WELCOME TO ELECTRONIC RESUME CREATION
Is this your first attempt at creating an online resume? Don’t worry. We will talk you through the process. Follow our instructions so that your experience and ability to contribute to performance and profitability can be identified by the hundreds of employers who will review your resume.
What we recommend, for your convenience, peace of mind, and to help you produce a resume that will work hard for you, is to develop your resume as a WORD document. Show it to friends and people you trust to help you “put your best foot forward.” Incorporate their suggestions – but stay with our format – and repeat this process until you can say, “This document really tells my story!” Then you will be ready to cut and paste your masterpiece into our framework.
Remember: To protect your privacy, do not provide contact information or include any means by which you could be identified. When a potential employer expresses an interest in your resume, we will tell you who the employer is so you can instruct us to release your contact information to that specific company. Or, you can instruct us not to have that company contact you. With ECEAjobs, you control who gets to know you are looking for a job!
Step #1: Develop a clear, concise statement of your employment Objective. This will be the first thing a prospective employer will see. If the resume reviewer does not see a match between what you want to do and the job the company needs to fill, nothing else in your resume will be reviewed! “Concise” means two lines or less of 12-point type or less. “Clear” means unambiguous, specific. Examples:
Objective: To direct site operations for an international constructor with the opportunity to acquire substantial experience working with foreign nationals.
Objective: To manage environmental projects using my incineration technology experience, regulatory knowledge, and ability to achieve cost-effective execution.
Objective: To bring chemical engineering “can-do” to high-purity water projects for human consumption and/or bio/pharmaceutical production.
Notice that each of these objectives paints a picture that would be hard to misunderstand. In the first, the applicant is ready to fly to Afghanistan. In the second, the applicant represents an opportunity to keep incineration operations cost-effective in the US instead of exporting them to south of the border. In the third, you know both a profession and a specialization. Now, following these clues, write your own! Check them out with people who will force you to think clearly and realistically. Stick to the two-line discipline. Why? The more you say, the weaker the statement!
Step #2: Develop a statement of your Proven Competencies. What are they? They are collections of skills and abilities, things that you do very well to create profitable results for an employer. Proven? That means other people have seen you perform and can attest to your competence, your skills, and that you have some information you can provide to validate your claims. This is a relatively new category in resumes, and addresses the emphasis given to bottom-line results by employers. Also, competencies are mentioned often in recent management and organizational literature. Do not list more competencies than can be listed in two lines, and only those supporting your objective. Here are some examples:
Proven Competencies: Project management; team building; writing, editing, speaking, instructing; support skills & inventive collaboration; and teamwork.
Proven Competencies: Improving run-times and output on integrated systems; system modifications; record-keeping and accounting; report writing.
Proven Competencies: Working independently in remote locations; building teams, producing reportable results quickly; completing tasks against schedules.
As you will see, each of these describes a specific kind of “can do” competence that will be appealing to employers. Sometimes, competencies have a stronger pull on employers than objectives. Put some time and thought into these statements. they describe what the employer may receive as added value by hiring you.
Step #3: List your Work Experience. If you handle this requirement carefully, you can pack this section with information that will sell you to potential employers. Yes, you list the company name, your title, and how long you were there. But here’s the golden opportunity – under each job, create a list of Highlights that describe how you made money for that employer, the really noteworthy things you did!
What this does is create a third, eye-catching category for resume reviewers, another opportunity for you to present your abilities to contribute to the profitability of the company and the success of your co-workers! If you think critically and organize your information carefully, there will be some powerful statements you can make about each job. See the following examples:
Work Experience:
Dynamic Drywall Installers, Inc., Dallas, TX, Sales Manager, January 2000 to present
Highlights: Developed asbestos abatement contracts for more than $1.5 million in personal production, supervised 4 other sales staff who generated another $1.2 million in remediation projects during the same period; doubled number of major contracts and gross revenue by end of 2001; represented the company during an EPA suit that was dismissed.
Ready-To-Build Modular Housing, Inc., Greenwood, TX, Sales Agent, February 1998 to January 2000
Highlights: Initiated, executed, and serviced a contract with the Employee Credit Union at Mudflat Air Force Base that resulted in remediation of a 36-acre section of a former weapons test area, sale of 83 shell homes, producing gross revenues of $2.1 million. The program is still in force with sales averaging 23 units per year.
Hansen High-Tech Builders, Greenwood, TX, Carpenter/Engineering Assistant, August 1994 to January 1998
Highlights: Averaged 40 hours per week while attending university, using earnings to pay tuition and to build a small retirement home outside Greenwood as a gift to my parents.
Greenwood Steel Buildings, Greenwood, TX, Handyman/Assembler, June 1990 to July 1994
Highlights: After school and summers job, began as a sweeper and helper, ended as assembly crew leader in last summer. Used earnings to buy own clothes and a 1966 Mustang that I restored.
Okay, this is a fictional work history. But suppose it was real? This would be a young man that anyone would like to hire. Why? Because the resume shows:
Shows progressively more responsibility;
Shows development in the same field (s);
Reports on financial achievements and contributions;
Demonstrates creativity and ingenuity;
Reports doing things for others (parents);
Reflects discipline in his history;
Functions well in a number of settings (including court); and
Suggests that he is a high-energy person.
Now, go back and read those descriptions again. Look at the economy of words. Look at how so few words can tell so much. You can do the same thing, but not in five minutes! You probably will have to go back 4 or 5 times to rearrange the words, make substitutions, and keep worrying with them until they read as you want them to.
Let’s try this again, with a different kind of job, maybe one that will be closer to yours.
Work Experience:
Substrate Services, Panorama City, CA, Consulting Geologist, March 2000 to Present
Highlights: Developed service for homebuilders to provide printed certificates of geological stability of sites to home buyers concerned about earthquakes and resulting damage; generates a multiple in excess of five times my salary and expenses, plus has led to field surveys for several other contractors.
Blackwater Remedial Services, Blackwater Falls, CA, Staff Geologist, March 1998 to February 2000
Highlights: Conducted hydrocarbon surveys on commercial and residential sites and, as a result of relationships I developed with clients, our company got at least six new contracts.
GeoServices, Torrance, CA, Staff Geologist, February 1996 to February 1998
Highlights: Performed site assessments prior to contract development by senior geologists and the business manager. Identified significant hazards at three locations that resulted in State closure of the site and six-figure contracts for remedial projects.
This progression is narrowly focused on field geology that could have been performed by any number of practitioners. The points of emphasis are the thoroughness of field work and the interpersonal competence that led to more contracts.
For more examples to support your development of work history and highlights, consider these:
Washington General (formerly Morrison-Knudsen), Boise, ID, Project Manager, Mining Group, February 1966 to present
Highlights: Earned $1.5 million bonus for meeting budget and schedule goals by using scheduling technology developed at the Colorado School of Mines, maximizing equipment use and minimizing equipment purchases.
Bechtel National, Richland, WA, Scheduler, Environmental Reclamation Contractor, June 1994 to August 1998
Highlights: Used Primavera software to create a DOE-endorsed model for scheduling personnel and equipment to meet contractor requirements and comprehension by non-technical client representatives overseeing large soil remediation projects.
Bechtel Civil, Inc., Boston, MA, Compensation Analyst, May 1997 to June 2000
Highlights: Developed a spreadsheet to illustrate contracts and bonuses to be paid over duration of contract cycle that provided clear guidance to payroll personnel and built trust between union negotiators and company management.
Fluor Corporation, Irvine, CA, Process Engineer, August 1998 to January 2002
Highlights: Led a multi-discipline proposal team in developing and illustrating concepts for a state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical production facility and maintenance schedule that formed the basis for a long-term relationship between the client and the company.
As you can see, powerful achievements can be stated in just a few words. This leaves a resume reviewer wanting more detail, which they can only get by contacting you, permitting the opportunity for you to sell yourself. Remember, resume reviewers often do not understand your academic or professional discipline, so you have to be prepared to tell your technical-hero stories in language anyone on the street could understand.
Employment history and highlights, even when very impressive, present a one-sided picture of an applicant. What else do you do? That question is answered by your listing of collateral activities.
Step #4: List your Collateral Activities. What else do you do that suggests your ability to make contributions and money for a prospective employer? This is important information, because if you are asked or elected to accept leadership roles by peers, you likely will be able to function effectively in a range of teamwork situations. The following array of personal or professional activities might be close to yours.
Collateral Activities:
Chair, Social Committee, Riverside Society of Geological Engineers
Member, Riverside Council of Boy Scout Adult Leaders
Telephone Volunteer, Riverside Suicide Prevention
Member, New Parrish Building Committee, Lost River Lutheran Church
Awards:
Eagle Scout Award, with distinction (20 extra merit badges)
500-Hour Award, Riverside Suicide Prevention Hot Line
“Best Party of the Decade” Award, Geological Engineers
Publications:
Article, “Why I Love Geology,” Riverside Times Teen Page, September 12, 1994
Article, “The Suicide Hot Line – A Matter of Life and Death,” Riverside Times Teen Page, December 23, 1994
Now the potential employers begin to get a picture of the applicant and, given their values, they may see a well-rounded, socially-involved professional with potential for making contributions to performance and profit for their companies. You want resume reviewers to say, “I already like this person. Let’s see him/her in person!”
That leaves one last major category: Education. That is probably the most straight forward area of the resume – with this exception: Do NOT date your education, because that is an age indicator. Otherwise, all that’s required is degree (AB, BS, etc); academic discipline (Hydrogeology, Architectural Engineering); institution, location. Do the most recent degree first, then earlier degrees.
To this list, if you have them, you might want to add another category, Certifications. This is where you could list professional education (or training course) certificates, pilot’s license, permits for HazMat, explosives, or heavy equipment (not that you will operate it, but the knowledge can be useful in budgeting for its use).
Your resume should be coming together at this point. Print it out and have it checked by several friends. Look for typographical errors or misspellings. Check the formatting so it looks sharp. Now, you are ready to cut and paste it into the ECEAjobs format. Here is what it will look like:
Objective: To direct site operations for an international constructor with the opportunity to acquire substantial experience working with foreign nationals.
Proven Competencies: Project management; team building; writing, editing, speaking, instructing; support skills & inventive collaboration; and teamwork.
Work Experience:
Substrate Services, Panorama City, CA, Consulting Geologist, March 2000 to Present
Highlights: Developed service for homebuilders to provide printed certificates of geological stability of sites to home buyers concerned about earthquakes and resulting damage; generates a multiple in excess of five times my salary and expenses, plus has led to field surveys for several other contractors.
Blackwater Remedial Services, Blackwater Falls, CA, Staff Geologist, March 1998 to February 2000
Highlights: Conducted hydrocarbon surveys on commercial and residential sites and, as a result of relationships I developed with clients, our company got at least six new contracts.
GeoServices, Torrance, CA, Staff Geologist, February 1996 to February 1998
Highlights: Performed site assessments prior to contract development by senior geologists and the business manager. Identified significant hazards at three locations that resulted in State closure of the sites and two 6-figure contracts for remedial projects.
Collateral Activities:
Chair, Social Committee, Riverside Society of Geological Engineers
Member, Riverside Council of Boy Scout Adult Leaders
Telephone Volunteer, Riverside Suicide Prevention
Member, New Parrish Building Committee, Lost River Lutheran Church
Awards:
Eagle Scout Award, with distinction (20 extra merit badges)
500-Hour Award, Riverside Suicide Prevention Hot Line
“Best Party of the Decade” Award, Geological Engineers
Publications:
Article, “Why I Love Geology,” Riverside Times Teen Page, September 12, 1994
Article, “The Suicide Hot Line – A Matter of Life and Death,” Riverside Times Teen Page, December 23, 1994
Education:
BS, Geological Engineering, California State University at Riverside
Certificate, 40-Hour HazMat Training, Riverside Fire Department
“Leading Adult Volunteers,” 30-hour seminar, Riverside City Volunteer Center
There is nothing left to tell you about creating and assembling your online resume. Just follow the steps, write down what is true. Rewrite it until it is polished as finely as truth will permit. Show it to people who will help you with grammar, spelling, and phrasing. Make corrections, and cut and paste!
Remember, hundreds of prospective employers will see your resume. Make sure it represents you well! Good luck!
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