Create Concise and Compact Resumes

Create Concise and Compact Resumes Create Concise and Compact Resumes How to Create Concise and Compact ResumesEngineers are smart, technical, fact-oriented, and organizedso it should be easy for them to build a good resume that effectively highlights their engineering attributes. Not necessarily truethe key word is effective. Because they deal with so many facts, engineers sometimes put in too much information that can distract from the key points.A common mistake for scientists and engineers is putting in too much technical jargon and not enough detail as it relates to the responsibilities in their previous roles, states Ross Petras, a senior recruiter with BiotechHeadhunter.com.Andrew Naslund, HR coordinator for the consulting firm Mazzetti Associates in San Francisco, agrees.Engineers have a tendency to go into information overload on their resumes, he says. Resumes get accepted or rejected in 30 seconds or less, so it is important to be concise.The document must be crisp, to th e point, and easy to read.Be to the PointTight, compact paragraphs filled with dense text are hard to read and will likely lead to the resume being rejected. The document must be crisp, to the point, and easy to read. Bullet points will make the critical information stand out.When writing bulleted accomplishments, keep the text to a few key points and quantify the results so employers understand the significance of your work, says Kim Isaacs, a resume expert at Monster.com who offers the following examples of bulleted accomplishments below Conducted process mapping studies to improve throughput by 36 percent and ensure compliance with customer specifications Regarded as one of consulting firms most highly requested mechanical engineers, maintaining 89 percent or higher billable utilization for the past four years Co-developed material for cooling radiators that saved $300,000 per yearPrecision MattersEven though they are typically very meticulous, engineers can also be impa tient once the results have been received and whats left is the write-up or deliveryinstead they want to move on to the next project. This mindset can carry over to resume-writing once the facts are down, the document still needs to be carefully reviewed and fact-checked to make sure it is error-free, especially misspellings or poor grammar.Failing to proofread and correct all errors on the resume is a common mistake engineers make, says Isaacs.Remember, there is a lot on the line with your resumein many cases, it is the first opportunity to make an impression. Before sending it out, triple-check it and have other people review it as well to make sure it is flawless.Regarding resume format and style, what matters to most recruiters and HR managers is seeing a chronological career history, either as the outline of the resume body or as a separate listing, says Pat Havard, owner of Principal Resource Group, which specializes in recruiting engineers. Aesthetically, it is only important that the resume be accurate and easy to read.Skip Black, owner of Minneapolis-based environmental engineering firm Double Eagle Group, advises not to write an objective section because it can hurt a candidates chances if it doesnt match well with the requirements of the job opening.Instead, Black recommends writing a qualifications summary. With a few hard-hitting sentences, the summary should punktlicht your most marketable qualifications, says Isaacs.List Key AccomplishmentsInclude enough key projects on your resume to reflect the depth of your experience and that complement, where possible, the job openings you are pursuing.Resume length really depends on the amount of experience and the information needed to present a clear picture of your capabilities. If there is a long project listing, it is usually best to have that as a separate document or a short list that can be an addendum to the resume, says Havard.If you can get your vitals on a single page, thats perfect, adds Naslu nd. If you need two pages, thats okay. If you have more than that, split the document and add a project list. List projects by employer or client and give a short description of what you did. Most importantly, dont forget to include your project outcomes.Entry-level engineers often ask Havard for advice regarding resumes.I tell them that the most important part of the resume is that it is presented in person, he says. Even in engineering, and especially for young engineers, the most important factor is personal contact. I recommend they participate in professional societies and talk with engineers who can be potential mentorsthe resume will take care of itself with just a little bit of effort.Mark Crawford is an independent writer.A common mistake for scientists and engineers is putting too much technical jargon in the resume and not enough detail that relates to responsibilities in previous roles.Ross Petras,

An Example of a Resignation Announcement to Colleagues

An Example of a Resignation Announcement to ColleaguesAn Example of a Resignation Announcement to ColleaguesUse this resignation announcement letter to let co-workers know that you areresigning from your job. When time permits send a personalized email homilie to each person that you worked closely with, rather than a mass mailing. Be sure to include your contact information, so the recipients of your homilie can keep in touch. Sample Resignation Announcement to a Co-Worker Subject LineResignation Announcement - Samantha SmithDear John,I wanted to let you know that I am leaving my position here at ABC Corporation. I will be starting a new position at XYZ Company next month.I sincerely appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you and have enjoyed my time at the company.Thank you for the support, guidance, and encouragement you have provided me during my time at ABC. Even though I will miss my colleagues and the company, I am looking forward to the challenges of my position a nd to starting a new phase of my career.Please do keep in touch. I can be reached on LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com/SamanthaSmith), my personal email address (samantha.l.smithgmail2.com) or via my cell phone, 555-121-2222.Thanks again for everything.Best Regards,Samantha ExpandSample Resignation Announcement to a Group of Co-Workers Subject LineTanishas Last DayDear Development Team,Next Thursday, April 27, will be my brde day at ABC Company. Ive accepted a position at XYZ Company, which is a transition to the nonprofit space. I have such mixed emotions writing this message While Im excited for my next step, Ill miss all of you so much.Youve made my time here at ABC Company so rewarding How could I have gotten through the pizza-fueled late nights coding without you? Its been a pleasure working with each and every one of you and I hope we can continue to keep in touch.You can connect with me on LinkedIn or please keep in touch over email tmartinsemail.com.Thanks again for a wonderful two yea rs working at ABC.Best,Tanisha Expand Tips for Writing a Resignation AnnouncementLetter Along with helping make your departure from a company a smooth one, a resignation letter is a good way to give co-workers your personal contact information. (Remember, they wont be able to use your work email once youre gone) This makes it easier to build your network - not only can you share your personal email address, but you can also seize the moment and connect with people on LinkedIn if you havent already.Here are some tips for writing a resignation announcement email that will leave co-workers with a positive impression Keep it professional This is not the time to complain about co-workers or the company. Keep it upbeat and classy. (In general, its a wise idea to avoid any jokes that could be taken the wrong way in your goodbye note.)Be brief No need to write a lengthy note. The essential information to include is your last day, your personal contact information, and some warm sentimen ts. If you want, you can also include where youll be working next.Send individual notes if you can Along with sending a group or team-wide message, consider writing personal notes to anyone you had a close relationship with. While an email is always good, it can be nice to send a handwritten note. (In some industries, like publishing, handwritten goodbye letters are very common.) Mimic others While handwritten cards may be the norm in print publishing, theyre unusual in other industries. Its always wise to send a farewell message that echoes what others at the company have sent. If resignation announcements are typically business-like, stick with that format. If people use them to share anecdotes, include one yourself.If appropriate, send a resignation announcement to customers or clients Depending on your position and industry, it may be appropriate for you to inform clients or customers of your departure. Check with your manager before doing so. How to Say Goodbye You have fo und a new job and youre ready to give two-weeks notice to your current employer. Whats the best way to say goodbye? The first step is to let your boss know that youre resigning. Next, you will want to say farewell to your co-workers.

Military Obedience

Military ObedienceMilitary ObedienceIts no secret that obedience to orders is a big part of being in the military. But if yure considering joining, youll need to do some soul-searching first - and forever after, if you do sign up - to be sure you can face the nuanced hazards of this type of work structure. The sad truth is that psychology research shows ur personal moral courage is much more precarious than we think (and we really do like to think highly of ourselves, despite the evidence.) It gets especially dicey when our morals come into conflict with figures of authority. Laws of war and personal honor aside, it takes good old knowledge of self to pass through such challenges. Unlawful Obedience From day one, military recruits are not only taught the value of instant obedience to orders theyre conditioned through the rigorous, rapid, and heavily directive nature of boot camp. The idea is to acclimatize new recruits to the idea of following the leader to hell and back When people are dying around you and your lieutenant tells you to Take that hill it doesnt do much good to have a bunch of snotty know-it-alls respond with, Why dont we stop here and come up with a better idea? But as a society, weve had to embrace the hard lessons of unthinking obedience gone wrong. The Nuremberg defense is the classic example of why just following orders is an unacceptable excuse for morally damning actions, but it wasnt the last and it wasnt always an enemy of the US damning themselves. In his article Military Orders To Obey or Not to Obey? Rod Powers provides a great pocket history of cases when US troops were punished for following unlawful orders. Among recent prominent cases are the court-martial (and conviction for premeditated murder) of First Lieutenant William Calley for his part in the My Lai Massacre and the horrifying abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq by soldiers who claimed that they were only following the orders of military intelligence officials. To reduce such crimes, part of the boot camp studienplan includes training on codes of conduct and the laws of war. The central theme is essentially to remind recruits that theyre the good guys Exercise appropriate moral judgment and decline to follow orders that are obviously illegal, such as murdering innocent civilians, looting, or abusing prisoners. But is it that simple? Social Psychology When I returned to school after my second tour in Iraq, I dabbled in psychology courses for a while. The course that impacted me most profoundly was social psychology, which examines the effect of groups and society on thought and behavior. (It often, though not always, appears to be the study of how horrible people can be in large numbers.) I never saw direct combat in Iraq, yet I still felt my stomach turn as we studied two very important experiments in the history of social psychology The Milgram Obedience Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment. These two studies strongly support th e idea that influences such as perceived authority, environment, and assigned social roles can (often easily) overpower a noble sense of self and lead to the commission of immoral acts. In plus-rechnen to their obvious consequences, these immoral acts can have a devastating psychological effect on the person committing them. Thats because, despite the objective evidence supplied by social psychologists, we have a natural, self-preserving tendency to believe we are inherently good. Go ahead and present a room full of students with the facts of the Milgram study. Ask them if they would, at the urgent behest of a stern man in a lab coat, continue delivering shocks to an unseen person whom they might have just given a heart attack. Most will still believe themselves incapable of such an act Im a good person. The issue, unfortunately, doesnt come down to good or evil, but to understanding ourselves and our human nature. Obeying an unlawful order or even just one you find personally trou bling is not a guaranteed behavior, but we should all understand that social pressures can often be much more powerful than our own perceived morality, especially in the heat of the moment. Consider What You Would Do Some people who join the military may never have to face a psyche-shattering situation like My Lai or Abu Ghraib. But sometimes, its the luck of the draw. Thats why its important, before even enlisting, to begin examining how well you know yourself. To this day, I recoil at the opportunity to abuse others or my power over them (and being a future nurse, caring for people at their weakest, Ill have plenty of opportunities.) Yet at one time, even though I never saw direct combat, I witnessed and even enabled dehumanizing behaviors that, though not technically criminal, certainly kept me up at night for some time after. It took me a few years to get over wallowing in my negative feelings about those experiences every time Id had a few beers. Neither am I ashamed of my entire career in the military because of these experiences. I simply bring them up to illustrate my point Before embarking on a career that requires you to walk the fine line between being a good team player and exercising individual moral judgment often under extreme pressure, when it counts consider who you are, and what you would do. Then keep considering it every day, even if you decide not to enlist. We all have as much capacity for evil as good when it counts most, and often the only deciding factor in our control is knowing ourselves.