What do you look for in a resume? What are your thoughts on this as Surveyors, Survey Mangers or ones in hiring positions?

@james-fleming I am a highway right-of-way surveyor this month. Iƒ??ve never surveyed and restored an old highway right-of-way on this level, in order to restore the ƒ??Cƒ? line, so-called, I had to go 1 mile south and 3 miles north. Fortunately our sister agency (owner of the R/W) has provided copies of old records needed.

The thing is if I applied for the job I wouldnƒ??t get it because I lack relevant experience.

This has been one of the most fun and interesting projects Iƒ??ve had in years.

Some could assemble a 20-page resume listing the education, work skills and levels of responsibility.?ÿ The big question is what do I, the employer, need you to be able to do for me at a reasonable cost.?ÿ Too much experience--no thanks.?ÿ Too little experience--maybe.?ÿ No experience--no way.?ÿ Honest--strong possibility.?ÿ Attention to detail--strong possibility.?ÿ Experience doing what 90 percent of my projects require--strong possibility.?ÿ This is why a complete resume should be the starting point for the tailor-made resume you present to me.?ÿ The final resume may only be two pages, or less.?ÿ I'm a boundary surveyor who has no interest in construction staking, for example.?ÿ Twenty years of pounding hubs does not increase the skillset I am attempting to hire.

Will you show up on time every day and carry your share of the work needing done??ÿ Will you be content doing that for a certain wage?

On the other hand there are employers out there who are looking for someone who has no problem with lying to the client and providing sloppy work so long as the budget limit is followed.?ÿ They are not looking for someone who is meticulous.?ÿ They are looking for someone who has no problem doing precisely what they are told to do at all times, even if that work is immoral, illogical and possibly illegal.

I'm a one-page resume guy. My cover letter will be up to two pages, tailored to the questions (written or implied) in your ad.

I reviewed a two-page resume last week. There were four periods and no commas. Every engagement was captured in a different style. I learned four new ways to spell topography.

I agree with those who say standard resume with targeted cover. I would add SPELLCHECK....

There was a time when I worked creating what you might call industrial films depicting the manufacturing process.?ÿ That was challenging and something for which I had no training.?ÿ The results were award winning.

Putting that on my resume for a survey position would be pointless.

Much of what we have done in the past is of no interest to the potential employer.?ÿ Shorten the resume to remain focused on the specific goal.

Long time ago, before surveying, I was a tech support manager for a startup. Hired about 25 people that year, probably made most of the hiring mistakes that can be made. By the time that adventure was over, there were certain things I looked for in a resume (or cover letter). The main thing was whether the resume told me about Stuff They Actually Did rather than a list of skills they claimed to have. Use lots of words that end in "-ed" like traversed, processed, calculated, supported, mentored, developed: past tense words that say you did something, completed something.

We got fooled by spellchecked resumes a few times so we started doing handwritten essay questions during the interviews.?ÿ

@holy-cow well that is sound advice for sure. Right or wrong The last interview i went in and they asked me if there were any questions from me or statements. I said almost exactly what you stated. I said I will do anything you want or need me to do. But I would give my opinions and ideas. But if you ask me to do something I know is wrong like morally or professionally the. Please donƒ??t hire me because i am not that guy. ?ÿI always follow that with I donƒ??t mean do something a different way or its good enough for what we are doing. I mean there are times when pacing a distance is good enough. But donƒ??t ask me to do something that is illegal. ?ÿIf and i have had this type of thing happen. ?ÿI go to the licensure guy behind closed doors and ask to make sure i am not doing something wrong or thinking wrong. I realize at times I donƒ??t have all the pieces of the puzzle to know if its poor practice or blatantly wrong. But I give them the chance to explain. ?ÿ yes i am not at the stage in life where i am hired to be a machine. ?ÿI am all about being more efficient productive and make money. But not at the cost of doing something illegal for sure. Thank you.?ÿ

@thebionicman well i most definitely need spell check for sure. I will not deny my poor grammar especially in writing. ?ÿI hired a lady that was one of the key things we needed. I needed someone who could work with me when i was writing proposals and such or technical documents to do just that. ?ÿSpell and grammar check. Now it was more frustrating when writing a technical document because they are not always grammatically correct. A different style of writing. ?ÿPlus new words like geoid and such dont always translate well for spell ck. ?ÿ?ÿ

Evil, evil, spell check. While welcome as an aid to typos, it seems to perversely replace what I want to communicate with what it deems appropriate. Always review the final result before sending!?ÿ

Well at least I try to re-read before sendingƒ??

@geeoddmike Have you been talking to my wife again. ?ÿShe stays on me with that same statement lol. I call her the grammar nazi. She sais in her lovely sweet voice (my full name) then now (my full name) i know what your trying to say but it is not written they way you wrote. ?ÿShe loves me I guess because she just has this grin and smoke coming from her ears but she has not dispatched me yet thankfully. ?ÿShe will most definitely be reading over my resume before I deliver them. I just have to figure out how to bribe her or trick her into doing that. I usually leave and move to a safe space before she reads anything i write.?ÿ

Posted by: @olemanriver

Your writing here is very "stream of conscientiousness". When you write for a serious purpose like a cover letter, you will need to go back and analyze everything to be sure you have complete sentences with punctuation, a new paragraph when you switch topics, and an orderly, logical flow.

@bill93 yes sir for sure. I know that is so true. I really do some time taking when I write because that is my weakest. I usually look over it wait a day read again and repeat. Then beg plead bribe my wonderful wife to review it again. Lol. I struggle and never deny that my writing is not where it should be. Now i can do better than what i do on here for sure. But i am usually reading this between jobs either survey related or my farm work. And i jump in when I should wait. ?ÿBut this site has been a great place to see and read on. As i have jumped back into the land surveying side of things. Thank you. My wife would love to read this because she is a grammar master. Lol. She always finds something.?ÿ

There are two types of folks; those that like prior military and those that don't.?ÿ Be mindful on what you put on your resume.?ÿ Keep it simple, concise and to the point.?ÿ As many have mentioned, the private sector just wants someone who shows up on time, sober, and can be counted on to get the job done.?ÿ I've worked in the private sector for 18 yrs, with the last 10 in management.?ÿ Now working for the Feds in Geodesy/Geomatics.?ÿ I'd be happy to review and provide comments.?ÿ Feel free to send a copy through the messaging here on the site.?ÿ

@stlsurveyor I will do. And yes i have learned that some people just donƒ??t like military. I worked both as well. Even at the agency there were those who despised prior military. Even though that was there mission to support. We are trying to get a laptop as ours works when it wants to. So i been slowly updating it. I am still waiting on some wording as i and ok to place in resume from agency. I still have a current clearance so I want to be careful on words if you know what i mean. ?ÿ

@stlsurveyor question doing both and you are licensed in multiple states. I might pick your brain on some of that work as i am submitting all of that experience as well to the board for licensure. I sat down with several ls and they all say if it was not under a ls you might as well worked at McDonaldƒ??s. On the flip side i sent my dd214 my dms nga university now all my education and some write ups for awards on missions. To a retired board member and some others. Ls. And they said submit it it will get some credit. You having both and being licensed. You could probably help me on how to present that. Mr cigar BW was a boss of mine in that world. I think he just retired though.?ÿ

@frozennorth My resume runs two full pages and has not been updated in 20 years, I've pretty much done almost everything in the Civil Engineering & Surveying areas including running my own successful business.

The last time I edited my remume I had one of my old time mentors help me trim it down to submit to a multi state firm for a PLS/PM.?ÿ I got hired for more than the max on the position and my interview was only a formality.?ÿ Before I was interviewed they took the time to verify the experience and responsibilities I wrote up and made the decision to hire me, with an increased salary, after verifying that my remume was not an exercise in creative writing like some of the resume's that I often see come across my desk.