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View Full Version : Thanks for the critique. What should I expect in the interview???


amerello
May 26th, 2008, 09:33 PM
Job Title: Jr. Technical Support Specialist (Contract)

Responsibilities: We have an opening in our Toronto office’s Information Technical Department for a Jr. Technical Support Specialist (contract until the end of December 2008). Responsibilities include: Local and remote support of our PCs, printers and monitors * Operational duties such as performing daily backups, printing reports, doing inventory and maintaining our computer room * Assist in the support of our local area network * Assist in the administration of our telephone switches * Trouble shooting * Interface and train the end users

Req'd Qualifications: 3rd or 4th year student or recent graduate of Computer Science degree program * working knowledge on upgrading, fixing and maintaining PCs and printers * working knowledge of Windows and IBM iSeries Operating Systems: O/S400, W2K, NT4.0, XP, 98, O/S400 * PC based application systems such as MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, IE and Lotus Notes Mail * Strong commitment to customer service * sound analytical skills * self-motivated and has the ability to work without supervision * insurance and financial experience is an asset * excellent oral and written communication skills * strong organizational skills with ability to work under pressure * good time management skills


AAA AAA
999 Address Road ∙ Toronto, ON M1W 5A5
H (XXX) XXX-XXXX ∙ C (XXX) XXX-XXXX
xxx@xxx.com
__________________________________________________ ___________________

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Highly organized and detail-oriented individual with valuable experience providing technical and administrative support in an office setting
• Dedicated and focused; able to prioritize and complete multiple tasks and follow through to achieve projected goals
• Independent and self-motivated with excellent written and oral communication; able to work with minimal supervision; able to cultivate positive relationships with clients and colleagues at all levels of the organization
• Strong knowledge and experience with Microsoft Windows 2000 & XP, Word, Excel, Outlook, Lotus Notes, Internet Explorer, and computer hardware (printers, scanners, etc.)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

XXX XXX INC., Toronto, ON
Technical and Administrative Assistant, Summer 2001-04

Technical Support & Maintenance
• Helped troubleshoot software and hardware problems in a quick and thorough manner
• Provided system administration and end user support for computer users
• Ensured smooth and seamless functioning of the network (workstations, file servers, etc.)
• Kept all systems up-to-date with scheduled virus inspections, service packs, and hot fixes
• Completed regular backups on all necessary systems
• Conducted extensive Internet research for company needs including software and hardware advancements

Administration & Organization
• Handled calls and promptly forwarded them to the intended recipient
• Created effective filing systems, including quick and thorough indexing, filing and offsite storage, resulting in easy access to critical information and streamlined office functioning
• Developed, formatted, and maintained various databases
• Controlled, recorded, and updated company inventory

Communication & Client Relations
• Wrote correspondence; proofread and edited press releases, legal documents, financial management and other documents to ensure accuracy and consistency
• Contacted customers regarding magazine subscriptions and promotions over the phone
• Promoted magazine periodicals with a group of employees in a public setting
• Arranged a mixture of media, such as pamphlets, brochures, and booklets for public release

VOLUNTEER WORK

XXX XXX DAYCARE CENTRE, Toronto, ON
Assistant to the Supervisor, September-June 2004

• Supervised a group of young toddlers with a team of students; created daily routines and activities; looked after the personal needs of each individual toddler; reported assessments and evaluations back to respective parents

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science (third year student) at Ryerson University

ACHIEVEMENTS

Honours student at XXX High School

FURTHER INTERESTS

• All-around athlete with an intense and competitive passion for team sports that help build and foster team work and verbal communication skills
• Avid computer user with a bright fascination for computer technology
• Eager, enthusiastic, open-minded, and always keen on trying and learning new things

REFERENCES

References available upon request

Phlegmbot
May 27th, 2008, 12:55 PM
Change "Summer 2001-04" to "May - August, 2001-2004"

Move your education section before your volunteer thing. Change

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science (third year student) at Ryerson University


to


EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, 2005 - present
Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University


You can stick your CGPA in if it's greater than 3/4 or equivalent.

In your volunteer section, why do you have everything in one bullet? Break it up into several bullets. If the section is too long, remove one or two of them.

Take off your achievement.

Take off your reference thing. They know to ask if they want them.

I'd remove your summary of qualifications thing. Some of that stuff goes in a cover letter. The rest of the stuff would be better suited in a new Technical Experience section (which would cover all of the programming languages, OSes, etc you're proficient with). Put this section after your Work Experience section.

Change "Conducted extensive Internet research for company needs including software and hardware advancements" to "Conducted research into possible upgrade paths for company software and hardware" or something like that.

fly
May 27th, 2008, 01:18 PM
-Remove the Summary (it adds no value -- who isn't well organized, etc..?). Instead, integrate those into your work experience. eg.
"Help troubleshoot Windows XP/2000 workstation issues"
"Provide Lotus Notes System Administration and end user support".
etc...
-Add Objective -- what job are you applying for? Even if you're going to submit a cover letter, it seldom gets passed around with the resume
-Remove the section title "Volunteer work" and just put the experience with your professional experience. Perhaps change that to just "Experience". You may want to put "(volunteer)" next to the job title, but that's up to you. Many people volunteer as a career, and it comes with roles and responsibilities so it's pretty much a real job!
-Remove Achievements -- High school grades are irrelevant unless you're applying to a job that only requires a high school diploma
-Remove Further Interests -- unless you know they have an intercompany sports team that competes with other companies, all you're saying here is that there's a chance you may get injured playing competitive sports and miss work
-Remove "References available upon request" -- it's redundant. If they want references, they'll ask regardless if you have them available or not

It's okay to have a 1-page resume.

killoverme
May 27th, 2008, 01:19 PM
your technically suppose to write bachelor candidate, i was told. doesnt really matter i think though.

looks pretty good though, tailored to the requirements.

However I'd do this:

Instead of:
XXX XXX INC., Toronto, ON
Technical and Administrative Assistant, Summer 2001-04

Do

Technical and Administrative Assistant
XXX XXX INC., Toronto, ON Summer 2001-2004

for all your professional and volunteer exp

fly
May 27th, 2008, 01:22 PM
Yeah, you can go either way..

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, 2005 - present
Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University

OR

Candidate for Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, June 2009
Department of Computer Science, Ryerson University

As long as it shows you're still in school versus the perception that you've completed.

Phlegmbot
May 27th, 2008, 01:26 PM
Every corporate recruiter I've spoken to has advised against objective statements.

amerello
May 28th, 2008, 07:17 PM
Thank you everyone! Your thoughts and comments were very useful. I made a lot of changes and I must say, the resume looks much cleaner than before. I also got a few of my friends to review it and they thought it was good so I am pleased. I submitted my resume so there is no looking back now ;).

In the event that I get an interview (I feel that I have a very good chance), what kind of questions should I expect? Will there be any tests? I've never been to a tech interview from a big company. My previous work experience was all through a very nice hookup.

:confused:

sannin
May 28th, 2008, 07:32 PM
Thank you everyone! Your thoughts and comments were very useful. I made a lot of changes and I must say, the resume looks much cleaner than before. I also got a few of my friends to review it and they thought it was good so I am pleased. I submitted my resume so there is no looking back now ;).

In the event that I get an interview (I feel that I have a very good chance), what kind of questions should I expect? Will there be any tests? I've never been to a tech interview from a big company. My previous work experience was all through a very nice hookup.

:confused:

care to post the revised version of ur resume?

regarding the interview, just be prepared for the traditional "behavioural questions" but still brush up on the technical details of the job opening.

bmnb4tches
May 30th, 2008, 01:45 AM
Just wondering...

Does this fit on to one page, and if so, what are your font sizes like?

fly
Jun 2nd, 2008, 02:22 PM
Every corporate recruiter I've spoken to has advised against objective statements.

It depends what your objective statement said when you got that response.. If it says you're "looking for a fast-paced challenging job where you can blah blah blah" then I agree it's too generic and adds no value. The objective statement I'm referring to is "seeking the position of XXX (whatever you're applying to) where I can leverage on my XXX skills to blah blah blah.." The latter will tell the person what you're applying for (as oppose to sending a generic resume) and what you bring to the role and why you're the best candidate. The rest of the resume is meant to support the objective statement.

IBOPM
Jun 2nd, 2008, 04:09 PM
I am also against objective statements.

I would also suggest you put down some programming languages since you are a comp sci major, have at least the major ones down (C/C++ and Java). And especially if you've had any experience with networking specs like "familiarity with networking protocols such as: TCP/IP, VPNs, etc..."

Acronyms are your friend.

amerello
Jun 5th, 2008, 12:24 AM
YES! I got an interview.

New thread @ http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6921218#post6921218

And just to answer some of the older questions which I regrettably failed to answer earlier.

care to post the revised version of ur resume?

regarding the interview, just be prepared for the traditional "behavioural questions" but still brush up on the technical details of the job opening.

I don't think it's necessary to post my revised resume now that they've given me an interview. Besides, I did not follow every single suggestion here so I don't want to offend someone or have people asking: "Why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that?"

Just wondering...

Does this fit on to one page, and if so, what are your font sizes like?

1 full page? Definitely not. Total length runs 1 + 2/3 of a page. Everything is in Times New Roman Size 11 except for the subtitles which are Size 12 and bolded.

I know everyone says to cut it down to 1 page max but I think it's bad advice. If you got something important that will boost your chances of getting the job, then put it down, don't limit yourself to a "1 page rule". The 1 page rule should only be in effect for those who have absolutely NO work experience, but if you tons of work experience, there's no way it will fit on 1 page. I'm not saying you should stretch it out to 2-3 pages, I'm just saying don't set silly restrictions. What's most important, in my opinion, is putting the most relevant/significant/enticing info on the first page to captivate the reader because after that they'll probably be falling asleep.

I am also against objective statements.

I would also suggest you put down some programming languages since you are a comp sci major, have at least the major ones down (C/C++ and Java). And especially if you've had any experience with networking specs like "familiarity with networking protocols such as: TCP/IP, VPNs, etc..."

Acronyms are your friend.

Yes I added "experience with Java" in the qualifications even though it is not a job requirement.