[geeks] Jobhunt frustration

[geeks at sunhelp.org]

~ We've all been here... I am so considering finding a job description I
~ really like and know I can do and just lying my way in... 

I learned awhile ago that every Catbert-Evil-HR-Director EXPECTS a resume to
be 10%~20% horseshit. These are real numbers and they really do think this
way. If you are totally honest in a resume you start out 20% behind an
otherwise equal candidate before your resume is even read.

Now, should you tell whopper lies? No. You will fail to fullfill the new job
function and not be able to look at yourself in the mirror. So, how do you
do it? If you even look at or brush up against a peice of equipment, O/S or
software you should say you have "admin" experience with it. If you
researched, recommended, purchased, planned and installed said equipment,
O/S or software, say you have "engineering" experience with it. If you have
broad "engineering" experience with many such things, call yourself an
engineer (hint, get someone - anyone to hire you with this title and you
will carry it forever - work cheap for a year or two if you have to).

As for college/training, list ANY training you've had, even manufacturers
product dog&pony shows. I didn't complete college, but I list the colleges
and mention things like " associates electrical engineering program" and
fail to mention anything about credits completed or degrees.

Buzzwords... Unfortunately they count. There are websites that will clue you
into what to say. Jobshops and large employers even scan a resume using OCR
and then run it through software that pulls out the buzzwords. They then
match up buzzwords with the job description. You need to be very aware of
this, its very important.

Successwords... These are like buzzwords and just as important. They look
for things like this;
responsible for
managed people
reported to *some high rank*
implemented

Again, there are websites that will clue you into what you need in your
resume.

I can say that I have a strong resume, but most of its strength is in its
wording. I have over the years spent at least 150 hours carefully crafting
it. Each time I am looking for work I again disect every word and phrase
(when you've been at it as long as I have the buzzwords change). When I have
a paper I am happy with I do not "broadcast" it, I instead send it to maybe
10~20 good job potentials. Usually if I send 15 resumes I will get 5 real
solid interviews. I have been working steady since I was 14 years old (now
almost 40) and the longest I've been unemployed is 2 weeks, and I have been
unemployed during past "economic downturns". The exception to this was 1.5
years ago when I was unemployed in Pennsylvania (5 weeks). I don't know WTF
is happening in PA, but something is wrong there.

Now, interview skills are something to hone also. But thats an email for
another time.
Sorry for the long response.