I just had an interview a few weeks back. Towards the bottom of the ad, it said "outside interests/organizations." What organizations can I join? I'm about out of school now, so it may be too late for that. Man, I wish I had been more active in my younger years. It's now coming back to haunt me. Can I volunteer or join the Asian Chamber of Commerce or something?
At my old school I seem to remember that political organizations were easy to join (college republicans/democrats). It may be the same at your school. Any organization should help but keep in mind that you may be asked about the scope of your envolvement in an interview. An approach that I found useful was activities through association. Are / Were you a member of another organization that was asccociated with in any local community service?
personally, i'm not in any organizations. so i would just list my outside interests. i'm sure you've got plenty to list. by the way, i love your sig. i can't get over that Bushism.
Avoid 'outside interests' that cast you as a loner or a nutcase. Avoid: my gun collection. black belt in karate. Add: group sports are good. community service is good. This is the least important aspect of your resume, so don't sweat it too much.
Aren't there any Advertising clubs in the area you could join... like Austin Ad Fed: http://www.austinadfed.com/ It costs $125 per year to join as an individual, but my understanding is that it's worth the price (if only for the networking opportunities). I am assuming that you wanted an Advertising-related something or other.... and that you weren't already in AdFed.
you haven't found the right company! my old boss used to brew his own beer at home. he loved to talk about beers and beer brewing all the time!
What looks good on a resume?? As someone who hires, I can tell you that a fine ass looks good sitting on a resume on my desk.
Unless of course you were a volunteer for BBBS (Big Brothers/Big Sisters). I have been a volunteer for a little over 6 months and its quite rewarding....
Community work is great (especially if there is any ties to the interviewer): Community associations BBBS (as mentioned) Make a Wish All show you care about others and are invaluable on a resume, IMO.
The Downtown Houston Association is a nice group to belong to. They do a variety of social/community events and it is a good networking opportunity. They are having a happy hour this afternoon/evening from 5:30 - 8:00 at Logan's on Main (corner of Main and Capitol). I'll be there, so all you closet Trader_Jorge fans are welcomed to stop by.
Also... Don't underestimate the cover letter or the 'objectives/goals' if you list them at the top of your resume. If these look good and are consistent with a good interview, it would compensate for almost any deficiency on the rest of the resume.
That's an excellent one. There's also Little Brothers/Sisters: Friends of the Elderly, where volunteers spend time with isolated elderly people. Ultimately, I agree with Cohen though. Put some strong goals up top, and relate them to the posted position, IMO.
I helped found a small non-profit theatre. Volunteering for any little non-profit in the town you are in is great and not too much effort is needed. Vounteers for us take tickets before the show, find props, drink free beer and then see a free show - you just have to know where to look.
List any volunteer or professional organizations you belong to, or participated in in college. I've heard to always put Eagle Scout if you are one. I'd avoid putting hobbies/interest down unless they were related to a volunteer organization. You are better off leaving it blank. If you are worried about it, join something with a low time/money commitment like the Downtown Houston Association. If you list I enjoy swimming, reading books, and interneting, it will look like you are just putting something down. I'd also avoid pre-college organizations, unless it's something that really stands out, or directly applies to the job. National Merit Scholar or Jr. MENSA would be OK. Band, football team, chess club, etc. are out. Be sure you are tayloring your resume and cover letter to the job -- it's OK to have a half dozen different versions. If you are applying to a marketing position -- stress your marketing activities, etc. Also, address anything they put in the job posting -- it's there for a reason, and you want to show you meet their criteria, or if you miss a few, why you are qualified anyway. Also remember that follow up is what brings your resume to the top of the stack. Thanks to the internet age, companies recieve thousands of resumes. If you call and talk to the recruiter or hiring manager, they'll be forced to actually look at yours. Otherwise, they'll have to through the stack and thin it out using some arbitrary criteria (experince, # years worked, toss those with employement gaps, etc.). When I hire, I pull applications with the best qualifications -- and if you just graduated, it won't be you, because job experience usually gets the nod. But, I'll also pull resumes for anyone referred by a current worker, and anyone who actually takes the effort to call me (politely) -- and give them a look as well. If those meet the minimum criteria, they'll pretty much always get an interview. Beyond that, check spelling, etc. Make sure it looks good, and makes sense. Make it interesting. You'll be amazed at the crap people submit for resumes. If you get a "sorry, someone else is more qualified" letter, it's OK to call and ask what you can do in the future to put yourself in a better position to get a job. Again -- you force them to read your resume and remember you. Remember also that the sole purpose of the resume is to get an interview. A resume won't get you a job. Make them want to find out more. Don't includ too many details in your resume, and save a few interesting, job related, things to tell them in the interview.
gr8-1 - By chance were you ever in a scholastic honor society or did you play in the school band? Those might be worthwhile. I used to be reluctant to mention playing in R&B/Rock bands but that's not a big deal in Austin. I don't want to change the subject but if anyone has a comment about one page versus two page resumes, it would be appreciated. (I've been out of college for awhile ).
Conventional wisdom says 1 page best, 2 page max, but I don't really agree. The important thing is to have the relavant information on it, and organized well so that the person reviewing it can find it quickly. I like the two page resumes -- if someone has information to put on it. In fact, I don't mind a 2+ page resume, or one with attachments, provided it's well organized. Just be careful that it doesn't look like you are attaching a bunch of crap. HR people are the ones who say the short resume is the best -- but usually, HR recruiters screen applicants based on the criteria given to them. They want to find info quickly, and don't care about the details. But then they forward it to the hiring manager. When I recruit for a position, I'll get a big stack of resumes from HR. I really don't care how long they are, or how many attachments. I'll screen for my requirements, including excluding those with irrellant job experience. Then I want to look at some the details to find the best applicants for interviews. A listing for a former job that says "Receptionist" is not helpful. What were your responsiblilties? What special projects did you do. With the hiring manager, you what to stand out to get an interview, and give them something to ask you about once you are at the interview.
