Critique my Resume?

[Horsetuna]

No, I had one page resumes. I edited it down to one page.

And I know I'm getting good advice, but I have absolutely NO money left till payday

Thank you for the help though! I will be modifying it as I go along so its' ready for next time.

PS - what DOES go on a cover letter? I could never figure that out.

[Gurndigarn]

No, I had one page resumes. I edited it down to one page.

And I know I'm getting good advice, but I have absolutely NO money left till payday

Thank you for the help though! I will be modifying it as I go along so its' ready for next time.

PS - what DOES go on a cover letter? I could never figure that out.

Well, to begin with, if you're looking for part time work, you probably don't need a resume. Just filling out an application is fine in most places.

Resumes with cover letters are usually for when you're looking for a specific job, or at least a specific field. As to what goes on them, it varies. Generally you state what job you're looking for, possibly why you're interested in the job, and a quick overview of why you are the absolute best person they could possibly want. Basicaly, boiling the highlights of your resume down to one or two paragraphs.

If you're really set on doing a resume/cover letter, you would state that you're looking for part time work to supplement your income, could possibly be interested in full-time work or advancement (if it's true) in the future, and (new paragraph) that you have a wide-ranging set of experience that could help you work in many different positions, possibly with QUICK examples OR a SHORT list.

Cover letters should be relatively short. Their primary goal is to get the overworked and (to his viewpoint) underpaid guy doing the HR stuff* to actually give your resume a serious look-at. They need to be long enough to catch someone's eye, but not so long that his eyes glaze over.

* Which either he considers a nuisance because it's not his "real" job, or he does so much that it bores him to tears.

[wagegoth]

If you're physically going to stores to apply for work, I don't think you need a cover letter; you're kind of the cover letter, as a cover letter is to introduce you. I only used cover letters if I were applying directly to an ad. A resume is nice to include with an application; it looks professional and indicates above average interest in the position for which you're applying.

As to tailoring the resume, you really only need a couple of different ones, one to emphasize your cash handling and customer service, the other to emphasize your animal handling, as well as the cash handling, if you're applying to pet stores or suppliers. The first one is the one you need the most copies of, of course, if you can afford a couple of the second ones in case you apply at a pet supply, they would be helpful.

[Jester]

I am going to weigh in here. Please understand that some of what I am going to say has been said, so pardon me if it feels unnecessarily repetitive.

First of all, there is something you are forgetting or missing here (or at least it seems to me that you are). That being that a resume will not get you a job. Period. A resume is simply a tool to get you in the door for an interview. Nothing more. Period. If you think a resume is going to get you a job, you are mistaken.

Also, if you would like, you can PM me your resume and I can work it up for you. I am not trying to be arrogant here, but I have been in the workforce for 21 years, my mother was a secretary (often in personnel aka human resources) for about 40 years, and she taught me how to do resumes. (And said my latest one kicks ASS.)

Now, for specifics.

Your resume should be one page. Period. No more. References should be separate, other than somewhere near the bottom of the resume the phrase "Refernces available upon request." And you should have a reference page, headlined "References" at the top. You said your references aren't cool with people contacting them. Well, then, you can't really use them as references. You need to have your references know and approve of you using them as such, and they need to be cool with people contacting them about you. Otherwise they are worthless as references. (If you can't in fact get anyone to be a reference for you, don't even mention them on your resume.)

You should only list jobs that have some bearing on job being sought. Your current resume, even at one page, is the printed equivalent of a job applicant being asked one simple question and them going on for fifteen minutes. It is breathless and dizzying. Lose the fluff, pare things down, be concise, and get rid of jobs that you were at for a very short time. One of your dealer jobs seems short. Lose it. The other one will sufffice. The car park job? Unless you are applying at a car park, lose that one too.

Also, be more specific in what you gained or did at your jobs. And while "volunteer work" looks good on a resume, if your only volunteer work is as an administrator for a website, lose that too. People do that all the time, and it is not quite the same as building houses for Habitat for Humanity or working for the Peace Corps. It is good stuff, don't get me wrong, but not anything that employers are going to care about.

If you keep your resume as it is on one page, everything will be very tiny and difficult to read. The whole point of the resume is to make it easy for the employer to read, not difficult. You know what happens to resumes that are difficult to read? They end up in the vertical file, aka, the trash can.

Speaking of easy to read, a common trap people fall into is putting their resume on colored paper to make it stand out. Don't. It looks like what it is, a cry for attention, and employers will treat it as such. Be professional. White paper, preferably a nice stock.

You need to highlight the skills you gained or learned at past jobs that will apply to the job you are seeking.

If your only education is high school, don't bother mentioning education. If they ask, you can say yes, you graduated high school. If you are applying for retail or service jobs, education is rarely a big deal. That is more for professional and corporate jobs.

Format wise, your name should be large across the top, and if possible, on one line below that you should have your address and phone number, and email address if you prefer.

Also, lose the objectives. You can cover why you want to work for them in a cover letter.

I disagree. The objective should always be there, but it should be more concise and more precise.

I can't afford a lot of printouts.

It takes money to make money.

What you NEED to do is get a friend or acquaintance let you print out a copy of both your resume and reference page on their computer. (I am assuming you cannot for whatever reason do so on yours.) Then take that raw printout to your local printshop and have them print up several of each on NICE stock. Something thick and beefy and weighty and professional. Take their advice on what to use.

"But that will cost a fortune." Yes and no. It is usually just a few bucks for, say, 20. It is worth it in the long run.

Also remember, as someone else said...if you are just applying at mall shops, frankly, you don't need a resume. It looks BETTER, but if cost is an issue, don't give these people a resume. Just fill out the application.

Important point: Make sure you keep a list of where you apply, and when. Call them back in a few days (3 or so) if you haven't heard from them (which you probably won't) asking them if there have been any developments. Better yet, when you turn in your app, ask if a manager is available at that time. Know when they are likely to be available. In restaurants, for example, the down time tends to be 2-5 pm. I will never walk into a restaurant to apply at noon during their lunch rush. Why? Because I know it is useless to do so. It's like showing up at an office job to apply at 5 pm when everyone is leaving...and you will get the same effect.

Again, if you would like me to work up your resume for you, I will. Why? Not because I am an expert, but because I have learned a lot, my mother used to look at resumes as part of her job, my younger sister actually designs resumes for a living, and because, frankly, I am one hell of a nice guy.

Just remember what I said at the beginning of this post: a resume will never get you a job. And that is not what it is there for. It's sole purpose is to get you in the door ahead of the other swarms of applicants so you can interview for the position. You still need to be proactive. Merely handing someone a resume won't get you any kind of job worth a damn.

PM me if you have any questions.