off, had not had anything more than an informal "we have to document an interview and resume" in over 20 years. Things changed a LOT in the hiring process between 1988 and 2009.
The number of applicants doesn't mean anything when 250 of those 300 aren't qualified to mop the floors.
Just be the best at what you do, look for a position where you can be a big fish in a small pond, rather than just another number, and do your best to show your unique abilities to the hiring managers.

The problem for me is that I'm one of the 250 that aren't qualified to mop floors. I made a lot of stupid mistakes (100% my fault) when I was younger and so, at 29, I have little work experience. My strengths aren't recognized because they wouldn't be recognized unless I was interviewed in person. My lack of experience means that I'm most likely tossed with the first group of cuts, as I'm, at that point, no more than a resume and cover letter.

I'm not really wallowing in self pity about it, but I am aware of the impediment.

 

[DC_MPA]

Yup. It took me 18 months to find a job and I have a bachelors in finance an masters in accounting, graduated with honors from notable state universities. It definitely is rough out there.

Good post, since I'm unemployed.

The hiring managers that I've spoken with have told me that they are receiving about 300 responses per Craig's List ad. I went to an open call for a retail job and there was a line around the block. It is NUTS out there.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Venting, I guess.

 

[Jim]

Here is a link to the first draft of my resume if anyone cares to critique, please be honest, I'm a big boy. Mind you this is going to be viewed by other military aircraft maintainers, so the jargon is legit.

Thanks!

It seems that you may be better served on the USAjobs site- but just to give you some feedback on your current resume' I read it and it does not tell me much about your personal strengths or how you contributed in your past positions. Its a somewhat dated format I think.

As an example-

- Supervised check out and check in of tools and equipment You could rephrase this as a goal you met on losses and maintenance items " While supervising met and exceeded all benchmarks ect ect.
- Performed 90/180 day inspections of equipment and toolboxes Implimeted a comprehensive plan to insure readiness to service customer base for XYZ by careful supervision of M&P's Ect.
- Managed the Land Mobile Radio program Maintained a xyz % of outage or better for abcdef period or was recognised for expert service in this area.
- Aided section in earning an 'Excellent' rating on LCAP inspection You could quote the award or write up WHY did you got excellent.

Heres the thing your resume' feels like the list of items on the side of the weaties box, not the picture of Ted Williams on the box face- Don't BS but "make the sale"

I hope this helps, the job situation is at best dire right now, godspeed.

 

[A3M0N]

Thanks Jim! Yeah, I just finished up on my USAJobs resume, but thanks alot for the tips.

 

[A3M0N]

And here we are, hopefully the final draft. I blocked out contact info, not because I don't trust you guys, but because I'm sure not everyone wants their info out on the web. Don't worry about the page breaks or anything, its an electronic document that is generated that way.

Here it is, my final resume.

 

[StillShaving]

Take my comments with a lot of skepticism. As I don't work in your field, so I don't understand the subtle issues, and having your own style is better than following a form letter or some B&B forum member's option. All that said, things that came to my mind when reading your updated resume:

• I would consider dropping the line item about "Desired Locations". Thinking that this topic should come up later in detailed interview or hiring discussion, assuming there is interest from whomever is reading your resume. Putting this top and center, seems to immediately limit your options and may make the employeer think you are inflexible about location. Having this a future final destination or negotiating point is fine, but otherwise I fear your resume will hit a large filter based on this one line item.
• "Directed daily inventory of all support equipment, tools, ..." seems sufficient without also including 100%. As "all" and "100%" say the same thing.
• Sticking with first bullet point what does "Directed daily inventory..." exactly mean, as a person can not "direct" or control static objects but how they are allocated or applied. Is there a better action word than "Direct"? Here I strongly suspect I am out of touch on support technician lingo, so ignore what I am saying.
• The bullet point "Supervised assigned subordinates training....", my first reaction is to drop the word assigned but that may fit into military style command and control so I don't think it is wrong. Still my first reaction is to edit and say "Supervised my subordinate's training and rated them on their performance". If you can sneak in a short sentence that highlighted how you helped their training or helped your subordinates achieve the desired goals that would be nice. (Meaning can you use this bullet point to highlight any leadership/people/teamwork skills that elevated everyone's performance).
• Next bullet point says you performed over 100 inspections aiding in an excellent rating. Any way to briefly highlight how your inspections help aid in this excellent rating. What was it about your supervision of inspections that lead to this excellent rating?
• the line about "okay to contact this supervisor" Is it necessary to include that? Or could it be dropped and have the reader just assume it is okay (or come back and ask for your permission). Likewise I would be strongly tempted to drop the list of references at the end of the resume, as I think most recruiters assume they can ask you for references after they have first vetted your resume or had you in for a face-to-face interview. This way you can also tailor your set of references to the job, and let your references know beforehand that they can expect a call. Having a list exposes them to blind calls without much context. Another reason to drop the references is to make the resume fit on two pages (one page back and front), making it easier to digest. In that same vein, I would consider dropping the hours/week worked if that ended up saving a line and making things fit on 2 pages.
• A general comment. I see that you have done a lot of "operated engines...", "performed xyz...", "supervised this", "reviewed that" which is all good. But what would be even better is to get better sense of how you handled things that went wrong. For instance you have bullet point "performed end-of-runway, postflight, preflight, thru-flight, special inspections and phase inspections". But as a person that may want to hire you, how do I get any sense that you are good for the job, that you know what you are doing? What stops me from thinking you are just the average Joe checking off boxes on a checklist. When what I really want is some insight on how you handled problems when preflight inspection failed (as one example). Did you let things slide, were you hard-nosed, did you plan ahead to avoid problems before they would otherwise occur with the next guy, etc.
• And to comment on your earlier question I would list all education, awards, and special interests/skills on your resume. As it is all relevant when you are young and starting your career.
• As hinted at above, be prepared for tough questions when you do get an interview. If I was interviewing and saw the statement: "Interpreted inspection findings and determined adequacy of corrective actions", you can be sure I am asking more pointed questions to you about what are the findings, what kind of corrective action did you take, why did you take that action, why did you not take some alternative action, etc.

Good Luck!

 

[cb91710]

I think "allocated" would be a better term than "directed"... unless you were indeed directing subordinates who were doing the allocation, in which case "Supervised the allocation of" would be a better fit.

 

[A3M0N]

Thanks alot fellas, but I have already submitted the application package. Getting hired for this job is just step one, if I get the job then I have to apply to Palace Chase (separate from active duty early and join the ANG).