Resume - Limited experience in field.

[Rathji]

I most certainly will be looking for work as a System Admin and I agree that for any entry or mid level position that I would be qualified for, my degree won't mean a whole lot when it boils down to it.

Also, Captain, sending you a PM shortly

[Kjesse]

Hey Rathji,

I have no doubt your current employer thinks you're a rock star, you're always giving helpful input with technical issues on this board and in Minecraft It shows you really like solving problems even if that problem is not yours.

You haven't posted in this thread what your degree is in, I think its computer science, but it would help to know what your degree focus is. I was a little surprised with your comment that your degree doesn't necessarily relate to your job aspirations... as I don't think it matters as long as it ties into technical knowledge.

A degree gives you credibility, and makes climbing the ladder in your profession easier, whether or not the degree gives you any actual useful knowledge. The people who will be looking at your resume, in turn report to their bosses, and hiring someone with a degree looks better for them.

So, I'd say make your degree prominent in your resume, right at the top. Work experience is secondary since you are a recent graduate. Also, many employers prefer the older graduate with family responsibilities and a mortgage, as compared to the 22 year old fresh out of school with much more life learning ahead of them. You are a safer bet for a serious employer.

I've looked at, literally, thousands of resumes, as I would receive about 200 per year and interviewed about 40 candidates from there. If you'd take up my offer to review your resume, I'd be glad to return the favour for all the technical support you've provided over the years

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Delgar

You haven't posted in this thread what your degree is in, I think its computer science, but it would help to know what your degree focus is. I was a little surprised with your comment that your degree doesn't necessarily relate to your job aspirations... as I don't think it matters as long as it ties into technical knowledge.

A degree gives you credibility, and makes climbing the ladder in your profession easier, whether or not the degree gives you any actual useful knowledge. The people who will be looking at your resume, in turn report to their bosses, and hiring someone with a degree looks better for them.

I really just mean that my degree doesn't relate to what I would likely be doing as an entry level server admin, any more than any other generic 'technical post secondary education' would, especially in regards to doing the immediate job at hand.

The fact that I have the degree could be a factor to set me apart within a group of candidates though, especially, like you said, if I was moving up the ladder. If for no other reason than the understanding a degree gives you over the entire field is a lot more than it could be compared to someone who has simply hacked their way though X, Y & Z certifications.

[Kjesse]

Good resume Rathji, I emailed you some suggestions. Best of luck securing your next position.

[CaptainCrunch]

Still working through it Rathji, I had to take care of some stuff today, I will get it back to you tomorrow.

[Mr.Coffee]

agree with listing Achievements... I basically just decided to start rattling off achievements in a new section in my resume and then all of a sudden it was like a ticket to interview.

People really seem to like that (at least for me they do). I think it works well in a professional setting to set you apart from the others. I just listed several of mine in bullet point, it helps to supplement the experience portion- and there is a difference there because with achievements you can get specific. Brief, but specific.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I really just mean that my degree doesn't relate to what I would likely be doing as an entry level server admin, any more than any other generic 'technical post secondary education' would, especially in regards to doing the immediate job at hand.

The fact that I have the degree could be a factor to set me apart within a group of candidates though, especially, like you said, if I was moving up the ladder. If for no other reason than the understanding a degree gives you over the entire field is a lot more than it could be compared to someone who has simply hacked their way though X, Y & Z certifications.

The reason I mentioned that the degree is not that important is that you probably know as well as I do in this field that what is looked at more is job experience and certifications. I certainly put those first on my resume and my university degree is buried in the back of my own resume. It does help you stand out however when they are judging multiple candidates (as many in this industry do not have university degrees) but what you want is your resume to stick out in the pile.

To that effect, an effective method (in my opinion) and the way I do it is to list your professional qualification/designation after your name (Rathji B.A., B.Sc. P.Eng, etc.) at the very top of your resume, then after that list your field experience and certifications. They can see right away, you have attained higher education but they can also see that you are also experienced in the relevant field or have certifications in the relevant field. If they are curious as to what your degree is in, they can look further down if they so choose and the side effect is that they take a longer look at your resume once you have hooked them with the nugget beside your name at the top.

[mykalberta]

Also for IT I would start looking on infooil and linkedin - those are the 2 I can think of off the top of my head.

If not those then try a contracting agency.

[Rathji]

I have decided to put off any serious job search until after the holidays, but I do appreciate all the input.

I feel much better about my resume now, and realize that what I thought might show as limited experience isn't really going to hurt me. A few posters have given some great advice about improving it a little and I have taken a few of those tips and am quite happy with what I have going forward.

I have been mostly browsing online stuff, trying to get a feel for whats out there and just dropping the resume for ones that seem good. Just checked out infooil.com and I can see that it might be very useful down the road.

[Sample00]

Rathji,
I havent read through your whole post but when I started to look for employment again after selling our businesses (I was self-employed for 18 years), I contacted this lady...

Joy Cohen, BPA-HS, RSW Career Consultant/Résumé Writer
Tel: (403) 244-8771 Toll Free Canada and US: 1-888-534-5405
Email:joy@everydayjoycohen.ca
Web: http://ineedaresumenow.ca/

I got her name from FirstLady. She did a great job for me and her resume writing helped me secure the first position I applied for.
Very reasonably priced as well.
Just FYI