resume look over

[jennakrebs2]

yeah i have done a mock interview with a friend, and that helped me come up with a few answers to questions that I had like what is your weakness. lol

[ImtheBrilliantest]

Good job running a mock interview. Not many people do that.

As for your resume, I don't see any sort of indication that you did anything besides what you're required to do. Was there anything that you improved or helped with at the company?

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by jennakrebs2

OK here's is my resume, can someone or a few people look at it and comment what needs to be changed or what not please. I am no putting my real address on here because I don't want everyone to know where i live lol!

Jenna Pickett
111 skypes way Manhattan, KS 66502  Home: (000) 000-0000  Email: jennakrebs@ymail.com

OBJECTIVE
I am in the process of planning a relocation to Connecticut as I am graduating in June of 2014. I am available immediately for a telephone interview. To obtain an Office/Clerical position in which my customer service, bookkeeping, personal, clerical and general office skills will contribute to greater office efficiency and productivity

KEY SKILLS
Advanced skills in maintaining paper and online filing systems for records and messages
In-depth knowledge to route and deal out incoming mail such as FedEx, USPS, UPS and email
Hands-on experience to respond letters and email
Progressive skills of operating photocopiers, fax machines, phone systems, and additional office tools
Demonstrated ability to reply and attach files to incoming messages
Proven ability to use computers for word processing, spreadsheet, database management, and other applications
Thorough understanding to complete forms in keeping with company procedures
Proven ability to communicate general information in an accurate and customer-friendly way
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
Dedicated to correctness and strong attention to details
Cutting-edge skills in making pdf files, jpeg files, and attaching them to emails and websites
Innovative skills in computer clipart, cropping/editing pictures
Customary organizational skills as far as setting up calendars for my home, school, and business. (I am a schedule person)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ALORICA (Manhattan KS)  Customer Service Rep, 10/2007 to 06/2010
Answering customer inquiries or passing them on to another department
Giving information and helping to solve problems
Selling products or taking orders
Arranging services for customers, such as booking tickets or setting up insurance policies
Handling complaints and passing them on to a manager if required
Entering customer information onto a computer database
Taking payment for goods or services
Giving refunds.
Make new accounts as well
Care, Clarify, Telegence, Snooper and Phoenix and ECPV, All these systems were used on the call too look up accounts, questions, and making notes.

FARM BUREAU (Manhattan, KS)  Data Entry Clerk, 10/2006 to 10/2007
Used intense computer skills for entering personal details of customers opening new bank accounts, transferring paper-based to online databases, updating client’s insurance information on the online database.
Word, excel, PowerPoint, and lotus notes were used on a daily basis.
ALORICA (Manhattan KS)  Customer Service Rep, 06/2005 to 06/2006
Answering customer enquiries or passing them on to another department
Giving information and helping to solve problems
Selling products or taking orders
Arranging services for customers, such as booking tickets or setting up insurance policies
Handling complaints and passing them on to a manager if required
Entering customer information onto a computer database
Taking payment for goods or services
Giving refunds.
Make new accounts as well
Care, Clarify, Telegence, Snooper and Phoenix and ECPV, All these systems were used on the call too look up accounts, questions, and making notes.

EDUCATION
RASSMUSSEN COLLEGE (ONLINE OUT OF FLORIDA)
Associates Degree for Health Information Technician
2 year degree program, January 2013- Present
ROCK CREEK HIGH SCHOOL (St. George, KS)
Diploma, 2005

REFERENCES
Jennifer Porter-Thomas- 785-844-1283
Jessica Girard-785-219-2031
Nicole Larson-785-477-6569

Thank you very much!

Jenna,

Hello, I just got here, I have been away from this forum for five months...

I don't know how current your post is or if you are still looking and if you still want to have your resume improved.

It seems odd that in this day and age, in three pages of posts only one person made the most important suggestion that will make the difference/that will make your resume competitive:

"...ImtheBrilliantest .....

As for your resume, I don't see any sort of indication that you did anything besides what you're required to do. Was there anything that you improved or helped with at the company? ..."

Everything else that has been noted has been either fluff or bandaids but have not hit on the main issue of what makes a resume competitive.

'ImtheBrilliantest' said it all: your resume indicates that all you did was show up for work each day.

"Selling products or taking orders
Arranging services for customers, such as booking tickets or setting up insurance policies
Handling complaints and passing them on to a manager if required
Entering customer information onto a computer database
Taking payment for goods or services
Giving refunds."

PUH-Leeze! Gag me with a spoon, as they say where I'm from.

You also, I see, refer to efficiency and productivity but do not show examples of same on your resume!

I did not see (I did a quick read, maybe I missed something) anything as per ImtheBrilliantest, that you did anything to improve operations in a way that somewhere, steps in a process were cut down, saving time which saved man/woman hours which in turn can be measured by a percent of change and equals a dollar value.

That's the formula, nowadays, Jenna.

Nowadays, resumes are no longer the 'job description' type as is yours, they are 'accomplishment-oriented'.

(This is way old advice, where have you been?)

Remember, the thing to remember is that your resume needs to stand out from the rest in the same stack.

Yours clearly does not. How is a Hiring Authority (HA) going to select you when you have not shown any reason why you are different/better/best?

From the start, it would have been a good idea to begin your job with an eye for Improvement in Processes. Nowadays it is referred to as Process Improvement.

Did you change anything so that steps were cut down? Did you invent a new way of doing things? A new filing system? A faster way to serve customers? A more efficient way to handle complaints? Did you do anything to increase customer traffic? Did you do anything to make the company/your department more appealing which may have resulted in an increase in customer count/purchases and/or customer loyalty? Did you do anything to increase the compan Branding and/or reputation?

Anything you did that cut down on process steps saved time = saved hours = saved money. Calculate that over a month/year and you have a dollar amount saved. Anything you did to make your company/store/yourself more appealing may have increased customer traffic which led to increased sales, greater profitability.

NOW you have a game.

(If you never did anything to improve processes so as to become more efficient or did anything to increase customer traffic then go back to reading posts here about how you need to change this and change that because otherwise you have no ammunition.)

Now, understand that first, a HA already knows what you did as a customer service person. There is no reason to take up all that [paper] real estate describing the obvious. Your resume, as has been said here, is way, way, too long and talks all about the wrong stuff.

Also, never give your game away. Never discuss yourself to death since that leaves the Resume Reader with no reason to call you. They do not have any questions so they don't need to pick up the phone and that is what a resume is all about, yes? To trigger the RR to become curious to know more and thus they reach for the phone to ask how you did this and how you did that.

You not only leave nothing to the imagination, you don't really say anything that sells.

Now, either you can search the internet for 'accomplishment-oriented' resumes so you can see the difference and/or you can contact me and I will send you a couple.

Remember also that approximate numbers/percentages are better than none. If necessary, go back and ask current managers and/or call past managers, explaining what you are doing ("I'm putting a resume together") and ask them for approximate numbers. You will usually find they will be generous when you ask for percentages of change/increase in dollars saved/earned.

Employers like to see that you changed something that resulted in a percent of change that equates to dollars saved.

People will forgive you for having 'Objective' paragraphs and other non-useful distinctions in your resume as long as you can demonstrate how you decreased waste and increased profitability. Even if only a little since such things show you are a Thinker. From being a thinker can come more responsibilities and promotions, more money, bigger and faster cars and more concerts, LOL!

Now, since everyone is watching, let me say:

At the beginning of a job such as yours, it is best to keep a log and track each day for the first few weeks what you got done each day. After a few weeks you track what you got done each week. After a month or two you continue to keep track weekly and monthly.

Now, when it is time to ask for a raise, you have fresh data as to why you deserve one. Also, obviously, you won't have to scratch your head a year or two later, wondering what you got done that made a difference and what the numbers ("metrics") were.

Take this conversation with you everywhere you go.

You should thank ImBrilliantest since s/he is the one who made the most useful post here.


P.S. Jenna, Objective paragraphs went the same way as the dodo bird. They are no longer used. A 'Profile'/'Professional Profile' is the current way of letting an employer know right off Who and What you are.

Like I said, look around for examples of what I've said here and/or ask me for an example and I'll send you a couple.






Paul

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by jennakrebs2

OBJECTIVE
I am in the process of planning a relocation to Connecticut as I am graduating in June of 2014. I am available immediately for a telephone interview. To obtain an Office/Clerical position in which my customer service, bookkeeping, personal, clerical and general office skills will contribute to greater office efficiency and productivity

KEY SKILLS

Hello,

After re-reading the posts here I see that there were people here who addressed the points I discussed although their responses were, IMO, somewhat as bland as you say your resume reads to you.

So my apologies to the other posters, had I seen a more pointed response I may have felt you all were more satisfactorily addressing the most important issues that need review here.

Mixing and matching text is not going to help, Jenna. Mimicking an ad is not the same as taking an ad and demonstrating how you can go past the ad and achieve more than is described in that ad. You want to avoid what appears to me as what seems to be suggested as a cut and paste mentality. Unless you want to be a drone. In which case, yes, live the ad.

Back to class, a few random thoughts to add to yesterday's post:

Now, I see you use the word 'bland' and I'm glad to see that; it tells me you are not reacting to your own resume in a manner that would suggest you be hired. Because you don't want to be perceived as 'bland'.

The good part here is that you obviously want to improve your self, that is why you are here;

That if you get lucky and have a RR who is intuitive, they will see you are someone who 'tries' your best and wants to win/to do 'good'.

Your naive-reading text can be overlooked if you get lucky and have a RR who can see you would make a good Student, that you are a 'diamond in the rough' and can be brought along to a 'higher level' of performance.

I get that you are seeing yourself as a 'coder'. Okay, that gives some focus to what may need addressing:

You have two choices, you can choose to be seen as a 'geek' type or you can be seen as someone who is not only technically proficient but is also someone who is an effective communicator.

In the former, you are only called forth when someone needs you to show up with your tool box.

In the latter, you are brought forward to 'explain' and/or 'promote' concepts.

In other words, as I hope you are getting, there are those who are technically proficient but cannot interface well with users and there are those who have technical knowledge and can also present to users and those making budget decisions why, for example, a new system needs to be brought into the company.

A technical person fixes things, a communicator can explain successfully why a manager would want to spend big dollars on a system that will make the company's operations run more efficiently which in turn will enable faster, better customer service, for example. From better customer service comes greater market share or, perhaps, a less costly operation.

As you must know by now, technical improvements will enhance a company's reputation for being customer friendly. The Amazon website would be a good example. People want to use systems that make life easier for them.

So how does what you do make users' life easier?

I spoke of metrics- a measured description of how one has improved a situation. Perhaps something you do technically has measurably improved the existing system so users' experience was improved.

There are other ways of describing excellence, ways that do not include those percentages and dollars but are as impacting in their own way.

Regarding Customer Service, for example: do you put people at ease when they have an issue that needs resolution? Do people get from dealing with you that you care and does that successfully compare to the company's reputation for providing excellent customer care?

So, in some cases, it is necessary to make assertions that are not necessarily measurable but if taken at face value, suggest you go out of your way to provide customer care solutions. Use the Internet to research resumes that show this kind of wording.

The issues of changing your 'Objective' paragraph to a 'Profile' paragraph can be addressed by your seeing examples you can find on the 'Net. As I hope I said yesterday, your 'objective' is not an employer's interest; they want to know what you are going to do for them.

Remember what was said by others about not drowning people in words. Keep your resume tight and to the point. What people here said is true- if your resume is not impacting at first glance you will get passed over.

And know that it is necessary to show in a resume you are promotable. That you can [only] do the work is never enough. Even if you only want to do a certain type of job and nothing more can be a problem because you will only be seen as a cog in the wheel, not someone who can 'make things happen'. So you will be treated accordingly. You never want to limit yourself or be considered as limited so pushing out, showing you can do more if only given the opportunity to do so is, IMO, best because more can come from this posture as opposed to only being seen as simply, a 'coder'.

Simply said, if you show excellence in your resume, the RR will transfer that excellence to their own situation, thinking that if you did such a good job where you were/where you are, then you can transfer that type of thinking to their company/their situation.

It is your successes they want to buy, not just your technical skills. Your capacity to achieve excellence is what people seek in a new hire.

P.S. Here is a gimmick you can use to 'test' your resume: After reading a line about yourself, then say to yourself, "...so what..?" This will trigger you to make your assertions/descriptions more complete.




Paul