Circuit Break - A MacroFab Podcast

MEP EP#279: Avoiding The HR Pit of Doom, Resume and Interview Tricks for Engineers

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    MEP EP#279: Avoiding The HR Pit of Doom, Resume and Interview Tricks for Engineers

    • Engineering Resumes
    • The main goal: To start a conversation
      • The resume is intended to give a snapshot of you not to be your autobiography
        • The person doing the interview probably has other tasks that they have to accomplish
        • Your interview is important but it is likely not their main focus, keep this in mind
        • Too much information is a bad thing - remember people hiring have to read lots of resumes
        • The 1 page rule
          • The HR pit of doom
            • There is a high likelihood that your resume will not go to an engineer when you apply via any portal/service/online app
            • Grammar/spelling/design/layout
            • You may be the best engineer out there but if you can’t get that across to a non-engineer then you are in trouble
            • Humble Bragging
              • You are not Engineering Jesus
              • Use tangible wording and describe cornerstones of your career
                • Example - I did X task and productivity increased Y%
                • Do not obfuscate your work with unclear words.
                • Be clear about your involvement in your tasks
                  • Avoid the following
                    • “Responsibilities included”
                    • Collaborated
                    • Think outside the box
                    • Go-to person
                    • Value add
                    • Team player
                    • Use Verbs to describe your work
                      • Improved
                      • Managed
                      • Created
                      • Designed
                      • Do not Pad your resume
                        • Shorter and clearer are much better than essays
                        • Remember the HR pit and the person reading your resume
                        • Control the white space on your page - This can be more powerful than writing a ton of fluff
                        • Get to the point
                        • Be proud and confident in what you have done and highlight it concisely
                        • Use Technical Writing
                        • Graduate resumes
                          • Probably does not include much other than your schoolwork
                          • Absolutely put anything other than school
                          • Internships should be front and center
                          • Anything that shows your passion for your degree
                            • If you don’t have anything like this get on it
                            • Describe how you used your degree to do something
                            • Only put classwork that is relevant to the job you are interviewing for
                            • Remember - everyone in your degree had to do the same thing, it doesn’t make you special
                            • Objective statement - I can take it or leave it
                              • Dont just put - looking for a job
                              • See if you can make it interesting to read
                              • Better to write a cover letter if you have something to say in an Objective Statement
                              • How to describe things you can’t describe in detail on your resume?
                              • Engineering Interviews:
                                • Research Research Research
                                  • The more you know the more you can be prepared
                                    • Remember that if you get this job you could spend 1/3rd of your life there
                                    • You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you
                                    • Dress appropriately
                                      • Under dressed is not helpful - Avoid if possible
                                      • Come prepared - No place is going to fault you for bringing things in
                                        • Bring multiple copies of your resumes
                                          • Bring your work
                                            • Personality Tests
                                              • How to prep for these kind of questions?
                                              • "What is your greatest weakness?"
                                                • ...more
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                                                Circuit Break - A MacroFab PodcastBy MacroFab, Inc.
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