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Interview Tips

Coriolis

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It is easy to become nervous when alot is at stake, and you are trying to do your best. The interviewer here may be equating lack of nervousness with apathy, or overconfidence.
 

JAVO

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When you tell a recruiter that you're a little nervous about the interview and they say "AS YOU SHOULD BE" what the heck does that mean?
The only people who aren't a little nervous about an interview are those who are likely overconfident.
 

Giggly

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It is easy to become nervous when alot is at stake, and you are trying to do your best. The interviewer here may be equating lack of nervousness with apathy, or overconfidence.

The only people who aren't a little nervous about an interview are those who are likely overconfident.

Yeah that's probably it. Thanks. :)
 

Halla74

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Hello everyone! :cheese:

Yesterday at 2:00 PM I interviewed with a large insurance company. :holy:
Today at 4:00 PM I was called and offered the job. :yesss:
I shall share my interview advice tomorrow. :yes:

Tonight, I am celebrating with Mrs. Halla. :yays:

Cheers!

:cheers:

-Alex
 

kelric

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Yesterday at 2:00 PM I interviewed with a large insurance company. :holy:
Today at 4:00 PM I was called and offered the job. :yesss:

:hifive:

Congratulations, Halla :). I take it you're going to accept the job?
 

FDG

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Omg I wouldn't consider lack of nervousness as apathy. Some people are genuienly not nervous. I wasn't even nervous before discussing my master's thesis, unf. If I were an interviewer I'd look for other signs of interest, less personality-related. Personally if an interviewer expected me to be nervous and commented on it, the whole ordeal will likely take a very wrong turn. It's like girls who expect you to be a jealous and neurotic boyfriend.

Anyway, gratz Halla! :) So you eventually got tired of your government job?
 

Halla74

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:hifive:

Congratulations, Halla :). I take it you're going to accept the job?

Thank you, Kelric! :hifive:

Yes, you are correct, I accepted the job. :yes:
It is with a company I worked for in 2003-2004 as a contractor, it's a huge pay increase, and I will get to utilize my current skill set and learn a few new tricks as well.
Perfect! :newwink:

Omg I wouldn't consider lack of nervousness as apathy. Some people are genuienly not nervous.

I second this, as I too am genuinely not a nervous person.
Every person has to work through nervous energy at times, but some far less than others.
Also, there are a multitude of ways that different people deal with "nervous energy" whenever it does manifest in their lives.
I guarantee that you will never see me get nervous/get uncomfortable, it's just not in my nature. I handle things on the fly.

For situations that are really sever/nerve wracking (e.g. potential traffic collision, accident on job site, etc.) I might process the nervous energey *AFTER THE FACT,* but I never let it get the better of me and fuck up my ability to deal with things as they are thrown at me.

I wasn't even nervous before discussing my master's thesis, unf.

Why does this not surprise me? :laugh:
That's awesome you retained your composure through that.
Very commendable. :nice:

If I were an interviewer I'd look for other signs of interest, less personality-related.

Exactly. Just like dogs "know" peolpe that don't like animals, a trained interviewer can tell if you are exhibiting genuine entheusiasm about a position that you are interviewing for, versus just trying to bump your salary up a few notches.

Personally if an interviewer expected me to be nervous and commented on it, the whole ordeal will likely take a very wrong turn.

+1. I once had a boss who tried to "intimidate" me during a lecture that he felt he needed to wield when he was having a bad day. My facial expression was constant the whole time I was in his office. Once he stopped speaking I asked "Are you done?" He looked baffled, and said "Yes." I then said "I'll be in my office working if you need anything else" and calmly got up and walked out. He never said another word to me about it, because he knew it was B.S., and he knew that I saw right through it. Don't ever let people treat you with disrespect, don't ever let them get the better of you. To give such petty people no reaction at all deflates them, and takes the steam out of them more than anything else. ;)

It's like girls who expect you to be a jealous and neurotic boyfriend.

My capacity to be jealous is non-existent. I have no time for such petty things.
That's I role I was simply not programmed to be able to play. :newwink:

Anyway, gratz Halla! :)

Thanks, FDG!!! :hifive:

So you eventually got tired of your government job?

Yes, Sir, I did get tired of it. :dry:
I'm going to be very candid as to why (big surprise, right?!). :laugh:

WHY DID I TAKE A GOVERNMENT JOB SIX YEARS AGO? :thinking:
I was bored as a techie at the time.
After 10 years of developing information systems and managing projects I needed a change.
Taking a job as a project manager with the Florida Medicaid program was a good move when I made it.

My salary remained exactly the same, but my benefits improved significantly.

Plus, my normal work week was 40 hours, which is alot less than the 45-55 hours per week you can get stuck with in the IT industry.
It's an aggressive industry, accounts are usually underbid which means more work for everyone.

I am very assertive in managing my time and getting in and out without overtime for twop reasons (1) Every minute I spend working past 40 hours is effectively reducing my pay, as an annual salary is negotiated from the perspective of a 40 hour work week, (2) Every minute I spend working past 40 hours is less time I have with my wife and kids, or to puruse my own interests (for the past 4 years they have been limited to GRAD SCHOOL, and WEIGHTLIFTING).

So, I got what I asked for:
(1) I got to work on large, public health care programs (policy development, data analysis, rate setting, designing information systems to support the new programs, performing outreach to program participants, and assisting with the implementation of the programs by training particiapnts how to use the systems I designed and built).
(2) I got to contribute to the public good. Believe it or not, there is a sense of accomplishment that is different han what is experienced when you simply make money. All of the work I did for the State of Florida contributed to the availability of health care for the 3 million most poor and medically needy people in the State.
(3) Plus, we did the work in a way that saved the taxpayers money. Never have I done so much with so little in so short a time as I did working for the government. I really got to push my creativity into new arenas, forcing everything I did to become more efficient and more effective.
(4) I had time in my life to get a graduate degree (all my coursework is done, I just have to finish three papers, which I will do in the Spring after I've healed up from surgery).
(5) I've had time to spend with my children when they were both very young, and to help my wife care for them as we have no family in town to help us out. This is time that is *PRICELESS* because once it passes, it is over, you cannot buy it back later. I will never regret making this investment of time into my family.

WHAT EVENTUALLY MADE THE GOVERNMENT JOB A BAD DEAL FOR YOU?
After six years in the public sector, working for two different agencies, I realized that it was not something I wanted to do, or would be happy doing for the rest of my career.
Here's why.

(1) The U.S. has been in a recession since 2007. The easiest thing for politicians to do is scream they want to cut government spending. There is *ALOT* of waste in government spending, both at the State and Federal levels. There is also alot of *FRAUD.* The problem is though, that the dollars sucked up by waste and fraud are going into the pockets of *SPECIAL INTERESTS* who the politicians do not want to mess with, because they are contributing to the politicians' campaigns. SO - it's alot easier to take money from the *OPERATIONS* of the government, as they remain defenseless. So, government positions get eliminated, salaries are frozen and in some cases cut, then they start reducing the benefits of government employees. This is not a good recipe for success if you want to make a living and be upwardly mobile in the long run.

(2) Government organizations are very hierarchical. If you are a person who thinks quickly and solves problems before other people figure out what the problem is, then you will be frustrated as a government employee. People on the inside are often very "territorial" in that they feel their office is in charge of pieces of work "X, Y, and Z" and no one else is allowed to do them - even if they cannot do them, or do them well enough for new progress to be made.

(3) Because of the scarcity of resources (aka "money") there is limited opportunity for advancement. There is alot of "in-fighting" which I think is just childish as hell. People spy on other people and try to get thejm in trouble for coming in late, all kinds of stupid stuff. It gets old very quickly.

(4) There is often a feeling of "Clique or Clan." This means that there is a group of "insiders" or as we say in the South, the "good old boy' network." People who have lived in a given region their whole lives and grown up together will promote each other's own interests over and above true merit as displayed in the workplace. I can't tell you how many times I've seen this. It's ridiculous. I've seen cases where people were promoted into jobs one of their parents held years before. I've seen cases where someone was hired over others (who were obviously more qualified and willing to work) because they were the child of a colleague of one of the Agency's Senior Managers. These types of practices are not ethical, they are also illegal, and they are very bad for morale - but little is ever done about it.

(5) Because of politics, an entire Agency's culture can change dramatically when there is a change in the State's Governor (every 4 years there is a gubernatorial election), especially if there is a change from a different party being in charge vs. the incumbent Governor's party. At the end of an election, everyone who is a "Bureau Chief" (manager of a large department in a government agency) or higher in rank must submit their resignation to the newly elected Governor. The new Governor gets to decide whose resignations they will accept, and whose they will say "This is not necessary, I wish for you to remain onboard."

The reason #5 is dangerous is as follows. Petty people are VENGEFUL and SPITEFUL. If an Agency became inefficient at a historical point in time, and a new Agency Director was appointed to "get the place back on track" alot of times people who have worked at that Agency for a long time (aka "the old guard") are demoted or re-assigned to low priority projects. Even if the demotion or re-assignment were warranted due to poor performance, the people affected never admit to that, instead they become bitter and resentful. THEN - when the political winds change again, and they come back into favor, THEY SEEK REVENGE, and they will go after the people who were put into their old jobs, or try to sabotage the projects that replaced their past failed endeavors.

If you are a new staff person hired on to do work, you have no idea of all of this ancient conflict, but if the tides turn after you are onboard, and you are in a department where someone was marginalized before - LOOKOUT. Those people will lash out at YOU even though you had nothing to do with how things went down before you were hired. These types of practices are juvenile and very destructive to an Agency's overall productivity, but they happen alot more than you would ever imagine.

CONCLUSION:
Despite the challenges listed above, I must also say that I had alot of good experiences, otherwise I would not have lasted the whole 6 years. There are a few people I worked with that are among the most competent, dedicated, and down to Earth folks I have ever met. Alot of other staff might not be "star employees" but they pull their weight and don't cause any trouble, I'm fine with them also. It's the chunk of people (I'd say roughly 1/4 of them at an average Agency) who are "meddlers" in one way or another that serve as the "apples who spoil the lot."

Here's a sanity check. State employees of Florida have not received a general "COLA" or "cost of living adjustment wage" increase in the past 5 years. So, the only way to get a raise was to take a new job in the Agency you were in, or at another Agency. I had no problem with having to jump jobs to get a raise, but there are alot of people who are not comfortable with doing that.

The net effect of this is as follows. Because I am a hard working, motivated person I am always seeking upward mobility. My first two years I received a "special pay increase" ($1,500 in year one, $1,000 in year two) which my boss had to write up and submit to the Legislature for approval. In year 4, I took a new job at a different Agency and got a $3,000 pay increase from that. After one year there I was offered a management position and got a $6,500 raise to take on supervisory duties.

In 6 years I busted my ass and was able to increase my annual salary by $12,000 total. In private industry I would have made "vertical progress" far above this for the same effort. But, if I had not been as productive and aggressive as I am, and if I were not willing to jump positions as I was, I would have received ZERO dollars of a pay raise in FIVE YEARS. That is terrifying.

SO - if you are going to take a government job, I would urge you to do so when the economy has been strong for a few years, long after this recession is over. Also, be sure you are in it for more than money. Because I was able to complete the coursework for my Masters Degree, and spend alot of time with my kids, I was OK with not making as much as I would have otherwise. But, some people do not think these things through in advance, and wind up very disappointed as a result of it.

HALLA's INTERVIEW TIPS:

Finally!!! :wtf:

These are my tips for ANY interview. Please know these are from my personal experience and most likely influenced by the type of work I have done in my career thus far. So, in the event something seems not relevant to an opportunity you are considering, try to look past the specifics and more at the generic aspects that pertain to what you are seeking.

NOTE:
This first section is for PRE-INTERVIEW PLANNING ONLY. I wound up dropping a whole lot more wisdom here than I thought I would, so it took me a hell of a long time to write this. But, it is essentially all I've learned in the last 6 years to climb the ladder. I'll write-up the "ACTUAL" Interview Tips later today or tomorrow. :happy:

PRE-INTERVIEW PLANNING:

(1) UPDATE YOUR RESUME - The Professional Way
The following resume advice was given to me by my (INTP) friend Lara, who is a proefssional proposal writer for a HUGE science & technology corporation. I got her to help me re-engineer my resume this past summer. Here's all I learned in summarized format...

Make sure your resume is current. List your employment history in reverse chronological order (most recent first, then going backward). Be sure you list (a) the employer, (b) your title, (c) your functional role(s) (if relevant), and (d) the BEGIN DATE and END DATE of your employment there (for your most recent employer the date entry should "MM/DD/YYYY - Present."

Make sure your date ranges for each employer/period of employment are correct, and that they don't overlap. If you have had gaps in your employment, do not list them explicitly, but be prepared to speak to why they occurred. Be honest. If you were laid off then you were laid off. Everyone knows how shitty the economy is, or has been, so this will not be an immediate bad reflection on you. People are aware that some companies simply had to close. It's reality at this point.

There are a few periods in my resume where I had a few months off between major periods of employment. The reasons are very simple to explain IF I'm asked about them. For instance: (1) It took me three months to find a job after graduating college with my undergraduate degree (B.S. in M.I.S.) even though I had prior work experience in the IT industry, (2) At one point a company I worked for shut down their office in my city and ran it with staff from a location a few hours away just to save money - it took me two months to find work after that, (3) At one point I had a SLAP tear repaired in my left shoulder immediately after leaving one job, and intentionally staggered my start date at the next job by one month to give myself time to heal. Such occurrences are PART of LIFE; they are NORMAL. :yes:

For each entry, be sure to list the PROJECTS you worked on, a BRIEF DECRIPTION of the WORK, the TOOLS you used (e.g. MS Office, MS SQL Server, MS Visio, MS Project, etc.) to perform the work, and MOST IMPORTANTLY be sure to state HOW YOU MADE THE PROJECT BETTER and to include METRICS. :bookish:

It's one thing to say you worked at "[BEGIN DATE - END DATE:] Company X, Job Title/Functional Role, on Project Y, and used Tools A, B, and C." But it's alot better to also state what you did, as follows:

"[BEGIN DATE - END DATE:] Company X, Job Title/Functional Role, on Project Y, and used Tools A, B, and C. Conceptualized system data model, solicited and gained approval of staff and management. This streamlined development efforts and allowed an information system that prevented $174 million of annual deficit spending to be designed, developed, and implemented in less than 6 months." :pumpyouup:

See what I mean? The first example just states "Where you worked, during a given range of time, on what project, and using what tools" - it basically paints you as someone who just "showed up." The second example states the same info as the first, but also states the ADDED VALUE you brought to that employer, and for that project, and is alot more compelling of an entry for someone you wish to consider hiring you to read. :yes:

HALLA74 TIP NO. 292:
"You are only PERFECT twice during your life. Once when you are BORN, and second on your RESUME." :happy:

There's nothing wrong with selling yourself on your resume. :newwink: So long as you are HONEST and can back your claims up with FACTUAL, OBJECTIVE data or work samples, and also via the reference (of a REAL person, whom you WORKED for) you list for that job, it's fair game. Under no circumstances do I recommend or condone "EXAGGERATING" :thumbdown: or all out "LYING" about your accomplishments. :nono:

(2) COMPANY RESEARCH:
Before interviewing with any company, there are two documents I prepare as part of my pre-interview planning. They are: (1) Company Summary, and (2) Skills Matrix.

Document #1: Company Summary:
If you want to prove you're a "Young Turk" with your affairs in order, simply compile the following information about the company you are interviewing with into a MS Word document to use as a reference during your interview:

(1) If they have stock, go onto "Yahoo! Stocks" or some other online research site and
do the following:


For the twelve month period immediately preceeding your interview, know the following (at minimum):

(a) High Stock Price, (b) Low Stock Price, (c) Gerneral Trend of Stock (Upward or Downward), (d) For periods where stock price had a significant increase or decrease, resarch the company's website and media via Google or other search engine for information about what caused the stock to increase or decrease.

(2) Outside of Stock Research (or in Lieu of it, if they don't have stock) spend a fair amount of time on the company's website.
Copy noteworthy articles, announcements, current events, etc. that you can create a timeline of events of significant events/projects/etc. that have occurred at that company over the past year or so.

Once you are done on the company's website, do similar research on the Internet about the company, and be smart about it, use keywords that you found on their website when you search on the company, not just the company's name and a date.

Take both sets of information and compile them into a MS Word document, Title it "ABC Corporation - Company Summary", date it, and make sure you list the financial/stock info (if present) at the top, and then the timeline of info you found on the website and online after it. Pretend this is a small research paper for school and you will format it well enough.

With this type of information DOCUMENTED, you will not only be more comfortable and conversant during your interview, but you will STAND OUT against other candidates when their questions of you are completed and you whip out your summary of their company and rattle of in a minute or two all the latest and greatest stuff going on there.

If they have upward or downward stock activity, ask about it. No one will hold it against you if you want to be sure you are considering working somewhere that will be around for awhile. If the person interviewing you cannot answer these types of questions, or worse seems like they are hiding something, note that as a red flag, and dig deeper later.

Document #2: Skills Matrix

Hopefully a POSITION DESCRIPTION, position requirements, or other summary of desired Education, Professional Certifications, Work Experience, and KSA's (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) is available that lists what is expected to be needed to successfully fill this job. If such information is not explicity listed CALL and ASK for IT. Otherwise you could be wasting their time and yours.

Once you get this info, do the following. Re-Format the position requirements into a numbered list. DO NOT RE-WORD ANYTHING, just BREAK it UP into a NUMBERED LIST. Each individual requirement should be listed in a single line, or as a single bulleted item in the sub-list of a major item above it.

Now comes the easy part. Start at the top of the list, have a copy of your resume to refer to, and start answering each item succinctly yet accurately as to what items in your resume fulfill the requirements of the position you are applying for. Hopefully you are able to answer more than you must leave blank. For each major entry list the following "TOTAL YEARS EXPERIENCE:______ / MOST RECENT YEAR SKILL USED: ____" Be sure all this info jives with your resume.

For those you do not have "explicit" background in, list any other experience you have that might be RELEVANT, but don't get too imaginative. Use this technique sparingly for items that are not of primary importance. Alot of times companies list way more position requirements than are actually needed. If they see you have related experience for non-mission critical job functions they will usually be fine with that and appreciate that you took the time to list it as such. You will come across as more "prepared" than a "slacker."

I usually format my SKILLS MATRIX as an Outline. Think "English 101." Once you have the numbered list and all your responses recorded, make sure the document formatting is readable and not completely sloppy, and save it. Title it something like "<COMPANY NAME> Interview for <INSERT JOB TITLE> Position. <Carriage Return> "Date: MM/DD/YYYY" <Carriage Return> "<INSERT YOUR NAME> - Skills Matrix" = There are three lines total in the header of this document, all Center justified at he top of the first page.

When you are interviewed give this document to your interviewor(s) as soon as the greetings are over and it is your turn to talk. Most employers freak out if you take the time to compile a document like this. Before they even asked you a question you showed them a quick reference sheet that highlights the fact that you are qualified to fill this job, and motivated enough to prove so on paper.

NOTE: I actually submit a skills matrix as an attacment to my resume when I apply for a position, and then also bring a copy to the interview if I get it.

(3) SAMPLES of YOUR WORK:
There is often no better proof of your capabilities than to bring samples of your work. If you have not gotten into the practice of saving copies of your workplace "Trophies" (aka "assignments you did damn well on") then I highly recommend starting to do so now. Any work product that can serve as a sample of your business writing is fair game for this.

Example Documents to Consider as Samples of Your Work:
1 -- a Memorandum that you were asked to write up in an e-mail and send to the entire organization,
2 -- a user manual how to work a custom piece of software used by your employer,
3 -- an "actual deliverable" like a "business requirements document" or a "functional requirements document,"
4 -- another good candidate is a set of Meeting Minutes you took during an important meeting,
5 -- one of my favorites is a Cost Benefit Analysis,
6 -- any diagrams you made including Flowcharts/Process Flows/Swim Lane Diagrams, as well as...
7 -- any MS PowerPoint presentations you created.
8 -- any research paper that demonstrates you can perform research on a topic and write it up well is also fair game.

Why do these documents matter? Because anyone can SAY they have the ability to do things. When you have samples of your work to PROVE you can do things it gives the person interviewing you a level of assurance that you are who you say you are, you've done what you said you've done, and you can do the work that you claim on your resume. :2ar15:

More Info To Come Soon...

:solidarity:

-Alex
 
Last edited:

highlander

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Shave
Use deodorant
Comb your hair
Wear a suit
Shine your shoes
Brush your teeth
Answer their questions
Don't swear at them
Don't eat garlic right before
 

redcheerio

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@Halla

Congrats on the new job!! :hifive!

And thanks for the awesome interview tips, brilliant! :nice:
 

Sanctus Iacobus

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Here's my resume as a sample for anyone who wants to use it. It shows how you can be flexible in the layout and focus on your strengths without following traditional resume designs. I usually get offered the jobs I interview for, although it's important to know they're hiring you, not your resume. The resume is just your way of getting the interview, IME.

Also, I want to congratulate Halla on his new job. I just started a new job for a big company (you've probably used them to book plane tickets online). Tis good to be working!

Something I'll point out on my sample resume is my lack of education. Yes, it's true, I don't have a degree. Now I'm not saying you can make $100k+ a year without a degree because my career is not ordinary but you can at least see how the lack there-of doesn't stick out on my resume and it's still compelling.

View attachment sample resume.doc
 

Halla74

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Here's my resume as a sample for anyone who wants to use it. It shows how you can be flexible in the layout and focus on your strengths without following traditional resume designs. I usually get offered the jobs I interview for, although it's important to know they're hiring you, not your resume. The resume is just your way of getting the interview, IME.

Your resume layout is very clean and readable, which is a HUGE selling point to someone who reads piles of sloppy, verbose reumes each day.
Less is more!
You are also correct about the resume being a door opener. It's all they know of you when you apply for a position, and it needs to be good enough to compel them to extend you a chance to interview. This is a great point to make. :yes:

Also, I want to congratulate Halla on his new job.

Thank you! I appreciate that! :hifive:

I just started a new job for a big company (you've probably used them to book plane tickets online). Tis good to be working!

Congratulations to you, Sir! :yesss:
It is indeed good to be working. For some reason I keep accumulating all these bills! :shrug: My job definitely has come in handy! :newwink:

Something I'll point out on my sample resume is my lack of education. Yes, it's true, I don't have a degree. Now I'm not saying you can make $100k+ a year without a degree because my career is not ordinary but you can at least see how the lack there-of doesn't stick out on my resume and it's still compelling.

Well, I don't know if having as many Cisco certifications AND Microsoft certifications as you have can be considered a lack of education! :shock:
I know a few people with CCNA's and they said it was harder to pass those exams than to get a graduate degree. :yes:
At any rate, your resume is a testament to the fact that there are indeed many roads to success.
These days I wonder about the benefits of "formal education" as compared to the time and money it takes to get a degree of any kind.
Universities pump students up with alot of info, but are notorious for letting them graduate without any TRANSFERABLE SKILLS. :dry:
I think it's great that if you have the brainpower to achieve a highly technical certification that you are able to enjoy a very confortable salary. :nice:

Have a great weekend!

:solidarity:

-Alex
 

FDG

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Giggly

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Dear [MENTION=6109]Halla74[/MENTION] ,

I want a government job.
I really do.
But now is not a shining moment for govt agencies obviously. :sadbanana:
I hope things improve because I really don't want to work for a private company for long.
Education is also an area I'd be interested in. Large healthcare entities as well.

[MENTION=857]FDG[/MENTION] I was told to use PDF and keep it to one page.
 

Halla74

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Aren't .doc resume out of fashion? I usually use the moderncv Latex class so I have .pdf output, is .doc the actual standard and perhaps I'm coming across as a whacko? Mine looks something like this -> http://ctan.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/.../moderncv/examples/template_classic_green.pdf (except the green which is blue)
(not that my resume-sending activity has had great success. I'm much better at interviews)

Hey FDG,

I think I understand what you mean regarding MS Word (.doc) vs. PDF documents.
-- Anyone can open a PDF document because Adobe Acrobat Reader is FREE.
-- If a person does not have MS Word on their computer, they can download the MS Word viewer for free, but that is one extra step, and maybe a hassle for some.
-- Most everyone has PDF Reader on their system considering the widespread use of PDF documents on the web.
-- Adobe did well to create a document format that allowed robust content to be saved at a very small file size, in comparison to what the file size would be if the document were in MS Word format.

In the past I used to save my MS Word documents into .RTF (Rich Text Format) documents (simply click "Save As" and select the ".rtf" document type) before sending them to others as practically every WORD PROCESSOR, regardless if it is MS Word, OpenOffice Write, or any of the slew of FreeWare word processor apps available on Linux Systems, can open, edit, and save a RTF file.

Honestly, I think PDF is probably the way to go. Whenever I complete deliverables for a project I am working on, I save ALL of my documents (from MS Word, MS Excel, MS Visio, MS Project, etc.) into PDF format, e-mail them to the client, and Cc my supervisor and/or contract manager to ensure I have evidence my work was submitted on time. The PDF format makes it more difficult for others to manipulate/edit your document, as few people have the full blown version of ADobe Acrobat on their system, while most people have a somewhat recent version of MS Office, it seems. :bookish:

There is a great application called "PDF995" that's a free download; you can get it at the link below:

http://www.pdf995.com/

It installs a print driver onto your system that allows you to create a PDF document from any application on your system that has a PRINT menu.
Simply select the "PDF995 Printer Driver" option from the "Print" menu, instead of your DEFAULT printer.
Once you click "Print" it will send the document through the PDF995 print driver and create a PDF version of it in the directory that the original document was opened from. The free version gives you pop-up ads (they are not that bad), but if you spend $9.95 you get no ads. Not a bad deal, because you get alot of other utilities when you shell out the $9.95. :newwink:

Dear [MENTION=6109]Halla74[/MENTION] ,

I want a government job.
I really do.
But now is not a shining moment for govt agencies obviously. :sadbanana:
I hope things improve because I really don't want to work for a private company for long.
Education is also an area I'd be interested in. Large healthcare entities as well.

Looking for a FEDERAL government job is always safer than looking for a STATE government job, or COUNTY/CITY governmnet job.
The Federal Government is BIGGER and has more MONEY than any other STATE or LOCAL government entities.
Plus, the benefits on the Federal side, especially pensions, eclipse those of State governments.
If you are going to look for a governmnet job, my advice would be to stick with the Federal level jobs.
You won't necessarily have to live in Washington D.C.
There are a huge number of Federal jobs in regional centers of each Agency, as well as throughout each state depending on the function.
If you do spend some time in Washington D.C. though, your salary will be jacked up pretty quickly, and when you transfer out to a region that you wish to live in for the long term, you will be starting out there with a salary that is based in Washington D.C.'s cost of living, and therefore nice and comfy in most other regions of the U.S. :newwink:

Leave it to ESTPs to know the loopholes... :whistling:

:solidarity:

-Alex
 

Halla74

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[MENTION=857]FDG[/MENTION] I was told to use PDF and keep it to one page.

I totally forgot to add one last tidbit earlier. :doh:

As far as keeping a resume to one page, that is not entirely realistic.
Two reasons why include:

(1) If your resume is formatted nicely so that information is easily found, in a document that is attractive to the eye, a certain amount of "real estate" on that 8.5 inch X 11 inch piece of paper will be dedicated to "white space" and not contain any information at all. Especially if you have a nice header and a document footer.

(2) After one has been working for a certain amount of time, or working in a number of different areas, or a combination of both, it becomes impossible to state what you have accomplished in a single page.

Let's consider two extreme examples to obviate this point.

-- Can an individual who has worked for three years, 1 employer and attained a bachelor's degree but no professional certifications list their entire work experience on a single page? = YES

-- Can an individual who has worked for 17 years, for 7 employers, attained multiple degrees, and multiple professional certifications list their entire work experience on a single page? = NO WAY

So, there might not be a hard and fast formula that can determine the "optimal length" of your resume, as a function of how long you've worked, for how many employers, and what degrees + certifications you have achieved, etc...

BUT - if you are making sure that the information in your resume is "A.C.C.C." (Accurate, Clear, Concise, and Complete) - and you have aggregated your core durties and responsibilities by employer to eliminate redundancy, and you can't keep the document at one page or less, don't feel bad. That's a GOOD thing. My resume is 3 pages. If I took anything out of it it would take away from the totality of what I am capable of, or at least what I have PROVEN myself to be capable of to date. :newwink:

Anyhoo, that's what I forget to write earlier. :cheese:

:cheers:

-Alex
 

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[MENTION=6109]Halla74[/MENTION] I was actually thinking the same thing when I heard that, but you know... I just do what I'm told. :shrug:
 

Halla74

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[MENTION=6109]Halla74[/MENTION] I was actually thinking the same thing when I heard that, but you know... I just do what I'm told. :shrug:

Ohhhh my! :horor:

We have some work to do, don't we? :yes:

Here we go! :cheese:

PLEASE STRIKE the FOLLOWING CONCEPT from YOUR BRAIN:
...but you know... I just do what I'm told.

One of my favorite Professors started the first lecture of his class with: "Question EVERYTHING!!!"

It may sound trite, but if you think about it, it's true.
Questioning things is FREE. Once you do something it might be IRREVOCABLE.
Measure TWICE, cut ONCE.

also...

Just because you are questioning something doesn't mean you are being RUDE or INSOLENT.
It simply means that you are trying to UNDERSTAND what you have been asked TO DO.

Extreme Example...

Even in times of warfare, soldiers are not allowed to "destroy a village" simply if commanded to do so.

Sooooo - Let's see how these new perspectives replace that old' sayin' of: "but you know... I just do what I'm told." :newwink:

For further guidance, consider:

"FORGIVENESS is easier to obtain than PERMISSION."

"Excess is what made this country great."

and...

"EVIL spelled backwards is LIVE." :whistling: :devil: :laugh:

Good stuff, I tell you!

:hifive:

-Alex
 
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