The perfect Resume?

[Sony]

But in terms of a fresh graduate theres not much career highlights to choose from apart from academic achievements. The lack of relevant experience might have killed me most of the times.

 

However i do agree on customizing the resume to make it look outstanding; but the problem is how outstanding can it look among employers in Singapore? Its different when you compare to our western counterparts who can hire anyone based on a fantastic cover letter without even reading through your resume.

 

 

 

if a fresh grad don't have experience, then use their character, interest, etc towards matching the quality which they are looking for.

 

To someone screening the letter, if the person don't bother thinking what to write to attract them to read, then it's really not worth reading.

 

so if a fresh grad don't know how to write a proper resume, then it's down the drain for the grad.

 

hey, school do teach professional writing before they let them out on the street, right?

Edited July 30, 2009 by Sony

[Sony]

?? even if the achievements inside the resume is really good?

 

 

it really depends on the job.

 

eg. if it's technical position, the got to look at CV, experience and relevant background.

 

if it's marketing or management role, then cover letter play a part.

 

there's no one size fit all, even for interviewer.

 

usually we send different people to interview different candidate. so it's chosing the choser to chose the right fit to the choice we want.

[Kxbc]

That will happen if the competition become so strong and there are so little jobs like some other country.

 

We must be thankful that are not in this state yet.

 

Do we want our children to become foreign labour and maid ?

 

Poverty is a curse, no one will like to sell their body

 

This incident happened in Singapore many many years ago. A HR manager related this to us when he gave us a recruitment talk. And if you still want to know, that girl got an interview because the HR manager is so damn curious. But got the job I cannot remember already.

 

Btw, I don't equate this to selling body. It's more of attention grabbing, though not done appropriately nor in the best style or class.

Edited July 30, 2009 by Kxbc

[Kxbc]

Different jobs will require diff resume formats. When you are at different life stage, the style changes as well. I am not in HR but I have helped gone through many resumes sent in for interviews. What I have discarded:

 

1. Don't handwrite your resume and cover letter, esp if your handwritting sucks. Don't laugh. I have received one such letter like that for an engineer position. And out the window it goes.

 

2. Send in your resume in an A4 size envelope. Don't fold your resume into many parts before squeezing it into a small envelope. This same engineer in point 1 did that. The resume looks like giam chye.

 

3. If you are attaching a photo, use a nicely done one. Not one with you unshaven and in an unironed shirt or t-shirt. This same enginner in point 1 did that.

 

4. What I noted for some overseas candidates likes to write long long cover letters and resumes. Machiam reading short story. Yawnzzzz. By the time I finished reading, I have lost focus already.

 

5. Same for some overseas candidates, they like to bring up names as to who freaking "big shot" they once reported to in US, Europe (blah blah blah) and who they know. I am not impressed by these as it shows nothing of their capability except perhaps string pulling. So out the window it goes too.

Edited July 30, 2009 by Kxbc

[Soya]

better avoid standing below ur window. killer litter.

[Sony]

Different jobs will require diff resume formats. When you are at different life stage, the style changes as well. I am not in HR but I have helped gone through many resumes sent in for interviews. What I have discarded:

 

1. Don't handwrite your resume and cover letter, esp if your handwritting sucks. Don't laugh. I have received one such letter like that for an engineer position. And out the window it goes.

 

2. Send in your resume in an A4 size envelope. Don't fold your resume into many parts before squeezing it into a small envelope. This same engineer in point 1 did that. The resume looks like giam chye.

 

3. If you are attaching a photo, use a nicely done one. Not one with you unshaven and in an unironed shirt or t-shirt. This same enginner in point 1 did that.

 

4. What I noted for some overseas candidates likes to write long long cover letters and resumes. Machiam reading short story. Yawnzzzz. By the time I finished reading, I have lost focus already.

 

5. Same for some overseas candidates, they like to bring up names as to who freaking "big shot" they once reported to in US, Europe (blah blah blah) and who they know. I am not impressed by these as it shows nothing of their capability except perhaps string pulling. So out the window it goes too.

 

hope you shred instead of throw..

 

and usually if one get it wrong, everything will be wrong, thus you find all the fault on one guy

 

[Ah_tee]

I certtainly agree that a good written Cover Letter is a must, to me as a recuriting manager, the cover letter tell a lot about each individual. In fact, if there is no cover letter that comes with the resume, it usually goes right down the list.

 

 

this is really interesting,cos i beg to differ

 

in the recent years of application , i actually took out the cover letter.

 

back then when i was a rookie, i need the cover letter to hardsell myself, of course everytime i read the letter the more disgust i am , because basically its all sales talk and it looks really fake, i am a honest person.

 

i suppose as ur experience grows and you clock ur profile, pple would want to look at what you have done in the past, what are you doing now.

 

 

for me as i am in the construction line, the past projects profile is very important, i mean rather than writing 1 page of cover letter of myself,

 

i rather focus the first page on the project profile

 

when i interview ppel, i cant be bothered to read the cover letter, cos i think it be all BS and sales talk

 

 

what i want to see, rather than a cover letter full of BS are things like

 

1) Construction of Esplanade, Theatres by the Bay, contract sum xxxx million

 

2) Implementation of xxxx system in Changi Airport Terminal 3, xxxxx million

 

 

i think easily a few lines in point form will outsell a 150 word 1 page essay.

 

with just a few points, i can immediately judge this candidate

 

infact to tell you the truth, i only look at

 

1) age

 

2) exp

 

3) expected salary

 

rest of personality, overall presentation , spoken can only be verified during interview.

Edited July 30, 2009 by Ah_tee

[Darth_mel]

The best cover letters I've read are those of foreign trash indians and pinoys.

Short of making good coffee, they can practically do anything to a T.

 

Perfect lies for the perfect job.

[Freestylers09]

cover letter important to add into resume?

 

i had no cover letter...always call up,think coz of my cv and testimonials....but didnt get in..maybe interview skill not good..LOL

 

till now..what interviewers really want?i got into my current job quite easy ..never talk much in interview also..but lately called up for few but usually 2nd cant get in..usually i got into is 1 interview kind..easier..LOL

 

 

[Darth_mel]

Cover letter is very crucial in gahmen jobs.

 

Because that is also your cover-your-a$$ letter.

[Watwheels]

I wonder what your own resume looks like?

 

"One of my most important job of the day: Throw resumes out of the window."

 

 

As you know this submitting of resume, in sg coys there is no feedback to the candidate and he/she have to wonder why he/she is not selected. I think some coys in the West they will feedback to candidates as to why wasn't they selected. They can improve on themselves.

So the poor chap you had mentioned he has no clue...at all or perhaps he skip lesson on how to write resume.

 

You sit on the judging end. Of course it's easy job for you. One thing I wonder, if a real talented & experience person wants to work at a certain coy but suck at resume writing, will ppl look at what he has to give or out the window after the first sentence?

[Darth_mel]

I agree with the above.

 

Local companies here simply lack the basic courtesy of even sending a rejection email.

 

And I have my fair share of f**ked-up interviewers.

Edited July 30, 2009 by Darth_mel

[Ithunk]

there is no perfect resume IMO....

[Watwheels]

I agree with the above.

 

Local companies here simply lack the basic courtesy of even sending a rejection email.

 

And I have my fair share of f**ked-up interviewers.

Share leh. I know some coys have really bad attitude interviewers as though they are smth else. I recall a friend told me the boss actually did the interview. He said the bugger talked like he was above the rest and my friend and other interviewees are describe until like low lifes.

[Ace]

I think cover letter is not really a must have but rather a nice to have. But if there is no cover letter you will probably need a one to two paragraph to summarize the history of your career and job history.

But then it may also depend on which industry you are in. I am in IT, most job are through recruitement agency who do nothing but beautify and add the recruitement agency letterhead to your resume and send it to customer. Ironically, I have been to many interviews arrange by them but never got the job except for one contract job offer which i reject maybe they just want me to make up the number of interviewees

 

[Watwheels]

I recall during my Industrial Attachment long time ago. The HR girls in that company did the worst of the worst. At that time they were hiring some fresh grad engineer, there was only one position. A few came for interview. One of the HR girls were talking out loud about this cute guy who came for interview.

 

After the interview thing was done one of the girls who is in charge of submitting their interview documents for finalising shouted(with lots of joy) to her colleague that she threw away the other interviewees document and only submitted the cute guy's one. My IA mates and myself were shocked when we heard that and we feel so damn transparent. That HR girl was really desperate. Desperate until to the point of no shame.

 

Writing a good resume is one thing, you still need some luck. If you are ugly...good luck to you.

Edited July 30, 2009 by Watwheels

[Ithunk]

ya its true....

[Ithunk]

anyway its not just good looks....there are also other factors....getting a job is one thing staying in a job is another