Community Forums => General Chat => Topic started by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 01:16:44 PM
Title: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 01:16:44 PM
Yes, I know the resume will suck without previous job experience. It will be a skills based resume. I know how to write one and what to put in it but I have never used a good template. I'm sure that one of you has a template that works wonders, since most of you are 20-40 years old.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get my first job
Post by: Caliban on July 07, 2012, 07:47:53 PM
Where are you trying to get a job from?
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 07:51:04 PM
Anywhere. Subway, Starbucks, Kmart, WalMart, Sears, etc.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Caliban on July 07, 2012, 07:57:14 PM
Ah, I see. I don't know about the requisites for the fast-food establishments, but I can tell you that if you're going to work part-time at a Walmart or anything similar to it you won't need much skills (even a monkey can do such simple tasks... I'm joking, but I hope you get what I meant), and they usually have a job application form. At least the grocery store that I still work for is like that.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 08:04:02 PM
Well, some are asking for a resume and I'm not sure what to put down. Hell, I don't even know what goes on in half of these jobs. I'm just applying everywhere in hopes someone will be stupid enough to hire me.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 07, 2012, 09:00:19 PM
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Chozo Ghost on July 07, 2012, 09:05:14 PM
What happened to your job at Gamestop? I thought you worked there.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 09:22:46 PM
I got laid off. I applied to Radio Shack and they wanted a resume. It makes no sense.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Chozo Ghost on July 07, 2012, 09:26:58 PM
There are almost 9 million people in the country out of work, so don't feel bad about that. You aren't alone.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 07, 2012, 09:32:55 PM
http://bit.ly/NeCup3 (http://bit.ly/NeCup3) <-- good resource
make sure you embellish your duties at Gamestop on your resume too. Oversell yourself and then attempt to live up to it later. The most important thing is to stand out from the crowd, so don't be afraid to lie a little. You can worry about living up to your resume after you get the job.
The motto for the job hunt is: Fake It Till You Make It
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 10:33:43 PM
I was always told that lying will bite you in the ass in the long run.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 07, 2012, 10:39:43 PM
They were lying.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 07, 2012, 10:41:59 PM
Couldn't the employer call and simply ask if I did the thing I said I did?
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 08, 2012, 01:47:28 AM
I said lie a little, through embellishments of the things you actually did.
ie. Your manager made you do part of their job on a regular basis... you put down "Shared in Managerial Duties" or something along those lines.
you don't want to put something that is way out there, just some things that could be true depending on how you look at it.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: nickmitch on July 08, 2012, 02:18:06 AM
Make sure you always lead with a verb.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 08, 2012, 09:29:02 AM
Like "groped."
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: bustin98 on July 08, 2012, 11:27:57 AM
Don't under-estimate your previous experience. After all, it ain't rocket science or brain surgery you're after. But don't lie about what you can do. Don't say you can speak french if you can't. Don't say you can write up P/L (profit/loss) Statements if you never had before.
But show the initiative to learn that you've demonstrated in previous jobs. Mentioning that you volunteered to dig into an audit or inventory scan shows you're willing to the dirty work that the boss doesn't want to do.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Morari on July 08, 2012, 11:30:46 AM
Can't put together a decent resume and was fired from your last job? Sorry, but you're pretty well fucked in the current job market. Best to just put your own skills to work and sell yourself to individuals instead. Paint their houses, fix their computers, mow their lawns, change their oil, whatever it is you're good at. If you avoid becoming a wage slave now, you'll have a better life later.
Lying is the single most important skill you can learn if you want to make it in the corporate world. Skill means nothing next to a good liar. You just have to learn how far to push it, both before and during an interview. It's something you will come to rely upon once you get the position as well. If people wanted to hear the truth about things, they'd pick up a newspaper now and then.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 08, 2012, 12:41:21 PM
Woah woah woah, calm your tits Morari. I wasn't fired for being a bad employee, I was fired because I just wasn't needed anymore. Honestly, I was surprised I lasted this long. I can write a good resume (well, as good as you can without embellishing) but I'm always worried it looks ugly or isn't eye-catching or some ****.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 08, 2012, 01:25:39 PM
There is a difference between being layed-off and being fired.
So make sure you emphasize that during any interview if they should ask. Being layed off is usually at no fault of your own, just an economic/financial decision by the company. Being fired is due to your own incompetence or inability to do the job as requested.
But embellishments on your resume is nothing new and is a necessity in this current job market. But don't reach too far, you're just trying to stand at the top of the pile of applicants, not over qualify yourself for the job you're applying for.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 08, 2012, 02:05:41 PM
There is a difference between being layed-off and being fired.
Yep, some companies even say this right on the application. They don't consider it your fault if you were layed off (though if you are fired and and you say layed off, they will find out if they decide to check).
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Adrock on July 08, 2012, 02:28:43 PM
(though if you are fired and and you say layed off, they will find out if they decide to check).
Not necessarily. Many larger companies only verify the job title and dates of employment per company policy (some only give title or dates, in these cases usually dates not title). It's a good idea to find out what your company verifies. For example, my employer only verifies the title and dates so I could get fired and no other employer would ever know unless I did something illegal that shows up on a criminal report. Smaller companies, franchise locations, and privately owned companies often verify anything. They're not as strict with their records especially if the inquiring party has a hand signed authorization release for a background check from the applicant which many do or can get (if you want a job and they ask for a release, you'll give them one).
Employers may ask for a job or personal reference who they may/may not call. Just pick good references, people you trust to give you a good recommendation. You'd be surprised how infrequently some companies do quality due diligence. Some don't even do background checks. They skim your resume/application. If you get an interview, they may judge you on completely unrelated criteria like a firm handshake or if you look like a troublemaker. I'm serious.
A company like Gamestop uses The Work Number for Everyone, an automated system that only verifies job title and dates of employment. Sometimes that system not entirely reliable (occasionally they'll get dates wrong depending on how a company keeps their records or if the company was acquired by another company or if an employee goes from a corporate owned location to a franchise location). If an employer insists on speaking to your supervisor or a coworker, pick a good reference. You might be able to pick just a friend who never worked at Gamestop as long as they can BS some answers. There's no way for the person doing the background check to know. Still, if you just got laid off and were a good employee, you're better off picking someone who knows what you did and knows you did a good job. Gamestop also has entirely awkward job titles like Game Advisor or Senior Game Advisor that don't mean anything to other employers. That works against applicants of new jobs because Human Resources or the hiring manager may take one look at those job titles and put their applications/resumes aside because Game Advisor doesn't mean anything to them (even if they're just the equivalent to Customer Service Representative or Team Member or the like).
Yes, I work in HR and mostly do background checks. It's not glamorous so I'm looking for a new job.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Ceric on July 08, 2012, 04:15:22 PM
... Yes, I work in HR and mostly do background checks. It's not glamorous so I'm looking for a new job.
Wait. Hollywood lied to me? You don't go and personally interview people while carrying a gun digging for the Truth?
That aside, a lot of employers in the more skilled markets don't know what they really want. Their is another group that does know what they want but the person who writes the job description and searches for people don't really know what there talking about. Makes the interview and who you know very important. A willingness to work and learn is important. Though most of the time it boils down to if the higher manager likes you. Unless it for the State of Tennessee then it boils down to a test.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Chozo Ghost on July 08, 2012, 10:07:54 PM
Maybe Brandogg could get you a job at his console repair shop.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: ThePerm on July 08, 2012, 10:11:29 PM
call center, they hire anybody because its a numbers game. The more people they have the more people they can call.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Oblivion on July 08, 2012, 10:42:35 PM
Woah woah woah, calm your tits Morari. I wasn't fired for being a bad employee, I was fired because I just wasn't needed anymore. Honestly, I was surprised I lasted this long. I can write a good resume (well, as good as you can without embellishing) but I'm always worried it looks ugly or isn't eye-catching or some ****.
I'm sorry, but simply being unemployed makes you less desirable in the current market. Odd as it may seem, most companies only want proven employees... which means people that are currently employed. Most companies will never check your references. They're legally not even allowed to ask former employers anything beyond "Was so-so employed during this time? Would you hire them again?".
If you resume looks ugly and isn't eye catching then it is not a good resume. It's not about presenting information, it's about creating a feeling. Everything is. Embellishments are essential to that, especially if you want to move up out of the dredges of retail.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: TJ Spyke on July 09, 2012, 07:56:48 AM
They're legally not even allowed to ask former employers anything beyond "Was so-so employed during this time? Would you hire them again?".
Not quite true, though they can't just ask anything they want.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: Morari on July 09, 2012, 12:49:31 PM
Don't forget that a lot of companies are now going as far as running credit checks on potential employees as well. After all, you're not a true American until you're swimming in debt and desperate to take any meager offering of financial "security". How else would the corporate world ensure financial servitude without resistance? It may not be a big deal at mall outlets and fast food joints, but just about anything beyond is going to frown upon bad credit or even no credit.
Oh, and if you're stupid enough to have any sort of social networking presence listed under you're real name... get rid of it. Create a screen name and operate under a cloak of anonymity, like you should be doing anyway. Lock your profile down completely so that no one can see it from the outside. Or best of all, just don't use social networks at all. Employers, all employers, will do a quick web search on you to find any embarrassing pictures, stories, or even contacts.
Remember that there are always seemingly more qualified people willing to do the same job for less pay. In the current job market, even the smallest thing is enough to get you passed over. Get used to embellishing the truth and overselling yourself if you plan to live at the mercy of others. It's all a game, and it's rigged so that the average person can never win.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: BranDonk Kong on July 09, 2012, 01:30:03 PM
I start taking programming classes next month (getting a degree in Computer Science), and will be getting rid of my Facebook before I start looking for jobs.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: nickmitch on July 09, 2012, 03:17:06 PM
Well, LinkedIn might be good to keep around. There's no room for the things people normally find on facebook, and a lot of people use it to network.
Title: Re: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job
Post by: nickmitch on July 09, 2012, 03:23:54 PM
Don't forget that a lot of companies are now going as far as running credit checks on potential employees as well. After all, you're not a true American until you're swimming in debt and desperate to take any meager offering of financial "security". How else would the corporate world ensure financial servitude without resistance? It may not be a big deal at mall outlets and fast food joints, but just about anything beyond is going to frown upon bad credit or even no credit.
Actually, credit checks serve a very practical purpose. If you've declared bankruptcy more than once, or may be in financial distress, companies would want to limit what sort of control you have over their assets. And student loan debt is one of those things that's not really that important.
