Applied two positions in Nokia Research:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Member of Research Staff-PAL0000002H
Description
Member of Research Staff - Ubiquitous Device Interoperability
Norkia's Research Center
Palo Alto, California
General Purpose
Nokia Research Center Palo Alto (NRCPA) is a new Nokia research lab founded in 2006 with the mission of carrying out a broad range of research activities in the areas of large-scale mobile internet services, systems and solutions.
The vision for this lab is to be the innovation agent, leveraging the culture, talents and dynamism of the Silicon Valley, to help transform Nokia into a leading company in not only mobile phone devices but also in mobile internet services, applications and solutions. The lab is located in Palo Alto and houses over 50 permanent researchers and about 30 interns.
To complement our energetic, multi-disciplinary NRCPA team, we are looking for an experienced embedded systems engineer and a well known research expert, who masters her/his own and closely related technology areas.
Main Responsibility Area
The NRCPA team is committed to the idea that a successful prototype and demonstration is the start and not the end of a research activity. As part of the team, you will be responsible for project-wide system development and integration, and actively contributes to and co-ordinates similar department-level activities.
The areas of technical responsibility require in-depth expertise in operating systems, multimedia frameworks, capability discovery and middleware software preferable within embedded systems. You will actively apply your skills in areas, ranging from concept development, implementation, system debugging, and problem analysis up to quality assessment and technology transfer.
We want to specifically explore the opportunities for interoperability between mobile devices and remote intelligent devices, with focus on audio/visual media and graphics content, together with related command & control. You will work with latest mobile device and prototype platforms, and will assess and integrate new software components and system concepts.
We will first address automotive use cases, and will go further beyond from there. The work aims the creation of an ecosystem, committed to open and standardized solutions, enabling Nokia services to span across device boundaries.
The work will give broad opportunities to actively collaborate with internal and external partners, contribution to standardization and large-scale end-user trials. The NRCPA lab fosters team member to create IPR and to conduct high-profile research publications.
Scope
We are looking for an active individual contributor, who performs and coordinates short- and mid-term activities to meet project- and department-level objectives, who carries out root/cause analysis in complex technical problems and develops and implements recommendations.
Within the NRCPA lab, you act as a source of scientific and technical expertise to other team members and contribute to scientific discussion in your own area. The work may include active contribution to other multi-disciplinary projects on department level.
Impact
The impact will be short- and mid-term, usually on project-level. During the technology transfer phase, it is expected that the impact will be broader. The new team member is accountable for quality, accuracy and efficiency of own and team achievements. Actions and errors will have project-level functional impact.
Key Tasks
PERSONAL DIMENSION: Innovate and carry out research - Define technical concepts and write system specifications - Implement and test solutions - Support standardization - IPR creation - Contribute actively with ideas and solve problems
PROJECT DIMENSION: Acts as an experienced and active team member in research projects - Coach and support others within the research project and own expertise area - Participates in the project planning process
Network
Colleagues within own technical area inside and outside Nokia - Own research project or topic reviews - Relevant customers
Qualifications
Individual Portfolio
Typically 6-9 years relevant experience; key contributor, recognized specialist; master degree and above
Environment
Accepts responsibility for and demonstrates support for delegated decisions; requires minimum supervision; uses non-standard approaches to resolving issues; suggests improvements and seeks opportunities for innovation; uses collegial or consultant interaction
Competencies
- Multimedia frameworks (e.g. gstreamer) and connectivity solutions (e.g. USB video)
- Interoperability technologies, like remote displays (e.g. X11, RDP) and user interaction (e.g. USB HID)
- Symbian/Linux operating system internals
- Embedded software development using C/C++, python for Linux and Symbian/S60
- Experimental system design, rapid prototyping and system debugging
Job Research & Development
Primary Location US-Palo Alto
Organization Corporate Development Office
Schedule Full-time
Education Level Master's Degree (±18 years)
Job Type Experienced
Employee Status Regular
Contact Name - External-Ginny Borelli
Contact Email - External-ext-ginny.borelli@nokia.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
R&D Specialist 2 - Member of Research Staff 2 (SRO)-PAL0000001A
Description
The MoBS (Mobile Business Solutions) research team of NRC/PA is looking for a bright, innovative and enthusiastic researcher to help us invent the future of the mobile and ubiquitous Internet experience, with a particular emphasis on how mobile technologies will change the nature of communication and collaboration in the [virtual] workplace(s) of the future. Our research vision is to create new mobile application and services for mobile workers or “road warriors”, with a potential to usher in new worker behaviors.
We are growing a team of highly passionate people with proclivities for prognostication, high-fidelity prototyping and strong presentation skills, who are devoted to the design, development and deployment of mobile internet systems that will redefine our perspectives on, and approaches to, connecting people. Our approach to research is extremely hands on and experimental with an emphasis on publishing our research findings at major conferences. We have openings for researchers with experience, skills and commitment to push beyond the current horizons in one or more of the following areas: Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, collaboration technologies, social network analysis, web application development, search, information retrieval, scalable database systems, knowledge Management and discovery, statistical modeling and analysis, and other related fields.
Qualifications
A Ph.D. in computer science or electrical engineering, or an M.S. plus 3-5 years of experience in a research environment. Skills in web-oriented development tools such as HTML, XML, Ajax, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Perl, CGI, SQL and ASP, are essential. Experience with Java and/or C++, working knowledge of computer science fundamentals, experience designing scalable system, Database design and familiarity with the Symbian operating system are all preferred, as is a predilection for learning new technologies. You should have strong practical and problem-solving skills, ability to effectively communicate and present research ideas, strong inclination to collaborate, and a passion to create new and innovative solutions.
Job Research & Development
Primary Location US-Palo Alto
Organization Corporate Development Office
Schedule Full-time
Education Level Doctorate Degree (over 19 years)
Job Type Experienced
Employee Status Regular
Travel Yes, 10% of the time
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Research and teaching statements
UIUC's Career Services Office has a lot of stuff about this topic.
What's a research statement?
What's a teaching statement?
What's a research statement?
This is a brief summary of your work, which:
1) orients the reader to your specific interest within a broader discipline
2) describes how your research is related to others' work (though avoid discussing your dissertation adviser's work exclusively - be sure you represent yourself as the independent researcher that you are)
The statement should:
1) indicate why your research is important
2) identify who might care about it
3) provide your top 2 or 3 research questions
4) present the plans you have for addressing them in the coming years (make sure it sounds more involved than continuing to replicate findings from your dissertation)
state any funding sources you have in mind
What's a teaching statement?
This is a brief description of:
1) what you do in the classroom and why you do it, (do not simply repeat your course offerings)
2) your method(s) of teaching
3) your beliefs or justifications about why the method(s) are valuable
4) your specific goals as a teacher and the corresponding approaches you use to meet these goals
5) any technology you use in the classroom
This statement should demonstrate that you have been thoughtful about your teaching process.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Interview questions and hints (zz from MITBBS)
How do you handle difficult workmates/employees?
When I ask this type of questions to my candidates, I don't evaluate the answer based on how close it matches my desired answer, but rather, how thoughtful this person is.
Take the first question for example, it depends on who that difficult person is. Is he/she your peer or subordinate, or superior? Does that person refuse to do what you ask him/her to do or does this person just had a very negative thoughts about you? You want to be a good listener and try to dig beyond the surface to figure out what the real problem/conflict is. It might not be what you first think. You also want to communicate with that person and direct the energy into achieving the common goal for your team. When you don't have authority over that person, you can still influence that person by leading by example. In some situation, you may need to escalate the issue to the other person's manager. This needs to be done with caution because you also don't want to damage the relationship.
How do you handle difficult situations?
The same concept applies to how to handle difficult situation. You want to demonstrate that you are calm and you don't jump into conclusion. You always listen and investigate. Based on the nature of the problem, you choose the most appropriate ways to handle that.
It is also very helpful that you prepare for one or two real life examples to illustrate how you did and what the results are. Hope this helps.
When I ask this type of questions to my candidates, I don't evaluate the answer based on how close it matches my desired answer, but rather, how thoughtful this person is.
Take the first question for example, it depends on who that difficult person is. Is he/she your peer or subordinate, or superior? Does that person refuse to do what you ask him/her to do or does this person just had a very negative thoughts about you? You want to be a good listener and try to dig beyond the surface to figure out what the real problem/conflict is. It might not be what you first think. You also want to communicate with that person and direct the energy into achieving the common goal for your team. When you don't have authority over that person, you can still influence that person by leading by example. In some situation, you may need to escalate the issue to the other person's manager. This needs to be done with caution because you also don't want to damage the relationship.
How do you handle difficult situations?
The same concept applies to how to handle difficult situation. You want to demonstrate that you are calm and you don't jump into conclusion. You always listen and investigate. Based on the nature of the problem, you choose the most appropriate ways to handle that.
It is also very helpful that you prepare for one or two real life examples to illustrate how you did and what the results are. Hope this helps.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Preparation (zz from MITBBS)
An overall summary:
要是你问我找工作什么最重要，我会说：
1：基本功，基本功，基本功！除非你有4，5年的work experience，一般的公司对fresh graduate的期望值都是基本功要扎实。我有2年的工作经验，但面试我的没有一个公司怎么拿这当回事，问得都还是基本CS问题。
2：Be well prepared！在你发出第一份简历之前，要确信你准备好了。找工作需要运气，但是运气来的时候，只有well prepared的人才能抓得住。至少花2个月时间go through data structure, algorithms, 列在你简历上的programming languages, 再加一些OS, database之类的知识点，depending on your area。我自己的痛心经历就是：在我还没有开始正式准备好找工作之前，接受了G公司的interview。结果一个电话interview就fail了。如果现在还能再给我一次机会，我相信自己应该可以拿到onsite，至少可以尝一下有名的G家饭了。
投简历：
最有效的方法大家都总结过了，就是networking。不管是朋友，同学，朋友的朋友，只要能帮你circulate resume的，你面试的几率会很大。我面试的8家公司中，有2个是朋友托朋友拿到的。其次是直接投公司网站，有3个（我投了估计近百份），剩下3个是recruiter看到简历后联系的。
几个常用的job hunting网站中，monster对我最有用，拿到了3个面试机会。Dice和career builder就引来了一堆ICC。我在精华区看到一个怎么在monster上增加点击率的tip：就是存两个resume，一个public一个private，每天早上来个switch，这样能使你的resume被更多关注。
准备：
书：都是大家推荐过的，introduction to data structure, programming interview exposed, programming pearls。
题目：本版精华区，careercup。不要只看答案，要自己思考，否则你的problem solving能力不会提高，类似的题目换一个条件你可能就解决不了。
Behavior questions:
问得很少，但是hiring manager一般会问一些，答得磕磕巴巴可不行。以下是我个人认为必须准备一个标准答案，能做到张口就来的:
1) What’s your strength? Or why should we hire you or something similar。
我被问了至少3次。接着再问weakness的有一个，都是那种级别高点的interviewer.
2): Why xxx?
Do a little research on the company your are applying for. 我被问了2次。
3): career goal/ what do you want to do in the next a few years?
太常见了，被问了>5次。
4）what did you learn from you xxx experience/project?
被hiring manger问了2次。
要是你问我找工作什么最重要，我会说：
1：基本功，基本功，基本功！除非你有4，5年的work experience，一般的公司对fresh graduate的期望值都是基本功要扎实。我有2年的工作经验，但面试我的没有一个公司怎么拿这当回事，问得都还是基本CS问题。
2：Be well prepared！在你发出第一份简历之前，要确信你准备好了。找工作需要运气，但是运气来的时候，只有well prepared的人才能抓得住。至少花2个月时间go through data structure, algorithms, 列在你简历上的programming languages, 再加一些OS, database之类的知识点，depending on your area。我自己的痛心经历就是：在我还没有开始正式准备好找工作之前，接受了G公司的interview。结果一个电话interview就fail了。如果现在还能再给我一次机会，我相信自己应该可以拿到onsite，至少可以尝一下有名的G家饭了。
投简历：
最有效的方法大家都总结过了，就是networking。不管是朋友，同学，朋友的朋友，只要能帮你circulate resume的，你面试的几率会很大。我面试的8家公司中，有2个是朋友托朋友拿到的。其次是直接投公司网站，有3个（我投了估计近百份），剩下3个是recruiter看到简历后联系的。
几个常用的job hunting网站中，monster对我最有用，拿到了3个面试机会。Dice和career builder就引来了一堆ICC。我在精华区看到一个怎么在monster上增加点击率的tip：就是存两个resume，一个public一个private，每天早上来个switch，这样能使你的resume被更多关注。
准备：
书：都是大家推荐过的，introduction to data structure, programming interview exposed, programming pearls。
题目：本版精华区，careercup。不要只看答案，要自己思考，否则你的problem solving能力不会提高，类似的题目换一个条件你可能就解决不了。
Behavior questions:
问得很少，但是hiring manager一般会问一些，答得磕磕巴巴可不行。以下是我个人认为必须准备一个标准答案，能做到张口就来的:
1) What’s your strength? Or why should we hire you or something similar。
我被问了至少3次。接着再问weakness的有一个，都是那种级别高点的interviewer.
2): Why xxx?
Do a little research on the company your are applying for. 我被问了2次。
3): career goal/ what do you want to do in the next a few years?
太常见了，被问了>5次。
4）what did you learn from you xxx experience/project?
被hiring manger问了2次。
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Job fields - System Analyst
Job Description
Computer systems analysts solve computer problems and apply computer technology to meet the individual needs of an organization. They help an organization to realize the maximum benefit from its investment in equipment, personnel, and business processes. Systems analysts may plan and develop new computer systems or devise ways to apply existing systems resources to additional operations. They may design new systems, including both hardware and software, or add a new software application to harness more of the computers power. Most systems analysts work with specific types of systems—for example, business, accounting, or financial systems, or scientific and engineering systems—that vary with the kind of organization. Some systems analysts also are known as systems developers or systems architects.
Median Salary
$71,000
Education Requirements
Employers generally prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information science, or management information systems (MIS).
Job Outlook
Employment is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, with an increase of 29% expected between 2006 and 2016.
Job fields - IT Manager
Job Description
Computer and information systems managers direct the work of systems analysts, computer programmers, support specialists, and other computer-related workers. These managers plan and coordinate installation and upgrading of hardware and software, programming and systems design, development of computer networks, and implementation of Internet and intranet sites. They’re increasingly involved with the upkeep, maintenance, and security of networks. They analyze the computer and information needs of their organizations and determine immediate and long-range personnel and equipment requirements. They assign and review the work of their subordinates and stay abreast of the latest technology to ensure the organization doesn’t lag behind competitors.
Median Salary
$104,000
Education Requirements
Many managers possess advanced technical knowledge gained from working in a computer occupation.Job opportunities will be best for applicants with computer-related work experience; a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with technology as a core component, or a management information systems degree; and strong communication and administrative skills.
Job Outlook
Employment of computer and information systems managers is expected to grow by 16% from 2006 to 2016.
Job fields - Computer Programmer
Job Description
Computer programmers write, test, and maintain software applications. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Job titles and descriptions may vary, depending on the organization, and this group has a wide range of responsibilities and educational backgrounds. Applications programmers write programs to handle a specific job, such as a program to track inventory within an organization. They also may revise existing packaged software or customize generic applications purchased from vendors. Systems programmers write programs to maintain and control computer systems software, such as operating systems, networked systems, and database systems.
Median Salary
$65,510
Education Requirements
Almost 8 out of 10 computer programmers held an associate’s degree or higher in 2006; nearly half held a bachelor’s degree, and 2 out of 10 held a graduate degree. Job prospects will be best for applicants with a bachelor’s degree and experience with a variety of programming languages and tools. Obtaining vendor-specific or language-specific certification also can provide a competitive edge.
Job Outlook
Although employment is projected to decline 4%, numerous job openings will result from the need to replace programmers who leave the labor force or transfer to other occupations.
Job fields - Computer Software Engineer
Job Description
Software engineers analyze users’ needs and design, construct, test, and maintain computer applications software or systems. They also solve technical problems that arise. Software engineers can be involved in the design and development of many types of software, including software for operating systems and network distribution, and compilers, which convert programs for execution on a computer. Computer applications software engineers build and maintain general computer applications software or specialized utility programs, while computer systems software engineers coordinate the construction and maintenance of a company’s computer systems and plan their future growth.
Median Salary
$88,500
Education Requirements
Most employers prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering. Graduate degrees are preferred for some of the more complex jobs. In 2006, about 80 percent of workers had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Because of increasing emphasis on computer security, software engineers with advanced degrees in mathematics and systems design will be sought after.
Job Outlook
Employment of computer software engineers is projected to increase by 38 percent over the 2006 to 2016 period, which is one of the largest employment increases of any occupation.
Websites for ebooks
http://www.itpub.net
http://www.verycd.com
http://www.netyi.net
programming pearl on-line
http://www.dleex.com/details/?9063
algorithms on-line
http://www.algorithmist.com/
http://www
http://www
programmin
http://www
algorithms
http://www
Websites for job (zz)
http://www.jobirn.com/
http://www.monster.com/
http://www.dice.com/
http://www.indeed.com/
http://jobs.myspace.com/
http://www.craigslist.org/
http://www.careerbuilder.com/
http://www.foundation-networks.net/
networking
http://www.linkedin.com/
http://www.mydanwei.com/
salary & company
http://www.myvisajobs.com/
http://www.glassdoor.com/
http://www.job-employment-guide.com/
http://www.hoovers.com/
http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OESWizardStart.aspx
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://job
http://www
http://www
http://www
networking
http://www
http://www
salary & company
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
Websites for interview (zz)
http://www.careercup.com
http://www.geekinterview.com
http://www.techinterviews.com
http://www.techinterviews.in
http://www.technicalinterview.info
http://www.tekpool.com
http://www.devbistro.com
http://www.joelonsoftware.com
http://www.techpreparation.com
http://www.acetheinterview.com
http://www.softwareinterview.com
http://www.parashift.com
http://www.hitequest.com
http://www.seattlepixel.com
http://www.jiansnet.com
for software test
http://www.geocities.com/xtremetesting
http://www.gimpel.com
for coding
http://www.topcoder.com/
http://www.codeguru.com/
for canada
http://www.eluta.ca/
http://canada.indeed.com/
http://www.hirenow.ca/
http://www.wowjobs.ca/
http://www.careerjet.ca/
http://www.jobvolume.com/
http://www.jobloft.com/
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
for software test
http://www
http://www
for coding
http://www
http://www
for canada
http://www
http://can
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
http://www
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Resume Tips (zz)
FORTUNE
Monday, December 2, 2002
By Anne Fisher
What's Wrong With Your Resume? Is your resume doomed to end up in the trash? Maybe, if it includes any pet peeves from headhunters. Here, six key resume mistakes to avoid and how to fix them.
If you're looking for a job, you know it's tough out there--and you need every advantage you can get. "Your resume is the primary marketing tool that advertises who you are and what you can do," says Mike Worthington, head of ResumeDoctor, an online consulting service. "If you're sending out resumes and haven't gotten much response, the reason may be that your resume is an inadequate marketing tool." And how do you know if your resume is lacking? Funny you should ask. In an effort to pinpoint what makes an effective resume--and what does not--ResumeDoctor asked more than 2,500 recruiters in North America to describe what is wrong with most of the resumes that cross their desks. Unfortunately, in this job market, as one survey respondent told the researchers, headhunters are "looking for a reason to exclude resumes, not a reason to include them." Yikes. A short list of recruiters' top complaints follows with suggestions on how to avoid making the same mistakes. Full details of the poll results are available at the ResumeDoctor.com.
1. Poor formatting. "If a resume is not formatted properly, it is immediately thrown in File 13 (in other words, the trash can)," says Mark King, a recruiter at MRI Atlanta. "When a resume is over-formatted with multiple type fonts, heavy graphic trickery, 'ghost' backgrounds, and so on, it raises hell with the input process," adds Bob Lee at Management Recruiters in Jacksonville. "If we receive a good candidate with a poorly formatted resume, we fire off an e-mail asking for a simple Word document in (.doc) or (.rtf) format."
Suggestion: Why not do yourself a favor and send it that way in the first place? Two tips: 1) In Word, don't use headers and footers to list your contact information. Headers and footers often get lost in conversion--and you do want to be contacted, right? 2) To see exactly what your resume will look like as a text file, paste it into Notepad. You can make any necessary
adjustments there before sending it on its way.
2. An introduction or statement of objectives that is too general. "A general objective is a good way to have your resume tossed out immediately," says Gayla Moore of Taylor Recruiting in Austin, Texas. "Candidates often state that they want to be with a great company that values its employees. Well, guess what. Everybody wants that!"
Suggestion: Instead, she says, "use this top piece of real estate to really sell yourself by creating a headline. Don't be shy. Come up with one powerful sentence or phrase to 'grab' your reader. Tell them who you are and what you do." This headline can, and probably should, be customized to match the job description and "hot buttons" of each recruiter or employer.
3. Burying, or not including, important information. Many recruiters say that candidates often leave off critical skills and qualifications--for instance, holding a security clearance or being bilingual in Spanish--or bury them so far down in the resume that the recruiter won't see them.
Suggestion: "Job seekers must be aware that recruiters receive hundreds of resumes a day and spend only about ten seconds skimming each one. No recruiter has time to play Sherlock Holmes or guessing games to figure out a candidate's background," says Mike Worthington. "This is why it's imperative that, if you have the qualifications for a particular job, you grab the recruiter's
attention with that right away. Don't make him or her hunt for it, or the chances that you'll get called are not good."
4. Resumes that are too long. "If a candidate can't communicate the information in two pages or less, there's a problem," says James Cox, managing director at MES Search in Smyrna, Ga. "If you are from academia, do not list every publication or journal paper you have ever presented," adds Worthington. "My record as a recruiter was a 62-page resume from a former professor. It got a few laughs in the office and then went straight into the trash."
Suggestion: Your resume should showcase only your most recent accomplishments, going back five to eight years and certainly no more than ten. For employment before that, create a brief "Previous Employment" section that quickly lists titles, companies, and dates.
5. Applying for a job for which you aren't qualified. Be sure to read the job description carefully. If the requirements are "must have U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain top security clearance," don't submit your resume if you need H1B sponsorship. "When someone submits a resume for a job for which he or she is obviously not qualified, the person reading it resents the waste of
time," notes Steve West of Management Recruiters of Atlanta West. " This resentment does not help to start a good relationship with that recruiter."
Suggestion: Says Jennifer Baker of Inter*Link Technology Solutions in Daytona Beach, Fla.: "Candidates who may not have direct experience in a particular area may still be a good match. However, such a candidate has to go the extra mile and explain in specific terms why she still believes her background makes her a good fit for the job." Don't expect the recruiter or employer to figure it out for themselves. They won't.
6. Personal information not relevant to the job. "Recruiters do not need to know about your age, height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliations, or hobbies," says Worthington. "They are trying to fill a job, not match you for a blind date."
Suggestion: There are exceptions. If for example you are applying for a position as a computer programmer at Burton Snowboards, and your hobby happens to be snowboarding, by all means mention it. "In a case like this your hobby offers value to the employer," Worthington says. "Your familiarity with the snowboarding lifestyle and industry could open the door to that all-important first interview." Cowabunga!
Monday, December 2, 2002
By Anne Fisher
What's Wrong With Your Resume? Is your resume doomed to end up in the trash? Maybe, if it includes any pet peeves from headhunters. Here, six key resume mistakes to avoid and how to fix them.
If you're looking for a job, you know it's tough out there--and you need every advantage you can get. "Your resume is the primary marketing tool that advertises who you are and what you can do," says Mike Worthington, head of ResumeDoctor, an online consulting service. "If you're sending out resumes and haven't gotten much response, the reason may be that your resume is an inadequate marketing tool." And how do you know if your resume is lacking? Funny you should ask. In an effort to pinpoint what makes an effective resume--and what does not--ResumeDoctor asked more than 2,500 recruiters in North America to describe what is wrong with most of the resumes that cross their desks. Unfortunately, in this job market, as one survey respondent told the researchers, headhunters are "looking for a reason to exclude resumes, not a reason to include them." Yikes. A short list of recruiters' top complaints follows with suggestions on how to avoid making the same mistakes. Full details of the poll results are available at the ResumeDoctor.com.
1. Poor formatting. "If a resume is not formatted properly, it is immediately thrown in File 13 (in other words, the trash can)," says Mark King, a recruiter at MRI Atlanta. "When a resume is over-formatted with multiple type fonts, heavy graphic trickery, 'ghost' backgrounds, and so on, it raises hell with the input process," adds Bob Lee at Management Recruiters in Jacksonville. "If we receive a good candidate with a poorly formatted resume, we fire off an e-mail asking for a simple Word document in (.doc) or (.rtf) format."
Suggestion: Why not do yourself a favor and send it that way in the first place? Two tips: 1) In Word, don't use headers and footers to list your contact information. Headers and footers often get lost in conversion--and you do want to be contacted, right? 2) To see exactly what your resume will look like as a text file, paste it into Notepad. You can make any necessary
adjustments there before sending it on its way.
2. An introduction or statement of objectives that is too general. "A general objective is a good way to have your resume tossed out immediately," says Gayla Moore of Taylor Recruiting in Austin, Texas. "Candidates often state that they want to be with a great company that values its employees. Well, guess what. Everybody wants that!"
Suggestion: Instead, she says, "use this top piece of real estate to really sell yourself by creating a headline. Don't be shy. Come up with one powerful sentence or phrase to 'grab' your reader. Tell them who you are and what you do." This headline can, and probably should, be customized to match the job description and "hot buttons" of each recruiter or employer.
3. Burying, or not including, important information. Many recruiters say that candidates often leave off critical skills and qualifications--for instance, holding a security clearance or being bilingual in Spanish--or bury them so far down in the resume that the recruiter won't see them.
Suggestion: "Job seekers must be aware that recruiters receive hundreds of resumes a day and spend only about ten seconds skimming each one. No recruiter has time to play Sherlock Holmes or guessing games to figure out a candidate's background," says Mike Worthington. "This is why it's imperative that, if you have the qualifications for a particular job, you grab the recruiter's
attention with that right away. Don't make him or her hunt for it, or the chances that you'll get called are not good."
4. Resumes that are too long. "If a candidate can't communicate the information in two pages or less, there's a problem," says James Cox, managing director at MES Search in Smyrna, Ga. "If you are from academia, do not list every publication or journal paper you have ever presented," adds Worthington. "My record as a recruiter was a 62-page resume from a former professor. It got a few laughs in the office and then went straight into the trash."
Suggestion: Your resume should showcase only your most recent accomplishments, going back five to eight years and certainly no more than ten. For employment before that, create a brief "Previous Employment" section that quickly lists titles, companies, and dates.
5. Applying for a job for which you aren't qualified. Be sure to read the job description carefully. If the requirements are "must have U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain top security clearance," don't submit your resume if you need H1B sponsorship. "When someone submits a resume for a job for which he or she is obviously not qualified, the person reading it resents the waste of
time," notes Steve West of Management Recruiters of Atlanta West. " This resentment does not help to start a good relationship with that recruiter."
Suggestion: Says Jennifer Baker of Inter*Link Technology Solutions in Daytona Beach, Fla.: "Candidates who may not have direct experience in a particular area may still be a good match. However, such a candidate has to go the extra mile and explain in specific terms why she still believes her background makes her a good fit for the job." Don't expect the recruiter or employer to figure it out for themselves. They won't.
6. Personal information not relevant to the job. "Recruiters do not need to know about your age, height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliations, or hobbies," says Worthington. "They are trying to fill a job, not match you for a blind date."
Suggestion: There are exceptions. If for example you are applying for a position as a computer programmer at Burton Snowboards, and your hobby happens to be snowboarding, by all means mention it. "In a case like this your hobby offers value to the employer," Worthington says. "Your familiarity with the snowboarding lifestyle and industry could open the door to that all-important first interview." Cowabunga!
Two Interview Questions and Hints (zz)
How do you handle difficult workmates/employees?
When I ask this type of questions to my candidates, I don't evaluate the answer based on how close it matches my desired answer, but rather, how thoughtful this person is.
Take the first question for example, it depends on who that difficult person is. Is he/she your peer or subordinate, or superior? Does that person refuse to do what you ask him/her to do or does this person just had a very negative thoughts about you? You want to be a good listener and try to dig beyond the surface to figure out what the real problem/conflict is. It might not be what you first think. You also want to communicate with that person and direct the energy into achieving the common goal for your team. When you don't have authority over that person, you can still influence that person by leading by example. In some situation, you may need to escalate the issue to the other person's manager. This needs to be done with caution because you also don't want to damage the relationship.
How do you handle difficult situations?
The same concept applies to how to handle difficult situation. You want to demonstrate that you are calm and you don't jump into conclusion. You always listen and investigate. Based on the nature of the problem, you choose the most appropriate ways to handle that.
It is also very helpful that you prepare for one or two real life examples to illustrate how you did and what the results are.
When I ask this type of questions to my candidates, I don't evaluate the answer based on how close it matches my desired answer, but rather, how thoughtful this person is.
Take the first question for example, it depends on who that difficult person is. Is he/she your peer or subordinate, or superior? Does that person refuse to do what you ask him/her to do or does this person just had a very negative thoughts about you? You want to be a good listener and try to dig beyond the surface to figure out what the real problem/conflict is. It might not be what you first think. You also want to communicate with that person and direct the energy into achieving the common goal for your team. When you don't have authority over that person, you can still influence that person by leading by example. In some situation, you may need to escalate the issue to the other person's manager. This needs to be done with caution because you also don't want to damage the relationship.
How do you handle difficult situations?
The same concept applies to how to handle difficult situation. You want to demonstrate that you are calm and you don't jump into conclusion. You always listen and investigate. Based on the nature of the problem, you choose the most appropriate ways to handle that.
It is also very helpful that you prepare for one or two real life examples to illustrate how you did and what the results are.
Job-hunting Started
I will keep posting information related to job hunting. I will prepare for the best.
A few things need to be done for the hunting season:
1) prepare resume
2) write research/teaching statements
3) review algorithms/programming skills
4) post resumes on Monsters/CareerBuilder
A few things need to be done for the hunting season:
1) prepare resume
2) write research/teaching statements
3) review algorithms/programming skills
4) post resumes on Monsters/CareerBuilder
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
