Looking for a new job

[Etienne]

It's hard, isn't it?

(Yeah, this post was edited months after the fact. Cause I'm paranoid.)

[UnderseaLcpl]

-edit- pending removal.

[SUBMAN1]

I posted my res on Monster and if you word your Res right, someone will find you - you don't have to find them. I just started a new position at a massive company that you would all recognize if I told you (major upgrade form my last job) and it was them who found me.

I will give you a clue that you must take to heart on your resume if you are willing since I can probably guess that you wrote yours wrong without even knowing for sure. Let me guess:

You wrote down your duties at your current job and every other job that you listed on it.

Am I right? If you did, not only did you just group yourself with 99% of every other applicant out there, but you also probably just hit the garbage can of the employers you sent it to.

I've seen a lot of resumes in my life and I can tell you that if it is written that way, you didn't really 'think' about it and I'd throw it in the garbage can.

The Biggest thing you need to get across on a resume is not what you did, but 'what you can do for me'. Take that to heart and think about it. A resume that lists what you did is neat and all but not worth the time to read unless I am desperate - everybody is doing something, but what you are listing is you are just looking for a 'JOB'. A resume that lists what you can do for me. ie. you saved a million $ over the course of your employment, or you increased efficiency in account saving massive time, or you created a project where you streamlined your department with your pet project. Now you have my attention.

Go redo it. You won't regret it. I won't tell you how much income I increased by doing things like this, but just lets say its night and day. My current resume has my last 15 years of experience on it, one snappy summary, and my education. All on one simple single page, and not crowded I might add. Simple and sweet and gets the point across.

One other thing - your resume is nothing more than a fishhook to get you into an interview. Make it snap! All it is, is a business card to get you in the door to talk to these people. That is it.

Just my 2 cents.

-S

PS. Lance - uhh... something that is not verifiable or a lie is guaranteed to get you thrown out or fired after you first days on the job. They will always find out.

[UnderseaLcpl]

PS. Lance - uhh... something that is not verifiable or a lie is guaranteed to get you thrown out or fired after you first days on the job. They will always find out.

If that is true then I am a very lucky person. I was under the impression that employers could only contact previous employers and ask for verification of your employment, employment dates, and whether or not they would re-hire you.

Is there an article I could read or a website that verifies this claim?
I hope I have not mislead our friend.

[SUBMAN1]

PS. Lance - uhh... something that is not verifiable or a lie is guaranteed to get you thrown out or fired after you first days on the job. They will always find out.
If that is true then I am a very lucky person. I was under the impression that employers could only contact previous employers and ask for verification of your employment, employment dates, and whether or not they would re-hire you.

Is there an article I could read or a website that verifies this claim?
I hope I have not mislead our friend.
Let me put it this way - for a good company, you have to sign a release form where they can dig all they want. I just got poked and prodded and checked out from head to toe with my background, education, employment, salary, titles, you name it. Don't sign the waver? Don't get hired! If I even had a speeding ticket, that would have been very bad!

-S

[baggygreen]

I been doin that recently. Shame the prospective employer happened to be friends with the current employer and decided to strike up a conversation about it with them..

result? me threatened with the boot, but somehow im still there?:-?

[UnderseaLcpl]

Let me put it this way - for a good company, you have to sign a release form where they can dig all they want. I just got poked and prodded and checked out from head to toe with my background, education, employment, salary, titles, you name it. Don't sign the waver? Don't get hired! If I even had a speeding ticket, that would have been very bad!

-S

I have signed release forms and embellished on resumes quite a bit, and have yet to hear anything about it from any employer.

Since I am not sure, I will remove my post until I can verify these claims as true or false.

[SUBMAN1]

Let me add to it. I am in the inner circle with my last employer and I know what is happening. I was a little shocked when they went past the simple 'did I work here' BS. I heard it all. They dug into my entire history on file.

Let me point out that no one could stop them either since they had to what amounted to a power of attorney practically (not quite, but close) on it.

-S