I Hate Applying For Jobs
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Slacker007 wrote:
I have found that keeping it simple and straight forward with little "pimping" is the way to go. The resume and cover letter should sell you without "selling" you...if that makes any sense.
They are by definition pimping, selling yourself and going on about how good you are. Just so opposite of the Aussie way, at least from the 70's and 80's that I grew up in.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Michael Martin wrote:
and going on about how good you are.
This is where I think you and I obviously differ on our resumes and cover letters. I don't tell them how good I am. I tell them what I am capable of and never mention that I am any good. I have never lied on my resume or cover letter. My lack of interview count in the past was a result of this...good and bad. The job I have now is the best job I have ever had in this industry. I did nothing different with my resume or cover letter then I have done in the past. They hired me because I told them what I could do and what I could not do.
----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------
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Agreed: short and to the point works well.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me
digital man wrote:
Agreed: short and to the point works well.
To apply, please email your resume together with a cover letter addressing four of the Institute’s core competencies. Under each competency heading choose two bullet points to address providing an example of when you have demonstrated that capability in the workplace. Maximum of 1 a page per competency heading. Wish I could make it short.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Tarting up the resume in the hope of getting to the interview is bad enough, but having to pimp yourself via a cover letter to get the resume read in the first place sucks arse big time. The creation of the cover letter is killing me at the moment.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
I try to keep them as short as possible. For a technical position I don't really see the need to sound like an insurance salesman. If it's an email I cram as much relevant information in the subject as possible (degree, experience and the position you're applying to). My letters basically look like this: Dear mister pointy hair, In the first paragraph I introduce myself by summing up some points why I like to work for your company, to show that I know what kind of projects you guys do, that I have realistic expectations and that I didn't just copy/paste the letter. If you can relate the things you're currently doing (previous projects, hobbies etc...) with what they are doing, here's the place to do so. Second paragraph I ask if you would like to look at my resume for more detailed information and please invite me for an interview. It's a big 'duh' but apparently it's polite. I may or may not be working somewhere else, if so I mention that here too (if you say that right away in the first paragraph he may get the impression you just want to quit your current job). Kindest regards, Name phonenumber I also put my resume on my dropbox and put some hyperlinks in the letter, rather than using attachments.
Giraffes are not real.
modified on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 9:41 AM
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Michael Martin wrote:
and going on about how good you are.
This is where I think you and I obviously differ on our resumes and cover letters. I don't tell them how good I am. I tell them what I am capable of and never mention that I am any good. I have never lied on my resume or cover letter. My lack of interview count in the past was a result of this...good and bad. The job I have now is the best job I have ever had in this industry. I did nothing different with my resume or cover letter then I have done in the past. They hired me because I told them what I could do and what I could not do.
----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------
Slacker007 wrote:
This is where I think you and I obviously differ on our resumes and cover letters. I don't tell them how good I am. I tell them what I am capable of and never mention that I am any good. I have never lied on my resume or cover letter. My lack of interview count in the past was a result of this...good and bad.
Nope, you are still listing what you can do and what you have done, this is going on about how good you are and just sounds crap in my head when I read my and almost every other resume I have seen.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Tarting up the resume in the hope of getting to the interview is bad enough, but having to pimp yourself via a cover letter to get the resume read in the first place sucks arse big time. The creation of the cover letter is killing me at the moment.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
I do the cover letter and resume (unless they specify no cover letter), and if I get an interview, I send an email thanking the interviewers for their time. For my current job, I was one of three equally qualified candidates they were considering, and the fact that I sent a thank you note got me the job.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997 -
Let's hope you will get your job soon then... :rose:
[www.tamelectromecanica.com] Robots, CNC and PLC machines for grinding and polishing.
Joan Murt wrote:
Let's hope you will get your job soon then... [Rose]
Me too, just got to finish this cover letter, needs to be in by Midnight Thursday and I can't do any work on it tomorrow night, big footy match on and loyts of beer in the fridge to be drunk.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Slacker007 wrote:
This is where I think you and I obviously differ on our resumes and cover letters. I don't tell them how good I am. I tell them what I am capable of and never mention that I am any good. I have never lied on my resume or cover letter. My lack of interview count in the past was a result of this...good and bad.
Nope, you are still listing what you can do and what you have done, this is going on about how good you are and just sounds crap in my head when I read my and almost every other resume I have seen.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Michael, if you don't have a resume listing what you can and can not do then how do you expect to get hired? If you were hiring someone, would you not want to know what they can do? I guess resumes and cover letters are not an issue with me then - not even a thought in my mind...they never were; you just did them to get work.
----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------
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Tarting up the resume in the hope of getting to the interview is bad enough, but having to pimp yourself via a cover letter to get the resume read in the first place sucks arse big time. The creation of the cover letter is killing me at the moment.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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I try to keep them as short as possible. For a technical position I don't really see the need to sound like an insurance salesman. If it's an email I cram as much relevant information in the subject as possible (degree, experience and the position you're applying to). My letters basically look like this: Dear mister pointy hair, In the first paragraph I introduce myself by summing up some points why I like to work for your company, to show that I know what kind of projects you guys do, that I have realistic expectations and that I didn't just copy/paste the letter. If you can relate the things you're currently doing (previous projects, hobbies etc...) with what they are doing, here's the place to do so. Second paragraph I ask if you would like to look at my resume for more detailed information and please invite me for an interview. It's a big 'duh' but apparently it's polite. I may or may not be working somewhere else, if so I mention that here too (if you say that right away in the first paragraph he may get the impression you just want to quit your current job). Kindest regards, Name phonenumber I also put my resume on my dropbox and put some hyperlinks in the letter, rather than using attachments.
Giraffes are not real.
modified on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 9:41 AM
My second paragraph has to be several paragraphs as they want me to address 4 of the key competencies listed in the job descriptuion and list at least 2 places I have used each. Seems to be more of a wank than normal, but it's based in Canberra, so most positions are either working for government departments or the public service.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Tarting up the resume in the hope of getting to the interview is bad enough, but having to pimp yourself via a cover letter to get the resume read in the first place sucks arse big time. The creation of the cover letter is killing me at the moment.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Why we are still using paper resumes and cover letters at all is beyond me. Especially for tech jobs, it's a waste of resources and quite antithetical. Now, I'm not the person who makes the final decision in my company about who ends up being hired for development positions, but I'm directly involved in the process. Unless it's a seriously seriously shoddy resume, I don't judge at all by the format. If I can't distill the usefulness of a developer regardless of the format chosen, perhaps I shouldn't be involved in the recruitment process to begin with. (It's slightly more complicated in my case, however, since a lot of the resumes are from Indian offshore companies and if I didn't see through the poorly written English I would probably lose my sanity fairly quickly.)
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I do the cover letter and resume (unless they specify no cover letter), and if I get an interview, I send an email thanking the interviewers for their time. For my current job, I was one of three equally qualified candidates they were considering, and the fact that I sent a thank you note got me the job.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997common sense usually wins every time.
----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------
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Michael, if you don't have a resume listing what you can and can not do then how do you expect to get hired? If you were hiring someone, would you not want to know what they can do? I guess resumes and cover letters are not an issue with me then - not even a thought in my mind...they never were; you just did them to get work.
----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------
Slacker007 wrote:
Michael, if you don't have a resume listing what you can and can not do then how do you expect to get hired? If you were hiring someone, would you not want to know what they can do?
I guess resumes and cover letters are not an issue with me then - not even a thought in my mind...they never were; you just did them to get work.Got the resume, that's not an issue, it's the cover letter I'm specifically hating at the moment, pretty sure I mentioned that in the original post, but at this point not willing to bet money on that until I re-read it.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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I do the cover letter and resume (unless they specify no cover letter), and if I get an interview, I send an email thanking the interviewers for their time. For my current job, I was one of three equally qualified candidates they were considering, and the fact that I sent a thank you note got me the job.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I do the cover letter and resume (unless they specify no cover letter), and if I get an interview, I send an email thanking the interviewers for their time. For my current job, I was one of three euqlually qualified candidates they were considering, and the fact that I sent a thank you note got me the job.
I'll take that onboard and use it if I get to the interview stage.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Tarting up the resume in the hope of getting to the interview is bad enough, but having to pimp yourself via a cover letter to get the resume read in the first place sucks arse big time. The creation of the cover letter is killing me at the moment.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Sometime in the next few months, I'll have to apply for....my current job. :laugh: They're reorganizing everything and we all need to reapply because we'll be working for a different hierarchy within the org. No cover letter, though. :cool:
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. My Mu[sic] My Films My Windows Programs, etc.
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I do the cover letter and resume (unless they specify no cover letter), and if I get an interview, I send an email thanking the interviewers for their time. For my current job, I was one of three equally qualified candidates they were considering, and the fact that I sent a thank you note got me the job.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997That advice is gold! Also, when applying for several jobs at the same time, let them know when you already found an other job so they can throw you out of the selection procedure. It's very annoying to pick a candidate, call him and then find out he's already working somewhere else. It's a small world...
Giraffes are not real.
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I do the cover letter and resume (unless they specify no cover letter), and if I get an interview, I send an email thanking the interviewers for their time. For my current job, I was one of three equally qualified candidates they were considering, and the fact that I sent a thank you note got me the job.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997same thing happened to me, a couple jobs back. i was the only one to send a thank you, and the manager said that's what got me the job. of course i wouldn't have sent that thank-you note if my wife wasn't a recruiter and didn't insist that i do it. but, she was right!
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Tarting up the resume in the hope of getting to the interview is bad enough, but having to pimp yourself via a cover letter to get the resume read in the first place sucks arse big time. The creation of the cover letter is killing me at the moment.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Slacker007 wrote:
Michael, if you don't have a resume listing what you can and can not do then how do you expect to get hired? If you were hiring someone, would you not want to know what they can do?
I guess resumes and cover letters are not an issue with me then - not even a thought in my mind...they never were; you just did them to get work.Got the resume, that's not an issue, it's the cover letter I'm specifically hating at the moment, pretty sure I mentioned that in the original post, but at this point not willing to bet money on that until I re-read it.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Michael Martin wrote:
pretty sure I mentioned that in the original post
You did. Every job I have ever interviewed for required a cover letter with the resume. To me they are one in the same. What kind of job are you applying for?
----------------------------- Just along for the ride. -----------------------------
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That advice is gold! Also, when applying for several jobs at the same time, let them know when you already found an other job so they can throw you out of the selection procedure. It's very annoying to pick a candidate, call him and then find out he's already working somewhere else. It's a small world...
Giraffes are not real.
It's also annoying to be told that you have a job, and that it will take two weeks to get final approval. three months later I get a call from the guy(this is after all calls/emails from my career center staff were ignored for almost two months. It was an interview set up through school) and he wants to get pissy with me because I took a job elsewhere.... :laugh:
Programming is a race between programmers trying to build bigger and better idiot proof programs, and the universe trying to build bigger and better idiots, so far... the universe is winning. A crisis on your part does not constitute one on mine.
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Sometime in the next few months, I'll have to apply for....my current job. :laugh: They're reorganizing everything and we all need to reapply because we'll be working for a different hierarchy within the org. No cover letter, though. :cool:
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. My Mu[sic] My Films My Windows Programs, etc.
What if you don't get it because somebody didn't like your resume??? :doh:
Programming is a race between programmers trying to build bigger and better idiot proof programs, and the universe trying to build bigger and better idiots, so far... the universe is winning. A crisis on your part does not constitute one on mine.
