Topic: I need a good resume template - Trying to get a job

[Oblivion]

Maybe Brandogg could get you a job at his console repair shop.

That'd be insanely cool.

[Morari]

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.

[TJ Spyke]

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.

[Morari]

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.

[BranDonk Kong]

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.

[nickmitch]

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.

[nickmitch]

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.