Creating an Impactful Resume with Limited Experience

[sulymani]

Resume ... queries

Hey Guys

I was just wanderin how to make my resume look good and informative with takin in an account the following points :

1- Seekin to an internship durin the summer time.
2- lack of experince meanin I never worked.
3- has done a few projects dealin with my major.

my whole resume is one paper. I feel it is not very much enough or there is somethin missing. ur inputs appreciated in how to get the best of resume.

 

[Laura1013]

Get someone to proof-read it!

 

[fizziks]

Hey Guys

I was just wanderin how to make my resume look good and informative with takin in an account the following points :

1- Seekin to an internship durin the summer time.
2- lack of experince meanin I never worked.
3- has done a few projects dealin with my major.

my whole resume is one paper. I feel it is not very much enough or there is somethin missing. ur inputs appreciated in how to get the best of resume.

One page is more than enough. Employers don't have the patience and time to read more than a page. Especially when they are dealing with hundreds or even thousands of applications. They're paid to hire people, not read a Harry Potter boook or Stephen King novel.

You can also lie a bit in your resume. Some of you may not do it and are 100% "honest" (::laugh::), but I'm pretty sure at least 90% of the people out there that got their jobs lied at least once in their resumes. Sometimes to get through life, you have to bend the truth a little.

It's an internship. Meaning it's an entry level position and they don't expect you to have +20 years of experience. Usually a good GPA and related academic experience is enough to get you the internship. In your case, those projects.

 

[symbolipoint]

The "lie" suggestion is a potential problem. Use the resume to list your skills and any accomplishments. Think the idea of "truth in labeling".

If you show on the resume, "Proficient with the Cary Infrared Spectrometer", then the interviewer might possibly ask what you used it for and how was it important in your situation. If you "only used it in one laboratory assignment for up to 45 minutes...", then basically, you lied on your resume, and the interviewer will no longer be impressed.

Be sure to make reliable statements on your resume. Characterise your skills and accomplishments as precisely, positively, and efficiently as you can; but do not lie.

 

[bravernix]

You can also lie a bit in your resume.

Are you serious? I suppose you can put whatever you want on your resume, but you'd better be able to back it up. Also, if you happen to get hired, this is a great way to get fired later on. Of course, if you mean something like instead of putting "retail cashier" you put "financial transaction specialist" that might be a bit different.

 

[fizziks]

Are you serious? I suppose you can put whatever you want on your resume, but you'd better be able to back it up. Also, if you happen to get hired, this is a great way to get fired later on. Of course, if you mean something like instead of putting "retail cashier" you put "financial transaction specialist" that might be a bit different.

Ok, not "lying" in general, but modifying your skills and knowledge to appeal more to the employer.

 

[lisab]

fizziks, you're kidding, right? Sulymani, DO NOT LIE. If you're a young person, a student, applying for an internship, then employers don't expect you to have years and years of experience. But they do expect you to be honest.

That "at least 90% of the people out there that got their jobs lied" statistic was pulled out of fizzik's imagination. At my work, resumes are fact-checked, and if you get hired and can't do what you said you could do, you will be shown to the door.

 

[mr_coffee]

I actually agree with Fizziks, as advice from my devlopment manager, he told me to beef up my resume some more. He was like, you worked with z/OS right? I was like yah alittle but I don't feel comfortable putting on my resume, he said, put it on there. He was like you did PHP as well right? I said, yes...but only 1 project, again, I don't feel comfortable he said, listen, put everything you've ever dabbled in on your resume, if they ask what you've done in that language or whatever, then tell them. But if not, no worry. You have the skills to pick up things fast, that's what matters.

I thought for a second and its true, if I was given a project in PHP I could easily do it with little effort, am I a pro? no, but its simple.

Same thing when I was at work, I didn't know Java at all, nor Rexx I picked up java and started doing multi threaded servers within a few days, same with Rexx.

I wouldn't lie about a lot but if your've worked with somthing, put it on your resume, you don't ahve to be a pro, to put it on.

 

[PowerIso]

I think there is a difference between having down something and be able to pick it up again, and not have done something but said you have.

 

[mr_coffee]

Right I'm not saying put down a random skill that you've never worked with before, but if you've worked with somthing, put it down and then at the interview, they will ask, so what type of projects have you done in ____. Then you tell them, well I haven't done much but I've done the following...
I would really like to enhance my skills in this area, etc. You have to sell yourself.

 

[user101]

This situation is a bit fuzzy and it's hard to draw the line somewhere. Put yourself in the point of view of the employer. If you were hiring candidates, would you want them to be truthful, completely lie, lie a little bit, or just beef it up a little. Your choice.

 

[fizziks]

That's what I meant, but the majority of you are taking it the wrong way. Saying you had 3 years as a DBA or a year in a lab when you actually didn't, then I would not encourage that.

The only lie I have in my resume is that I have SQL and database work experience when I was a lab/research assistant (just for the summer). Well, in fact, I didn't do that type of stuff when I was a research assistant. But, I DO have 5 years of SQL and database experience from hobby in personal web design/server.

I HAD the knowledge to back it up, but I wasn't getting any responses when I listed my knowledge of SQL as a personal activity/computer skill. Employers didn't believe my "5 years working with SQL and databases" unless I had hard-core work experience. Employers didn't give two cents what I did for a hobby. So I had to brush up my "duties" as a lab assistant a bit. After that I was getting more than zero answers from employers for entry level database developer, etc.

Everyone on these forums may be honest but the hard truth is that you are going against the real world. And the real world isn't that kind.



The funny thing is my uncle (who is a been in CE for +15 years) to brush up my resume this way. He knows the majority of people lie on their resume to get entry-level positions and he doesn't mind (as long as it's not major, such as a false degree or false past job listing), and he knows this... It's up to the point where applying for those more professional careers that lying will get you nowhere but out the door. And I don't encourage lying on your resume or cover letter when you start applying for positions beyond entry-level.

 

[user101]

See, I originally agreed to your "lie a little" or to "beef your resume up a little" in your earlier posts. But, how is saying that you did SQL in a lab, when in fact you didn't at all, NOT completely lying? You might know SQL, but it has no relation to the lab assistant job at all. If I were a hiring manager and called your PI for the research project and found out no SQL was involved, then I'd be questioning whether or not to shred your application/resume or put it in the "do not ever hire list."

Maybe the way you put your SQL experience on your resume sounded uneventful. Did you sell yourself? Did you best try to give examples of what you've done? Just stating "5 years of SQL experience" isn't going to attract much attention. I'm not familiar with SQL, but if you said what I said above, in addition to giving examples, I would think employers would see otherwise. And you may be right in a sense that they might not care for your hobby, unless it was related to a job, but I still thinking saying you did SQL during the lab position is wrong.

 

[D H]

Do not lie on your resume. Ever. It can get you fired years after the fact. Whether to stretch the truth, so to speak, is a bit grayer. You do need to brag about your capabilities, after all. (That's what a resume is, a brag sheet.)

I have seen resumes so incredibly boring that they screamed "just say no" from the onset. I have also seen resumes that screamed "just say no" from the onset because the person was obviously lying. Downplaying or overplaying your capabilities are equally deadly sins.

Example: suppose you have extensive experience with the computer language Foo, moderate experience with Bar and Baz, and just passing experience with Qux and several others. Suppose you find an employer that exclusively uses the Baz language. I would recommend listing languages as Foo, Baz, Bar, Qux, etc. If they want someone who knows Baz inside and out, that's not you. Lying may get you hired -- and then fired.

Companies occasionally lay people off, and sometimes even good people (but more often not good people) and still give them glowing recommendations. For one thing, this avoids lawsuits. OTOH, when a company catches you in a lie, they can fire you on the spot. They can and will say exactly why they let you go when asked for a recommendation. You are screwed. Don't lie.

 

[user101]

Companies occasionally lay people off, and sometimes even good people (but more often not good people) and still give them glowing recommendations. For one thing, this avoids lawsuits.

Interesting - can you explain further? How is a lawsuit permissible here?

 

[stewartcs]

Do not lie on your resume. Ever. It can get you fired years after the fact. Whether to stretch the truth, so to speak, is a bit grayer. You do need to brag about your capabilities, after all. (That's what a resume is, a brag sheet.)

I have seen resumes so incredibly boring that they screamed "just say no" from the onset. I have also seen resumes that screamed "just say no" from the onset because the person was obviously lying. Downplaying or overplaying your capabilities are equally deadly sins.

Example: suppose you have extensive experience with the computer language Foo, moderate experience with Bar and Baz, and just passing experience with Qux and several others. Suppose you find an employer that exclusively uses the Baz language. I would recommend listing languages as Foo, Baz, Bar, Qux, etc. If they want someone who knows Baz inside and out, that's not you. Lying may get you hired -- and then fired.

Companies occasionally lay people off, and sometimes even good people (but more often not good people) and still give them glowing recommendations. For one thing, this avoids lawsuits. OTOH, when a company catches you in a lie, they can fire you on the spot. They can and will say exactly why they let you go when asked for a recommendation. You are screwed. Don't lie.

I agree 100% with D_H. Do NOT lie on your resume...it will only lead to bad things. Don't over state your capabilities either. There is a lot of information online about resumes and interviews...check it out.

CS