The Gamer's Quarter

[dessgeega]

so i'm applying for this position that, frankly, i don't think i'm going to get. but there are other new positions opening at this place, and i'd like them to have my resume on file.

the thing is i havn't put together a resume in a long time, and i barely understand what one is supposed to look like, comprise, smell like, etc. it's the kind of resume you email, so it probably shouldn't smell like much.

in this thread, give me tips, point me to resources, or alternately find my prospective employers and beat them up until they offer me a position without needing to look at a resume.
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[Swimmy]

My advice is to find a resumé template for Word on the internets and follow the outline, then make changes or reorder it as you see fit.
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"Ayn Rand fans are the old school version of Xenogears fanboys."
-seryogin

[Shapermc]

I also recommend using proper capitalization
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“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

[wourme]

Depending on the company, you might try to be sure that your resume is scannable.

Also, if it's a job with computers, try to find out what programs you'll be expected to use. If possible, download trial versions and become at least very basically familiar with them so that you can mention them on your resume (or in interviews). I understand that this can help a lot even if the programs are something you could pick up in no time after starting the job.

[dessgeega]

[dhex]

find a resume from someone in the same field and copy their format.

if you have a lot of freelance, pick the biggest names first and offer to present a CV if required.
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[dessgeega]

cv?
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[ryan]

curriculum vitae, same thing as a resume, from my understanding

well, here we go: "In North America, where the terms are also commonly used interchangeably, a résumé is generally used for seeking employment in the private sector, whereas a curriculum vitae (also called vita) is more often used to seek positions in academic or educational environments."
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Come to me, Mordel. We shall depart.

[dizzyjosh]

stealing formatting really isn't a bad idea. i can dig up a good one if you need it.

the big difference between CV and resume (other than the academic/prof. distinction) is that a CV has a record of everything you've done, as opposed to a resume, which is just the highlights.

depending on the field and yr qualifications, you may want to keep it to a single page. i think that's the popular style these days.

[Scratchmonkey]

Speaking from the tech industry side of things, keeping it on a single page is a must and trying to be creative with it is usually a no-no unless you can really make a good case for it -- for example I know somebody who sent their resume in on paper that they'd made themselves (which was good enough to be used professionally) and that went over well.

The way I do it is:

Contact information, in a slightly bigger font and/or bolded, centered

3 most recent job positions, with title, short description of your duties and contact information for your old bosses.

Relevant skills/Life experiences. I regularly put "financial manager for student co-op of 25 people for 9 months" on my resumes because it's a good conversation starter and I think it's a good advertisement for "people skills". I also put shit like knowing how to use Office and familiarity with UNIX and that sort of shite there.

I used to put 3 references at the bottom of the sheet; however, the above sections have gotten longer and supposedly it's better to have a separate sheet with some references on it and some notation as to who they are, then have "References available upon request" at the bottom of the actual resume.

Good luck. Looking for work sucks.

[dessgeega]

well, i know who i'm sending this resume to, so i can list fairly specific skills. i may list my co-op experience.

i'm going to attempt to write this today. good luck!
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[dessgeega]

so okay, i put a basic resume together. i actually used seryogin's, which is a neat single-page dealie. i just cut out his information and put my own in. i couldn't find a real template!

here's a question: citing my freelance work for the escapist, what would i call myself? "guest writer"?

also is listing my blog (under "other writing") acceptable? i write about videogames on it on a regular basis, so it seems relevant (to an application for a videogames journalism position).

i also need to try and find my college transcript, so i can list courses like magazine editing and shit i've taken.
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[dhex]

[DaleNixon]

Man I hope I just keep my current job forever!
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[dhex]

[dessgeega]

[dhex]

no a few samples for each category is cool.

i mean i don't see a lot of freelance resumes these days for writers but i do see a few when we need to hire folk.

some of the text is wanky but the examples may be very helpful.
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[dessgeega]

thanks dhex.

okay, a couple more questions: this one's kind of silly, but it's okay for me to list my college experience even though i dropped out, right? i listed my major(s) but not a degree, since i don't have one.

i did, though, discreetly shift the date of my leaving from october to the previous may. is this shady and / or will come back to get me when i least expect it?

also i listed "game development - self-employed / independent" under my professional experience. it seems relevent and i've been doing it for a long time so it looks good but i don't have a lot to show for it so it's just there, two lines. should i leave it in or drop it?

i am going to write a cover letter about my passion for a new kind of games journalism etc. i havn't written one of these in a while, but i should be able to get out a paragraph or two about something i am crazy passionate about.
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[Shapermc]

[DaleNixon]

This one is for my wife! What is the Gamer's Quarter's opinion on cover letters? Also, how about formatting in a cover letter. We're not sure exactly where your street address should go (or if it should even be on the cover letter). Also, is "To Whom It May Concern" outdated these days?
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[dessgeega]

i just wrote a pretty hot, but short, cover letter. it's as long as i feel the need to make it, at any rate. i'm going to try and format it so it actually looks nice, though not in such a way that it looks needlessly formatted. i'm using some of the samples in the pdf dhex linked as a guide.

ideally i will have this sent in tomorrow.
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[dhex]

[DaleNixon]

There is no contact listed in the ad. All we have is the Corporation's name. Perhaps "Dear Employer"?
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[ApM]

It has been my experience that people reading cover letters and resumes are more interested in you swiftly telling them how awesome your are for their company than whether you address them by name. Perhaps if they are faceless behemoths that get a million resumes a day, they might begin to sort cover letters by font size or whatever. Try to avoid faceless behemoths. Be really interested in what they do specifically. I totally got my dream job a year ago with an excellent cover letter that started "To Whom It May Concern."

If all else fails, copy one of these.

[dessgeega]

i just wrote "dear [magazine]".

anyway i just sent this in! hopefully it gets me some kind of work with a steady income!

so, thanks everyone. if the internet is a giant spacebrain, then the gamer's quarter is the part of the giant spacebrain that helps me write resumes. a very special thanks goes to seryogin, whose snappy one-page resume layout i stole for my own application.
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[FortNinety]

So... you get the job? I have some general advice on building a resume that's really worked for me.

[dessgeega]

as far as i know, they havn't made a decision yet.

i never expected to get the job i actually applied for; there are supposedly new positions opening up soon, and i want them to have my resume on file when it comes time to fill those.
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[simplicio]

don't forget to be a nag about it! keep calling back to ask how things are going with the open position(s) and all.

[Shapermc]

[FortNinety]

You know, it really does go to show how varied the process of getting the job is, depending on where you live. It also depends on the kind of job of course.

First off, from my experience and others, in NYC, at least when it comes to artist type jobs, there’s a definite downside to being too persistent. This holds mostly true to small companies… if you come off as too eager or annoying, they just may not want to deal with you.

Also, I recall someone saying that you should have your resume following various guidelines. Again I have to disagree, though once more, if you are applying for a art-related job in a major city. What’s most important is to have a resume that sticks out from the pile, something that makes the prospective boss go “hey, this is different.” Because if you have a “properly formatted resume” well, congratulations, so does like hundreds of other folks out there.

But most importantly, again is for a creative-type job, its key to show off one’s personality in the resume (mostly in the cover letter… those are super important too… but it needs to be in the resume as well). After-all, most folks have similar skill sets, and employers know this, so they want someone they will want to work with.