Resume review?

Anyone have better bullets/line items for this?

Project Engineer and Designer September 2020 – Present

• Manage conceptual design of products as well as fabrication of systems on production floor

• Develop product improvement plans in design and fabrication processes with an eye towards efficiency in fabrication, materials, and man hours.

• Interface with clients to determine flood prevention and mitigation needs.

• Diagnose and troubleshoot production line issues

• Maintain routine fabrication needs for existing lines as well as determine improvements to processes in order to develop new products.

• Outline testing plans for new product lines in order to meet UL testing standards

• Design new product lines to meet FEMA standards, International Building Code, AASHTO, and other applicable standards.

• Review customer supplied drawings for information necessary to design products. Request additional information as necessary.

Just off the bat, get rid of "what you do" anyone hiring for the position knows what you do. 

Highlight your accomplishments. For example, how did your product plans increase efficiency? Can you quantify it? When you spoke with clients about flood prevention, what plans did you enact/design and how can you prove the efficacy of them?

How did you troubleshoot something on the line and how did you save the company time and money by identifying and handling it yourself vs calling in an outside party. 

Accomplishments > responsibilities. 

I always tailored my resume to the job I was applying for. 

Additionally, it was almost never the most important part of the interview process. I spent a lot of time reaching out to people that worked in the organization I was applying to, doing research on their business model and what challenges the role would face. 

By the time I hit send on the resume they already knew who I was, and I knew a E36 M3load about their business.

I don't know how to attach a PDF, but I found it worth while to pay for a professional.  Though I write Tech Manuals all the time, she did a nice job for ~$200.  Heck, I'd hire me and I know better.

As someone who has had to read some resumes (not a lot), I like it.  It's short and too the point.  As noted, having results when possible is good, but don't get long winded.

I guess one way to look at it is to create information that someone who reads it will want to ask you more about (interview of course) and if you want them to read it, keep it short.

The "wants to ask you more about" is where you can do a lot of work tailoring it to the job.

For me, some of the most useful info in a resume is "reading into it".  That is, not was is actually stated, but what those statements, and maybe the lack of some statements can give you an insight to.  E.g. spelling errors show lack of care in crafting it.  Layout and presentation for a design or training roll (it better be good / effective).  Getting real specific about certain things, maybe shows they don't have a lot to talk about, so the expand what they do have.

Depending on how big the company is you might need the job description with as many buzz words as possible. Where I work they use resume scanning software. I had ONE word on my resume that flagged me as a good candidate. It turns out that one word was a very tiny portion of my experience but it got me an interview.

I agree that having accomplishments on your resume is a good thing though too.  

aircooled said:

E.g. spelling errors show lack of care in crafting it.  Layout and presentation for a design or training roll (it better be good / effective).  Getting real specific about certain things, maybe shows they don't have a lot to talk about, so the expand what they do have.

Sorry, I just found this ironic! 

CAinCA said:

Depending on how big the company is you might need the job description with as many buzz words as possible. Where I work they use resume scanning software. I had ONE word on my resume that flagged me as a good candidate. It turns out that one word was a very tiny portion of my experience but it got me an interview.

 

I agree that having accomplishments on your resume is a good thing though too.  

It's particularly valuable to use buzzwords from the add for the position that you're applying for.  One does however, need to be careful about adding so many that you stop actually saying anything.  For example "Diagnose and troubleshoot production line issues".  Diagnose and troubleshoot are the same thing.

z31maniac said:

Just off the bat, get rid of "what you do" anyone hiring for the position knows what you do. 

.....

Accomplishments > responsibilities. 

Solid.  I've got a couple of those.

To combine a couple thoughts above - I think this is a solid draft, so don't bloat it and ruin it.

I think the idea to add specific examples is good, but not too many. Don't bloat your resume. Add just enough to pique their interest and make them want to ask you question. The goal is to get them to interview you so that you can give them examples then.

z31maniac said:

aircooled said:

E.g. spelling errors show lack of care in crafting it.  Layout and presentation for a design or training roll (it better be good / effective).  Getting real specific about certain things, maybe shows they don't have a lot to talk about, so the expand what they do have.

Sorry, I just found this ironic! 

Me too - but mostly because that was the second one.

It's short and too the point.

Since you were only there 2 years I'd try to emphasize improvements made during that time. Any tangible examples?

If there is other experience beforehand, try to weave a story of growth from job to job. 

Are you organizing your resume by positions, and then bullet points of things you did in those? If so, how many other positions are you doing this for?

For how I structure my resume: I have just a chronological list of education and work experience. Then I have a section with my "Core Strengths and Qualifications". I place 2 or 3 major headings of the core competencies the position requires, then the bullet points below illustrate more specific details of how I demonstrate the core competencies the job needs me to have.

For example, for my resume as a Brewmaster, my major competency sections are:

"Brewery/Distillery Production and Operations Experience" and
"Communication, Training, Sales, Events, and Outreach"

Then I have bullet points drilling down into specifics.

I think this is better than putting bullet points under jobs, because the employer doesn't want to know why you were good at your previous jobs. They want to know why you will be good for *this* job.

In reply to 914Driver :

I used DoMyResume.net and for $150 they pimped it and my Linkedin out nicely.  My linked hits went up 10x after their work.  I had them do three versions of the resume with differential jobs in mind.

I want to do my next resume as a "mind map."

It would be different, and certainly efficient. Hopefully noticed.

But at this point in my career, I will never need a resume again.

84FSP said:

In reply to 914Driver :

I used DoMyResume.net and for $150 they pimped it and my Linkedin out nicely.  My linked hits went up 10x after their work.  I had them do three versions of the resume with differential jobs in mind.

I may have to check this out. Even though I'm a tech writer, I'm not particularly good at the self-aggrandizement needed for a resume.

I got a raise again this year (it's very uncommon to get raises in back-to-back years where I work) so I'm not quite as bummed about the lack of success with applications to other positions.

I have nothing to add about your resume but, the organization I work for needs you:

https://careers.caterpillar.com/en/jobs/?searchTerm=Manufacturing+engineer&country=United+States+of+America&pagesize=20#results

In reply to z31maniac :

Found a woman locally.  Two or three emails, two phone calls and done.

I would look locally.  (I prefer keeping it local). 

914Driver said:

In reply to z31maniac :

Found a woman locally.  Two or three emails, two phone calls and done.

I would look locally.  (I prefer keeping it local). 

Agreed. I always prefer to spend my money locally when I can. 

Money....  how much money did you save your previous employer with these changes in efficiency, production increases, labor reduction etc....  Even the people in HR can understand that.  That will get you in front of the hiring manager who cares about money.  Any business that doesn't care about money goes out of business or is a front for something shady that does make money.  How many people did you manage, train, lead, etc?  How much time did all of this save?  Time is money...