Resume

[mlchorn]

Haven't needed one in a while, but want to update mine.
Is it still the expectation that they be limited to one page, or have things changed.
I've been out of the game for some time, so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[led224]

I'm a hiring manager for The City of Austin and I will not read a second page. I wouldn't at a previous private industry job either.

Keep in mind that the person reviewing resumes is going through ALOT of them so you need to be very clear & concise. Eliminate all the fluff and get to the point.
If you are applying for a technical job with lots of industry specific lingo you'll also want to keep in mind that the person reviewing the resumes will not necessarily be familiar with the lingo so you want to describe things in such a way that anyone can understand it. Use the job listings to your best advantage, pull phrases from them and incorporate those phrases into your resume so your using the style of the company you're applying to.

This is very general advice. It really depends what industry you're look in and what it is you do.

 

[I_Live_In_OK]

I like to attach several photos of myself, in various poses and lighting arrangements.

Sometimes, I pose outdoors, in front of a tree or something.

 

[Longhorny630]

In reply to:

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[led224]

Tips for getting hired by the city:

Every hiring manager in the city is different and has lots of leeway in interpreting applicable experience. That's why you really need to re-write your application (and resume) for each job making sure to incorporate the buzz phrases from the job posting.
Also, go through the application process until you get to the supplimental questions at the end. These tell you what they are really looking for. Cancel applying to the job, go back and edit your application using that information and then apply for the position. The job descriptions pull up automatically based on the job title, the supplimental questions will tell you what the job actually is.
We must justify why we knock each person out of the candidate pool. Keep in mind that we are going through 200+ applicants for each position and "other candidates a better fit" is an acceptable reason for knocking someone out. Every time I run a hiring packet I know I'm knocking perfectly qualified candidates out of it and I am knocked out of others packets for jobs I'd be great for. Depending on the job the initial cut is from 150-200 applicants to anywhere from 7 to 30. It's harsh. That is why you have to give the manager a reason to put you through.
I don't even look at resumes my first pass through. If your city application job descriptions say "see resume" you're out. Other hiring managers are different. You should make sure your city application is filled out completely even if it is a pain to do.
Be specific, do not use general phrases to explain your experience. For example, I hire people that need experience in plant operations, industrial mechanical maintenance and operating heavy machinery. If they tell me they "operate heavy machinery" that does me no good even though that's the terminology used in the posting. I need them to list the machines they have experience operating to make sure it's in line with what our specific plant requires.
The same concept applies for engineering. There is a difference in skill sets for process control engineers vs. mechanical engineers.
If I knew then what I know now about the hiring process from this side it wouldn't have taken me nearly as long to get hired on with the city.
I'm always happy to help. If anyone is going for a city job feel free to PM me for an opinion. Keep in mind I won't have access to your city application or the ability to check out the competition for you. The system limits our access to our own job postings.

 

[Seattle Husker]

That depends. The rule I've always worked with is that you haven't done enough to deserve a second page if you've been in the the post-college workforce for less than 10 years.

 

[Roger]

in all the interviewing I've done, one time did I hear "what only one page" my response was, I've been out of school for 8 years and had one job. Needless to say I didn't get that job. That being said I now have more experience enough to fill 2 pages and have to work from flowing to a third, but have had to re-arrange as said above you have to assume to first person reading is an HR Hiring Manager and they won't read past the 1st page unless you wow them from the get go.