# Resumes



## petergibbons (Jan 11, 2007)

Does anyone know of any good websites containing resume and cover letter information? I used a Word template for mine and I don't think it's good enough. Also, if any of you do the hiring, what do you look for in a resume and cover letter? Any interview tips will also be appreciated. Thanks for any help!


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 11, 2007)

When I finished college, I bought a resume builder program for my computer.

It worked really well, and gave me some good do's and do not's, cover letter phrasing, action words employers like, etc.


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## Hill William (Jan 11, 2007)

> Does anyone know of any good websites containing resume and cover letter information?  I used a Word template for mine and I don't think it's good enough.  Also, if any of you do the hiring, what do you look for in a resume and cover letter?  Any interview tips will also be appreciated.  Thanks for any help!


I see you watched the governor's speech last night. :"the other board" mole:


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## whitley85 (Jan 11, 2007)

Personally, I look for a resume that is 1 page, 2 at most. If I need more info than that, I'll call you. It should be clean looking, not crowded, but not triple spaced either. Make it easy to understand and don't go overboard on the details. As for the cover letter, it should be personalized. Call the company to figure out who will be looking at it and address it to them. And the cover letter should definately be short, I don't have too much time to read it.

To me, when looking for a job the most important thing is to follow up. Send the resume, call 3-5 days later. I might have liked the resume and just forgotten to call you.

I don't think I have any great insights here, but I hope it helps!


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 11, 2007)

> Does anyone know of any good websites containing resume and cover letter information? I used a Word template for mine and I don't think it's good enough. Also, if any of you do the hiring, what do you look for in a resume and cover letter? Any interview tips will also be appreciated. Thanks for any help!


On the resume and cover letter, I look for someone that's qualified to do the job. I also like to see a goal statement that's in line with the opening I've got to fill. You should tailor your goal statement to the individual position you're applying for. We have very very low turn over here, so I'm not really interested in someone that's got plans to do something completely unrelated down the road. Also, keep the resume and cover letter short and sweet. I'm not gonna read three or four detailed paragraphs about your experience. Your experience shouldn't be anything like what you put in your PE application, IMO. (as far as length and detail goes)

As far as the interview goes, I look for someone who's personality will mesh well with others in the office. The nuts and bolts qualifications are listed on the resume, and the interview is really to get to know the person a little bit, and see how well they represent themselves, etc. I usually ask questions of the person related to their experience to see if they're glossing over their resume, or just flat out making stuff up. Someone could have killer qualifications, but if they can't talk to customers or interact well with people that would be a deal breaker. That's just my take on things, for what it's worth.


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## DVINNY (Jan 11, 2007)

> > Does anyone know of any good websites containing resume and cover letter information?? I used a Word template for mine and I don't think it's good enough.? Also, if any of you do the hiring, what do you look for in a resume and cover letter?? Any interview tips will also be appreciated.? Thanks for any help!
> 
> 
> I see you watched the governor's speech last night. pi mole:


I don't even think I'm gonna go to the ASHE meeting tonight now. Might go to the gym instead.


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## DVINNY (Jan 11, 2007)

> Someone could have killer qualifications, but if they can't talk to customers or interact well with people that would be a deal breaker. That's just my take on things, for what it's worth.


If only they would put that on the PE exam, I'd might have passed.


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## petergibbons (Jan 11, 2007)

Another question: do you always need to send a cover letter or is it OK to send only resume when responding to ads that do not mention wanting a cover letter?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 11, 2007)

I always give a cover letter along with the resume.

My strategy is to use the cover letter to expand upon the bulleted items in the resume. A few brief sentences about education, experience, certifications, and general areas of expertise.

I usually ask the employer if there's any other useful information I could bring to the interview - writing sample, plans, etc.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2007)

> Does anyone know of any good websites containing resume and cover letter information?  I used a Word template for mine and I don't think it's good enough.  Also, if any of you do the hiring, what do you look for in a resume and cover letter?  Any interview tips will also be appreciated.  Thanks for any help!


I have asked this question before in the 'other' forum :"the other board": :die:.

I was left with combing the internet for examples of resumes that worked :read: I also hit the bookstore - Borders is the most diverse in my town.

In general I have found:

- short works the best - 1 page preferable, 2 if you must

- simple formatting

- cover letter that expands on the IMPORTANT points

I wish there were more sources of information since resumes/cover letters are how we market ourselves. One would think there would be more available information - or at least a consensus on what works.

Good luck.

JR


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## DVINNY (Jan 11, 2007)

We just made an offer to a guy from FL. He accepted. Dude is moving from Sunny "year round golfing" Florida to come here.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2007)

> We just made an offer to a guy from FL.  He accepted.  Dude is moving from Sunny "year round golfing" Florida to come here.


Actually, I am very seriously looking into moving from FL too :true:

It is not as sunny as you think it is and the golf is overpriced.

JR


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 11, 2007)

^^^And it's way to hot and humid, all of the time, and the state is filled with cadavers that still drive. I'm growing more and more dissatisfied with the place. I wish my job/company were located somewhere with an actual climate and seasons of some sort. The only two seasons we have are hurricane season, and ancient snow bird dodging season, during which you attempt to survive for 5 months while they're all down here actively trying to murder you on the highways. North Florida is probably much better than here weather wise, but it's still hot most of the time.


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## cement (Jan 11, 2007)

300 + days of sunshine / year in Denver. :true:

ok, this is the worst winter in history this year, but I like it.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 11, 2007)

Not having seasons would bother me. All the seasons look so much different around here and each one has something going for it.

Although if it's gonna be this cold, at least give us some snow to go with it.


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## Dark Knight (Jan 11, 2007)

That is one of the things I miss from TN. The changes of the seasons were nice. Visited Denver last year during April and enjoyed a snow fall.






Never been in VT but would like to visit. By the way: Do you know somebody at the power utility company VTE?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 11, 2007)

Which power company - Central Vermont Public Service? (CVPS)

That's the only one I know of in these parts.


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## petergibbons (Jan 12, 2007)

> All the seasons look so much different around here and each one has something going for it.


Same here in WV. At this point, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Though I have thought about moving to a location withing driving distance of the ocean, possibly the Carolinas.


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 12, 2007)

> winter


What is this "winter" of which you speak?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 12, 2007)

The awesome season where you get snow to outside and play in.


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 12, 2007)

^^^ I suppose it goes without saying but we don't have that here. Neither winter, nor seasons. It sucks hard. I grew up here but didn't know what I was missing I guess. I lived in Central GA for 10 years and I can't believe how big a difference 500 miles makes. Summers were still brutally hot, but they actually ended in October. October through April there was awesome in my opinion. Fall and Spring were my two favorite seasons with winter running a very close second. My electric bill here averages $350 a month in my 2100sqft house that's insulated out the wazoo. Brand new windows too. I absolutely refuse to be uncomfortable in my own house so I keep the air on 75 during the day (when we're home) and 70 at night. FL doesn't have state income tax like GA does, but I'm spending that money on AC bills here. :wtf:


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 12, 2007)

Our winter is pretty much November through Mid-April. I maybe used the AC unit the bedroom 10 times last summer. It'll get hot in the mid-day, but cools off enough at night usually.

Heating oil bills on the other hand...I bought 600 gal for this winter at $2.59/gal.

It ends up being about $160/month on a 10 month budget plan.


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## MetroRAFB (Jan 12, 2007)

:jacked:


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jan 12, 2007)

Hijacked, no way. It's definitely relevant.

When I was looking to move to VT, I had interviews scheduled with a couple of firms, and had to cancel because of snow.


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## traffic (Jan 12, 2007)

> > All the seasons look so much different around here and each one has something going for it.
> 
> 
> Same here in WV. At this point, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Though I have thought about moving to a location withing driving distance of the ocean, possibly the Carolinas.


As long as you stay near I-95 you're only a couple of hours away. But a good five from the mountains. :drive:


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## petergibbons (Jan 12, 2007)

> > > All the seasons look so much different around here and each one has something going for it.
> >
> >
> > Same here in WV. At this point, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Though I have thought about moving to a location withing driving distance of the ocean, possibly the Carolinas.
> ...


Can you suggest any nice areas to live close to the ocean in NC or SC? We've been going to the Outer Banks the past few years for vacation and I can never get enough.


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## Mike in Gastonia (Jan 12, 2007)

> Our winter is pretty much November through Mid-April. I maybe used the AC unit the bedroom 10 times last summer. It'll get hot in the mid-day, but cools off enough at night usually.
> Heating oil bills on the other hand...I bought 600 gal for this winter at $2.59/gal.
> 
> It ends up being about $160/month on a 10 month budget plan.


I always heard that summer in Vermont was just 2 weeks of bad sledding......

Is that not the case? 

Or that summers in Vermont are really lovely. And if you're lucky, it hits on a weekend......


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## FusionWhite (Jan 17, 2007)

Back to the original question. Can anyone recommend a place to download a resume builder or suggest a program to buy? Ive recently come across the need to update my resume for a possible job opportunity and need to get it ready to go out ASAP.


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## petergibbons (Jan 17, 2007)

FusionWhite said:


> Back to the original question. Can anyone recommend a place to download a resume builder or suggest a program to buy? Ive recently come across the need to update my resume for a possible job opportunity and need to get it ready to go out ASAP.


I found a template on MS Word that worked out OK. They also have templates for cover letters.


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## FusionWhite (Jan 17, 2007)

petergibbons said:


> I found a template on MS Word that worked out OK. They also have templates for cover letters.


Thats what Ive been using and I got one of the MS templates to look pretty decent. After looking at the requirements for sending my resume to this company though I noticed they only take .txt formats anyway. Looks like Im going to have redo my resume in notepad anyway. Wonderful.


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## Road Guy (Jan 17, 2007)

I think if you are responding to an ad on a company site you should send a cover letter, its like he cover page to a proposal, another opportunity to tell them how great you are...


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