recruiters and MS Word resume's

[icecream-guy]

Q. for you Linux guys,  does not running MS word, hamper your job hunting or applications?

I see alot of recruiters want a soft copy of the resume in Word format.   I'm always paranoid that some "changes" to my may be made before presented to the client (i've sen this done). Thinking about sending them out in password protect format, but I don't think that flies well. I usually send in .pdf format, when I can, so the original context can't be changed. although .pdf editors are getting more common.

I'm also thinking about moving away from the MS world, Win10 does not strike any bells with me, and I don't do Apple products.
I'm wondering on how to submit a resume in word format in a Linux world. I guess I could go down the Wine road....

[deanwebb]

"We recruiters never, ever, ever make changes to your resume!"



Send in the PDF format and if they don't like it, they'll call you and initiate a discussion on why it's important to let them edit your resume.

That being said, your resume stinks. No, really, I mean that as a job-hunting strategy: https://www.manager-tools.com/get-answers?search=resume

That link and another set of suggestions from a very good tech recruiter got me the resume that I love: one page, even with 20+ years of job experience. All my skillz bulleted at the top for the HR firewall, and bullets for my accomplishments beneath each 2-3 sentence job description of my roles. I update it quarterly, deleting old stuff as I add new stuff. Fact is, it doesn't matter what I did for 16 years as a teacher if I'm applying for a network gig. No description or bullets for those roles other than "teacher". Likewise, what I did in IT in the 90s is relevant only for the fact that I did it, and some of it involved security.

What I did in the last few years is the most interesting thing on my resume, by far. That statement will be truer and truer as every year passes by. Out with the old, in with the new.

As for a good non-Word program, I love me some OpenOffice/OfficeLibre. Available on lots of platforms, can save as PDFs or even legacy versions of Word, but a caution there - those legacy saves sometimes look... odd... Submitting a PDF is the way to keep your resume on-target.

[Reggle]

It was called Portable Document Format for a reason. Any recruiter having issues with that is a sign to be careful. So I would recommend PDF as well.
That being said, LibreOffice does limit options for resumés.

[wintermute000]

I can just about squeeze everything relevant onto 2 pages and that's being ridiculously economical with words and a 10 year IT career. How did you manage 1 page and 20 years??


My current 'full' resume is 7 pages eek (though hasn't hurt AFAIK!  )


Ristau, how about just virtualisation, keep a Win7 VM around for office and anything else win-only. A ton of the security/pen-test guys @ work run this setup (the corporate SOE in a VM on a linux build).

[routerdork]

Ristau, how about just virtualisation, keep a Win7 VM around for office and anything else win-only. A ton of the security/pen-test guys @ work run this setup (the corporate SOE in a VM on a linux build).

If we go to a BYOD policy I have been looking into this. Been thinking about it at home too but haven't been willing to shell out money on a new PC yet.

[deanwebb]

Here's how I deliver it:

1. Personalized cover sheet. Engage the HR/employer in a conversation here about your goals, talents, and enthusiasm. It's a sales pitch that ends with an invitation to meet with you face-to-face.

2. One-page resume. This is an exercise in reducing clutter.

MARGINS: half-inch all around.

FONT: Times New Roman, unless you don't really want to get a job. 10-pt font for everything but the top two lines.

TOP LINE: Your Name, Best Certification. Times New Roman, bolded, italicized, 16pt font so it stands out. Choose the best and most relevant cert for the job and stick it after your name. If no cert is good, then don't put a cert there.

SECOND LINE: Email / Cell Phone / City and State or Province. Times, italicized, 12pt font - each item separated by a space, slash, another space. Real estate on this page is vital, so all your contact info goes onto one line.

Also, be sure to center the first two lines.

Skip a line for the next section.

Next should be a 3- or 4-column list of your skillset. This is for the resume scanners. Be sure to match what is asked for in the JD. If the JD says you need to know DHCP, you put it in there, even if you think it's silly. Do it. Don't do it on resumes that don't ask for it. Do it on the ones that do.

Leave off stuff that doesn't seem relevant for the job. If I got sick of security and wanted to do R&S, I would NOT mention Firewalls, IDS, NAC, or anything like those, or I'd wind up doing security again. I would include vendors, so Cisco Routers and Juniper Routers are each a separate skill. No more than 5 lines, so no more than 20 skills. What you leave off is now an answer to "what is one of your professional weaknesses?" "Gosh, I wish I knew more about (skill you dropped off that list). I worked with it some, but I haven't had that much additional exposure to it in my career."

Vendor certifications can go here.

Skip a line, then your job experience. It should look like this:

TITLE OF JOB ROLE Company Name, Oct 2013-Present
As a job role at Company Name, Dean configured and operated the network gear. Dean architected and designed network systems, including wired and wireless infrastructure. Dean also implemented a perimeter firewall and VPN solution based upon Cisco ASA products.

• Upgraded infrastructure from fast ethernet to gigabit throughput to all LAN workstations
• Network redesign improved productivity and reduced annual costs by $300K
• Attained CCNP and VCP certifications

[/font]

(List broke the font tag, but you get the idea)

Use third person so the reader knows it's you what did the stuff. Job description in 2 lines or so, your biggest accomplishments in the bullets below. If you can estimate numbers involving cost savings or higher sales or higher profits, do so and put them in there. No matter how small, it shows that you know that money is a critical factor, and that's a pain the manager feels every dang day.

At my current role, I'd put down my NAC project, Tufin project, and that I met all SLAs. In a few months, I'll add our IPS project.

Do the same for other roles, but anything older than 10 years, leave off accomplishments. Or even leave off entirely. But keep comparing what you have on to what you want to put on. You can only put in 3-5 accomplishments per role and it must fit on one page. Anything that puts it to 2 pages has to go. You have to realize that this is your BEST foot forward, so what is only good or better compared to BEST has to go to make room for what is BEST.

Also, include month with year. Managers like to see that. Leaving them off is a common trick people use to hide a gap. If you have no gap, this will reassure. If you have a gap, be honest about it rather than leave them wondering what else you're trying to hide.

Last line: education. I put University of Texas at Austin, BA-History, 1989. That's that.

[icecream-guy]

Last line: education. I put University of Texas at Austin, BA-History, 1989. That's that.

Good info there, the only thing I would say leave off the year of college graduation if it's not too recent, it can lead to age discrimination,
now that we all know deanwebb is in his mid forties.

it may also be good to leave out the major if it's not computer related as it's not relevant.

[deanwebb]

If I leave them off, I get asked, anyway. I just put them there so the interview can keep moving along. In security, they're so desperate, they'll take anyone that can do the job, regardless of age.

[Nerm]

Wow dean you graduated college when I was 5 lol. I don't feel so old now.