Let's improve our résumés & cover letters! (Job hunting advice)

[Palpable]

I really shouldn't bother getting into this as it's minor but oh well:

Laziness on the part of many in the U.S. doesn't make it the correct word, though. I believe there is a difference that should be taken into account, considering the word "resume" (ree-zoom) exists.

It's not laziness, the spelling dates back to the age of typewriters when keys didn't have the accent marks. English has tons of other loanwords that drop special characters as well. There's some discussion to be made about the evolution of spelling and pronunciation, and I've made fun of Dubya saying "nuk-u-lur", but once dictionaries start accepting it, it's pretty silly to fight. Every good dictionary has listed both spellings for the word for years (and apparently even "resumé" is a less common spelling, so I was wrong), so this battle has been lost. Anecdotally, you are the first person I've seen care about this, but I'm sure where you live may make a difference, like if there is a French-speaking community there. Though I agree that the accented spelling is less confusing.

[The Coop]

Oh, I know both ways are accepted these days, but as I said, I've heard some higher ups poking fun at applicants who spelled it without the little dashes above the Es, and some who even threw out applications for that reason (talk about being too nitpicky, eh?). So I figured it was worth mentioning just to cover everyone's butt

[Bahamut]

Some thoughts about resumes, having reviewed some:

• You can pretty them up, but content is king
  
• Quality of experience matters a lot
  
• Focus only on the things you have done with minor additions (i.e. education)
  

- You can have the tightest resume design, but it matters little if your background/experience isn't what the employer is looking for

- Nothing can substitute for the quality & diversity of experience you bring

- Good HR will sift through the bullshit to extract the important stuff from your resume, make it count. In addition, it is said that a recruiter will often spend no more than 15 seconds on a resume, so the more you distract from that, the less time they are inclined to bother with it without rejecting outright

Some additional comments:

Showing leadership helps sell yourself. Show initiative in learning and seeking out new experiences. Set the example with every action you do. Always look out for other people, even in small things. These are things that can be demonstrated in a resume to a degree as well - everyone wants leaders, it can't hurt you.

If you're early in your career, recruiting firms can be a huge boon to you. They will often refine your resume and edit it as necessary to impress people - one helped me land my first position.

References - don't bother listing them unless asked, they take up too much space and contain minimal info on how well you work.

Try to be concise in each bullet point describing what you have done.

Of course, highlight your strengths.

A smaller font than you may normally use in documents is a standard trick for squeezing in more experience.

Here is my current resume for reference in the event someone reading the thread is trying to build one for the first time - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I3F2vOYH9FYgp8qaMh936KNq1NxxDiUp02G103nGhpA/edit?usp=sharing

I personally don't seek out jobs actively for the most part anymore, so my resume may be a bit dated.

Interviews

Act normal - it's not a life or death situation, if you fail to impress, figure out what you did wrong, and move on with life. Once you embrace not worrying about an interview, things should go much more smoother and you can then start worrying about first world problems like should you reject the job due to it not paying enough.

Do your research on the company - know what does the company you're interviewing do, at least on a superficial level.

Ask important information related to your job - ask about how the workgroup operates, whether there is professional development (may not apply depending on the job), how is the company performing, what are the expectations for the role, etc. The more you are able to ask important questions, it is more of an intangible signal that you are a sharp candidate.

Always be courteous to the people you interact with - it is professional.

It's ok to admit that you are weak in certain aspects while in an interview - the prospective employer should appreciate that in many cases. Some may even reward you for it for not bullshitting them. I don't hesitate to admit weakness in certain experiences - I don't want to set up unwarranted expectations, which could screw me over.

To give an anecdote, I was contacted by a Google recruiter a while ago. I told him that my Java experience was weak at the time, and so we both decided I should hold off on interviewing with them until a more suitable time. If I lied about that, that would have meant that I would have had a technical phone interview with a Google software engineer who would have probably destroyed me for not being able to answer domain knowledge questions on the spot, and that would have punished me harshly.

Otherwise, coming from a hiring position, don't worry about silly gaffes.

Your resume is for getting by the HR filter, but some companies may use it for reference during an in person interview as well. Be ready to justify anything you put on a resume.

An in person interview is to get a feel for you as a person and whether you truly have the experience/knowledge needed for the position - when I interview candidates, I probe to see how well they think. Can you navigate your way through a problem asking the right questions and demonstrate good critical thinking skills? Are you a hard worker that cares about results, which includes knowing when to rest up? Are you a pleasant person to be around who treats people with respect? Those are the primary questions I'm seeking to answer - failing any one of those is a huge negative for me.

[Liontamer]

I don't know anything on the length of resumes, but I do know that lacking references on the page is lacking quality content employers are going to care about more than the length (unless you have a ridiculously long resume in the first place). It still doesn't answer the question why you'd bother to leave them out at all. Anyone can claim anything on paper by itself, and we've seen more than enough precedents to call it common wisdom that your education and academic awards and such on their own merit will not mean you're a good fit for this company. References help verify your claims, because it's just simple human nature to be more enthusiastic to hire someone on a recommendation made by another human, than what it says on paper by itself.

No hate, but I need to debunk this now, because you're wrong about it and I don't want people thinking it's good advice.

Nowadays, including a list of references or "references available upon request" is a kiss of death for a lot of people. I agree that it wouldn't be the kiss of death if I saw it, and it's a rather odd trigger. But in most cases, it's now unnecessary and needless to include it on a résumé.

These days, if a company wants references, they'll usually ask for them either during the online application process OR after you've made it through a few steps like the initial résumé screening and/or interview. And if you know someone from the inside who will go to bat for you, that person usually vouches for you directly with their bosses or their HR department to help your stuff get through.

It's either presumptuous or redundant to have references on the actual resume these days. Unless someone specifically asks for references directly on a self-created résumé, you shouldn't include them. You should use the space to elaborate on your experience.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Liontamer

[zircon]

Here's a no-brainer tip for creative jobs. Don't say "portfolio available on request" if it's the type of job that would obviously require a portfolio (art, music). Have a simple link to it. I get applications for ISW jobs (beta testing, demo writing) regularly and some people don't read the instructions - don't make me write back to ask for your portfolio when it's something that we *asked* for!

[Frederic Petitpas]

I've seen a few résumés and it's awful how many people just ignore typos and/or simply won't correct a word at all.

My résumé contains colors, it's not just black/white. Should be like the Skittles rainbow but a few things can stand out.

Anyway, here how it looks like.. readable under 15 seconds :

Edited April 24, 2014 by Metal Man

[Pl511]

I'm currently trying to start planning a résumé for if I ever get any more offers/opportunities for individual jobs or commissions in music composition/arrangement, and I'd like to ask a question to anybody who has either written a résumé with this, or for people who have been involved in looking at résumés before. I've done some composition for school projects, a school play and other small things, but I'd really like to reference my YouTube channel in some sort of professional context without it sounding like I have no idea what I'm talking about. I have quite a few compositions on there that I sell on bandcamp, with the only really notable one being 'Spring', which got pretty popular after SivHD featured it in one of his videos (which led to a pretty huge increase in sales) and ~10 000 views from that (currently sitting at around 17 thousand). I've also got a pretty large number of arrangements, remixes and covers of songs on this channel, and - because I feel like I have learnt a lot through creating them, tweaking, working with different settings, getting feedback, etc - I want to try and show that without it looking like all of that was a bit of a waste. Any ideas?

[Brandon Strader]

Here's a no-brainer tip for creative jobs. Don't say "portfolio available on request" if it's the type of job that would obviously require a portfolio (art, music). Have a simple link to it. I get applications for ISW jobs (beta testing, demo writing) regularly and some people don't read the instructions - don't make me write back to ask for your portfolio when it's something that we *asked* for!

Is ISW actually hiring? I've got a portfolio available on request. You can find it at OC ReMix.org

I got skills with:

- Cubase 6.5

- Kontakt

- Instruments

- Mixing/Mastering

- Hearing Stuff

- Writing words (American, and random foreign words)

- Dedication and prompt response

- A Cool Guy on a chill day

[Bahamut]

I'm currently trying to start planning a résumé for if I ever get any more offers/opportunities for individual jobs or commissions in music composition/arrangement, and I'd like to ask a question to anybody who has either written a résumé with this, or for people who have been involved in looking at résumés before. I've done some composition for school projects, a school play and other small things, but I'd really like to reference my YouTube channel in some sort of professional context without it sounding like I have no idea what I'm talking about. I have quite a few compositions on there that I sell on bandcamp, with the only really notable one being 'Spring', which got pretty popular after SivHD featured it in one of his videos (which led to a pretty huge increase in sales) and ~10 000 views from that (currently sitting at around 17 thousand). I've also got a pretty large number of arrangements, remixes and covers of songs on this channel, and - because I feel like I have learnt a lot through creating them, tweaking, working with different settings, getting feedback, etc - I want to try and show that without it looking like all of that was a bit of a waste. Any ideas?

You could do something like

- [http://youtube.com/mychannel]

* [insert number] songs written

* Sold [insert number] songs

* Worked with:

- List your tech here like DAWs, equipment, etc.

Modify as needed! You can also talk about promotion you've done with the channel, sales/marketing, etc.

[zircon]

I think Wes is right when it comes to a formal resume. But when you say music composition "jobs", what do you mean? My experience in music is that 99.99% of the time, unless you're in academia or applying for an inhouse composer job (of which there are like... 3 in the world), a resume is about as useful as toilet paper For example, when composers are brought on for film, TV, and game projects, nobody looks at or cares about resumes. It goes something like this, in order of preference:

1. Composer previously worked with (provided they did a good job)

2. Close friends + colleagues

3. Recommendations from within the team

4. Business connections / not-as-close friends

5. More open call for submissions, i.e. public job posting

#5 is extraordinarily rare, especially for actual paying gigs. It hardly ever happens. Even when it does, it's usually a call for demo reels and portfolios, not formal resumes. While it's nice to be able to briefly discuss your previous experience if you have big credits, your actual music is what matters most in these situations.

Now, writing music in academia is a little different. I think resume is still fairly unimportant - your PORTFOLIO above virtually everything else speaks volumes, along with things like awards, previous commissions/fellowships etc - but it's slightly more important than in composing for media.

By far the best way to get work writing music or working in music is simply to network. Make friends, help people, be a good person, let people know who you are and what you do. Or simply make your own opportunities

Edited April 25, 2014 by zircon

[swansdown]

RECYCLE! It shows you're environmentally aware!

A few tips...

- If you make a PDF that features layers (perhaps you did some graphic design work to its background in Photoshop), save a copy of it and flatten the image. It doesn't happen every time, but sometimes, the text layer gets lost or messed up in the exporting process, and won't be there on some views (or it loads late, and the page looks blank until then). Flattening the image gets rid of this.

Ah yes! I did that with InDesign a few times. Must flatten layers.

It's either presumptuous or redundant to have references on the actual resume these days. Unless someone specifically asks for references directly on a self-created résumé, you shouldn't include them. You should use the space to elaborate on your experience.

That's a good point: The space used by references could be used for yourself.

I'd still always include a separate sheet for references (apart from the resume sheets), because I'd think it would bother an interviewer to have to ask for them if they do want them.

[Liontamer]

http://www.primermagazine.com/2012/learn/how-to-write-a-killer-cover-letter-in-the-21th-century

[Bahamut]

That's a good point: The space used by references could be used for yourself.

I'd still always include a separate sheet for references (apart from the resume sheets), because I'd think it would bother an interviewer to have to ask for them if they do want them.

References are only something that people will bother contacting if they intend to offer you, i.e. near the end of the process, as a final check. Don't worry about them, because when they ask for it, you pretty much know at that point whether you have an offer or not.

[swansdown]

Really? I'll have to ask how it is around here. It just seems easy enough to add another page as an attachment that there's no reason not to.

I know 20 years ago, I would've put "References available upon request" and limited the resume to 1 page.

[Liontamer]

References are only something that people will bother contacting if they intend to offer you, i.e. near the end of the process, as a final check. Don't worry about them, because when they ask for it, you pretty much know at that point whether you have an offer or not.

This is right. These days, a company will ask for references if (and only if) you've made it several steps and you're down to the final few people and potentially in the running for an offer.

[Modus]

http://www.primermagazine.com/2012/learn/how-to-write-a-killer-cover-letter-in-the-21th-century

Woah. I've been leaving all my cover letters blank. I think those are just for fancy jobs.

I've done 10 interviews in my current employment strafing run. Achievement unlocked.

[Liontamer]

Bumpage; anyone need helps?

[Daylectorbr]

Adapt your resume to each job you apply for. Study the job description to determine why you are a great fit. Then, add your skills, experience and measurable achievements that are relevant to that position.

[Liontamer]

(ALSO ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL POST)

These resources really helped me when I hadn't done any job hunting in 11 years and was super rusty and out of practice:

https://youtube.com/c/DonGeorgevich - Don Georgevich: Job Interview Tools
https://youtube.com/c/ALifeAfterLayoff - Bryan Creely: A Life After Layoff

What I'd recommend with these two YouTube channels: Just search through the videos for each of these channels for ANY topics that directly interest you the most. It could be about résumé writing, could be about cover letters, it could be about what interviewers are actually looking for when they ask you certain questions, it could be about career changes. There's enough content on both channels that you can just pick and choose what's interesting for you.

So don't feel pressured to "OMG, watch every video", but when you get some breathing room, scan around and dig in.

For all jobs, order the skills/impact bullet points in the order of relevance to the type of job you want, i.e. if you want to manage people, put any managerial experiences first; if you love reviewing contracts and data, list those kind of actions first; if you love solving problems, put the instances of product development, tool creation/metric measurement innovation first or customer service experience. In other words, steer your relevant experience towards what you want going forward, and de-emphasize other stuff.

Include any professional development accolades, e.g. formal trainings, certifications, presentations. If you have anything like that, that’s relevant.

Lists of impactful résumé verbs: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/action-verbs-to-make-your-resume-stand-out
Lists of overused résumé terms: https://www.capstoneresumes.com/remove-25-words-from-resume

Without overhyping yourself or using words you wouldn't normally say when casually speaking, use more of these impact verbs instead of more passive and generic verbs like "provide", "support", “work with”, and “assist”. In other words, stay true to how you communicate, but put yourself in the best possible light with verbs that you like from the big list.

You'll need to add placeholders for numbers you would fill in to help demonstrate impact.
Good résumés convey your IMPACT at your jobs, not just the list of responsibilities.

Your aim is to illustrate:
1) how you left each job better than you found it; and
2) what hard & soft skills you demonstrated to do it.
What specific things did you accomplish? How did you make money or innovate for the company? How did you make things more efficient or effective?

That said:
1) If a number wouldn't be impressive (i.e. typically 10+), then don't include it.
2) NEVER ever overstate a number. Always underestimate while giving your best guess if you don't remember something more specific (e.g. "worked with 300+ customers"). If you overstate, you risk the company contacting an employer and them being told you've embellished/lied.
3) The numbers usually should represent total impact (e.g. if you did customer service at store for 5 years, you should say either a) approximately how many total customers you worked with over the years or b) how many customer, on average, you worked with per year).

8 most requested general skills, in order, according to ZipRecruiter (July 2022) - these are important skill to both say by name (for ATS/computer screenings) and demonstrate by listing related accomplishments:

• Communication skills
• Customer service
• Scheduling
• Time management skills
• Project management
• Analytical thinking
• Ability to work independently
• Flexibility

[Xaleph]

What @Liontamer said is spot on (it's an excellent summary/compilation) - I've built teams for small (10+) and very large companies (45k-100k).  Some years I'll interview just 4-5 people, other years I've interviewed 180-250 (roughly 5-8 immediately after a workday).  I'd be more than glad to provide more details what we look for in interviews.  Competency and portfolios are important, but there are general characteristics that I look for that are more important than a perfect score for competency.  I take interviewing incredibly seriously and I'm particularly picky as the wrong person can wreck your team/mission.  If you're team building, I can tell you what works and what doesn't - happy to share (just don't have a ton of time to write up something as awesome as @Liontamer - discord for me is probably easier).