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What is missing in my skill set?

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by edwardspratt 1 view

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I would think that we are entering the stone age as slow as the technical market is right now. I am willing to move to a new position and have been quite busy working at learning more every day. Someone please advise me as to what is missing on my skill set and let me know why I am not getting a job.

Here is my resume:

OBJECTIVE: Strive as a valuable part of a great team, bringing success with every action.

SUMMARY
* Motivated, self starter. Able to perform within team or with no supervision
* Excellent computer and software experience; good planning, initiative, knowledge
* Provides strong leadership and direction for customers and employees

EDUCATION
AAS Midrange Computer Specialist, RCTC. Rochester, MN 2007
BS Information Technology, Information System Security University of Phoenix 2009

EXPERIENCE
OASIS Saint Louis, MO. Volunteer Computer Instructor. July 09-Present
* Teaching 50+ age group for basic to intermediate computer skills
* Following Curriculum and maintaining statistics for tracking

Tripod Computer Services, Inc. O?Fallon, MO. Owner. May 04-July 09
* Project Manager and design engineer for residential and commercial systems.
* Estimate tasks and man-hours, prepared proposals and contracts.
* Computer systems management, system design, network and hardware.
* Preparation for system faults and prevention of data loss through scheduled backup.
* Design networks and throughput maps with software & created reports.
* Design floor plans for computer systems drawings & specifications.
* Secure data through redundancy and diligence.
* Secure clients, represent in meetings, and conduct correspondence.
* VNC connect, connectwise and other remote support solutions.
*Repair all hardware issues and create software to solve needs

Homeless Connection Inc. St. Charles, MO. WebMaster and Designer. Jul 08-Present
* Design web interface for business to showcase resources and fulfill needs.
* Performed analysis and maintenance to website to improved monthly website ranking.
* Responding to emergency resource needs via network media.

Que Computers, Inc. Minneapolis, MN. (client) Server Administrator. Mar 08-Jul 08
* Design ghosting procedure to increase installs by 2000%.
* Divided workload and trained employees for new work structure.
* Designed and prepared plan sets for computer improvements projects.
* Planned & prepared submittals to owner for future computer solutions.
* Prepared specifications & cost estimates; calculated quantities and posted.
* Created database driven website viewable inventory for hands free ordering.

Chips Computer, LLC. White Bear Lake, MN. (part time) Remote Technician. Dec 07-Mar 08
* Computer system solution and documentation coordinator.
* Repair of home systems, local and network using connectwise and VPN.
* Scheduling of own tasks and preemptive maintenance on clients systems.

Echo Newspaper (RCTC) Rochester, MN Website Designer May 07-July 07
* Designed and implemented SQL database for dynamically driven website
* Self motivated to complete workload according to business needs.
* Designed secure interface to allow for reporters to submit stories from field

Keywords: Java, RPG, SQL, PHP, Windows, Network, Infrastructure, Server, Computer Systems, Windows NT, 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Knoppix, Ubuntu, Fedora, OSX, OS/400, Microsoft Exchange 2003, Office 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, imaging, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Expressions, lime survey, php website, php coin, phpmyfaq, web calendar, web mail, phpchat, ext calendar, flash menu, moodle, drupal, publisher, joomla, mambo, Norton Ghostcast server, Ghost imaging, Harddrive imaging, deployment, slip stream, VMWare Server, VNC, Server 2003, DNS, RIS, IIS, Hardware, software, networking, computer maintenance, Java programming, research, security implementation, Acrobat Professional, MS Office Suite, Lotus, Fontographer,

21 replies

by older mycroft

You might try to make your Resume more believable:

You frequently cite what can only be described as gargantuan accomplishments given the exceptionally short tenure of the position.

You timeline for the different positions is all over the shop - lacking in sequential continuity.

"[i]Design ghosting procedure to increase installs by 2000%[/i]" - sounds a teeny weeny bit fictional.

You'd better hope that no-one reading your resume ever actually visits your website, since there's nothing in it.

Finally, I've never seen a resume with Keywords before.

by purpleskys

and that neon green roll over menu color is horribly hard on the eyes...I also noticed the lack of length of time in jobs held. Employers I would think would be looking for persons with long standing commitment with other companies not what appears to be fly in the night. I've also learned over time that it pays to taylor your resume to the position one is applying for. I've seen some people with a lot of experience and qualifications get overlooked because employers think "we can't afford them, or they would just be looking for another job that paid more if we did hire them". Anyway, just my opinion.

by older mycroft

There's nothing there.

Promoting this site via TechRepublic posts is hardly the sensible approach either. It's not as if only the unwary will visit it - an entire raft of tech professionals will also give it a fleeting glimpse.

[i]Odd to have 'accomplished so much' out in the field yet be staring into a void on his own website.[/i]

But, as you said, it's just an opinion. ;)

Edited for silly typo! :)

by darryl~

You're all over the map trying to figure out when you were & were not working....and where.
You have very short terms of employment in some positions (that hinders me as well), you might consider not listing the dates or be a little more "general"
When it comes to listing software/operating systems/etc. you have experience with, maybe you should taylor it towards the position you're applying for & leave things that aren't relevant off....if you get an interview, you can discuss them at that time.

But like the others said....that's just my opinion.

by jdclyde

is EXACTLY what the poster came here for.

by darryl~

I went through the same type of thing a few years ago & that is what I felt were my stumbling points.

You also recently went through a job search & would have a very large skillset....did you find it a hindrance by listing everything? I found if I trimmed it back (especially by removing any old or outdated skills) I usually got better results.

Plus, from a management standpoint, I know I don't want to go through multiple resumes that are 4 or 5 pages long....a couple pages is "usually" good enough to express the skills one would have which would be relevant for the position being offered.

by tony hopkinson

Lots of tools, some blurb.
Your resume is awful, and from here it's hard to say how to show you in the best light, if I were you I'd get some professional help with it.

Get rid of the keywords.

Do Employment (put them in order ffs)
Role, high points, and tools/skills required.

Or

Role/Tasks where / who for and skills used.

You would be straight in the bin if I got this.

by jamesrl

Here are my thoughts:

Objective - very lame, nothing but generic crap there. I hope you want honesty. If you want to make a huge direction change in your career, state amn objective, otherwise, omit it if thats all you can come up with.

Summary:
Sounds like it came out of a bad resume book. Its like a horoscope where everything is just vague enough to please everyone. If thats all you've got, omit it. Self starter, provides leadeship, those are things you have to demonstrate not just state. I don't take anyone's word for those kinds of statements.

To be honest, what I want to know for any job, is not the job duties, I know what a system admin does, and you are wasting my time and your space to try and explain it. Tell me or give me a hint how you added value to the role, or went beyond your job decription to help your employer, because thats the kind of person I would like to hire, someone who can go beyond. Tell me something I'd like to ask you about in an interview. And 2000% as others have said seems a little high - give me a hint as to how you did it and I might want to ask you about it.

Keywords:
This way over the top, its a laundry list. You will bore people to death with this, you can't be an expert in everything, so by telling us everything, you tell me nothing.

This should be a selection of high skills, and it should be shorter, and you should prune it based on the position you apply for.

You haven't contructed a compelling resume. There are plenty of good examples out there, and much material out there to help you. But this resume will not get you a call.

James

by jdclyde

As I had blogged about, I had three resumes, depending on the job I was applying for.

I only listed the skills that were relevant or in high esteem regardless of field.

I also went with the functional resume, so it was more a list of accomplishments/tasks and abilities than a list of software packages I have worked with.

by older mycroft

All of my CVs only ever required a simple accurate listing of where I was at any given moment in time.

Working in the Print Trade there aren't any 'packages' to be an expert in - there's just Print. [i]If you turned up for an interview and still had the tips of all ten fingers intact you were looked upon as some sort of God.[/i]

Of course, you had to actually GET to the interview, so all I did was refine, then refine, then refine, then ask someone else to read it, then refine until I'd honed it down to a concise, technically accurate, account of my industrial life to date.

Sometimes LESS is MORE, and oft times MORE is headed straight into the waste bin.

The best advice I was ever given came from a bloke who could tell you the type and weight of any paper, by [u]tearing a piece off and chewing it!![/u] - It was all to do with the percentage content of wood-pulp, china clay, surfacing compounds, and supercalendering methods - (apparently different paper mills employ different degrees of heat in the finishing process).

He once said to me "[i]If someone reads your CV and they don't like the smell of it, you'll never have the chance to give them a taste of you in person! If you get the chance you better taste f***ing great![/i]"

Whether it was his influence I'm not sure, but I've never had an interview where I wasn't offered a position. Although, I have turned a few offers down. Print-wise I've had 12 interviews and I've had 8 jobs, turning down the other 4 offers.

After I did my Post Grad computer course, I never used a CV again. If I had done, I'd have been sending it to myself! :D

*Paddy McMahon, wherever you now are, Rest In Peace.

Edit for *

by darryl~

I just don't get the whole CV thing....really...as a manager I just want a resume that gives me a quick overview of your skills....I don't have the time to look at all the "wonderful" things you've created over the past 30 years.

Who invented this "CV" thing anyway? Was it used in the accounting industry when you were there? It seems you don't care much for it either...is it a result of today's job market where people no longer have the same job for "life" & have to show a new "perspective" employer all the "wonderful things "I" can do?

I think a CV is the "new" yuppy way of doing things....I'm glad I'll be retiring soon.

by darryl~

I think I remember you blogging about it in the spring & I commented that I did almost identical.

It worked for you....it worked for me...not saying it's the "best" approach"....but I do believe the resume has to be "talored/adjusted" for the position applying for.

On another note....I never did "get/do" the whole "CV" thing....I'm kinda hoping at my age I won't have to.....but....I saw how you were "blindsided"...it used to be "have a portfolio"....now it's a "CV"....it's very hard to be prepared for the unexpected.

by jdclyde

because I was applying for System administrator, Network administrator, and general support.

And yes, a cover letter written with each specific interview/company in mind.

by jdclyde

If you can't say it in a page, you are going to lose them. People just don't want to read that much, so I cut them all back to one page each.

Everything else I had written on a complete list, all bullet pointed out, so I had everything at my fingertips during the interview. They saw I had much more information available, and appreciated that I gave them the highlights but was able to follow up as needed.

by older mycroft

Is to get so wrapped up in your Resume ([i]I prefer CV, but that's because we were conquered by the Romans and America wasn't - mind you America didn't exist back then[/i]) building up your image, that you forget where and who you actually are.

As such, you can and will end up applying for posts that are WAY OUTSIDE YOUR ABILITIES, just because you've convinced yourself ([i]but no-one else[/i]) that you 'really are that good'. ~ Then you'll wonder why you don't get an interview?

You've GOT to be realistic.

by darryl~

Did it....done it....wrote the book.

I'm guilty as charged. :)

by jdclyde

you know your skills and abilities, as well as your limits.

I passed on a few job applications because they were outside my job skills.

by older mycroft

[i]"A curriculum vitae (loosely translated as course of life) provides an overview of a person's life and qualifications. It differs from a resume in that it is appropriate for academic or medical careers and is far more comprehensive. A CV elaborates on education to a greater degree than a resume. A resume is tailor-made according to the post applied for. It is job-oriented and goal specific. One of the key characteristics of a proper resume is conciseness."[/i]

Excerpt from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sum%C3%A9

[b]I still blame it all on the Romans![/b] :D

Edit for all the instances of '[b]r?sum?[/b]' - damn that parser.

by older mycroft

He was the sort of bloke pertinent to this thread. He concocted an illustrious CV and managed to bluff his way through an interview.

I was working in a Print Company as Senior Estimator, the system had a twin server, 24 station network, back in the days of DOS (1987 / 88) and this fool was the Sys Admin. I wouldn't have trusted him to wire a 3-pin plug but it wasn't my job to comment.

The guy lasted almost twelve weeks, twelve weeks of almost daily system crashes then his jacket fell off the shaky nail, and he was gone.

They offered me the Sys Admin responsibility AS WELL as running the Estimating Dept. I asked "How much?" and they didn't realise that I was talking Moolah. I suggested I get half of Bill's salary (in addition to my own) but they thought that was "a bit steep" - so I turned the opportunity down, suggesting they find someone who COULD do the job, then pay him/her the full salary.

They paid up, and I took it on. Whenever I was wearing the Estimator hat, they needed me as the Sys Admin; whenever I was the Sys Admin, they needed me as the Snr Estimator!

7 Months later (and only 3 system crashes) I found another (single responsibility) job.

Never heard of Bill Campbell ever again - don't know where he ended up. [b]Bill - if you're reading this - YOU ARE A BUFFOON!![/b] :)

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