I personally found Chapter 15: Starting Your Career, helpful in techniques and methods to tailoring a stronger resume. The chapter goes into detail about the different styles of resumes, layout design, job search engines and how to construct an application letter. Although at points the chapters describe common sense material, most of the information was applicable.
The different styles of resumes include an Archival resume and a Function resume. Based on my experience I have a resume organized similar to the Archival style. I learn from Chapter 15, my career objective that I had written was actually to narrow and needs to be adjusted to make myself more marketable. Showcasing your job experience is tough for some people, like me, who lack job experience. I thought the chapter did an excellent job of providing strategies to overcoming this dilemma.
I have a major in Computer Graphics Technology with two minors in Computer Information Technology and Art &Design. Since I will be applying to DreamWorks and Rhythm &Hues Studio, I will emphasize my animation video and related animation classes. I have a nasty habit of having a template resume for every job. Paying attention to my primary and secondary audience will get me closer to potentially landing that interview.
In the growing age of technology, applying for jobs have never been better and easier to do. Having the ability to find new jobs online using job search engines is a useful tool. I was unaware of this growing technology of scanning resumes by companies. This strategy does make sense now thinking about how powerful this method can be for any company. I will be replacing words and font setting to make my resume more searchable. In some ways, I feel the online job searching has made it more difficult in finding a job. I always found applying face to face to an employer more successful than applying online.
Face to Face v. Online
I definitely agree with you about applying face to face versus applying online. Even though a recruiter at a job fair might only spend a few minutes talking to you, there is still a chance of developing a connection and put a name with a face. Talking to someone from HR would allow even more of an opportunity to develop a connection with someone who has actual hiring power (or at least more than a recruiter). That's one of the biggest reasons I haven't really submitted a resume to a general job searching website. I'm literally just a number and some words and I just feel like that that face to face time is way more important than just getting my name out. Who knows maybe my thoughts will change when I actually have to go out and get a job.
Andy
Multiple Resumes
After reading the chapter I had very similar feelings about it. Just as you stated some of the content was common sense. Despite this however, there was plenty of good information that was not as obvious. In particular, I too found the fact that separate resumes should be made for being scanned. In the past, I had always done my best to make my resumes stand out and catch the attention of recruiters even if I knew they were going to scan them. It turns out what I should have been doing is having a second resume available that was a more plain and generic style. If feel that this insight will definitely be valuable in the future.
Ben
Reply
I agree with you and Andy when you say that face-to-face time is more important than just submitting your resume to some website and hoping for the best. But I realized that by submitting your resume to one or more of these sites is somewhat of a stepping stone. These sites help you to become recognizable to a company that you would like to work for. It is sort of an attention getter. By getting your name out there you increase your chances of getting that vital face-to-face time with a recruiter. I don’t think many companies hire straight off of those websites anyways.